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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Crossing Delancy......

The other day I ended up on New York’s Lower East Side. I had signed up for a walking tour, Crossing Delancey. The tour was sponsored by Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy. They are an educational and cultural organization representing many Lower East Side synagogues, schools and cultural institutions. This was my second tour with LESJC. This tour lasted 90 minutes and is $12.00!!! Under priced for the sites visited, history, and the quality of our guide.
 My first stop, we returned later on the tour..........
Essex Street Market: New York City's Public Market on the Lower East Side
For lunch Shopsin's General Store......
Essex Street Market began in 1940 as part of an effort by Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia to find a new place for street merchants to do business. At the time, pushcarts and vendors crowded the city streets, making it difficult for police and fire vehicles to easily pass. To ease congestion, Mayor LaGuardia created the Essex Street Market and several other indoor retail markets throughout the city.
In the early years, Essex Street Market’s identity was shaped by the Lower East Side’s Jewish and Italian immigrants, who served as both the merchants and the customers. http://www.essexstreetmarket.com/
Today it is an eclectic mix with a Hispanic theme.....
Shopsin's General Store..........
A unique experience and menu .....
Sliders with green chili and BBQ brisket on a ciabatta....
Pain D'Avignon
The Market......
Ok.........
Beth Hamedrash Hagadol ("Great Study House") was home to an Orthodox Jewish congregation for over 120 years. It was the first Eastern European congregation founded in New York City and the oldest Russian Jewish Orthodox congregation in the United States.Lower East Side Jewish Conservancy is trying to raise an estimated $4.5 million for repairs.
The congregation's building, a Gothic Revival structure built in 1850 and purchased in 1885, was one of the largest synagogues on the Lower East Side.
In the late twentieth century the congregation dwindled and was unable to maintain the building. Despite their obtaining funding and grants, the structure is critically endangered.
How sad...........
Typical of the older sections of the area.......
 Congregation Anshe Chesed, founded by a group of German-Jewish immigrants In 1840’s. It is the oldest surviving building in New York City built specifically as a synagogue and the first synagogue structure built on the Lower East Side. At its completion, it was the largest synagogue building in the United States.
Inspired by the Cologne Cathedral, it was designed by Alexander Saeltzer in the Gothic Revival style, popular in New York during the 1850s. The interior's vaulted sanctuary space and great doors continue to evoke awe in their viewers. The structure was purchased in 1986 by Angel Orensanz, an internationally renowned Spanish sculptor, and there is a gallery of his work upstairs. Angel and his brother Al, a sociologist of urban communities and an impresario, have been working ever since to restore the building. They have transformed it into what is presently one of New York's liveliest cultural centers for the visual and performing arts.
http://www.orensanz.org/publications.html
Legend has it that after the break up of The Soviet Union their were many Lenin statues for sale.
Sits on top of Red Square an apartment building on Houston Street...
Salvador Dali style clock on top of Red Square......
Got to love the street signes........
Congregation Chasam Sopher
Built in 1853, Congregation Chasam Sopher is the oldest continually operating synagogue in New York City.

Congregation B’nei Jacob Anshe Brzezan (also known as the Stanton Street Shul) – one of the few remaining tenement-style synagogues on the Lower East Side.
Since 1937, on the Lower East Side, Economy Candy is an old-fashioned, family-owned candy store that sells hundreds of kinds of chocolates, candies, nuts, dried fruits; including halvah, sugar free candy and of course all the old time candy you had when you were a kid.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Craft Beer Walk........

A few days ago I found myself at Mugs Ale House on Bedford Avenue in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.
It is the meeting point for Urban Oysters Fermented NY - Craft Beer Crawl. http://www.urbanoyster.com/index.html
I had also taken their Brewed In Brooklyn tour and expected this tour to be as good. It was, three tastings at four different and unique locations. What could be bad? Plus David owner and tour guide is an encyclopaedia when it comes to beer.
 
I arrived early and enjoyed a Cigar City Cuban Espresso Maduro brown ale ...
And a Speakeasy Brewer’s Reserve Old Godfather Barleywine
 
First tasting.......
Radeberger Pilsner- German-clasic and dry
Founder's Red Rye PA - Michigan-hoppy caramel.over tones
Harpoon ESB IPA- Extra Bitter Indian Pale Ale, an English style IPA-Dark and malty-my choice but I will take malt over hops any day.
 
This tasting was paired with guacamole and spicy wings....
Each reacted differently to the heat....
Hops increases the heat, Malt balances it.....
Malt also works best with chocolate.....
The flavours are similar.....
Next stop.......
Teddy's Bar and Grill.....
We did not go in but......
 
Interesting history......
A neighborhood bar for over a century. Original there was a men’s and a women’s entrance. Proper women were not allowed to be associated with the bawdier side of saloon life. The bar was divided. But they could drink with the girls? Also, Teddy’s had a takeout beer window, no age restriction. Legend has it the term “growler” originated at take out windows…… As people, usually a child picked up the beer for the evening meal, their stomach was growling….
 
Interesting......
 
Spuyten Duvyil Grocery.......
At least in NYC only grocery stores can sell beer.
This explains why I can not find beer at Astor Wine and Spirits. Odd but Spuyten Duvyil is a grocery store, 40% of their inventory is “grocery”. They have a huge selection of bitters, think cocktails, Ricks Picks Pickles, Mast Brothers Chocolate….
None of which can be sold in a liquor store, nor can a corkscrew.
Oh, they also have the best selection of beer you can find locally.
Plus they sell beer glasses for each type of beer…………..
 
 
 
The same person who put together Spuyten Duvyil Grocery also opened Fette Sau......
From the web…… 
We sell “smoked meats, Craft beer by the gallon, and (have) the best American Whisky List in New York City”…….
This was a noneating stop…..
No frills...BBQ served on a half sheet pan.....
Looked painful good……
The mural.....
Love the tap handles.....
 
Our Tasting......

Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold-Patchogue, NY
Six Point Righteous Rye-Brewed in Brooklyn
Blue Point Oatmeal Stout-Long Island, NY
 
Time to move on.......
 
Spuyten Duvyil Bar.....
 
Peak Organic Wheat Ale
Coney Island Luna Lager
Hobbins Street Baltic Porter
With Salami and Cyprus Gove Midnight Moon Goat Cheese
 
Done..........
Interesting........
Across the street from above.........
 
Young and "hip"......
Dogs allowed....
 
Love the bar.......
 
25 beers on tap that rotate as soon as they run dry.........
 
 
 
Thirty video games.........
Our tasting............ 
Victory Whirlwind Wit: A Pennsylvanian Belgian style Whitbier
Ithaca Cascazilla: A NY American Style Red Ale
Sly Fox Gang aft Aglyey Scotch Ale
With a new friend I also tasted...
Southern Tier Backburner Barley Wine: Brewed in Lakewood, NY
Kelso Recessinator: Brewed in Greenpoint Brooklyn
Founders Centennial IPA Cask Ale
True to form I liked the malty German style doppelbock Kelso Recessinator with a deep woodsy color and "flavors of toffee and nuts"
My only problem....