December 10, 2008

Crash the Casper

The market has crashed and so should you. Crash your friends' holiday parties, that is. We have already lined up a whole roster of holiday parties that were booked before the official recession announcement was made. We're not going to disclose where we've been or where you're going. We just wanted to pass along this recession-era activity tip.

We will keep you updated with reports of who is serving up the most lavish food spreads and where the liquor flows most abundantly. Even if you aren't liquid, it doesn't mean you should slurp up the liquid.

Posted by Cakehead at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)

Pork Barrel Butchery in Tough Economic Times

photo from Alaina B's flickr

When a friend invited me to attend a pork butchering class at the Brooklyn Kitchen, I couldn't resist. While our government is sharpening their knives to carve out pork barrel spending, my mouth was watering thinking about how much pork belly I'd be lugging home after the half pig was butchered in front of our eyes.

The class was led by Tom Mylan, the butcher for Brooklyn eating establishments, Marlow & Sons, Diner and the Bonitas. With a knife belt saddled to his side and a whole half pig before him, I was excited just to learn how to dice up and prepare the pig pieces. But like more and more Americans, I have been without a paid gig for over a month now. Longing for steady work, I allowed myself to get swept away in a fantasy where I become an old world butcher. "Everybody needs a butcher," I told myself, momentarily forgetting my vegetarian lover. "Even in a recession."

By the end of the butchering class, my notebook was loaded with scrawled notes documenting the constant stream of advice about how to cut, cure and cook the meat. My brain was full. So much for my fallback career as a butcher. It would take a lot more than a three hour crash course to master this knife wielding art.

We drew numbers to determine the order that me and my fellow classmates would select our cuts of meat. My friend chose 1. I chose 2. While the pigs kidneys were sauteed and served, I chose first the sirloin tip, then the pork belly and finally the Boston butt for pork pulling. I could have stayed for another round but my arms ached from the weight of the meat. I headed home to cure, not trim the fat.

Posted by Cakehead at 12:57 AM | Comments (0)

November 13, 2008

RECESSION ACTIVITIES: Free Casserole & Beer Tasting

Golden Chicken-Lima Casserole

The financial monitors don't seem ready to declare recession. They blame "recession fears" not an actual recession for the state of things. If cakehead.com had the microphone, we'd state the obvious. Don't worry. We're going to make sure that you don't end up waiting in any lines -- be it for soup, bread or gasoline (no guarantees about the Post Office).

Whether you remember the gas lines of the 70s, or the soup lines of the 30s, some of our nation's greatest culinary inventions sprung from the periods of penny pinching. It's the depression of 1890 that you have to thank for the magic of the American casserole.

"With the addition or subtraction of leftovers or inexpensive cuts of meat, the casserole is flexible and economical in terms of both ingredients and effort."- The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Vol. 1"

It is for that reason that we want to announce a wonderful free night of casserole and beer tasting at the Brooklyn Kitchen.

What: Emily Farris, Greenpoint resident and author of Casserole Crazy: Hot Stuff for Your Oven, will demonstrate and sample two casseroles recipes from her book. And to complement, Spuyten Duyvil Grocery in the Bedford MiniMall will give out free samples of a pumpkin beer.
Where: Brooklyn Kitchen, 616 Lorimer Street (@ Skillman), Williamsburg, Brooklyn
When: Thursday, November 20th, 6:30 pm
Fee: Free
Subway: L Train to Lorimer

Posted by Cakehead at 12:57 AM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2007

Game: Candy Inspector

Some evil person has put harmful things inside candy boxes. It's up to you to figure out which ones are safe for the kiddies.

[from AddictingGames]

Posted by Cakehead at 11:03 PM | Comments (1)

August 31, 2007

Activities: Labor Free Labor Day Events

West Indian Parade [photo from Flickr]

Sunday, September 2nd
What: Pack a picnic and head to Governor's Island. It may be your last chance.
Where: Governors Island
When: 10:00am - 5:00pm
Fee: Free
It's your last chance to check out historic Governors Island for free. Free ferries leave every hour and are located right next to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. I went last weekend and it is like no other place in New York, the juxtaposition of colonial homes, lush meadows then Manhattan's skyline jutting out in between the trees is amazing! Bring a picnic, a blanket, a frisbee and prepare to relax. Don't miss your chance too see the breath taking views. Check their website for history and overview. [via FreeNYC]

What: The Wet Nurse at the Waterside disco barbecue social
Where: The Yard (400 Carroll St. btw Bond & Nevins, Brooklyn)
When: 2:00pm - 9:00pm
Fee:$6 in advance / $10 at the gate
Leave your babies with the wet nurse and get your own Wet Nurse action. Wet Nurse is a waterside disco version of Hello, Nurse -- complete with organic grilling, spiked punch, kiddie pools and canoe rides. Joining in the music duties are My Cousin Roy, the head of Wurst Edits, and Justin Carter and DJ Probus, the Hello, Nurse! residents.
[via FreeNYC]

Monday, September 3rd
What: 40th West Indian American Day Carnival
Where: Eastern Pkwy & Utica Ave to Flatbush Ext & Brooklyn Museum of Art (200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, map
When: 8:00 am-6:00 pm
Fee:Free
Celebrate the parade's 40th year with beaded bodices, feather headpieces, and every flavor of shimmy and shake the islands have to offer, along with enough jerk chicken, salt fish, and coco bread to feed the length of Eastern Parkway. [via FlavorPill]

Friday, August 31st
What: Half Dazed, Ecstasy Vodka
Where: Belmont Lounge, 117 East 15th Street, East Village
When: 7-9pm
Fee: Free
With Fashion week just around the corner, this drinking event is offering a chance to win a fashion make-over. Consider it your back to school gear.
[via MyOpenBar]

Sam Mason's Tailor before the opening [photo from Eater]

Saturday, September 1st
What: Sam Mason's super-over-mega hyped restaurant, Tailor finally opens.
Where: 525 Broome St., at Thompson St., 212-334-5182
When: Dinner from 5 p.m. every day except Mon.
Secret: One Sunday a month, Tailor will hold an invite-only brunch. So start working your connections.
While we appreciate Mason's attempt to blur preconceived drinks/dinner/dessert combinations, the items on the menu sound mildly revolting and the drinks are too expensive for our pocketbook. But if you subscribe to the notion that you are where (not what) you eat, it's mandatory you eat here. Everybody's talking about it.
[Eater & UrbanDaddy]

What: Market Table finally opens its doors in the space formerly known as Shopsin
Where: 54 Carmine St., at Bedford St., 212-255-2100
When: 7:00 am-9:00 pm
Fee: Whatever you want to spend
This new grocer is destined to be a classic. They will sell goods from local fishmongers and meatpackers, canned items (reached by rolling ladder), and fresh produce. The brainchild of Mike Price (The Mermaid Inn), who's opening an adjoining restaurant.
[DailyCandy & Eater]

Posted by Cakehead at 03:05 PM | Comments (0)

June 27, 2007

The Dumpster Diving, Trash Eating, Freegan Economy

Freegans dumpster dive for mangoes

Admit it. You've walked by a pile of slightly bruised, juicy ripe mangoes near a dumpster and debated whether to snatch one up to peel and eat. You are not alone. We, at cakehead, encourage dumpster dive eating. We even have a special test kitchen dedicated to developing dishes made from ingredients found on sidewalks and in trash cans. Our Bruised Bodega Caesar Salad is especially refreshing this time year, particularly if you're able to find a good bakery that has thrown out the key ingredient: homemade croutons made of cast aside baguettes.

We knew that before long this craze would catch on and become a movement. Leave it to our cutting edge friends at the New York Times to notice and report on the Freegan craze.

Freegans are scavengers of the developed world, living off consumer waste in an effort to minimize their support of corporations and their impact on the planet, and to distance themselves from what they see as out-of-control consumerism. They forage through supermarket trash and eat the slightly bruised produce or just-expired canned goods that are routinely thrown out, and negotiate gifts of surplus food from sympathetic stores and restaurants.

For more information about the Freegan culture go to Freegan.info, a site founded by Adam Weissman. Freegan culture is not limited to eating off the street. You can fill your wardrobe and furnish your apartment with castoff items. Check out Freecycle.org to post or search for items that are up for grabs.

if you can't find baguettes, Wonderbread loaves will work just as well

Freeganism dates to the mid-’90s, and grew out of the antiglobalization and environmental movements, as well as groups like Food Not Bombs, a network of small organizations that serve free vegetarian and vegan food to the hungry, much of it salvaged from food market trash. It also has echoes of groups like the Diggers, an anarchist street theater troupe based in Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco in the 1960’s, which gave away food and social services.

[via NY Times]

Posted by Cakehead at 05:02 PM | Comments (1)

May 22, 2007

The Hasselhoff Diet

We haven't counted calories since seventh grade when one of us feigned anorexia to impress the other girls who seemed to talk of nothing but their eating disorder. If you're hoping to launch an eating disorder of your own, check out what celebrities eat to keep their figures miniscule. Or you want to skip the eating disorder, but lose some pounds, just watch the drunk Hasselhoff video again. You'll be so repulsed by his approach to eating that you will lose your appetite and shed those stubborn pounds.

And for something new and different, click here to see pictures of celebrities stuffing their mouths with food.

[via Celebrities Eating]

Posted by Cakehead at 03:49 AM | Comments (0)

April 09, 2007

Activity: Williamsburg Cupcake Cookoff

naked cupcakes, pre-cookoff

What: Cupcake Cookoff Contest
Where: The Brooklyn Kitchen, 616 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, (718) 389-2982
When: Wednesday, April 11, 6:30 PM

The First Annual Spring Cupcake Cookoff will take place at The Brooklyn Kitchen. This event will break the paper-wrapped baked goods up into three competition categories: the basic floor model (they're calling it "Pure and Simple"), souped-up ("Additions"), and the Hot Rod ("Decorator's Delight: Go crazy!" --emphasis ours). A small panel of exceptionally qualified buttercream and lavender sugar judges, including Melanie Schrimpe of Cheeks Bakery, and Jimmy Fallon agoniste Joe Garden, will be on hand to sort the entries. Ribbons will be awarded in each cupcake class, and a trophy of some kind will go home with the baker who takes Best In Show. All are welcome at the event.

Every vote counts, at least for the Best In Show category, and the very future of cupcakes is in your hands. Furthermore, entries for the First Annual Cupcake Cookoff are still being accepted; be sure to register with Brooklyn Kitchen co-owner Taylor Erkkinen before Wednesday. Requirements for entrants: bring at least six of your meanest cupcakes for the judging panel's discretion; bring as many more as you can for the in-store crowd. If you've ever harbored secret dreams of changing the course of cupcake history, this is your opportunity to get in on the ground level.

[via Gothamist]

Also check out The Brooklyn Kitchen-sponsored Foodie Book Club on April 23rd.

Posted by Cakehead at 02:00 PM | Comments (0)

February 20, 2007

An Unlikely Pairing: The discovery of the dumpling donut

Sometimes all it takes is a company-sponsored happy hour for a food pairing epiphany to occur. That's what happened to Ryan last Thursday at a bar in the East Village.

He took a sip of his free beer then glanced outside at the thin coat of snow that was attempting to accumulate on the New York sidewalks and streets. Maybe it was the sparkle of the snow that illuminatated the two store fronts across the street. Or maybe it was just a moment of sheer brilliance. Across the street, two stores sat side by side. To the left the sign announced: Vanessa's Dumplings, and next door, Dunkin' Donuts. In his moment of inspiration, Ryan morphed the two stores into one, creating the idea for a new kind of eatery: Dumpling Donuts.

Cakehead arrived on the scene in time to witness the ephiphany and to unpack this idea. The Dumpling Donut would not attempt to turn dumplings into donuts or donuts into dumplings. Rather, this would be a one stop shop to first eat a doughy envelope filled with spice or savory fillings. Then, you chase it down with a sweet puff filled with chocolate cream or jelly.

Posted by Cakehead at 03:23 AM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2006

TODAY: Come Eat Cake & Drink Cheap Beer and learn about W. Bush's base

Today, help celebrate the release of Robert Lanham's new book, The Sinner's Guide to the Evangelical Right, with a reading, Q&A and launch party in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The best part is the reading will be held in a church santuary!

When: Wednesday, September 13th
6pm-7pm: Free snacks and fellowship in a wholesome, Christian environment.
7pm: Hipster Handbook author, Robert Lanham, reads from his new book.
8:15 pm: Join us at The Pencil Factory for the after party
Location: Reading: Greenpoint Reform Church, 138 Milton Street (@Greenpoint Ave), Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Drinking: The Pencil Factory, 142 Franklin Ave., Greenpint (2 blocks from the church),
What: The night will feature a reading, book signing, and Q&A at Greenpoint Reformed Church with a special introduction by pastor Ann Kansfield, an openly gay minister whose denomination published literature labeling her a "dyke" before firing her father from his post at the Reformed Church of America for supporting her decision to come out of the closet.
Cost: Free cake, fried chicken and snacks before the reading. At the Pencil Factory $3 Brooklyn Beers and Well Drinks for anyone with a copy of the book.
For more information click here.

Posted by Cakehead at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)

July 13, 2006

Restaurant Week: Summer 2006

We're obviously in lazy summer mode because we neglected to mention that Restaurant Week began two days ago (Monday, July 10th). But it's not too late to take advantage of special prix fixe deals at those typically bank-breaking restaurants.

Event: Restaurant Week
Dates: Monday, July 10-Friday, July 14 & Monday, July 17-Friday, July 21
Fee: Three-course prix-fixe lunches for $24.07 and three-course dinners are $35.00. Beverage, tax and gratuity are additional.

Also, we warn you that most restaurants have a "special" menu set aside for Restaurant Week customers. A few times we've taken a look at the regular menu and become instant converts. (The venison at Tocqueville is not to be missed, but we had to splurge to pay for it since it wasn't on the special cheap menu.) We say this as a warning.

For a listing of participating restaurants click here.

Posted by Cakehead at 01:40 AM | Comments (0)

July 03, 2006

Pimming our fears away

The Mixology craze is sweeping through major urban centers. We are thrilled with all the inventive new concoctions available to sample and numb us to the fact that homeland security is really an oxymoron...or a funny name for a drink. These are not days to walk around in any state other than a lightly buzzed stupor. With all those expert Mixologists out there, this is not difficult to achieve.

We just feel sorry for the poor suburban housewife who has been left in the dust. She ignorantly sips her Cosmopolitan during girls night out - nursing her fear that terrorists are specifically after her, while simultaneously commending the President for his huge handout to protect her off-the-map town. She has no idea that in cities that are actual targets, great drinks await her.

So while, the federal government takes money away from towns, like New York, and while the subways become more dangerous rather than more secure, we recommend a bar to hit for the perfect antidote to the backward ways of this country and to take the edge of your fears:

Featured Bar:
Employees Only
510 Hudson St @ Christopher St
New York, NY
Phone: 212-242-3021
Recommended Drinks:
Pimm's Cup Pimm's No. 1 served tall with a blend of Cointreau, fresh lime juice & ginger soda, garnished with crushed mint
West Side Absolut Citron vodka, fresh lemon juice & simple syrup shaken with fresh mint, served straight up

Of course, drinks have never been cheap in this town, and the ones at Employees Only will set you back $12, plus tip.

Since we particularly like the Pimm's Cup, we bring you our own version of the recipe that will numb you to oblivion and will taste delicious.

Pimm's Cup Sangria

Pimm's Cup Sangria Recipe:
1/2 bottle of Pimm's No. 1
3 16 oz bottles of Reeds Ginger Ale
2 cucumbers (without wax), sliced into coins
1/2 cup muddled Mint
1/4 c. lime juice

Mix all of the ingredients in a quart-sized mason jar. Serve on the rocks.

Posted by Cakehead at 03:38 PM | Comments (0)

June 30, 2006

Picnic Season Activity: Fried Chicken in the Park

You'll find the cakehead crew eating cold fried chicken and listening to TV on the Radio at the Prospect Park Bandshell tonight:

Event: Celebrate Brooklyn Presents: TV ON THE RADIO / MATT POND PA / VOXTROT
Location: Prospect Park Bandshell, Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Directions: Click here for directions
Time: 6:30
Fee: $3

Posted by Cakehead at 06:11 PM | Comments (0)

June 20, 2006

Killing time on the Garden State

The trip from start to finish should have lasted two hours, tops. In a state that claims to have enough gardens to boast about it in their state slogan, we expected more. We had left the salt grass and sea lavender behind, bound for Brooklyn. But with the wildlife refuge five miles back, we saw little evidence that New Jersey had bragging rights for anything more than their traffic congestion and asphalt garden stretching from the beach all the way to Staten Island.

For the four and half hours (that should have been two) we had to turn to our fellow travelers on the highway for amusement. We were impressed by the clever names that boat owners had adopted for their yachts. We have compiled a list of our favorite boat names. To qualify for our list the boat needed to incorporate an ocean theme AND a reference to food or drink into its name:

On the Rocks
Aquaholic
Fin & Tonic
Egg-Sta-Sea
Pepsea
Sole Food
Fish n Ships
Tuna Helper
Sea Biscuit
Abercrabby and fish

...And our personal favorite: I cannoli imagine.

Okay, so there's no reference to sea in the last one, but any boat with an Italian dessert in its name deserves credit for trying.

Posted by Cakehead at 01:51 PM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2006

Best spots to picnic this weekend

East River Amphitheater

Picnic season has arrived. We've compiled a short list of the best spots to picnic this Saturday:

The East River Amphitheater (The East River Park)
The Hudson River gets all the credit, but one our favorite breezy summer picnic spots is situated near the underappreciated river, the East one. Even on the hottest days you can sit in the shade at the East River Amphitheater and feel the cool breeze blowing through the trees while listening to up-and-coming bands that The East River Music Project has booked.
Event: The East River Music Project presents four bands: Meneguar, Human Television, Mobius Band and Saturday Looks Good To Me.
Date: Saturday, June 17th
Time: 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Directions: Click here for directions. It's off the beaten path, but worth the hike.
Cost: Free

Event: Laurie Anderson, Celebrate Brooklyn
If you crave a crowd while picnicing, this is the place to go. It's guaranteed to be mobbed. If you prefer to observe from a distance or are a suffering enochlophobe, find a distant grassy patch in Prospect Park and listen in on "this rare outdoor hometown appearance [where] she will perform new, old and improvised music and stories, joined by fellow musicians Skuli Sverrisson and Peter Scherer. The captivating Tuvan throat singers of Chirgilchin start the evening off with an opening set and will also join Anderson on stage."
Date: Saturday, June 17th
Time: 7:30pm
Location: Prospect Park Bandshell (Prospect Park West & 9th Street, Park Slope)
Cost: Free, $3 Suggested Donation

Posted by Cakehead at 09:38 PM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2006

Weekend Guide to Free Eating & Drinking

Free Drinks at Black & White Art Gallery Opening
Date: Friday, April 21, 6-9 PM
Cost: free
Location: 483 Driggs Ave (N. 9th & N. 10th St.) Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Directions: L Train to Bedford Avenue stop
Description: Leigh Tarentino's Slip Road . A striking collection of paintings, drawings and photographs reflecting the artist’s fascination with power lines

Taste of Chinatown
Date: Saturday, April 22, 1-6 PM
Cost: $1 and $2 a plate
Location: Mott, Mulberry, Baxter, Bayard, Pell, Doyers and Mosco Streets
Description: Over 50 restaurants, tea houses, bakeries and specialty food shops will offer $1 or $2 tasting plates throughout Chinatown, NYC.

Earthday Weekend
Date: Friday, April 21, 12-7 PM-Saturday, April 22, 11-5
Cost: Free
Location: Grand Central, Vanderbilt Hall (42nd Street) for inside fair and the bands play outside (43rd Street btw Vanderbilt Avenue and Madison)
Description: What better way to celebrate Earthday than with a $10 Wholefoods gift certificate. Con Edison is offering $10 Wholefoods gifts certificates as well as a $25 rebate on your power if you sign up for ConEdison Solutions GREEN Power.

Free Brunch at Xing Restaurant
Date: Saturday, April 22, 11 AM-3:30 PM and Sunday, April 23, 11 AM-3:30 PM
Cost: Free to first 50 people
Location: 785 9th Ave bet. 52nd and 53rd
Description: The Restaurant Xing kicks off their new brunch service this weekend by offering free brunch to the first 50 people through the door. The Asian/American/Fusion menu looks insane (think five spiced french toast with lemongrass butter) and there is a $12 all you can drink option.

Free Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream
Date: Tuesday, April 25, Noon-8 PM
Location: Ben & Jerry's around the city
April 25: Free Ice Cream!
Description: Ben & Jerry's offers their public service to the country.

Posted by Cakehead at 07:00 PM | Comments (0)

February 10, 2006

Activities for a snowed-bound weekend

In anticipation of the snow storm that's scheduled to hit in the middle of your weekend, we've compiled a list of activities to keep you active and warm. (Okay, so the panty party might be a bit nippy, but other than that, what better way to heat your insides than with free alcohol and pig?)

Friday, February 10

Event: Ladies Night Pig Roast Luau
Time: 9-10:30 PM
Location: Porky's, 55 West 21st ( 5th and 6th Avenues), Manhattan

Open bar and free admission for women until 10:30. Guys are shit out of luck as usual, at least until the girls get drunk. If you love bachelorette parties and frogs in sombreros, come here for a good time. Or you could just come here to die. If I had to go, I'd take out my emergency switchblade and stab myself in the face. Better than staying at this party, seriously.

[via MyOpenBar.com]

Saturday, February 11

Event: Cachaca Tasting
Time: 5-7 PM
Location: UVA Wine, 218 Bedford Avenue, (@ North 5th, in the Mini-mall) Williamsburg
Cost: Free

Free Cachaca. Cachaca Dave will be pouring heavily at this Brazilian liquor tasting. Get drunk in the late afternoon and do some impulse shopping in the mini-mall. Then maybe you'd like to stumble over to Beacon's Closet and tell them that $0 is not an acceptable trade for my $900 Narciso Rodriguez pants.

[via MyOpenBar.com]

Event: Made With Love
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Brooklyn Collective Artisan Gallery, (198 Columbia Street between Sackett and Degraw, Carrol Gardens)
Cost: Free with RSVP
Open Bar: unknown, 7-8
[via FreeNYC.com]

Event: Rated-X: The Panty Party
Time: 11-Midnight
Location: Scenic, 25 Ave B, (2nd and 3rd Streets) Manhattan (212) 253-2595
Cost: $5 cover if you mention Shaw Promotion, otherwise it's $7

Joanna Angel and the girls from indie music/ink-heavy porn site burningangel.com will be parading around more than half-naked all night long. Performance by Joanna Angel at 1:30am, and of course the pornorific Hot Body Contest at 2:30am

[via MyOpenBar.com]

Sunday, February 12

Event: Strange Carnival
Time: 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Location: Yoyamart (15 Gansevoort Street at Hudson)
Cost: Free
Having the Toy Fair in town means crazy toy parties like this one. there will be guest artist appearances by Friends With You, Nathan Jurevicius & James Jarvis! "Come early for presents, prizes and maybe pineapple"
[via FreeNYC.com]

Posted by Cakehead at 05:41 PM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2005

What to do tonight

Play Tourist: Head to the New & Improved Hard Rock Cafe
We know the truth. It was the Hard Rock Cafe on 57th St. that convinced you to leave rural Maine to come to the big city. Well, the institution has closed its doors....on 57th Street. The tourist trap has relocated to Times Square. What better day than Friday to pay homage the place that brought you here. Toast to the Hard Rock's new Times Square address with a $20 coke.
[From Curbed]

Party: Good Peoples and Beautiful/Decay magazine bring you "the sickest party of the summer"! Or so they say. Here are some of the ingredients:
-2 hour open Bacardi & Mountain Dew Bar
-Gift bags
-the legendary PRINCE PAUL on the tables
-Screening of Bomb the System and music videos from Culturama, Mockumentaries from Prince Paul
RSVP for the guest list at rsvp@good-peoples.com
[From Gothamist]

Sufjan Stevens
Bowery Ballroom.
Okay, so it's sold out. But that doesn't mean it's too late to find a friend to chaperone.

Food Will Win the War
Knitting Factory Tap Bar
74 Leonard St. (Downstairs) (Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps)
New York City, New York 10013
FWWtW is the Charlie Kaufman of rock. If you like the K Records sound, you should check out this four-piece, heavily influenced by Calvin Johnson, Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Belle & Sebastian, The Catherine Wheel, and Luna... just to name a few. Advance tickets are available through the Knitting Factory web site, directly through Ticket Web, or by phone: 212.219.3132. E-mail info@foodwillwinthewar.com with any questions.

[From Upcoming.org]

Posted by Cakehead at 08:18 PM | Comments (0)

August 05, 2005

What this weekend has in store: Crisco & Chili Crab

Friday, August 05, 2005

CoCo66 Opening
The folks who brought you Supreme Trading in Williamsburg, are now opening a bar in Greenpoint called CoCo66. Tonight is the opening night party. Pacifico, Guiness, Molson, run free until 11 PM.
DJ: Sean the Revelator
Time: 9 pm
Venue: CoCo66 (66 Greenpoint Ave between Franklin and West)
Cost: Free

Passport Fridays
This free event takes place in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The magic of this location is the shady breezes that sweep through, even during the August heatwaves... Just follow the crowds to the to the big global sphere to see Brazilian dance, film and music. There will be Capoeira, Samba, Modern Dance, and a film.
Times: 6:30 pm - Dusan Tynek Dance Theatre performs Camera Illuminata
7:30 pm - Carioca Capoeira and Samba
8:00 pm - O Caminho Das Nuvens (The Middle of the World)
Venue: Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Cost: Free

Saturday, August 6, 2005

Criscomas
You know how much we love oils and fats at Cakehead. We almost feel like Criscomas is being celebrated in our honor. Leave it to those crazy kids in Williamsburg to come up with this one. Top this Spring Break Florida!

Bring shorty shorts, Crisco, and beer to this slip-and-slide on the rooftop party in deep Williamsburg. Assume that houseparty madness (and oiliness) will ensure. I'm banking on impromptu oil wrestling.
Time: 8:00 pm
Venue: The roof of 248 McKibbin between Bushwick and Humboldt, Williamsburg
Cost: Free

Sunday, August 7, 2005

NYC Tiger Beer Singapore Chili Crab Festival
[From FreeNYC.com]:

Last year I missed the Chili Crab Fest because I was out of town. But this year, I will prevale [sic] in standing in the hot sun and chowing down on a big pile of tasty chili crabs (and beer). Entertainment will include live band performances, souvenir vendors, children's street entertainment and petting zoo, caricaturists, face painters, massage therapy, traditional lion dancers, East-West horoscope readings by Madame Tiger and kickboxers from Gleason’s Gym.

Time: 12:00pm - 6:00 pm
Venue: 66 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY (between Dock and Main)
Transportation: A & C trains to High Street; the F train to York Street; and the #2 train to Clark Street. By car, festival goers should take Old Fulton Street to Front Street to Main and Water streets. Free Water Taxi service to festival attendees. The service will be available from South Street Seaport to Fulton Landing from 12 Noon to 6PM.
Cost: Free

[Thanks to FreeNYC & Gothamist]

Posted by Cakehead at 09:05 PM | Comments (0)

July 29, 2005

The best place to picnic

East River Amphitheatre, NYC

It's picnic time again. With the heatwave gone, pack your baskets with provisions and head to the best kept outdoor performance space secret in all of Manhattan: the shady East River Park Amphitheatre overlooking the East River. This Saturday's free concert is not to be missed. Thanks again to FREEWilliamsburg.com for another smashing Slumming It tip! Check out FREEWilliamsburg.com for some free MP3 samples of the music.

WHEN: Saturday July 30th - 2-6pm PRICE: Free admission WHERE: East River Park Amphitheatre just south of the Williamsburg Bridge on the Manhattan side SUBWAY: F or JMZ to Essex / Delancey

-- DJ Brian Turner
-- Tall Firs
-- Oxford Collapse
-- Oneida

Posted by Cakehead at 07:25 PM | Comments (1)

A lush's paradise: The best website ever

Of course we were aware of the need for this site. We're sure you were too. But it's simply too much work to keep up with where to find the best drinking deals in town every night. Now this service is provided free of charge by the lovely folks at MyOpenBar.com. What better use of webspace than to provide a centralize listing of open bars around the city. Thanks to FREEWilliamsburg.com for leading us to this amazing resource.

Our picks are:

Every Night
The Trash Bar
Williamsburg
256 Grand St. between Driggs and Roebling, Brooklyn NY 11211, 718-599-1000.
The Deal: 9-10pm Open well drinks bar with $5 cover, free tater-tots with any drink order. Easy hang.

Bar 4
Park Slope/Prospect Hts
444 Seventh Ave. at 15th St. 718-832-9800.
The Deal: 6pm-3:30am $15 for unlimited PBRs and Yeunglings. They give you the change in quarters so you can play Galaga or Pacman all day! Drunk!
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Friday, July 29

Royal Oak
Williamsburg
Union and Richardson
The Deal: Blanomonium presents mash-ups, remixes and a bunch of other cool hipster crap. 11-12pm Open bar. This is a great Billyburg spot for finding the latest in deck hair-styling.

Girls' Room
Lower East Side
210 Rivington (Ridge and Pitt) NYC, 212.677.6149
The Deal: 10-11pm Open bar. Girls only, if you know what I mean...

Like Yesterday show at the Pianos Bar
Lower East Side
158 Ludlow and Stanton, NY 10002, 212.505.3733.
Showtime: 10:30 pm. Open vodka bar 9-10pm with $10 entry to the show.
After-party at the Orchard Bar, 200 Orchard St. and Houston, with Tarts of Pleasure spinning, spinning, spinning towards a higher income bracket...
___

Saturday, July 30

MisShapes/Luke and Leroy's West Village
21 7th Ave S, New York 10014
The Deal: Open beer bar 11pm - 12am, $3 Mixed Drinks 10pm-12am.

Posted by Cakehead at 06:57 PM | Comments (0)

July 23, 2005

Where to eat this weekend

Here are cakehead's hand-picked cheap eating & picnic opportunities around NYC:

Friday, July 22nd

Alec Ounsworth at Pete's Candy Store
Pete's Candy Store won't be serving candy tonight, but the free music playing there will be like candy to your ears. Cakeheaders love to cook to the sounds of Alec Ounsworth of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Thanks Freewilliamsburg.com for this tip. For more information click here.

Brooklyn Country Music Festival
This weekend and next Brooklyn will be hosting its 2nd Annual Country Music Festival. "The Brooklyn Country Music Festival is a grass-roots effort put forth for the sheer love of the music. The bands work for tips. We hope you have a good time at this and several other events we put together including The Brooklyn Country Music Festival, The CasHank Hootenanny Jamboree, The Brooklyn Winter Hoedown, & JugFest. Alex also performs his own country compositions in his act called The Whisky Rebellion, which contains anywhere from 1-7 members, depending on venue constraints and the weather."
Date: July 21st - 24th and July 28th - 31st (schedule)
Time: Varies by day
Location: Freddy's Bar & Backroom, 485 Dean St. at Sixth Ave., Park Slope
Cost: Free

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Saturday, July 23rd

Special Birdwatching Cruise!
Take a guided tour through Brooklyn's only freshwater lake, the Lullwater, and check out some of Prospect Park's most scenic flora and fauna.
Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse Noon, Flatbush Ave at Empire Blvd, Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Cost: $10, children $6.
Okay, so this event isn't free. But consider it an investment. Just make sure you bring a rifle to kill the birds you see. We have heard that pigeons and other Prospect Park birds make delicious meals. Feel free to submit your recipes.
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Sunday, July 24th

Kick It, Kick It Good
An oldie but a goodie...Join the fun and play some Kickball. Every Sunday in Brooklyn's McCarren Park there is organized kickball and bbq. Everyone is asked to bring a small donation to pay for the renting of the field and bbq.
Time: 6pm
Location: McCarren Park, N. 15th and Bedford, W'burg
Cost: Basically free

The Riant Theatre's Outdoor Strawberry Festival
Time: 11am–6pm
Location: The McCaffrey Playground, 43rd St between Eighth and Ninth Ave
Cost: Free
Okay some of the stuff listed at this event sounds questionable. Namely the singers, dancers, spoken-word artists and comics for storytelling, arts and crafts. But if you eliminate the accessories and take this event back to basics, it all comes down to the strawberry shortcake-eating contest. We expect to hear that one of you cakeheaders won this worthy contest.

Posted by Cakehead at 01:28 AM | Comments (0)

July 18, 2005

The best things in life are free...

the best place for guaranteed samples: the cheese counter

Grocery shopping, if done in the right place, can mean you don't really need to buy groceries. This weekend after grazing our way through the Union Square Green Market and then on to the Union Square Whole Foods, we discovered we hadn't spent a dime, but our bellies were pleasantly full of samples. We are now presenting a guide to the best free food samples in New York City and beyond.

The Best NYC Grocery Stores & Market Places for free samples:

Whole Foods: We particularly like the one in Union Square, because of the grilled fish samples served with attitude. It may be that we violate the most important grocery shopping rule of all: never shop on any empty stomach, but we've never tasted fish so perfectly cooked...or experienced such crankiness from a sample provider. You can always count on the fish griller to be lining up plastic ramekins filled with swordfish or wild salmon. But we warned. If you take seconds, he will hate you. Really, with him you can do no right. If you ask what he's cooking he'll grumble the answer. If you cower in fear, afraid to ask what you're eating he will say accusingly, "Don't you want to know what you're eating?" We recommend that you keep a low profile, take your sample, give a nod of thanks then go. However, you will want more than one sample. With this in mind we suggest that you show up with a few disguises. Hats, sunglasses and wigs are recommended.

Garden of Eden: The Village Voice said you don't even need to bring a lunch if you work near a Garden of Eden.

Forgetting your lunch money doesn't inspire the panic it used to as long as the upscale GARDEN OF EDEN groceries continue to lard their customers (and freeloaders cleverly disguised as customers) with such generous amounts of costly but costless delicacies. There's always a tray of fresh bread with olive oil for dipping. Near the bakery, baskets are stuffed with sample slices of semolina loaf or onion focaccia or, one glorious day, cinnamon brioche. On a good afternoon, sliced cheeses and meats are set out; on a great one, sushi is. And sometimes the stingy bakery counter even unveils wax-paper-wrapped morsels of sweet-potato tart or chocolate ganache.

Green Market: Even if the samples haven't officially been displayed, just ask if you can taste the box filled with fancy weeds. They love to offer up samples to admiring fans.

*A general rule: Even if you do not see the free sample lady stationed at the end of an aisle with her container of dipping sauce and breadsticks, know that you are guaranteed a delicious tasting tour if you make your way to the cheese counter. The cheese guy or girl is usually eager to engage in extended dialogue on the subject they know best. And our favorite part? They back up their arguments with truths. Facts in the form of flavor. Go ahead. Ask for a sample.

Free Dessert Samples:

Godiva
Stop into a Godiva boutique and receive a free Chocolixir™ between July 21-24th. And what's better than one free Chocolixir? Free Chocolixirs all over town. There are thirteen Godiva boutiques in Manhattan. We suggest that you go to their website, print out the Godiva map and spend your July 21-24th traveling from boutique to boutique sampling your free Chocolixir. We want to know which shop has the best blend.

Levain Bakery
167 West 74th Street
New York, NY 10023
Try a sample, dream about these cookies to eternity.

Chinatown Ice Cream Factory
65 Bayard St
The magic of ice cream shops is you can request a few different samples of flavors and then suddenly decide you really weren’t that hungry. This is our favorite place to buy ice cream. Sample the ginger ice cream and the lychee sorbet.

Fortunato Brothers
Italian Bakery
289 Manhattan Ave.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
tel 718.387.2281
Not only is this John Gotti's favorite bakery, but we think they have some pretty good gelato. Ask them for a sample or two on those cute baby spoons.

Free Samples that some corporate entity will mail to you:

Cape Cod Potato Chips: If you turn 25 years old between July 1, 2005 and July 1, 2006, Cape Code Potato Chips will mail you a free bag o' potato chips.

Jelly Belly: Sell your soul, your email address and Jelly Belly will send you a free bag of beans.

Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce: Reclaim your soul and get a free sample at the company that advertises that "Christ is our CEO." We particularly like this offer, because this sauce will render all other sauces unnecessary. Who needs chocolate sauce or soy sauce, when you have your free all purpose sauce.

Free samples in the rest of the country:

Wine and Spirits:

Astor Wines and Spirits
You can't go wrong with free wine, and that's just what this wine shop offers every day from 5 to 8 p.m.
12 Astor Place

Outside NYC
July 15-17, 2005 Finger Lakes Wine Festival
Watkins Glen, New York
Ranks among the largest wine festivals in the northeast and has gained attention from coast-to-coast. Once a year, the festival organizers transform the world-renowned road course into the site of one of the East Coast' s premier wine festivals. Red wine stains replace oil slicks, the smell of burning rubber is replaced with the delicate aroma of tannins and ripe fruit flavors.

July 22-24, 2005 - Bagelfest
Matoon, Illinois
Home of Lenders Bagels - world's largest free bagel breakfast, bagel
contests, entertainment, etc.

July 29-30, 2005 Altus Grape Festival
Altus, Arkansas
The 'Wine Capital of Arkansas' Grape Stomp Competitions, free wine &
juice tasting, free winery tours, amateur wine-making competition,
Bacchus Look-Alike Contest, juried craft show, food vendors, and more.

Posted by Cakehead at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)

July 13, 2005

White Castle Clinton Picnic

Calexico Cuteness

We're going to make an assumption that you don't live in the Castle Clinton Area. But just because you can't call the castle region home, doesn't mean you shouldn't get the royal slumming-it treatment tomorrow. Tomorrow don't miss the chance for a double serving of castle magic which includes dinner and a band - all for under $5.

White Castle map

First, stop at one of five New York City White Castles to load up with your cheap picnic dinner. We recommend ordering a few fish slyders or a sack of fish nibblers.

White Castle Locations
1. 525 8th Ave. (36th & 37th Street)
Manhattan, NY, 10018
2. 351 E. 103rd St. (1st & 2nd Ave)
Manhattan, NY, 10029
3. 781 Metropolitan Ave.
(Williamsburg) Brooklyn, NY, 11211
4. 21-01 Broadway
Astoria, NY, 11106
5. 43-02 Queens Blvd.
Sunnyside, NY, 11104

With a bag filled with your fast food castle meal head to Castle Clinton for the delicious and free music of Calexico. They go on stage at 7 pm, but we recommend arriving early since there are limited tickets. They will begin ticket distribution at 5 pm on a first-come, first serve basis and they will only give out two tickets per person.

Posted by Cakehead at 05:03 PM | Comments (1)

June 30, 2005

Bluegrass Music makes hair shiny and skin clear and smooth

Del McCoury
Our Picnic Season column continues. Tonight, pack a bucket or basket with your favorite provisions and head to the Prospect Park Bandshell. For only $3 you can see bluegrass legend Del McCoury. For more information about transportation to the show go to: Celebrate Brooklyn

Posted by Cakehead at 01:58 PM | Comments (0)

June 26, 2005

NYC Restaurant Discounts

You don't have to be a tourist to take advantage of the discount card that New York City's tourist office is offering. From July 1-September 5th use the downloadable discount card at participating restaurants and other cash-sucking venues around the city. We checked out the list of restaurants and saw at least a few that are worth visiting with the card. And with the three Applebee's locations to choose from, the suburban foodie subset will be very happy.

Posted by Cakehead at 06:51 PM | Comments (0)

June 21, 2005

Picnic Season

With that fluke of a heatwave far in New York City's past and with free the concert season kicked off, it's time to mark your calendar and prepare your picnic basket.

This week's free picnic-friendly events include:
Tonight, June 21, 2005, 7 PM: The Metropolitan Opera performs Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns in Prospect Park's Long Meadow.

Wednesday, June 22, 2005, 7 PM: The Madison Square Park Conservancy is presenting Dar Williams

Thursday, June 23, 2005, 6 PM: Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, One Bowling Green Movie: Chac: The Rain God - Based on Tzeltal and Mayan ceremonies and stories and the Popul Vuh, the film focuses on a small village in the Chiapas region of Mexico desperate for rain during a terrible drought.

Friday, June 24, 2005, 5PM: Swedish Midsummer Festival at Wagner Park in near Bowling Green - Celebrate the longest day of the year the traditional Swedish way – picnicking on the grass, making flower wreaths for headdresses, listening to traditional fiddle music, and dancing until dark.
Directions: Take the 4/5 to Bowling Green, or take the 1/9 to Rector and walk down Greenwich.
Walk west along Battery Place until you pass Historic Battery Park and enter BPC.
Bus: The M9, M10, and M22 buses all stop in Battery Park City

Friday, June 24, 2005, 7:30 PM: Pack your picnic baskets and join us in gluttoneous sin before the eyes of the great Christian Crusader, Reverend Billy Graham. For three free days you can picnic in Flushing Meadows Corona Park amid the Saved. Look for us non-believers with our yuppily packed gourmet picnic baskets. Take the 7 train to Willets Point/Shea Stadium. Be prepared yourself for a 15 minute walk.

Every night:
The Downtown Boathouse provides free kayaking weekends and weekday evenings, perfect for a floating Picnic-on-Hudson.
Pier 26 Between Chambers Street and Canal Street on the Hudson River.

Click here for delicious picnic recipes.

Posted by Cakehead at 06:00 PM | Comments (0)

June 15, 2005

Who needs Grand Central's Oyster Bar?

There's a reason I didn't discovered NYC's best kept cheap beer-drinking secret until yesterday.

I don't use the LIRR or Metro North to come and go each day. As a result, I've been missing out on the best beer deal in town. My discovery occurred yesterday.

Before I boarded the LIRR to take me to the LCD Soundsystem/Interpol/Pixies concert at Jones Beach, I made a pit stop at the LIRR platform bar for a tall cool can of beer.

The platform bars are not a new concept. I've known about them, even purchased beer from them before city getaways. However, the bargain aspect of the stands never registered. Maybe a friend made the purchase or maybe I didn't bother to look at the hefty wad of change I received back. But with money trickling in at a slower clip than usual, I’ve been particularly sensitive to deals when I find them.

On the platform, a mere $2.50 buys you a pint of Amstel Light and other imports. If you're really on a budget, you need only spend $2 on domestics. We're not even talking the wimpy 12 ounce cans. You get the full 16 ounces!

And while drinking is illegal on buses, subways and New York City streets, the MTA says yes to drinking on commuter platforms.

Shout it loud in the overheated subway tunnels. Spread the word. Boycott the taverns. Let's take happy hour to the platforms.

No need to commute to take part in this last glorious vestige of Bacchean tolerance in this neo-puritanical city. Simply go to your platform of choice. Make your purchase and take a seat on the nearby train car and wait for the conductor to announce the departure. Just be sure to not imbibe so much cheap beer that you forget to disembark before the train leaves.

Posted by Cakehead at 10:44 PM | Comments (0)

June 02, 2005

Cheap Oysters

If you're planning a trip to Point Reyes in Marin County California, be sure to schedule enough time to pick up your lunch at Johnson's Drake Bay Oysters. For a mere $5 you can dine on a pint of the freshest of briny goodness - shucked for your convenience.

Posted by Cakehead at 02:03 PM | Comments (0)

June 01, 2005

NY Times' $25 and Under Column is a Scam

EVER FEEL LIKE THE NEW YORK TIMES MISJUDGES ITS DINING AUDIENCE?

The hunt for cheap eats. It is one of the most enjoyable pursuits that New York City residents and visitors can engage in. And there is no need to limit oneself to street or fast food. But if you're turning to The New York Times' $25 and Under reporters, Eric Mr. Asimov or Dana Bowen, you will be misguided. They do not have your best interests at heart.

Their goal: To try out that hip new restaurant they've been strolling by, using their allotted $25 and under allowance and in the process convince their editor they have the language and taste necessary to take on the real restaurant reviews that get them the bottomless credit card account. Your goal: To leave your tiny apartment rental & eat good food and still have enough money left over to put in savings for that tiny co-op apartment you've been trying to buy.

I read that particular Times column for a reason. Nowhere else on the dining pages are there recommendations for inexpensive places to dine. My hopes are always high. I want that delicious bargain. I want that insider's expert whisper, " try that little hole in the wall on Delancy that you've always wondered about."

Several weeks ago I listened. I took their referral and tried that new nouveau Dominican fusion restaurant in Chelsea. The restaurant is called, It's a Dominican Thing. By the end of the evening, after being charged yuppie-inflation on every dish you could buy in a real Dominican restaurant for a quarter the price, after our waiters took an hour and 1/2 to bring out the first appetizer, after seeing the smallest portions ever served on the largest flying saucers-sized plates, me and my friends were forced to turn the restaurant's name into a joke.

As hour two approached and still no entree, our impatience turned to humor. The punchline: It's a Dominican Thing.

I don't blame the restaurant. They were only doing what any Chelsea-based restaurant attempting swankdom would do (jack up prices and force you to order many rounds of drinks). I do blame Dana Bowen. When the food finally arrived it was fine. But the bill (and the whole point of Dana's column) came nowhere close to under $25 per person. Even if I don't take into account the drinks we were forced to swallow to maintain composure to guarantee a disgruntled waiter didn't spit in our meal, the place would have been a rip off - tallying in at over $40 per person.

Find me a bargain, Dana Bowen, and you will have re-earned my faith.

For those who also find that the Times columnist lacks the drive to find the truly inexpensive morsels, stay tuned. Boycott their suggestions. No need to convert to the New York Times mentality that to be successful in this town requires burning a pretty penny. Don't change careers so you can afford the restaurants the Times thinks you aspire to visit. The Slumming It column is for people who know what a dollar is worth and are happy to eat that dollars worth of grub. There is a philosophy to the cheap eats hunting game. This I will teach you.

HOW TO PLAY THE GAME:
1. Avoid all restaurants lit from the floor a la L.A. -- especially floor lights that are a soft pink or blue. The best cheap eat spots are fluorescently lit.
2. Read the menu. If any item on the menu costs more than $15, the place is not a bargain. If the menu advertises a special that is the $18 range, go home and prepare yourself an inexpensive meal. Do this the next day and the next. If you still are craving the restaurant return. You have earned it.
3. Avoid mid-town Manhattan. That means no food anywhere between 65th Street & 38th Street (unless you're talking west of 9th Ave or East of Lexington).
4. A Restaurant that allows you to BYO is a signal to enter. Money's money - whether you spend it on booze or on food.
5. If you're considering a restaurant you've found online go to The New York Times website and search for a review of the restaurant. If The Times reviewed it, skip it.
6. If you've found a place that seems inexpensive and fits the bill atmosphere-wise, ask your waitress what her favorite dish is. What's good, may not be what you're craving, but if you don't ask you'll never get to try that amazing garlic soup that you will crave the rest of your life.

Posted by Cakehead at 01:50 PM | Comments (1)