http://www.nypress.com/articles.sec-30-1-food-reviews.html LIQUOR, BB GUNS and goldfish. It doesn’t seem like the smartest combination outside of rural Kentucky until the context is revealed: These elements are all part of Manhattan’s midway-themed bar Carnival, located directly above Bowlmor near Union Square. Now all the thrills you experienced as a child when your parents would drag you away from television to visit the local county fair are centrally located in one fantastical watering hole.]]> THOUGH THE PHRASE “peasant food” sounds low-brow, New York’s version of a peasant dish might just be some of the best chow that you’ve had. Think about it—you’re out on a drunken night in the West Village and stop for a $2 falafel on MacDougal Street or at that taco truck on Sixth Avenue. Simple, cheap, delicious. Arcane, a restaurant tucked away on Avenue C, showcases a different kind of peasant dish in its Colombo De Porc. Though traditional French Caribbean cooking is much harder to find in the city than Famous Ray’s Pizza, this pork curry stew is just as tasty and comes from similar low cost roots.]]> Who knew those giant hunks of fried dough dusted with powdered sugar and sold at large outdoor events like the Suffolk County Boat Show had a proper name? They’re called zeppole (pronounced “zep-PO-lee”), and are generally aligned with Italian celebrations in honor of St. Joseph’s Day, which falls on Mar. 19. Saint Joseph, of course, is one of those Bo Jackson saints, claiming various domains to his patronage, including engineers and craftsmen, the New World, peaceful death and even fighting communism.]]> The Dumbo area is somewhat deprived of restaurants. Aside from the outlandishly pricey River Cafe, there’s the perennially acceptable Superfine, and a couple of notable pizzerias—none of them really worth crossing the bridge for.The remainder of the establishments tend to suffer from wild inconsistencies—e.g. you never know when Bubby’s might destroy your brunch pilgrimage with a private wedding— or otherwise inconsistent hours of operation.]]> MEATPACKING DISTRICT SPOT Abe & Arthur’s is New York nightlife all growed up. The space used to house Lotus, one of the first clubs to plop down amidst the trannies and leather bars that inhabited the Far West Side of 2000. During those days, a Cosmopolitan was considered a quality cocktail and the velvet rope era was in its infancy. As the decade wore on, though, the neighborhood’s smutty spots were washed away and replaced with overpriced clubs that drew the stiletto-clad crowds like drunken moths to striped-shirt, bottle-buying flames.]]> SOMETIMES YOU WANT to go where everybody knows your name, or at least where you can grab a hearty pint without leaving the confines of your hood.That was our goal on a recent Friday night after dinner at my friend Joeys Brooklyn Heights pad, and we hoped The Roebling Innthe brand new Atlantic Avenue barwould do the trick.]]> I lived in the Upper West Side back in the early part of the last decade when it was a veritable culinary wasteland. Back then, I would have killed for a great restaurant in the neighborhood—and not just the same, old, uninspiring few. To get into Recipe, which opened last year on Amsterdam at West 82nd Street, I just about had to bump somebody off the place is such a hotspot.]]> There is no reason a place like The Doghouse Saloon should not be popular. It has games, cheap drinks, lots of space, a big screen to watch sports and a friendly staff. But, despite the giant “Wheel of Fortune”-like game, where you get to spin the wheel and get a free shot with each drink you buy during happy hour, the crowd on a recent Tuesday night was sparse. I guess it goes back to that old saying, “Location, location, location.”]]> Fonda, translated into English, means “inn,” but Roberto Santibañez’s Mexican restaurant in Park Slope has nothing inn-like about it. It does, however, sport a chic Brooklyn charm with exposed brick walls, small wooden tables and a candle-lit backyard fenced in with thick logs. As we took our seats one recent night, a young man from Mexico dashed over to us with menus and a smile, marking the beginning of a beautiful waiter-ship; throughout the evening, he was courteous, sharp, available and just plain nice.]]> You might hear King Phojanakong’s Umi Nom referred to as the Brooklyn outpost of Kuma Inn, the chef’s six-year-old Asian tapas place on the Lower East Side. Outpost is an apt descriptor. Umi Nom moved into an old Laundromat on a block of Classon Avenue in Clinton Hill that feels much farther from Kuma Inn’s Ludlow Street address than the 3.5 miles that separate the streets.]]> My first visit to Greenpoint’s Blackout Bar did not go well.The new bar, brought to us by the people behind clothing boutique Oak, was the site of an event that brought such a swarm of thirsty, hirsute homosexuals that the bartenders were slammed, unable to keep up even a little with the simple cocktail demands of their patrons, so much so that I ignored the well-curated selection of liquor behind the bar and ordered a boring old vodka and soda. I’m happy to report that subsequent visits led to much more positive results.]]> Tucked in the cellar of a former townhouse and marked by a garish neon sign, the subterranean space is decked out in the sort of old New York glamour—think marble floors, pressed-tin ceilings and lighting from vintage chandeliers—that immediately transports one from the hustle of Houston Street above. But as struck as I was by the luxe, romantic room, I was bound to discover what my friend Sarah, already nursing a hearty glass of Clos Vauriou ($9) at the century-old mahogany bar, had by now figured out: Bar Henry is all about the wine.]]> YOU KNOW WHAT New Yorkers love more than multi-billion dollar baseball dynasties, scoffing at out-of-towners and the smell of hot garbage in the summertime? Sliders. No, not the Jerry O’Connell sci-fi show from the mid-nineties, the miniature variety of hamburger commonly found at such grease institutions as White Castle and Krystal.]]> WALKING INTO LOS FELIZ in the Lower East Side feels like a combination of entering a classy restaurant and stepping into an old-school bar.The intricate tin ceiling shines dully in the low lamplight and the black-and-white tile floor has just enough scuffs to make it feel like an institution, rather then a fairly new taqueria.]]> SO FAR,THIS December has no balls. Snow balls, of course.Things have been chilly here and there, but this year Decembers been a lot more mild than wild.]]> STEPPING INSIDE The Manhattan Inn, you’ll be hard pressed not to say “Yowza.” Greenpoint’s newest lounge is quite the looker. The spot is warmly lit and constructed mostly out of recycled wood—throughout you’ll find creative touches that keep with the eco-friendly theme. School desks are re-imagined as bar tables. Old auditorium chairs are used for seating at the worn wooden tables in the bar’s back room. The lounge’s showpiece is a baby grand piano, which sits directly in the center of the dining room. And that baby’s not just for show—a pianist tinkles at the keys while you sip your cocktails. If you’re not impressed with the décor, you’re probably taking that jaded New Yorker thing a little too far.]]> I live in Midwood, a part of Brooklyn where I can get the food of the Chosen People any time. But Glatt Kosher and Formica tables don’t ring my bell; I like a little pizzazz with my Jewish Deli fare. Lansky’s Old World Deli, which has been open for just over a year on Columbus Avenue, is not your Zada and Bubbe’s Katz’s or Carnegie—and that’s just fine.]]> “EVERYONE IS ON a cupcake kick,” says Anthony Fontana over the counter of his sunny store. “No one really does this.” Fontana was discussing the pumpkin pie cannoli that he and partner Brielle Dahan are serving at their Lower East Side bakery, Stuffed Artisan Cannolis. And so far, he’s right. If you want a truly memorable dessert for the holidays, forget the pumpkin pie and pick up a dozen of Fontana’s pumpkin pie cannolis ($2 each or 3 for $5).These delicate gems take about three bites to finish off, and each one is packed with a classically piespiced pumpkin mixed with mild cheese.]]> RESTO IS CURRENTLY serving a perfectly seasonal dish: a rich and meaty, sweet-and-savory tart made with pork, onions, cheddar, oats and pears. Oh, and blood. If that ingredient makes you squeamish, you are not alone. “It tastes better with beer,” says Chef Bobby Hellen, possibly noting my apprehension. Despite the early hour, I acquiesce under the excuse of “Chef Knows Best.”The bartender presents me with a Rare Vos, a New York state beer served at this Belgian-inspired restaurant in Murray Hill.]]> CAN YOU HAVE a biergarten without the garten? It appears so at Der Schwarze Klner, one of the newest players in the biergarten craze that seems to be replacing the understandably tired speakeasy trend. This Fort Greene bar adds to the neighborhood’s already full dance card of establishments from dive bars like the Alibi (full disclosure: I tend bar there on occasion), sports bars like Mullanes, wine bars like Stonehome and even the hood’s own “secret” bar,The Hideout. So, if Der Schwarze Klner can’t offer a garden to drink in, what does it bring to the already bar-saturated area? Beer. Glorious German beer.]]>