Following Rabbits Blog — toast it

After work today I went to Williamsburg for a cupcake meetup at Pinkerton Wine Bar. Pinkerton is a recent addition to North 6th Street, and has a modest menu of beer, wine, a few sodas, and olive and cheese plates. There's some outdoor seating, which will definitely be a draw when it warms up a bit. The small bar and dark wood furniture indoors seat about 20 people. It's dimly lit with candles and a stained glass chandelier that came with the space; it has a very cozy vibe. The painting behind the bar was also a leftover from the previous tenant, and the owner, Tom, mused about its origin. "People think that boy is me. Does it look like me?"

I'm not going to pretend to be a wine connoisseur, but I had a glass of Heartland pinot grigio that was fab. I would go back if I happened to be in Williamsburg again... it's a bit out of my way to make a trip just for wine, but the place was welcoming and Tom was a good host. 

For the meetup, cupcakes were provided by Lux Sugar and cakelab. I had a vanilla/vanilla cupcake from Lux Sugar (pictured top left) and was surprised to see glitter in the frosting. I looove cupcakes and have never seen glitter in baked goods... curious what it's made of. The frosting was good though- that's always my litmus test for good cupcakes. The minis were from cakelab, and the s'mores (pictured bottom left) were delish! I regretably had dinner before the meetup, so that was it for me on the cupcake front. Other flavors included caramel, banana pudding, red velvet, carrot... cupcake overload! (I still have half of my birthday cupcake in the fridge...) So tell me, who bakes the best cupcakes in NYC? I'm compiling a list and seriously intend to do a taste test this summer. (Cue the sugar rush! o_O) In the meantime stop by Pinkerton for a glass of wine and say hello to Tom.

NYC was hot hot hot today! Temperatures reached 90* in the city, and the last thing I wanted to be doing all day was sitting in a cubicle. I wasn't too keen on rushing back to my apartment either, so I went for an early dinner at Guantanamera. This Cuban restaurant on 8th Avenue (at 56th Street) has become one of my favorite places to bring out-of-towners for a "New York" dining experience. They have live latin music Tuesday-Sunday nights starting at 8:30p (think bongos and boys that make you want to shake your hips) and they make really great red and white sangria. Ocassionally you'll catch Marcos sitting in the front window rolling complimentary cigars for the restaurant's patrons. Depending who I go with and how hungry they are, I like to split the chicken empanadas to start. The pinchos (marinated skewers of beef, chicken and shrimp) are delicious too. I must admit when I find something on a menu I really love, I usually don't stray from a sure thing... I always get the arroz con pollo when I hit up Guantanamera- it's just so good! Served in a banana leaf, it's always steaming hot and fresh tasting. If I'm feeling up to the task, they also have really great desserts. (Try the chocolate cake with ice cream!)

photo courtesy of Guantanamera

If you plan to go later in the evening or with a party larger than 2, I would suggest making a reservation. The place isn't huge and I've encountered a long wait there. They also do takeout! (212-262-5354).

The office has been a bit crazy lately, so I was happy to go to the Ginger Man after work today for a brew with the boys. Their beer menu is enormous, but I went with my standby- blueberry wheat. Yum! They've got tons of rotating beers on tap, and often get beers that are hard to find anywhere else. A friend of mine got to be a regular there and they actually consider his requests when they're looking to rotate a current brew out. Occasionally they have special events-- the day before Thanksgiving I went for a 'pumpkin patch'- more than a dozen pumpkin beers from all over. It's a block from my office on 36th and Madison, which makes it a convenient stop before heading to the train. Definitely worth checking out to try different beers or enjoy an old fave in a laid back place.