Best of Lounge 2012 - Winners

Lounger Number One for 2012 awarded posthumously to the impresario, Brian F. Paynter.
(Artwork by Dave Stolte)

The Loungerati readers have voted via PollDaddy for the 2012 Best of Lounge Awards and the results are in:

Lounge Scene Awards 

Best Burlesque Act or Performer: THE MINSKY SISTERS
Honorable Mention: Francine "The Lucid Dream", Angie Pontani, Grace Gotham

Diane L. Naegel Award for Best Lounge or Vintage Event: JAZZ AGE LAWN PARTY AT GOVERNOR'S ISLAND
Honorable Mention: Club Wit's End - A Monthly Celebration of the Jazz Age,  Liberty Belle Fourth of July Spectacular at the Empire Hotel, The Salon's New Year's Eve Eve Party

Viva La Musica Award for Best Jazz, Lounge, or Swing Band: MICHAEL ARENELLA & HIS DREAMLAND ORCHESTRA
Honorable Mention: Gelber & Manning, Ray Gelato & City Rhythm Orchestra, Queen Esther & Her Hot Five

Most Sought After Ingredient for the Home Bar: PERRY'S TOT NAVY STRENGTH GIN from New York Distilling Company

Honorable Mention: Dale DeGroff's Pimento Aromatic Bitters, Home Bar Basics (and not so basics) manual by Dave Stolte, Bittermens Amere Sauvage

Best Dressed Lounger: GIN MINSKY of the Minsky Sisters
Honorable Mention: Brian F. Paynter, Jack Newcastle, Dandy Wellington

Brian F. Paynter Award for Lounger Number One: BRIAN F. PAYNTER (Impresario)
Honorable Mention: Nicole Desmond, Eff from Loungerati, Mr. Gotham 

Cocktail Bars and Lounges

Best New Cocktail Bar or Lounge: THE SHANTY (Brooklyn)
Honorable mention:  Experimental Cocktail Club - LES (New York), Middle Branch (New York), Pouring Ribbons (New York)

Best Veteran Cocktail Bar or Lounge: CLOVER CLUB (Brooklyn)
Honorable Mention: PDT (New York), Death & Company (New York), Fort Defiance (Brooklyn)

Best Barfood: The Prime Meats Burger - PRIME MEATS (Brooklyn)
Honorable Mention: Deviled Eggs with Four Flavors - Clover Club (Brooklyn),  The Cubano - DeCoursey's Side Car (Brooklyn), Derby Cobb Salad - Astor Room (Queens)

David A. Embury Award for Best Cocktail of 2012: SAUVETAGE, Nate Dumas for The Shanty (Brooklyn)

Honorable Mention: Death & Taxes by Joaquin Simo for Pouring Ribbons (New York), KYPX by Franky Marshall for Monkey Bar (New York), Absinthe Colada by Maxwell Britten for Maison Premiere (Brooklyn)

Editor and Staff Picks:
Best Seat in the House: The "Regular" at EMPLOYEES ONLY (New York)
Honorable mention: Back window seat at Rum House (New York), F14 at Clover Club (Brooklyn), Any bar seat at the original Milk & Honey (New York)

Best Cocktail for the Road: Fernet Branca Bottle Service at BOURGEOIS PIG BROOKLYN (Brooklyn)
Honorable Mention: Underberg bitters at Prime Meats (Brooklyn), Hanky Panky at American Bar, Savoy Hotel (London), Boulevardier  at Lantern's Keep (New York)

Best Saloon: WARD III (New York)
Honorable Mention: Daddy-O (New York), The Richardson (Brooklyn), Manifesto (Kansas City)

Best of the Internationals: ARTESIAN BAR at LANGHAM HOTEL (London)
Honorable Mention:  American Bar at the Savoy Hotel (London), Happiness Forgets (London), Upstairs at Callooh Callay (London)

Best of the NY Hotel Bars: THE RUM HOUSE at EDISON HOTEL (New York)

Honorable Mention: Library Bar at NoMad Hotel (New York), Lantern's Keep at the Iroquois Hotel (New York), Breslin Bar at Ace Hotel (New York)

Best Dive aka "The Gutter Award": JIMMY'S CORNER (New York)

Honorable Mention: Jackies Fifth Amendment (Brooklyn), Montero Bar & Grill(Brooklyn), Arthur's Tavern (New York)

Don't Bruise the Ice Award for Best Ice Program: MIDDLE BRANCH (New York)

Honorable Mention: Dutch Kills Bar (Queens), Weather Up Tribeca (New York), Artesian Bar at Langham Hotel (London)

The back bar at THE SHANTY

Best New Cocktail Bar/Lounge: The SHANTY

Destinations: Frankies Oktoberfest Oct 18th

by Fredo
Frankies Spuntino 457 and sister restaurant Prime Meats collaborate to throw an old fashion neighborhood Oktoberfest in their shared backyard. The Frankies (Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo)and their staff were clad in Bavarian and Bohemian attire, such as pine green velour Alpine fedoras, Prien vests, and suspenders. I didn't see any lederhosen but I only stopped by for a quick sample.

The communal backyard "Stable" area was converted into a beer hall and a secondary tent was set up over the outdoor eating area. The place was packed and the feared rain never arrived. The crowd was a mix of friends, family, and locals from Carroll Gardens. A DJ spun eclectic mix of German and Europop. I was waiting for "Who the f*** is Alice?" to complete the true Oktoberfest experience but sadly it was not on the playlist.

Bier
Six Point craft beers from Red Hook such as the hearty Dunkel Weisse and Oktoberfest were on sale for $5.00. Newly available Underberg beer and bourbon spiked cider and mulled wine were also on tap to keep the crowd warm.

Fleisch
The food ranged from hefty portions of BBQ pork to bratwurst to Vienna style hotdogs with plenty of sauerkraut and Schalman & Weber Bavarian style mustard. Girls in traditional Bavarian dresses stood near the entrance selling giant pretzels out of baskets.

It was also the Fifth Anniversary of Frankies Spuntino 457, whose opening made south Court Street a gastronomic destination. Congrats to the Frankies on a great event, my favorite restaurant in Brooklyn, and for their unmatched hospitality!


Ein Prosit!!

Frankies Spuntino 457
457 Court Street
Brooklyn, NY 1123

Barfly's Beat: Prime Meats makes Primo cocktails

by Fredo

I thought I had it good cocktail-wise with Clover Club and The Jake Walk within walking distance of my apartment but it just got better. The team of Franks (Castronovo and Falcinelli) behind Frankies 457 Spuntino have collaborated again and opened Prime Meats on the corner of Court Street and Luquer Street in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

The restaurant is not a steak house but a tribute to an older tradition that will feature an in house butchery, home made mustard, sausages, Stumptown coffee, and a Germanic themed cuisine centered around pork. Eventually, there will be an upstairs speak easy and retail shop where one will be able to purchase the foods and other products sold at the restaurant. For now the front room bar and dining room is open for business and like Frankies, it is cash only.

Standing only bar. Mustachioed bar chef. Circa 1890s vintage bar. Fresh ingredients and artisanal liquors. Uncle!!

The bartender, Gabe from Weather Up, another Loungerati haunt in Prospect Heights, is all business but takes time to answer questions from newbies and old barflies alike. He helped me sample the cocktail menu and knows his stuff.

The Cocktail Menu (as of April 2009) is priced between $8 - $12 and is chock full of classics (some of which are reinterpreted):

-Old-Fashioned (rye whiskey & house made Bartlett pear bitters) was excellent. The Bartlett pear bitters are home made and apparently from the pear trees in the garden of Frankies 457 Spuntino.

-Martinez Cocktail (gin, maraschino liquor, sweet vermouth, & aromatic bitters)is one of my favorite drinks. The original recipe of the martini's precursor is followed to the letter. Only item to note is minor, I would have preferred Bols Genever be used in lieu of Plymouth Gin because it is closer to the raw type of gin used at the cocktail's creation.

-Prime Manhattan (rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, & house made Buddha's Hand bitters) was well balanced and the house made bitters complimented the Rittenhouse 100 proof bonded rye.

-Bijou (gin,dry vermouth, & yellow chartreuse) is a Parisian classic twist on the Negroni. At Prime, they use Yellow instead of Green Chartreuse and Dry instead of Sweet vermouth which makes the drink lighter in shade and strength. Bright side, that leaves room for another....

-Applejack Sazarac (applejack, absinthe, & peychaud's bitter)was the only misstep. Applejack and Absinthe rinse? It did not sit well. In my experience, Applejack may be substituted for Rye or Bourbon in some drinks (e.g., juleps or smashes) but in drinks with complex flavor builds like a Sazarac, I prefer to keep it simple.

Other drinks to try next visit:

-Aviation Cocktail (gin, maraschino liquor, creme de violette, lemon juice) - it is good to see the original recipe in use with the addition of creme de violette.

-Prime Daiquiri (light rum, apple brandy, lime juice) looks like a summer drink to taste.

-Loganberry Scramble (reposado tequila, loganberry liquor, lemon juice, agave syrup)is the crowd favorite according to the barkeep. I am not a big tequila fan but the loganberry liquor seems intriguing.

-The Good Word (unaged corn whiskey, lemon juice, yellow Chartreuse, maraschino liquor) - a corn whiskey twist on the Last Word.

-The Waterfront (Fernet Branca, Branca Menta, & ginger beer)- double Fernet Branca, I cannot wait!

As mentioned, the food menu has a Germanic flavor which is perfect for strong cocktails. I started with a light dish of Landesjager (pickles, relish, and hunter's sausage - $3). Then I went right for the Sakrut Garnie (smoked pork belly, Bratwurst, Kassler, Homemade sauerkraut, and potatoes) with a side of spatzel (with gruyere cheese). I hope this place goes the way of St.John Restaurant in London for true snout to tail pig goodness.

Looking forward to sampling their new brunch menu as well. Please check out Prime Meats when you are in the hood.

Prime Meats
465 Court Street (@ Luquer St.)
Brooklyn, NY 11231
Phone: 718-254-0327
CASH ONLY