Black Oak Nights – New York

Tired of same old work during the day go to the bar at night routine? Well, here are a couple of alternatives to get you outside this season. These three places are not only unique to the usual New York City experience, but they keep you out in the sun—while you still have it!

Sushi Samba
With two locations to choose from, you don’t want to mess this up! If you’re going to go to Sushi Samba, you could go to the less frequented option in midtown and have a less crowded experience. But if you’re truly looking to embrace this “Sex and the City” hot spot, then you must check out the West Village location, where you can join the company of financial analysts, lawyers actors and rich kids as you sit on top of a roof staring out at the downtown Manhattan skyline. I didn’t even bring up the food, which is a cultural blend of Brazilian, Asian and Latin foods and spices that combine to give your taste buds a run for their money. I’m pretty sure there’s nowhere else in New York City where you can eat sashimi and churrasco on top of a roof. Correct me if I’m wrong!

Water Taxi Beach
Now with 3 New York City locations to choose from Water Taxi Beach is the place to be for fun and cheap food! You could check out the Long Island City location in Queens, where you can play beach volleyball and peer out at the Midtown Manhattan skyline. Then there is the South Street Seaport location, where there is tons of sand and a miniature golf course to take advantage of. And at the new Governors Island location, you can bask in the beauty of the island and go to independent movie screenings, all the while taking in both the Manhattan and Brooklyn waterfronts. Plus, the Governors Island location is boasting a series of musical performances throughout the warm-weather season, so you can enjoy performances from an onslaught of musicians set to perform this year, including Erykah Badu, Mos Def and Turntables on the Hudson.

Brooklyn Promenade
As if there was actually another promenade worth naming? The Brooklyn Promenade rest high above sea level, giving you a fantastic view of Manhattan and its waterfront. Of course, during the night, you can take your significant other out to the promenade, where you can enjoy gazing at the water as the moon and lights reflect off the water, and the glistening boats whiz by the harbor. And you can make an entire date of this location alone. Right alongside the Promenade on Montague Street, you have a plethora of Brooklyn Heights’ finest restaurants, with everything from Indian food to Greek. And after you walk off those tantalizing meals at the promenade, you can stroll over to the nearby Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream Shop, where they give you plenty of cream for your cash.

Popularity: 11%

Okay, so the places I’m about to suggest aren’t exactly the cheapest things out there, so when you think of cheap, think more like “Restaurant Week” cheap. Do you know what I mean? These options may not help your contributions to your IRA, but they will allow you to taste the subtle delicacies of a master chef’s creation for prices you couldn’t dare find at your average 4 or 5-start restaurant in New York City.

Brooklyn Star – 33 Havemeyer Street, Brooklyn, New York, NY 11211
Our first location brings us to Brooklyn, where the food is just as interesting as the culture. That’s why Brooklyn Star fits right in, because it isn’t your typical mom and pop American diner, nor is it some overly crowded venue in the middle of nowhere. Instead, Brooklyn Star is the creation of a chef with more in mind than just serving up delicacies and French cuisine. Instead, Chef Joaquin Baca opens your stomach to the idea of eating southern-inflected dishes, such as Dr. Pepper Ribs, fried pig-tails and country fried steak. To top it off, they serve you warm and fluffy biscuits with honey butter, just in case the Sweet Tea Chicken Wings don’t give you the itus—or better yet, a heart attack! But based on the few times I’ve been here, I’d say the food is worth the risk.

Porchetta – 110 E. 7^th Street, New York, NY
Yes! That’s right! An entire restaurant dedicated to the delivery of pork to the masses—or at least to residents and visitors of the East Village! Either way, Porchetta brings the love of pork and mastery of wood-burning ovens back from the depths of Italy’s finest kitchens to give Manhattanites a taste of Tuscany’s greatest creation. And if you’re a fan of pork (we’re a dying breed, I know), then you certainly won’t want to miss out on what Porchetta is cooking up. With nothing more than 8 pork-influenced items on the menu, Porchetta serves up one of the tastiest, finger-licking pieces of swine you will have ever tasted. Porchetta, technically a gutted, boned-out, heavily seasoned and restuffed whole pig, hails from street festivals in Rome and Florence—it’s like the hot dog of Italy! And if you can remember just how much that first Coney Island Dog changed your life, then can you even imagine what this delectable, spicy, moist, organic, tender pig loin with melting bacon bits and garlic potatoes could do to your entire perception of the pig? Yeah, it’s that good!

Piola – 48 E. 12^th Street, New York, NY
Located in Greenwich Village, just below Union Square, Piola is truly a welcomed addition to the plethora of Italian offerings in New York City. Of course, why stop at Italian? Why not add the flavors of Brazil to the menu? Well, that’s exactly what they did at Piola, combining to make one of the best thin crust pizzas in the world—and I mean that literally, as they have locations all across the globe! First of all, you must try “Lucky Gnocchi Day” on the 29^th of every month, when you can get various kinds of gnocchi served to you in churrascaria fashion! And the other 29 days of the month are just as interesting, with an assortment of heavily-topped pizza’s to choose from, including the Mantova (carpaccio, brie, arugola and mozzarella) and the Sau Pauloa (Brazilian cheese and tomato sauce). People who love pizza swear by this place. So for those of you who don’t think you can find a good piece of pizza in Greenwich Village, think again!

Popularity: 4%

A good sports bar is like a good man—they’re both hard to find—especially in New York City. But once you find that special one, don’t ever let it go. Fortunately for me, I have found three spots in Manhattan where I can get my daily sports fix on. So try one or try them all, either way, I am sure I will see you there—preferably afterwork and during a sporting event!

Blondies – 212 W. 79^th Street, New York, NY
Don’t be fooled by the meager exterior, as Blondies is one of the best sports bars in all of New York City. There are two locations, but most would agree that the one located on the Upper Westside is the better of the two. It’s a casual spot, where you can find bankers, lawyers, actors and just about any profession there is. But no matter who you are, no one is immune to the sheer enthusiasm that overcomes this place whenever a Yankees, Knicks, Giants or Jets game comes on—even if you’re not a fan of either team. And while the place can get rambunctious during games, the lull moments are full of patrons having private conversations among those who accompanied them, so you don’t have to worry about the drunk sports fanatic bothering you all night. As for the food, I’ve never heard a complaint. The all-you-can-eat Buffalo wings on Monday nights go well with their wafer fries and incredibly strong cocktails. And the wait staff is tremendous, offering service so pleasant, you’ll forget you’re at a sports bar.

Reservoir – 70 University Place, New York, NY
Look, I’ll be the first to admit it…the wait staff here…not so good. So why am I recommending it? Because the atmosphere is so great, that some things just have to be ignored. Besides, the bartenders at Reservoir tend to be extremely kind, so just avoid getting a sit-down table, get everything from the bar, and you’ll be fine. So why is this place so special? They love sports! Don’t get me wrong, there are several places in New York City where you can find a healthy sports-watching audience, but it’s hard to find one in Manhattan that lives and dies with every pitch, play and pass. It’s amazing how into the games these patrons get, and yet I very rarely see the same faces. Yes, it is Pittsburgh Steelers territory, but even if you’re not a Steelers fan, antagonizing the other patrons is just as fun. And you would think that Reservoir’s location in NYU land would leave it subjected to crowds of students, but on the contrary, this bar tends to relegate itself to a mid-20’s crowd for the grown-up in all of us. So if you’re really into sports, and you’re looking for a place where you can let go of your social inhibitions, Reservoir s the place to be. And by the way, the food is great and cheap too!

Brother Jimmy’s – Multiple Locations Across New York City
There are several Brother Jimmy’s locations across the Manhattan area, and with each of them having their own personality, you can’t really say that one is better than the other. However, there is a certain aura about all of them that is representative of the Brother Jimmy’s brand, and that is that they all are as fun as hell! Go to the Brother Jimmy’s on the Upper West Side, and you’ll come across a clientele that doesn’t know when to say when—especially when they’re drinking out of fish bowl! Head over to the Murray Hill location, and you can enjoy al fresco dining just like any other midtown restaurant. Check out the original Brother Jimmy’s on 2^nd Avenue and enjoy one of the most awe-inspiring Ladies Nights there is in New York City. Try any of the Brother Jimmy’s locations on Mondays for Rib Tips and Hot Wings Night—a combination that just shouldn’t be missed. As for watching sports, you won’t find a better Monday Night Football crowd anywhere else, and if you’re a big NBA fan, check out the Eight Avenue location.

Popularity: 9%