xeno111's Profile
Good Ice Cream
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is excellent. All the Asian flavors like durian, black sesame, red bean are there, but they do a good job on Western flavors too. Sundaes and Cones I've had great experiences at but not been in a while, so bummed to read the reply that the warm welcome is gone. Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory is good and can be found in Manhattan, and East Village Ice Cream was launched by a BICF alum. Cones in the West Village is Argentine style ice cream, falls between hard pack and gelato consistency. Leans toward the gelato side, so maybe not quite what you are looking for but quite good. Pity their prices have gone up in recent years.
Papusas?!?!?
I haven't found a good pupusa outside of Brooklyn yet. But it must be out there and while we look, the Venezuelan arepa is not a bad substitute. Caracas in the East Village is justifiably popular, though quickly cramped in the evening, especially on weekends. And El Cocotero has been recommended elsewhere on this board, though I haven't tried.
Brandy Library atmosphere?
Earlier posts allude to it, but I'm looking for a bit more detail on just what kind of crowd goes there. I've always avoided it because the Tribeca location and high prices worry me that it might be packed with loud, obnoxious Wall St dudes trying to impress each other or their dates by running up huge tabs. Not the place to explore spirits. But their list is awfully impressive, so maybe it's worth it. Or maybe there are certain nights of the week when the hedgefund types aren't around. Or maybe I'm all wrong and it's packed 7 nights a week with serious spirit enthusiasts.
dba is a favorite of mine for spirits. Solid selection, knowledgeable but unpretentious staff, good music, laid back atmosphere. But dba's selection is not as encyclopedic as BL, so thinking of going. And if anyone has another dba in their pocket, would love to hear about it. Not looking for a cocktail bar (don't get me wrong, I'm a longtime fan of Angel's Share, Milk & Honey et al), but rather bars with a focus on sipping spirits: aged rum especially, and also single malt, bourbon, rye, etc.
