Hill Country Barbecue Market

A famous man (really not famous) once said, "If I had three hands I'd kill myself." This man was referring to his passion for eating when a large delicious meal was siting in front of him. I love this man and owe him a lot so I wanted to start off mentioning DJU. He would love Hill Country in the Flatiron section of the city. See exhibit A to the right.

This eatery is ideal for gluttonous groups of men with big appetites. Before you get by the lady with the rope (once you go you'll know what I mean, right Gresh?), you have to decide whether the entire group is going to order from the menu or go with the All You Can Eat menu. What kind of sick challenge of manhood is this for six 28 year old former college athlete meat heads? Obvi AYCE was our decision. Upstairs seems like the place to be at first glance but the basement is where it's at. Long wooden tables make for the family style eating environment. At the end of the long room is a small stage where they have live music which I'm told brings some pretty good honky tonk acts. We saw no live music as it was a Fall Monday evening so football was on the big screen.

You MUST order the green bean casserole, the baked beans and the mac 'n' cheese. The corn bread is delicious too. Now, for the main platter it has chicken, huge ribs & my favorite, the brisket. Buckets of PBR went well with the meal as well. I walked out of there a good 10 pounds heavier. You really couldn't drink that much beer if you were planning on going to business on the food.

I had never heard of Hill Country, but I highly recommend you find this place for yourself and treat yourself to a night of guilty pleasures.

Hill Country Barbecue Market
30 West 26th Street
New York, NY 10010-2062
(212) 255-4544
http://www.hillcountryny.com/

Cellar Bar

I love Bryant Park, everything about it. It's one of those places in the city that when you go, you find yourself saying, "why don't we come here more often". Only steps away from the plush green lawn of the park is the beautiful Bryant Park Hotel and only a few more steps under the hotel is the must go to Cellar Bar. So, get your stylish gear on and head to the cruxes of the Bryant Park hotel for this luxury lounge.

Make sure you are prepared to spend some dough for the drinks & atmosphere, but for this place I believe it's well worth it. Cellar Bar is a great happy hour spot usually filled with attractive women and suits trying to court them. The decor is simple and the 1924 architecture really steals the show. The hotel was built as the American Radiator Building which was a Gothic Art Deco. Darkness and the beats of a the DJ set the mood and make it surprisingly cozy. Try to get a table/bench area because otherwise there isn't much room to sit and get comfortable. Once you establish some real estate let the waitresses take care of you and sit back to enjoy the scene.



Make your way through Cellar Bar either after work one night or as a starting place for the night. If you live in NYC, you have to make it a point to stop by this basement Bryant Park spot.

Cellar Bar
40 W 40th St
New York, NY 10018
(212) 869-0100
http://www.bryantparkhotel.com/

Balthazar Restaurant

Grab your skinny jeans (Cheech) and your ridiculous Ray Bans (that we all know look stupid) and head on down to Balthazar for Sunday brunch. This place has a very fashion forward crowd with quite a European feel. Despite the very trendy scene, the Spring Street eatery was still a fun place to dine.

The atmosphere is just cool with the old school tile floors and massive mirrors lining the walls. While waiting for a table, make your way to the bar on your right and start the mouth watering if you take one look at the raw bar in the back. My only gripe is when a place is "proud of their beer" as my Pops would say. All I mean by this is there is no reason why any bar/restaurant should charge $10 for a draft Stella when everyone knows the max should be $6. They must make be pouring it from the platinum kegs as oppose to the traditional aluminum ones.

The food was still really good despite my negatively. I had Bar Steak with Pomme Frites and my lovely date had the Salad Nicoise with seared tuna. My steak was cook perfectly however could have been seasoned better. The fries were all that. Everyone I noticed had fries at their table and I know why. I enjoyed my overall experience at Balthazar although it was slightly over priced for the final product. Definitely worth hitting up once because at the end of the day it is a very cool scene, especially on Sunday afternoon.

Balthazar Restaurant

80 Spring Street

New York, NY 10012

(212) 965-1414

http://www.balthazarny.com/

Comix

If I went to comedy clubs as many times as I say, "we should go to a comedy club tonight" then I would actually have a shot of picking something up and being remotely funny. Instead, I continue to put it off and usually only venture to a show once a year on a drunken New Years Day w/ my buddy John John.

I recently had another "we should go" moment and finally followed through with it and headed to Comix on West 14th. Right in the nexus of NYC nightlife where the Meat Packing meets West Village meets Chelsea, this place is awesome for more than just it's comedy. Perfect for an early show then a stroll down to Gansevoort for a different kind of entertainment. Comix has a very cool main bar/lounge area which makes you forget you are even in a comedy club. There is also a smaller basement lounge with much less seating and a small stage where it appears as if they have open mic.

My most recent trip was a great experience with very inexpensive drinks for the Happy Hour special and great food as we were watching the opening acts. The best part was obviously the main act which was Craig Robinson, better known as Darrell from The Office. Needless to say, he was hilarious. I highly recommend youtubing some of his stand up. Ultimately, Comix gets good headliners and combine that with it's cool pregame scene makes it an over all great place to seek out.


Comix Comedy Club

353 West 14th Street

New York, NY 10014

(212) 524-2500

http://www.comixny.com/

il Vagabondo

Nothing says Italian culture better than bocce with friends prior to a meal. il Vagabondo is an Upper East Side land mark that has been around since the Sixties. Equipped with a full boche court in it's original dining room, this place has more character than plenty. Oh, and before I forget...the food is totally legit as well.

You could easily walk right by on your way down to 1st Avenue as you are basically just north of the Queensboro Bridge. Once you enter there is a small cozy bar on your right where you can grab a fine Italian beer if your table is not ready. Let it be known that there are two dining rooms; you have the nice one on the right and you have the bad ass one with the bocce court on the left. Obviously I always opt for the left with the red & white checkered table clothes. If you have aspirations of playing bocce you will need patience as it can sometimes be a wait. Put your name in on the board and sit down for drinks and appetizers. I recommend the Baked Stuff Mushrooms and the Antipasto.

Main courses are tough to go wrong with such classic Italian preparation. Whatever you choose, YOU MUST order a side dish of meatballs. Hopefully during this time, you were able to finagle a game of bocce in with some friends. Overall, search and find il Vagabondo and strap yourself in for a classic dining experience with a unique twist of bocce.

il Vagabondo
351 East 62nd Street

New York, NY 10021
(212) 832-9221

http://www.ilvagabondo.com/

nublu LLC

You like hidden places? If you want to take your friends to an underground place none of them have ever heard of, the East Village's nublu is the place for you. With nothing but a nondescript blue neon light to distinguish this establishment, you can walk by this live music hub very easily. When you walk in, you literally feel like you just went through a secret passage into a room that no one on the outside knows exists.

Be warned, this place is dark and you won't find any Lacoste shirts in this crowd. What you will find is a surprisingly spacious music venue that presents an eclectic array of music genres and bands. Hit up the bar on the left and order 2 drinks per person so you can get yourself situated and enjoy the music.

If the music is too loud or you just need a break from the scene, head straight to the back where the nublu Garden is located. This is a great place to chill, smoke or whatever you might want to do in the outdoor area.

Maybe I'm just a geek, but I love places that are off the beaten path and not a total cliche. If you feel the same, this is your next live music destination.

nublu LLC
62 Avenue C
New York, NY 10009-6916
(212) 375-1500
http://www.nublu.net/

Ed's Lobster Bar

Size & high prices don't always guarantee a good restaurant. It is always such a pleasure when you find a place that is small, quaint and moderately priced. Ed's Lobster Bar gave me just that pleasure I was looking for. After reading about it on Urban Daddy, I sought out this SoHo seafood paradise. Located just south of Spring Street near La Esquina, this establishment is very contrary in price, seating & attitude.

I ventured to Ed's on a Summer Thursday and was delighted with the service as well as the food. Famous for their Lobster Roll, I decided to go a different route and go with a special that night which included lobster & vegetables over linguini in a fra diablo sauce; it was unbelievable. They had a great selection of seasonal beers which was music to my ears, I went with the Lobster Ale. One thing that I was disappointed in was that Ed's Lobster Bar serves it's city renowned Lobster Bisque chilled in the Summer. I had to settle for the Baked Clams Oreganato and New England clam chowder which were both official.

Our table was tiny like the few others that are in the joint but the bar is where most of the action is going down. It is a long white marble top that is idea for eating. If you by chance can't get a table, have a seat at the bar and I promise you will enjoy this seafood paradise. Lastly, don't forget your complimentary Chocolobsters while you are paying the bill






Ed's Lobster Bar
222 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 343-3236
http://www.lobsterbarnyc.com/