Photo by Deena Atkinson

South
629 5th Avenue (Between 17th and 18th Street)
South Slope
(718) 832-4720

What it is: A local staple built around the idea of a perfect neighborhood dive, with a touch of Belgian-beer-obsessiveness thrown in.

Why we love it: Friendly is the key word to this bar. Buried in the unknown depths of South Slope, this bar doesn’t tend to get a lot of tourists or other-borough immigrants looking to party. Instead, think of a bar where everyone knows your name (including the owners). To top it all off, with over 70 different bottled options and 6 taps, the beer selection here makes you dream of tulips and prostitutes (two of the three things the Netherlands is known for). (more…)

Black Swan
1048 Bedford Avenue (Between Lafayette and Clifton Place)
Bed-Stuy
(718) 783-4744

What it is: Out in the “wild west” for foodies (aka that kinda hidden part of Bed-Stuy with inexplicably amazing restaurants), this is the place to be for beers, cocktails and snacks.

Why we love it: Like we said: “beers, cocktails, and snacks.” This place is a destination for anyone looking to hang with a crew and a microbrew (taps change on the regular), and they throw a great cocktail list and a crowd-pleasing food menu on for good measure. (more…)

What’ll it be?

In today’s economy, the bartender has it pretty sweet. He’s gainfully employed, doesn’t wake up early, wears whatever he wants, and probably has more Twitter followers than I do, all dying to know what kind of bitters he’s hand-making today. While it is a sweet gig, with tip money rolling in, ranging from a $100 to thousands a night from certain big spenders and a plenty of of hot drunk people to flirt with, the job seems to have become all-but-impossible to get without that New York City experience that you can’t get without already having it. So what are your best odds to landing a job on the other side of your glass? We asked the experts: (more…)

Fatty Cue is planning to reopen in Williamsburg this fall.

Despite our best efforts, summer has ended. In some readers’ heads, the images of crisp leaves and light chills are already bringing them dreamily to the magical time of fall in New York. In foodie heads, however, people are just wondering what restaurants opening up this season will be worth a damn. Have no fear, fellow calloused gastronomes (small people who pay $30 for wines?), Brokelyn would never leave its readers with the fear that someone in your social circle would know more about the newest, coolest restaurants in the borough than you do. So, without further ado, here is what’s on the menu for new offerings opening soon that are worth your money: (more…)

Illustration detail courtesy of Le Grand Fooding

Le Grand Fooding NY is coming to Brooklyn for the first time in its four-year history, and for foodies, this French export is a big deal. Think of a traveling food version of Coachella, only they have some of the most respected and innovative chefs from around the world instead of the Beastie Boys (but actually they also have Mike D DJing.)

This yearly event is moving from Manhattan to The New Food Capital of the World, AKA Brooklyn, instead of Manhattan for reasons we don’t need to go into (why beat a dead horse, when you can rub it with miso pesto and make a banh mi instead?)

What does this mean for Brokesters? Unlike this and this, Le Fooding is actually has some evenements that are très affordable. (more…)

Fried chicken at the Commodore, where you can sometimes find a drunken Kenji. Via NYMag.

Alright foodies, settle down (yes, that’s a nice picture from Blanca, now put the instagram away), we’ve got some important business to discuss: Grubstreet has just released its list of the best late-night eats in New York City. I know, I can feel the rage starting to boil already; you can be assured that one new super-hip place only you know about isn’t on it, and the world needs to know that (*cough* Pork Slope *cough*).

The list does land a few Brooklyn hotspots, specifically Walter Foods (only open til 2?! What is this, Philadelphia?), Fatty Cue, the Meatball Shop (although they might be referring to the Manhattan one), and M Noodle Shop, for dumplingophiles; however, saying that there are only four good late night eats in Brooklyn is like asking someone for directions to that tall building in Manhattan. So, let the call go out: bloggers, nightowls, people who actually know what Le Fooding is, tell us what you think is the best late night snack in King’s County! (more…)

Great, someone found dinosaur DNA in a watermelon. via.

So far you’ve spent your summer enjoying everything Brooklyn has to offer, from celebrity-studded comedy shows to trips out to Rockaway; and now, in a haze of summer-inspired spontaneity, you decided that the gorgeous and sweltering sunset demanded fresh watermelon. So you bought a whole damn watermelon. Sure, it looks so delicious in the store, and yes, your biceps do looked jacked from carrying it to your fifth-floor walk-up, but guess what, hotshot? Tomorrow morning you’ll wake up to find a good 3/4 of a watermelon staring you right in the face, daring you to try and phrase this as anything close to a good investment. Well, have no fear Brokelynites, cause I’ve got your back with a bevy of watermelon recipes to show that green bastard what’s what, just in time for National Watermelon Day, which is today! (more…)

Slim Jim, meet your trendy Brooklyn cousin.

Yeah, we know the Brooklyn food scene has jumped the pasture-raised shark, but it’s not like everyone’s going to be abandoning Smorgasburg for Wendy’s any time soon. At this point it looks like blood orange donuts and Bulgogi tacos are here to stay. Cooking up your own scheme for the next banh mi stand? Before you quit the corporate ranks (or your coffee shop job) and join the pork bun party, know that the food business is probably a lot riskier, more demanding and, yes, expensive than whatever gig you may be leaving behind. And be prepared to spend less time in the kitchen and more with accountants, city permit agents and suppliers. Still curious? Here, a handful of seasoned Brooklyn foodtrepreneurs on what you need to know before taking the po’ boy plunge. (more…)

You're just one wafer thin mint away from restaurant industry success!

The New York restaurant world is a weird place to be. The money flows freely, but through odd and mutated channels. The pay grade runs from chefs barely making rent ($12 an hour) to the average income of the managers ($40K to $60K), to executive chefs ($85K to $125K) to the wild pay range of bartenders and servers ($100 to $10K a night at Per Se). (more…)

Tonight at Brooklyn Brewery, come see the Environmental Advocates of New York, the Manhattan Young Democrats, and the New York Water Rangers ask industrial gas “What the frack?!”, and then watch industrial gas reply “What?” because industrial gas doesn’t watch good TV.

Fracking is what some critics call the new hip way big business is trying to kill you, this time by going after the water supply (you know, I thought only people in Gotham City got to use that sentence). Fracking is when corporations drill for natural gas by shooting toxic water underground, breaking up rock formations and releasing gas. Great idea, except for, you know, the whole toxic water part. Of course, this wasn’t very worrying to me, as I never touch the stuff anyways, until someone explained that beer also does in fact have water in it! They’re poisoning our beer! Brooklyn, go get ‘em! (more…)