All stories about "Bret Stetka"

Everyday on Gridskipper we give you a new map. Some are new, some are fetched from our archive, newly updated. Happy Gridskipping. Whether it's rot-gut bourbon in a Waylon song or high-priced single-malt in a Wall Street boardroom, the lure of whiskey is universal. This brown elixir has long drowned the woes of everyone from hard-luck cowboys to the business elite, leaving its victims moaning with throbbing hangovers in the process. And in a city filled with breakups and bad investments, New Yorkers need a place to hang their head as much as anybody, hence the following list of noteworthy whiskey dealers in NYC. Feel free to supply your own favorite bronze elixir haunts in the comments or the tip jar.

A while back we rounded up LA's oldest bars, most of which are pushing the century mark. But now it's NYC's turn to weigh in with our own long history of drunken immigrants, downtown hookers, and esteemed literati. We might have nothing on all the ancient European drinking wells, but New York still has some old-ass bars, and we've compiled a list of the oldest based on when they started serving booze (as opposed to when their buildings were raised). And just for the hell of it we've indicated which president was in office at the time each bar was founded. Feel free to recommend additional frothy relics or question our historical accuracy in the comments or via the tipline.

Recently I praised Philadelphia for being America's new brewing capital. And despite flack from a few Portlanders, I stand by my claim. Portland's got more breweries, but at least in my experience, which I admit is probably limited, Philly's tend to be better. I really want to like Rogue for helping push American craft brewing forward and all that, and for naming a beer "Dead Guy", but that stuff's like carbonated sugar water compared to Weyerbacher, Stoudt's and Sly Fox. So while we sit back and watch the Democratic party eat itself alive campaigning for Pennsylvania, the only way to make it through this grueling nomination process is by drinking. Hence the following guide to craft breweries in and around Philly offering tours and/or pub service. And I know there's more out there, so let us know in the comments or via the tipline.

Today Hillary Clinton tries not to lose by too much in the Mississippi primary. But whatever the outcome, I hope Barack and HC haven't let their incessant campaigning get in the way of what really matters: food. All this Dixie politicking has got me craving Southern food in all its greasy, fatty, fried, buttery glory, and for those of us unable to spend primary Tuesday in say, Belzoni, MS -- the catfish capital of the world -- there are plenty of spots here in New York with adequate deep frying skills. We've already clogged our coronaries with Harlem soul food, but check out the following map and see what the rest of the city has to offer. And as always, recommendations are welcome in the comments or via the tipline.

So which US city has the best beer scene? According to Philadelphia, it does. In anticipation of the upcoming Philly Beer Week, the Philadelphia Enquirer reports that the so-called sixth borough is actually seeming closer to a neighborhood in Brussels. Due to greater Philly's abundance of Belgian pubs, trappist ales, breweries and mussels, Philly is laying claim to being our nation's new brewing capital. And they have a point, though I'm not sure how much the mussels have to do with it.

A couple months ago, we rounded up all the skinny white potheads who've graced their album covers with scenes of New York. As a follow-up, we're attempting to map this city's varied lyrical history and have compiled a list of NYC addresses and locations mentioned in popular music (or in some cases song titles). I realize there's probably hundreds of them, since singers and rappers never shut up about New York -- so this is by no means comprehensive. In other words, feel free to drop additional NYC nods in the comments or via the tipline.

Working at Google rocks -- we get it. Free sushi. Free espresso. Scrambled Fabergé eggs for breakfast. But those of us working in Chelsea without access to this complimentary cornucopia must navigate the pervasive mediocrity of affordable Chelsea lunch options. And by affordable, I mean less than $10, which unless you're down with another stale roll stuffed with Boar's Head, actually qualifies as "cheap" in this inflated city of ours. Choices are slim, but I've compiled the following list of worthwhile Chelsea lunches hidden amongst the countless salons and boutique men's clothing stores.

To the elation of 55% of South Carolinians, Barack Obama's now got serious momentum after defeating the two-headed Clinton political monster. Plus he just landed endorsements from multiple Kennedys and writer Toni Morrison, original proclaimer of Bill Clinton's blackness. As you can imagine, events are popping up all over New York in support of the svelte senator as he heads into Super Tuesday, so we've compiled a list of local Barack events sure to be filled with lots of eating, drinking, and ridiculous amounts of "hope" and "change." More always welcome in the comments or tips.

Many of us just aren't comfortable with the extremes of imbibing. On one side, there's the beer-loving frat guy crushing cans against his head; on the other, the oenophiliac memorizing tomes of wine knowledge to impress friends with words like "minerality" and "Sangiovese." That's why Belgian beers are the perfect compromise! Many Belgian brews tend to be higher in alcohol, aged for years, and have complex flavors that can hang with any Pinot. Plus they have a rich European history -- often involving Trappist monks -- and usually come in large corked bottles, which, if you squint, kind of look like wine bottles. So here's a list of New York locales specializing in Belgium's finest export: beer.

Ah, Restaurant Week is here again. And yes, on one hand it sucks and there are plenty of reasons to hate this multitudinous collection of dumbed-down prix fixes. On the other hand, those unwilling to blow a paycheck on lunch or dinner get to experience Michelin-endorsed places like Café Boulud and A Voce -- provided you don't jack the bill up on booze or regular menu items. So to help weight the dice and prevent you from getting screwed this time around, we asked some of New York's biggest food authorities their thoughts on and/or recommendations for Restaurant Week. Here's what they said.

We can all stop feigning excitement over foie gras and pear tarts. New York's working-class American dining obsession is still in full swing -- nowhere more so than in the deep fryer, where the lowly donut has officially overcome years of culinary ridicule. Along with foods like BBQ and mac & cheese, donuts have been promoted onto some of New York's finest menus, allowing us to eat the food we actually want while still paying the exorbitant prices that make us think it tastes good.

The holidays are just about over, and now we're faced with four months of cold weather and present-less depression. And even though we've all eaten and drank way too much over the past few weeks, really the best way to beat the winter doldrums is to eat and drink some more. Thankfully, many bars and restaurants in New York provide season-appropriate comfort in the form of a crackling fireplace, and we've compiled a list of such locales to help ensure toasty winter indulgence. Toss your own recs into the fire in the comments or via the tipline.

New York City has the privilege of hosting the world's biggest clusterfuck - New Year's Eve in Times Square. But seriously, is there any bigger disappointment than waiting all day with a million other freezing people for pretty much nothing to happen? The stroke of midnight hits, the ball drops and you're about to piss yourself. That's really it. So in the interest of Times Square avoidance, here's a hodge podge of other options with considerably less claustrophobia, body odor and Ryan Seacrest, some of which are booking up fast, so make your ressies quick. And feel free to share where you'll be barfing up bubbly this year in the comments or tipline.

Lou Reed shooting up in some bombed out East Village hole. Charlie Parker blowing horn in a smoky downtown jazz club. DJ Kool Herc unleashing the first breakbeats on the Bronx. New York has inspired so many music scenes over the years that its every corner has no doubt been passed out or puked on by a famous musician of one sort or another. Despite the diversity, it seems to be mostly skinny white guys that grace their albums with New York's gritty grime and diverse architecture. So check out the following round-up of album covers depicting scenes of New York, and toss your own faves in the comments or tipline.

Yes, Park Slope has a crapload of strollers -- old news, I know. Most of us Brooklynites are well aware that the infestation of Bugaboos and lactating breasts on 5th, 6th, and 7th avenues has reached terrifying proportions. But I swear it's getting exponentially worse as Slope parents become increasingly obsessed with their precocious, organically reared offspring and their courtesy for others dwindles. Now I'm not down on procreation or anything. But ever since I walked out of Tea Lounge with a partly chewed Cheerio stuck on my pants I've felt the need to map the ever-expanding stroller invasion to help those of us still rugrat-free to effectively skirt the dreaded MacLaren shin bruise.

In a city littered with mediocre slice dealers, each competing for who can suck the most, thankfully there are still plenty of spots to get real New York pizza. Places with pictures of fat Italian guys on the wall, where fiery hunks of coal turn out paper-thin, blistering crusts topped with blobs of fresh mozzarella, homemade sauce, and basil. NYC pizza preferences induce the kind of allegiance and opinionating usually reserved for political, religious, and sporting affiliations, and we've decided to contribute our two cents to the great debate, devising our picks for NYC's finest pie. Feel free to share your thoughts or tear me a new one in the comments or via the tipline.

The National's critically acclaimed 2007 album, Boxer, has elevated the Brooklyn-based quintet to a verifiable indie-rock phenom. But when not busy touring the world, playing with The Arcade Fire or selling out five nights in a row at the Bowery Ballroom, lead singer Matt Berninger is happy staying close to home indulging in all his borough has to offer. Maintaining a brooding, guttural tone like Matt's requires both physical and mental sustenance in the form of food, booze, and movies -- and thankfully the Prospect Heights denizen was kind enough to take time out of his tour schedule to share with us his favorite Brooklyn locales.

Along with Williamsburg and Park Slope, the collective of Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens represents the first wave of Brooklyn gentrification - thankfully while maintaining much of the area's Italian heritage. And despite a hideous acronym which sounds way too much like a Florida retirement community to be taken seriously, BoCoCa's emerging role as the new, more affordable West Village has led to an abundance of watering holes, ready to appease the flocks of transplant urbanites in need of hook-ups and booze. After the jump, take a walk down Hoyt, Smith and Court Streets and stop in the bars of BoCoCa.