Editor’s Note: The following post is Heather Serpico’s first contribution to the ReALTO blog. Heather touts herself as a foodie-in-training. She has been an enthusiastic member of Yelp since 2009 and in 2011 (& 2012) was asked to be apart of the Yelp Elite team. When she’s not trying a new spot in Brooklyn or Manhattan (never Queens, who goes there?) and Yelping about it, you may find her exploiting defenses on the flag football field or modding one of her many tech toys. Oh, and we shan’t forget to mention she is a Steak Expert & an avid New York Jets fan so feel free to follow her on Twitter with any questions regarding grilled meat or Darrelle Revis.
I have proudly lived in Brooklyn for the last three years, but for one reason or another I have spent a minimal amount of my time hanging out around the Park Slope area. Aside from the occasional brunch on 7th Avenue, bocce at Union Hall, dinners on 5th Avenue, & shopping at the Superhero Supply Store I have given little attention to arguably the best neighborhood in Brooklyn. This is the summer I plan to change all that and I have already begun… South of Park Slope in the lesser-known but very impressive South Slope.
The Monro Pub (Photo by http://www.monropub.com/)
After reading about Brookvin’s ridiculous Monday night all night Happy Hour via Brooklyn Based I decided that a night out was in order. A South Slope night to be specific. Enlisting a lucky man to accompany me we began at the newly opened Monro Pub (481 5th Ave, btwn 11th & 12th Streets). A Liverpool influenced pub right in the heart of the South Slope. Go there after work for happy hour (4-8pm) & stay there for happy hour (late-night 2am-4am)! I mean what’s happier than one happy hour? Uh… TWO! If you’re a fan of soccer be sure to catch a match here and wash it down with a pint of European beer (no domestics on tap).
Then it was off to 11th Street & 7th Avenue to continue the night with some white wine & tartines. Brookvin had a an impressive backyard that was perfect for a table of two (or four, but no more) on a ridiculously warm spring night. We kept it simple & enjoyed the ambiance with a couple of glasses wine, a sample of the tartines, and of course…an order of the Vermont Mac & Cheese. Everything from the wine & food to the service was spot on. Keep in mind that Monday nights are all-night happy hour nights at Brookvin ($5 tartines & select wines & $4 beers for all you non-winos), but be sure to get there early – the patio closes at 10pm.
Next up: South. I had recently heard some incredibly good things about this neighborhood institution. The owners are a couple from Texas & serve up good beer with pub fare (and free popcorn) & it’s another South Slope spot that has an outdoor area for lounging. We got to South at about 10:30pm, grabbed a couple of beers, and headed outside to enjoy the night some more. Keep in mind though the patio closes at 11pm, so our time at South, while nice was also quite brief.
Sidecar (Photo from http://www.sidecarbrooklyn.com/)
After losing track of time we realized it was getting pretty late and the tartines and mac & cheese we scarfed down earlier were not enough. Instead of just laying down and ending up at the Daisy’s Diner we decided on trying yet another bar out. Sidecar was open and serving its full menu (every night til 4am), so we grabbed a booth and ordered up some mussels, a burger, and a couple more beers to wash them down. Loved the open kitchen in this enormous bar & it was yet another South Slope spot with a solid beer selection.
Our trek to home that night was a long and arduous journey, but well worth it. Our bellies were full, my Yelp got a lot of “check-in” attention, and I finally spent some much needed quality time in the South Slope. Success in the South Slope? You bet.