There’s no better month than September to be a craft beer lover. NY Craft Beer Week kicks off on September 24 with 10 days of craft beer and food events. The crown jewel of NY Craft Beer Week is the 1st Annual Get Real NY Craft Beer & Food Festival taking place September 25 & 26 at The Altman Building event space in Chelsea (135 W 18th b/t 6th & 7th Aves). A cast of local craft beer lovers, beer writers and bar owners led by Patrick Donagher of favorite NYC craft beer bar Rattle N Hum have been busy planning New York’s largest cask beer festival ever. And with this crew hand-selecting the 80+ cask beers you know it’s gonna be damn good. Not too mention the local, artisanal food that will be provided by 20+ restaurants to pair with your beer. There are four 3-hour sessions over the weekend (12-3pm & 5-8pm on Sat & Sun; $65) and 2 VIP sessions (4-8pm on Sat & Sun; $80).  The good news is that they’ve learned from the mistakes of past beer events and have capped the number of tickets for each session, meaning more food and beer and less waiting in annoying, long lines. Even better news Get Real NY is offering Wined & Dined readers a $10 discount with the following code: GRNY10 — so head on over here for some more info and to purchase your tickets now. This $10 discount is only good through 9/3 and then we will give you another code for $5 off your tickets. Your ticket gets you into the event and a free tasting glass. Once into the event you have 3 hours of all-you-can-eat-and-drink craft beer and food pairing ahead of you. (Ticket Info for Get Real NY on Eventbrite)

What I love about NYC is that you never know what hidden gem you’re going to stumble upon next. We are amidst a new era of food media who are obsessed with covering the city’s newest and hottest spots. Sure, it’s nice to score a tough resy at one of those oft-buzzed about restaurants.  But there’s a different and deeper satisfaction to be had from ”discovering” a place on your own without food blogs, magazines, newspapers or Yelp’ers leading your way. I remember trying the pickled ginger scallops at Graffiti Food & Wine Bar in the East Village (prior to Chef/Owner Jehangir Mehta’s run on Next Iron Chef) and wondering how this restaurant had remained off of New York’s powerful food radar for so long.  Same goes for Sushi You and its formidable, yet affordable, omakase in Midtown East. Jill lived in Murray Hill for several years and I’ve lived nearby in Midtown for close to seven, yet not until this past weekend did we realize that an authentic gem of a Mexican restaurant had been right there in Murray Hill under our noses all along. Continue Reading »

Hot damn! We just heard that Daniel Boulud’s DBGB Kitchen & Bar is now offering a whole hog dinner with all-you-can-drink craft beer for up to 8 guests for $450 (plus tax & tip). Just give them 3-days notice and Chef Jim Leiken will stuff a whole Pennsylvania Green Village Farms applewood smoked and roasted pig with house made sausage and serve it up family style with swiss chard, gruyere and potato gratin, red and white sauerkraut and truffled corn on the cob. To drink, beer sommelier Hayley Jensen will select some fine craft beer for you to enjoy in all-you-can-drink fashion. Just $450 plus tax and tip for up to 8 guests. That means you can have all this for around $75-80 bucks a person.  Call 212-933-5300 for more info.

In our What’s the Deal segment we bring to light some new deals and specials being offered at restaurants around the city. This week we take a look at SD26 (19 E 26th St off Madison Sq Park), the downtown successor to San Domenico, run by Tony May and his daughter Marisa. Unlike its clasically-styled predecessor, SD26 goes for the avant-garde with cutting-edge design and technology in the form of a self-service wine bar featuring a state-of-the-art Enomatic wine dispenser, iPad wine lists and a salumi station. The menu, which is split into food groups as opposed to courses, also ventures off the beaten Italian path, with most dishes available in small and large portions to accommodate those who wish to share. SD26 has been doing more in the way of weekly specials and nightly deals than other restaurants of its caliber. Continue Reading »

We’ve been hearing mixed things about Sagaponack Bar & Grill in Flatiron (4 W 22nd St). Our friends over at Immaculate Infatuation, whose palates we’ve come to trust and respect, did not have great things to say in their review. While Marc Shepherd at New York Food Journal, whose reviews also tend to be spot-on, recently wrote in a review that “Sagaponack is a solid little gem: nothing revelatory, but a welcome addition to the neighborhood.” One thing we can all agree on is that they have a damn good extended happy hour. Through Labor Day, Sagaponack is offering an all-night happy hour Monday through Saturday with $4 draft beers, $5 glasses of wine and $6 well drinks. We hear they’ll also be doing some deals on oysters on the half shell. Speaking of oysters, BLT Fish (21 W 17th St) has launched a brand new Oyster Happy Hour starting today. From 5-7 p.m., Mon-Fri, you can get $1 oysters & clams at the bar, $5 drafts of Shack Ale & $6 Shark Bite cocktails w/ champagne, passion fruit puree and cassis(normally $12). 

Jill and I have spent more weekends this summer away from NYC than at home. We’ve been eating and drinking our way from Westchester and the Hamptons to Boston and Asheville, while catching up with friends and family along the way. Last weekend, our friends Anna and Andy had us and friends Jen and Bryan out to their beautiful home in the Hamptons. We were excited to check out one of their favorite Friday night go-to dinner spots — Bobby Van’s in Bridgehampton.  Since so many NYC-based restaurants have opened up locations in the Hamptons, many people naturally presume that this Bobby Van’s is an extension of the Bobby Van’s steakhouses in NYC and DC. But this is actually the original location founded by piano player Bobby Van back in 1969. And it’s better than its urban counterparts. Oysters, crab legs, clams casino, crab cake, lobster mac n’ cheese and a porterhouse for 5 later, I think this may be the best steakhouse on Long Island (yes, I know there’s a Peter Luger in Great Neck). Continue Reading »

Sweetiepie Restaurant (19 Greenwich Ave b/t Christopher & 10th), the West Village version of Alice’s Tea Cup meets Serendipity, has undergone a bit of a transformation this year. Well, at least it’s menu has. The “sweetly” decorated pink and white space known for its birdcage in the dining room remains largely the same.  It seems like Sweetiepie suffers from an identity crisis. It’s kinda like a Dylan’s Candy Bar for grown-ups. But we hear they get their fair share of kids in there, too (after all, it’s OpenTable’s #1 Kid-Friendly Restaurant).  News came earlier this summer that the restaurant had brought in Ryan Skeen (formerly of 5 & Diamond, Irving Mill and Allen & Delancey) as a “consulting chef” to overhaul the menu and “beef” things up a bit. His impact can be seen in new menu items like burgers, mac n’ cheese and tater tots. Sweetiepie has also started offering some pretty good deals, including an all-you-can-drink brunch. Unfortunately, they come with the price of having to sit in the cutesy, dolled-up space. On Tuesday nights, they have a deal where $10 gets you a burger and tater tots. And if you’re there between 4-8 p.m., we hear you can add a sangria to the mix for $5. They have a daily happy hour from 4-8 p.m. with $5 beers and sangria.  And through Labor Day you can also get a burger + beer + tater tots combo during Happy Hour for $15. This past week came news of a new Bottomless Cocktail Brunch where $20 gets you your choice of an entree plus unlimited sangria, mimosa, bloody mary, or dirty lemonade. Now, I’m not saying you want to be going to Sweetiepie for a bro-mantic night out with your buds, but it sounds like a pretty place to get sauced at a baby or bridal shower.

MeanRed Productions announced on its website that it will be hosting its aptly named food truck festival, Parked, on Governors Island (Colonel’s Row) on September 5th. The last Parked drew over 3,000 people to BKLYN Yard for brick oven pizza, dumplings, German soul food, Vietnamese bbq, ice cream, cup cakes, and key lime pies.

From August 20-29, Grand Central Terminal will be kicking off the very first Grand Central Terminal Dining Week, featuring a selection of prix fixe menus, to-go meal options and discounts from food retailers and restaurants in the Terminal. Since there is such a diverse set of restaurants and food purveyors, this isn’t the typical one-size-fits-all restaurant week. For example, Charlie Palmer’s Metrazur is going the traditional restaurant week route with a $20.10 prix fixe lunch and $35.10 prix-fixe dinner (menus here).  Michael Jordan’s The Steakhouse will have a $15.95 “Build Your Own Burger” w/ Fries and Beer special (at the bar only), while Campbell Apartment is offering a 20% discount off their Summer Punch and Two Boots Pizza is offering 10% off of their in-house dining menu or $5.00 for 2 cheese slices & a small soda. Other deals of interest include 10%-20% off select items at Murray’s Cheese, buy 1 get 1 free marinated fish at Wild Edibles, 10% off any wine purchase at Grande Harvest Wines and a free small iced coffee w/ purchase of any iced coffee beverage. For all the deals, click here.

Fend off the Monday blues with one of these great food & drink events taking place in the city today:

Resto’s Beer Dinner Series Presents ‘Blue Crab Feast and Summer Whites’: Resto (111 E 29th St) continues its Monday night beer dinner series tonight at 7 p.m. with a three course blue crab feast prepared by chef Bobby Hellen and paired with specially selected summer white beers. For reservations call 212.685.5585 or email louann@restonyc.com. $70/person including the beer.

Zagat Presents ‘Traditional Sauces of Mexico’ at Crema: The next in the Zagat Presents series features a 4-course dinner prepared chef Julieta Ballesteros at Crema (111 W 17th) highlighting three beloved Mexican sauces: pipian, mole and achiote. Beverage pairings will be available with each course. 6:30 p.m. $65 for four courses; $85 with beverage pairings; tax and gratuity not included. Call 212-691-4477 and mention “Zagat Presents.”

The Burley ‘Cue Review: Fatty ‘Cue (91 S. 6th St; B’lyn) is holding a live burlesque event tonight at 9 p.m. it’s calling The Burley ‘Cue Revue. A ten course meal and two hour burlesque show for $65 a person. For reservations email Events@fattycrew.com with “Burlesque” in the subject line.

d.b.a. Brooklyn Presents ‘Liquids of Interest’: Did you know every Monday night at 7 p.m. d.b.a. owner Ray Deter hosts a free beer/spirits tasting? Neither did we. d.b.a. brooklyn is located at 113 N 7th Street.

Artisanal Cider Tasting with Farnum Hill & Crispin Ciders at Rattle ‘N’ Hum: Taste some of the best ciders around as well as a delicious array of cheeses from Murray’s Cheese at our fave NYC beer bar. Rattle -n- Hum is located at 14 E 33rd b/t Madison and 5th Ave. Tasting begins at 4 p.m. and continues throughout the evening.

Manchester Pub Presents ‘Case of the Mondays’ Comedy Show: Great lineup of 6 comedians from HBO, Showtime and Howard Stern at this Midtown East beer-centric bar. They have tons of drinks specials and 50 cent wings. Showtime is 7:30pm. Manchester Pub is located at 920 2nd Ave.

The Mermaid Inn (E Village) Teams Up With Big Gay Ice Cream Truck:  They always give away free pudding on Monday nights, but tonight The Mermaid Inn in the E Village (96 2nd Ave b/t 5th and 6th Sts) is offering a free cup of key lime ice cream from the Big Gay Ice Cream truck.

Here’s a look at where some of your favorite food trucks are parking around the city today. We’ll update this map as the locations flow in. If you’re on Twitter, you can also follow the food trucks location tweets here.

View NYC Food Trucks — 8/16/2010 in a larger map

We’ve heard of bars that have beer clubs or mug clubs, but this is the first we’ve heard of a tequila club. West Village Mexican standout Cabrito (50 Carmine St.), which has become known for its slightly gimmicky all-you-can drink and eat movie nights and beach parties, has now launched a slightly gimmicky Tequila Club. Simply sign-up the next time you are there and every time you order a drink with any tequila (shot form or in a cocktail), that tequila will be checked off your personal score card (kept behind the bar). Once you’ve tried all 50+ types of Blanco, Reposado, and Anejo tequilas, you will officially be initiated into the club.  And membership has its privileges –  you’ll receive a plaque on the wall alerting all other patrons to the fact that you’re a prolific alcoholic and you’ll get 25% off all tequila and tequila-based drinks for the remainder of the year from the date you started. The most sure-fire way to quickly becoming a member is by ordering their new Tequila Flights. Choose any three tequilas from the Coach ($19), First Class ($29), Business Class ($24) or Charter ($35) and earn 3 checks in one fell swoop. Who’s gonna be the first member? Tweet

I’ve caught the sour bug. It’s a bit of an acquired taste, but once you’ve got it there’s no turning back. Unfortunately, like good, small production wines, good sours don’t come cheap. For the most part you’re not gonna be picking them up in a 6 or 12-pack. They’re mainly available in large format bottles (Whole Foods Bowery, Chelsea & Tribeca have nice selections). Ommegang Rouge, a Flemish red style sour, is one of the best I’ve tried, but it’s all gone and not being produced anymore. So I’ve been looking to others to get my fix. One that I recently discovered is Captain Lawrence’s Barrel Select Sour Ale. I first tried a 25 oz bottle at Pour Cafe & Wine Bar in Mt. Kisco and most recently at the Birdsall House in Peekskill, NY (sister gastropub to the Blind Tiger). This beer has all the intense tart and funk I love in a sour ale! I caught myself saying, “It’s so damn good” after just about every sip. The only problem is, like most Captain Lawrence sours, this beer is extremely difficult to get your hands on. According to BeerMenus.com it’s only available at Pour and Birdsall House, which I didn’t realize until I started poking around for it.  Both sell 25 oz bottles for $25, which is very fair considering Captain Lawrence released it for $20 and it sold out within hours. In fact, the only keg of it I’m aware of was tapped at the Birdsall House back in March to commemorate its opening and the beer’s release. Continue Reading »

For a little over a year now, Spina Restaurant (175 Avenue B at 11th) has been cranking out some of the freshest and most affordable pasta in the city. Well things just got a little better. Spina just launched a new Happy Hour deal that it’s offering from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.  We’re talkin’ $3 beers, $3 meatballs, $5 wines and $5 mussels. For you serious wine drinkers out there, here’s how it works. There are 20 wines to choose from during Happy Hour – plus a selection of weekly Sommelier’s Wine Picks. Wines under $12 a glass are $5 during Happy Hour; wines $12 or more a glass are $8.  While Spina’s clearly an Italian joint, the wine list houses selections from the Finger Lakes (Hermann J. Wiemer and Damiani Wine Cellars), Napa and Burgundy, as well as from regions of Austria, Spain and Argentina.  Can’t make it Wednesday through Friday, not to worry. Wines are 50% off by the bottle on Sunday & Monday nights. Also look out for Spina’s Mystery Dinner series where they offer a fun twist on the traditional wine dinner with 4 courses paired with 4 wines for $65 per person.

Now although we usually try to find good value wines at around $30 or under for our weekly wine picks, we couldn’t help ourselves to go (ever so slightly) over the budget in picking this week’s wine, Channing Daughters 2008 Meditazione.  Wow! This is truly one of the most interesting, complex, funky and fun white wines that I have ever had!  When you take a sip, you realize that this wine is something very special and very different.  It is a skin-fermented Meditazione – a white blend inspired by the “Vino da Meditazione” wines in the Friuli region of Northeast Italy.  It’s a part of the growing “orange wine” movement, with winemakers in places like Loire (France), Brda (Slovenia), Friuli (Italy), and Umbria (Italy) crafting wines that hearken back to an earlier era, when white wine was typically macerated with its skins during fermentation. Don’t just take our word for how good this wine is. We read that Paul Grieco (of Hearth and Terroir) described Channing Daughters Meditazione as “the greatest white wine in America” and we discovered the 2006 vintage on French Laundry’s and Per Se’s wine list (and even on the Spotted Pig’s list!).  I think that pretty much sums up the awesomeness of this wine – you’ve got to get it. Continue Reading »