What were you doing on Wednesday night? Maybe hitting the gym or cuddling up with a good book? Well, if you answered yes to either of those, we say stop being so lame! Your pals from LocalBozo.com headed back to New York City’s Irving Plaza to witness the mighty rockers of Steel Panther melt faces and convert first time listeners into fans once again. For years, the four hard rocking, comical showmen of Steel Panther have been dominating the L.A. club scene. But over the course of the past year, they have made New York City their second home with near monthly residencies at Irving Plaza. And with a return date already set for July 18th, you best be scooping up your tickets now.

Steel Panther’s popularity has a lot to do with word of mouth promotion. New fans always seem to share the same story: a friend who saw the guys blow the roof off at the Key Club in L.A. and returned home to spread the good word by blasting the bands albums at a party. Word travels fast, jamming the house at their Manhattan shows with new converts and those ready to experience a Steel Panther party all over again. Wednesday night’s crowd proved to be the most diverse we’ve seen, with all ages represented along with the usual packs of revelers donning ’80s glam attire. We could even spot some death metal fans in the audience who were going ballistic just waiting for Steel Panther to grace the stage. Now that’s what we call a ‘United Nations of Metal.’

Just as the crowd had grabbed that last pre-show beer, the lights went out. With fists raised and a roaring applause flying through the air, ‘Panther’ stormed the stage ripping into, ‘Supersonic Sex Machine’ the first track from their latest release, ‘Balls Out.’ The raucous, futuristic song lit the match on a rock spectacle that would not cease until the lights came back up. The setlist was filled with several choice gems we can’t get enough of. The pre party anthem ‘Tomorrow Night’ and the band’s first hit ‘Fat Girl’ perfectly paced the show’s open while ballad ‘Community Property,’ joined the entire crowd together in unison. Imagine- a sea of New Yorkers proclaiming ‘My heart belongs to you– But my cock is community property.’

About halfway through the set, the boys brought some lovely ladies on stage to party with- many of whom took it upon themselves to perform their own show for the onlooking crowd.  The rock stage turned to sideshow as one girl shoved her entire fist in her mouth to the band’s delight, while others simply bared all, without any coaxing from Steel Panther. All of this feminine celebration caused frontman Michael Starr and company to launch into, ‘The Shocker’ off of their first album, ‘Death To All But Metal.’ The popular tune turned the stage into an all out party, giving those with camera phones another show of their own. The band also pulled out another seldom heard favorite- an acoustic rendition of ‘Girl From Oklahoma,’ a fun clap and sing along tune reminiscent of Extreme’s, ‘More Than Words’- just much, much dirtier.

Whether they are playing stages on the east coast, west coast, or abroad, Steel Panther continues to embody everything we adore about 80s glam metal and everything that’s fun about attending live concerts. Don’t miss your chance to catch the band as they return to Irving Plaza on July 18th for another collaboration of rock music anthems and nonstop partying.  You may not be able to turn back the clock to a 1980′s sunset strip, but the Steel Panther time machine can take you there one show at a time.

Attention all fans! Be sure to stay tuned to LocalBozo.com over the next few weeks for an exclusive backstage interview with bassist Lexxi Foxxx and drummer Stix Zadinia from the mighty Steel Panther. This is a no holds barred, uncensored interview that you just can’t miss. We had a ton of fun shooting it with the guys and we are sure you’ll raise up your horns as well, while laughing your balls off.

- Jay Rubin

Steel Panther - Live at Irving Plaza

New York, NY

May 16th, 2012

1. Supersonic Sex Machine
2. Tomorrow Night
3. Fat Girl
4. Asian Hooker
5. Just Like Tiger Woods
6. Gold-Digging Whore
7. Turn Out the Lights
8. Community Property
9. Eyes of a Panther
10. Shocker
11. Girl From Oklahoma
12. It Won’t Suck Itself
13. Death to All But Metal
14. Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’

You might ask yourself ‘what does Syracuse know about southern rock music?’ Enter Brand New Sin, the upstate based band with a re-tooled lineup, that will be opening up in just a few short days for Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators in New York City’s famed Irving Plaza. After touring with Slash and company previously, the band is back on the road on the heels of their release of 2011’s “United State,” their first on the Goomba label. Songs like “Infamous,” “Bed of Nails,” and “Goddess of War” show off the band’s southern chops meshed with riffs that exemplify hard rock music.

While the group is primarily focused on rock music, their side project “Hobo Graffiti” performs acoustically throughout the Syracuse area, playing familiar cover tunes, with a stand up bass. The band samples the likes of Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, The Doors, and even The Misfits for their wide ranging, eclectic set. On this tour, however, the band will be plugged in and ready to unleash. And for a band that doesn’t come through Manhattan that often, they certainly sound like they’re looking forward to playing in front of NYC’s finest on May 22nd.

We grabbed a few minutes with frontman Kris Wiechmann and talked about performing in The City, touring with Slash and Myles Kennedy, the re-shuffling of Brand New Sin’s lineup, their latest album, and aspirations for the rest of 2012. Listen in above and while tickets to the show might be sold out, but you can hit StubHub to secure yours now. For more information on the band and upcoming tour dates, check out brandnewsin.org.

- Jane Van Arsdale

In light of the economic uncertainty which surrounds us in 2012, the importance of financial literacy cannot be overstated. Targeting disadvantaged youths, Working in Support of Education or W!se, is striving to educate those who perhaps need it most, to better prepare them for their working futures. Through efforts and programs aimed at increasing their established financial literacy initiatives to help students reach a comfort level with their financial independence, W!se will assist approximately 15,000 youths in New York City alone.

Tuesday night, W!se hosted their second annual “W!se Chef’s Night” event to help raise awareness of and to help fund their different initiatives from teacher certifications in personal finance to building community awareness to educating educators of domestic violence. Surrounded by friends and supporters, the plush Prince George Ballroom in the Flatiron District was overwhelmed with philanthropy as guests were treated to an evening of food and drink tastes from some of the finest restaurants in Manhattan as well as a live auction, fantastic silent auction items, and a full-fledged casino (with faux money, of course) to boot.

Upon entering the massive space, guests were handed a $1,000 chip for table games- with craps, blackjack, and poker being the options. Of course, once the evening got underway, finding a spot proved to be a challenge, but in the charitable spirit of the event, there was plenty to do aside from throwing down at a green felt table. With a DJ working up the background soundtrack for the three hour event, we began by pacing the silent auction stations. Autographed framed pictures and memorabilia donated by the local sports teams- from a Henrik Lundqvist jersey to a Mark Sanchez football- framed pictures of Jay-Z, the Rolling Stones, and Eddie Vedder, and trips to Las Vegas, Napa, and even to the Playboy Mansion for Halloween ($6,000!).

Washing down each bite, we paced the ballroom gulping down flavorful sips of suds provided by Brooklyn Brewery, picking here and there at desserts from Cupcake a la Crème and Stuffed Artisan Cannolis, before chatting with some of the festival organizers and heading off into the night. While it’s a shame that W!se’s Chef’s Night only happens once a year, you can do your part by making a donation on their website. And if you or anyone else you know is interested in either getting involved or learning more about one of W!se’s interactive programs, you owe it to yourself to be proactive and reach out to them. Although the many participating restaurants may have brought us to the dance, the need for outreach into our communities and the important message being delivered by W!se was the overarching theme that we’d leave with.

- Jane Van Arsdale

As controversial as the film is sure to be received, “The Dictator” (R) starring the talented Sacha Baron Cohen surely does have its moments of hilarity. Now if you’re expecting the same level of ‘can’t believe he did that’ gut-busting belly laughs that we’ve come to expect from the mind of ‘Ali G’ and ‘Borat,’ it might be best to temper your expectations a touch. The heavily scripted comedy simply doesn’t allow for the same measure of unpredictability. But at its core, “The Dictator” succeeds primarily by being funny, pushing heavily upon some real world hot-button topics, while utilizing much of Cohen’s familiar adherence to shock value to get us there.

That’s not to say that “The Dictator” won’t be offensive to some. It will. The lead character Admiral General Aladeen is a misogynist, a ruthless tyrant, and a racist, all at once and manages to leave no gender, origin, or religion untouched. The film revolves around Aladeen’s fall from grace, replaced by a bumbling body double (also played by Cohen) to serve as a puppet in office. Left destitute and alone in New York City, Aladeen stumbles upon Zoey (Anna Faris)- a sympathetic hippie-type protestor who also runs a Vegan collective produce store in Manhattan- earns her trust, and subsequently falls in love with her. As Aladeen vows to return to power, he puts his relationship with Zoey at risk and appears humanized, before everything unravels before him.

“The Dictator” certainly pushes the envelope, but also creates a story that has sufficient parts comedy and present day relevance that you are invested throughout, despite how implausible the premise might seem. While Cohen’s Aladeen shines bright here, it is the cameos which bring out the film’s more fun parts rather than a toned down supporting cast. Small roles featuring Bobby Lee, Chris Parnell, and JB Smoove, highlight the even briefer appearances of the likes of Horatio Sanz, Fred Armisen, Chris Elliott, Kathryn Hahn, Garry Shandling and even Megan Fox, as herself. Unfortunately John C. Reilly and Ben Kingsley, while relatively more prominent, are given little to work with comedically, although Farris’ Zoey is a suitable counterpart for Cohen both in her hipster character and comic timing.

Pushed up to a mid-week release, “The Dictator” is Cohen’s latest vehicle for self-promotion evident by his massively attended press conference last week, and while his character mandates the best jokes be saved for himself, there’s enough sight gags and slapstick stuff sprinkled in around the political jabs that most filmgoers should enjoy this movie. That said, be fully prepared to have your sensibilities pushed to the brink of disbelief in some regard- depending on your level of sensitivity to things like terrorism, abuse of power, and bigotry. But in the end, comedy is comedy, and based on the fact that you’re going to see Cohen’s latest work, it would be fair to expect nothing less than the outrageous. And in this case, the outrageous is certainly worth visiting.

“The Dictator” is rated R, starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Kingsley, and Anna Faris, has a runtime of 83 minutes, and is released in theaters everywhere on Wednesday, May 16th.

- Jane Van Arsdale

It’s been a trying year for Utah’s The Used. Following a fall offstage by frontman Bert McCracken in early 2011 resulting in a broken elbow and hand, a subsequent surgery, and a change in record labels, the band re-emerged in early 2012 with the release of their fifth studio album “Vulnerable,” featuring the lead single “I Come Alive.” Meshing the synth beats of an electro artist, a vibe of hip hop infused swagger, and the raw, emotional lyrics we’ve come to expect from The Used, ‘Vulnerable’ certainly appears to be the band’s most eclectic effort yet.

In just a few days, the band will be making their triumphant return to New York City, bringing openers Dead Sara and Stars in Stereo along for the ride. With a new album inspiring them and a rowdy collection of raucous fans sure to fill the house, Irving Plaza will literally have its roof blown off on Monday night, May 21st. And in anticipation of the band’s local stop, LocalBozo.com sat down with vocalist Bert McCracken for an exclusive interview. Listen in as we discuss the band’s new release “Vulnerable” (available now), how the band’s approach to creating music has evolved, his memories of performing in Manhattan, and so much more. And if you can’t make it out to catch The Used at Irving Plaza on May 21st, you can rest easy. LocalBozo.com will have a full recap and pictures for you first thing the next morning to fill you in on what you missed.

- Jane Van Arsdale

LocalBozo.com is dedicated to keeping you informed about the fantastic world of fine spirits and the culture it lives in. That is why anytime an event happens around town, you will find us there. I know what you’re thinking. Hard job right? Well, someone has to do it. On Monday night we headed to the West Village’s popular Highlands Bar and Restaurant, sister of the recently reviewed Whitehall and the recently shuttered Mary Queen of Scots, for a thorough tasting of the ‘Compass Box Whisky Company’s‘ line of artisan Scotch Whiskies with Compass Box Brand U.S. Ambassador, Robin Robinson.

Highlands Bar was the perfect setting for a tasting event of this caliber. The bar is known city-wide for its ever changing menu of exciting cocktails. On this particular night, “The Brooklyn Bar Chef” Max Messier would be manning the bar, expertly mixing cocktails featuring Compass Box Whisky. Messier’s love for the Mixology movement is evident by the inventive combination of spirits he poured leaving patrons hungry to learn about what goes into the tasty concoction.

Robinson ran these intimate barside tastings in small groups to maximize their effect. I joined a group of highly informed West Village residents for a six bottle tasting of the ‘Compass’ line. The first offering of which was ‘Great King St.,’ a highly drinkable, yet rich scotch with hints of oak. The nose presented a full bouquet of vanilla and spices. ‘Great King St.’ is a beverage even the most amateur scotch drinker can enjoy, flexible enough to even win over folks who have sworn off the spirits on name alone.

The tasting was highly interactive, allowing guests to chat with Mr. Robinson in between sips. When a question came up regarding the raw ingredients used to produce many of the ‘Compass Box’ line, Robininson was quick to pull out of bottle of said ingredient for the group to waft. The creation of each Scotch Whisky is truly a science but most importantly a labor of love. And speaking of love, another favorite of the evening was the ‘Oak Cross,’ a whisky that ages between 10 and 12 years in French oak barrels. Everything about its character yielded subtle, smooth tones allowing for each individual flavor a time to shine- a perfect compliment to a cigar night with the guys.

Another favorite offering of the evening was a much celebrated pour of ‘The Peat Monster.’ Before even taking a sip, the strong peat-filled nose hit like a pleasant ton of bricks. The producers aren’t lying- this drink is a beast! The tasting brought forth big, smoky malt flavors evoking some of our most highly enjoyable taste sensations. My fellow tasters and I agreed that it’s a pleasure to drink and a lot of fun to chat about. But you don’t have to take my opinion, this peaty monster won big at the World Whiskies Awards 2009, for the  ’World’s Best Scotch Vatted Malt Whiskey.’

The great staff at Highlands Bar made this a spirited evening, with the help of Robin Robinson and the folks at Compass Box. Whenever a tasting is going down in your neighborhood, or a train ride away we highly advise you to attend. They are fun and informative ways to learn about expertly crafted liquors, while getting a slight buzz on a weekday night. Either way it’s a win, win.

- Jay Rubin

There exists one New York City neighborhood whose rich history is rivaled by its modern innovations and positive change, which have led to its status as perhaps the most sought after living space in Manhattan. We’re of course referring to the Upper West Side, a legendary hood that exudes a style and sensibility that both locals and those in other areas romanticize about. Be it a trip to Zabar’s paired with a picnic in Central Park or taking in a Opera at Lincoln Center, this virtually untouched section of town allows us all to sample a taste of luxury paired with the notion of how great our city can be.

One annual festival now in it’s fifth year is doing their part to place a huge magnifying glass on this much celebrated part of town in a grand fashion, and paying tribute to some of the better known and even some of the lesser known restaurants that encompass the area. It’s the “New Taste of the Upper West Side,” three nights of eating and drinking the very “Best of the West.” Dozens of the neighborhood’s best restaurants and some of the country’s most well known food personalities will come together to maximize all the neighborhood love you can place under one tent. From a Friday night event titled, ‘Comfort Classics’ which spotlights all that is good and pure with hearty, comfort foods all the way to ‘Vegetables at Dovetail,’ a five course love leter to vegetarian dining, this festival literally has something for every palette.

Not only will your friends at LocalBozo.com be attending, providing you with the thorough reporting and pictures you have come to know but we’ve also got a full preview to help entice you to grab some of the last remaining tickets and experience it for yourself. The LocalBozo.com team was fortunate to sit down with Don Evans, “New Taste of the Upper West Side” Event Chair and BID board member for an exclusive interview preview of this unique festival. During our lively conversation, Mr. Evans made it abundantly clear that ticket holders will be bombarded by a who’s who roster of culinary personalities including Travel Channel favorites Adam Richman and Andrew Zimmern, with plenty of other surprises to follow. But above all, this will be a week for guests to explore the innovative restaurants and minds behind them who are doing so much to make the Upper West Side such a great place to visit.

LocalBozo.com: 2012’s New Taste of the Upper West Side takes place on the 16th, 18th, and 19th of May. Can you talk a little bit about how you got started as the event chair and why the Upper West Side?
Don Evans: Well I’m involved with some restaurants of the Upper West Side and around five years ago a bunch of new restaurants were opening up primarily- Dovetail, Shake Shack and some others- and I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I thought it would be a good way to focus some attention on the west side restaurants. For many years, they didn’t have a very good reputation, but I knew of the course of the years prior that they had improved dramatically, so with the help of a friend, we raised some seed money and we had our first event and we had about 28 restaurants and it worked out very well. We had about 750 people under a tent at 77th and Columbus. The interesting thing is that the most enthusiastic people regarding the event were the better known restaurant owners- of Daniel, Jean Georges, Steve Hanson, and Danny Meyer, from Shake Shack- and we continued to help the event evolve. In our fifth year we actually have 3 events- the first event actually happens on Wednesday, May 16th called Vegetables at Dovetail. We have 5 chefs doing a 5 course vegetarian tasting menu. And now we have the Friday and Saturday evening events, which are very close to being sold out right now, around 1600 people each night. We’ll have 80 restaurants and it’s sort of a who’s who of every major restaurant on the west side.

LocalBozo.com: As the event chair, what’s been the biggest challenge for you in pulling off the now annual event for this year?
DE: I think I’m a little more knowledgeable now. There’s a lot of moving parts with more than 80 restaurants and each one has its specific needs. We spend a little more money than we have to because this is a very well produced event. Friday night we have Comfort Classics and its being hosted by an all-star cast this year with Adam Richman from Man vs. Food and Andrew Zimmern from Bizarre Foods. And the two of them could be doing any major food event in the United States. Putting them together with Ellie Krieger, who we just announced from the Food Network, as the third host. and Saturday evening, we’re honoring Gael Greene who’s a west-sider who started City Meals on Wheels a number of years ago. We also have an orchestra, so it’s a very well choreographed and programmed event, not your typical food and wine event that one might go to. Particularly the better chefs involved here get invited to a lot of different events throughout the United States and they uniformly say that they can’t believe the level of production of our event and we have a high retention of people who attend and look forward to the event each year because of that. We also have more than 30 corporate sponsors- financial supporters of the event. Ford Motor Company and Whole Foods for example- if you ask why are these corporate sponsors getting involved in a neighborhood event like this- it’s really demographics. These sponsors are trying to get their names before the area’s citizens.

LocalBozo.com:What determines which restaurants can participate in the annual event?
DE: A lot has to go by the Zagat rating of the restaurant honestly. Saturday night’s event is more fine dining, while Friday night is more casual. We have 8 or 9 restaurants participating for the first time on Friday and we have 3 on Saturday that won’t even be opening until the fall. And these are significant restaurants that you’ll be reading about in the fall previews and they’re excited to get their name out there.

LocalBozo.com: With the success of the festival, starting from one night and now expanding to three nights, is there a chance in the future we might see a week long festival?
DE: We’ve toyed around with a lot of ideas. John Fraser of DoveTail does a vegetarian night on Monday night and he suggested we try to do a Vegetarian tasting menu and he got us Missy Robbins from A Voce and Christina Tossi from Momofuku Milk Bar whose opened up a shop at 86th and Columbus. And she just won the James Beard Rising Star award- the number one rising star in the United States. So we’ll be trying that out this year for the first time. It’s really good for the restaurants, which you’ll see and hear about over the next 5 days and we’ve had some conversations and I think we’d all like to expand the festival.

LocalBozo.com: For festival-goers that haven’t been to A New Taste of the Upper West Side in previous years, how would you pitch this to them? For people going for the first time, what can they expect?
DE: They will be surprised. We have surprises on both nights and without going too much into it, we have seating areas for 400 people. It’s a grand tent and it’s very well designed. We spent a lot of time on the design and the production. Here, we want people to have fun and they’re really going to be in a celebratory mood. I think 80% are likely to be local residents, but they come to really enjoy the restaurants. Many are familiar with the restaurants but many of them also are not. In fact, each of the owners of these restaurants that I speak to, they’ll give me a different reason for why they like the event. But collectively they all believe that it’s a useful event at least one time a year that the restaurants come together, focus attention, and market themselves as a unit. There are many instances where people come up to me and say “I’ve never tried this restaurant before, but I met the chef, and I really enjoyed his tasting and I’m going to go there.” And they do go there, by the hundreds, so that’s why the owners and the chefs like it.

LocalBozo.com: We go to food events quite often and many times, we’ll discover a restaurant and then make sure to visit, so we understand where you’re coming from. Is there anything else you’d like to leave for the readers of LocalBozo.com?
DE: There’s still some tickets available for Friday and Saturday night- they can go to newtasteuws.com to pick up some tickets. And I’d love to see them go and we’d love to see you there.

- The LocalBozo.com Team

Arts & Culture

Saturday, May 12th – It must be summer if people are heading up on roofs to watch movies! The Saturday is the opening night of Rooftop Films 16th Annual Summer Series. The summer long event will feature grand stories in little packages, with some of the greatest new short films from all around the world. This weekend check out the film, ‘Think of Me.’ (Rooftop Films)

Sports

Friday, May 11th – Sunday, May 13th – The weather is going to be perfect to take your mother up to Yankees Stadium this weekend to show her how much you love her! The Bronx Bombers will be taking on the Seattle Mariners in a best of three series. (New York Yankees)

Music & Entertainment

Friday, May 11th – Movie release day. Quiet night tonight? Check out these releases coming out today. In a rare collaboration director Time Burton, and actor Johnny Depp are joining forces for the big screen adaption of the much loved cult soap opera,’Dark Shadows’ (PG-13). It appears that Burton’s version will be taking a campier, less dark approach then the television program. Also starting are Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green. You loved him in, ‘Police Academy’ and burning a chair on Leno’s ‘Tonight Show’ now catch Bobcat Goldthwait as a director in the very dark comedy,’God Bless America’ (R). Don’t blame us if at least one of these stink! 

Saturday, May 12th – South By Southwest and Bonnaroo favorites, Neon Indian are gracing the Terminal 5 stage Saturday night in order to cause much booty shaking! Their sound has been described as a combination of indie pop mixed with disco, electro, and synth pop. (Terminal 5)

Nightlife

Friday, May 11th – Did you miss the,’Gangs of New York’ Halloween bash at the Liberty Theater? Fear not because the city’s top club owners, promoters, producers and performers join forces once again for a night of sex, sin and debauchery. It’s, ‘The Best Little Whorehouse’ and if you really want to know what that means, you must attend! (Liberty Theater NY)

Other

Friday, May 11th – It may be Friday night, but that’s no reason to be lazy! It’s,’Bike and Roll NYC’ an all night illuminated ride through the City’s most well known architectural landmarks. The ride will take bikers down famous Fifth Avenue to Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza. (Bike NYC)

Sunday, May 12th – Hey, all you last minute planners, Sunday is Mother’s Day! Do you have plans yet? If not Hornblower Cruises & Events is here to help. Starting this year they are introducing a Mother’s Day scenic cruise in the New York Harbor aboard the Hornblower Hybrid. The new chic vessel will set sail for a two-hour brunch cruise at noon featuring live entertainment. Boarding begins for the brunch cruise at 11:30 a.m. (Hornblower)

And as Always, Droid users- make sure to Download the official LocalBozo.com App for FREE from the Android Market! Get all the information we can fit onto your smart phone, NOW!

Most of the time, ‘pairing’ refers to simply matching appropriate food and drink tastes together. And while this has become one of our favorite pastimes here in New York City, marrying the ideal venue to host said pairings is a much more difficult task to pull off. With impatient patrons forming lengthy lines, there is a relative dearth for ample space in our crowded Metropolis. Fortunately, Thursday night’s event titled, “Grand Gourmet: The Flavor of Midtown” at Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall was magnificently arranged, bringing together some of the area’s finest purveyors in an unparalleled and sprawling space, to shine a light upon the exceptional local cuisine.

If you’ve spent any time waiting for a train, you don’t need us to tell you about the breathtaking structure that is Grand Central Terminal. From its iconic clock that glares down upon the massive waiting area to the new market, restaurants, and shopping hub all within steps, the building is a living piece of history smack dab in the middle of our fine city. But to be able to venture into the building with the sole purpose of spending some time within proved to be an enriching experience. Vanderbilt Hall is routinely transformed for different events month after month, but few have been able to maximize the space as elaborately as the event on this night. Inside, the venue was packed with after-work types, strolling the space in business attire, sipping fine wines and cocktails which were centrally located near the entrance of the festivities. There was a certain palpable energy in the building, which these events often capture- an anticipation of tasting delights. And the 2012 Grand Gourmet would certainly not disappoint in that regard.

After taking several minutes to survey the surroundings, we made our way over to Park Slope staple, ‘Beer Table Pantry’ for a pour of their, ‘Strumke’- a drinkable light and summery IPA, with a beautiful tan glow. As regular beer drinkers, and the only one on hand at the Grand Gourmet, it was an easy pair to many of the evenings featured edibles. As conservative as our attempts not to fill up within the first hour, the rat race to get a taste of every sample managed to consume us. Some were better than others and some were outright standout dishes. New York Central at the Grand Hyatt located right next door served up an innovative and attractive ‘Spring Pea Mousse,’ a beautifully plated green dish embedded with braised morels, pickled ramps, jampon iberico, and some wonderful foie gras.’ The brilliant collaboration of the savory pureed vegetables with the rich, creamy liver was a tasting experience few chefs can offer. Being that this was a celebration, repeat tastings were not only accepted but they were actually encouraged. Other standouts included Nios’ delectable ‘Duck Confit Taquitos,’ eloquently prepared over an avocado mousse and a lime crème fraiche, The Long Room’s inventive ‘Mini Bratwurst Burger,’ paired with Mother’s Milk mustard, red cabbage, and a dollop of sweet and sour sauce, and Aretsky’s Patroon’s ‘Dark Beer Braised Beef Brisket” laid upon a creamy buttermilk biscuit and topped with some horseradish.

Honorable mention certainly goes to Grand Central Oyster Bar’s excellent oysters from their raw bar- 1 east coast and 1 west coast oyster per serving was perhaps the most generous portion of the entire event, and were succulent and sweet when doused with cocktail sauce and devoured and steakhouses, ‘Benjamin Steakhouse at The Dylan Hotel’ with their tender ‘Dry Aged Porterhouse Bites’ atop a creamless creamed spinach and Bobby Van’s ‘Sliced Filet Mignon’ served over toast points. Although the steaks paled in comparison to each restaurant’s in-house experience, each was served pink and proved to be outstanding additions to the Grand Gourmet event.

Well organized and flawlessly run, the Grand Gourmet avoided many of the pitfalls that malign so many food events of this caliber. Even though hundreds of guest filled the Vanderbilt Hall space, lines were kept short and wait times for food samples were non-existent. The restaurants were perfectly prepared to handle the volume of guests and none seemed to run out of food, even as the event approached its conclusion. Jumping on a small cup of refreshing coffee courtesy of Joe and a mini cupcake courtesy of the fine folks at Magnolia Bakery, we finished up at the Grand Gourmet, completely satiated and satisfied, wondering how the Grand Central Partnership will manage to top themselves in 2013.

- Jane Van Arsdale & Jay Rubin

With outposts all across the country, The Melting Pot is the nation’s most famous chain of fondue restaurants. And with a prime location on Sinatra Drive, The Melting Pot in Hoboken also happens to have a standalone bar and is thus, this week’s focus of “Spirits in the Sixth Borough.” Known more as a dinner destination than a haunt to bar hop toward, The Melting Pot actually offers up a surprisingly sensational selection of craft brews, making our short stop here worth the while.

The restaurant’s lounge area is adjacent to the main dining room, just a few steps from the front door. The small U-shaped bar is equipped with an elegant marble countertop with fondue grills in tow, so that even eaters dining solo can enjoy a piping hot bowl of sweet or savory fondue. The lone big screen television is also situated appropriately enough to be visible from anywhere in the bar area. The bar menu serves up some lighter small plates and affordable foods to pair with the many craft beers. Beer prices are on the higher side, but that’s to be expected for many of the microbrews being served. From $6 to $11, The Melting Pot’s selection ranges from the likes of Session, Chimay, and Allagash, to Full Sail, Dogfish, Troegs, and Rogue’s Dead Guy. Unbelievably, they also stock bottles of Innis and Gunn as well.

Although the beer list was plentiful, at the end of the day, we were grabbing a relatively pricey pint inside of a chain restaurant. Glancing around at the sloth-like fellow patrons seated beside us at the bar and lounge area while Peggy Lee’s ‘Fever’ played around us was a bit on the depressing side, actually. The friendly bartender was more than attentive, but without dining, there just wasn’t much going on leaving us with little reason to stay any longer. Once the last sip of beer was gone, I paid up and headed out, knowing full well that the next time I’d be back to The Melting Pot in Hoboken would solely be for dinner.

So here’s the rundown…

Preconceived notion – Having dined at The Melting Pot before, I thought I’d be returning to a higher end chain restaurant.

Bar Type – Fondue restaurant with a small lounge and bar.

Crowd stereotype –Hungry fondue eaters on a work night. Most were wearing elastic-waisted pants.

Music – Adult contempo tunes, with “Fever” being the most memorable.

Value – There’s ample value in the available selections, but as far as financial value, the beers are on the more expensive side for a weeknight in the area.

Good for a….

Date – Restaurant first, so I don’t see why not. Fondue can be a unique, shared experience.

Hookup – Highly unlikely that you’ll meet someone here that you don’t know.

Dance – Dude, it’s The Melting Pot.

Catch up with a friend – I suppose.

First or last drink of the night – First. If your night ends with “Bro, we gotta hit The Melting Pot,” you may as well throw away your Magic The Gathering collection.

Overall – Admittedly, having worked at a chain restaurant and having eaten at The Melting Pot before, I was disappointed by Hoboken’s version. The lounge and bar area didn’t feel ‘clean’ and the patrons inside didn’t seem like they were people I’d want to be dining near, if you catch my drift. That being said, I’m basing my experience here, like everywhere else I’ve traversed, on one drink. And based on my prior positive experiences here, I think The Melting Pot actually deserves the benefit of the doubt that perhaps I’d caught them on an off-night. Despite a fine selection of beers , the bar on its own is nothing special and there are better values to be had just up the block. That said, if you want to sneak in for a quick pop on a walk back to the Path station or even taste some of their tasty cheese or chocolate fondue, then who am I to fault you for it? 7.1.

-Link Cromwell

Completed Bars
Introduction
Halfway
Marathon Recap
Northern Soul – 9.3/10
Pilsner Haus and Biergarten – 9.3/10
The Clinton Social – 9.1/10
Cooper’s Union – 9.0/10
Havana Cafe – 9.0/10
The Turtle Club – 9.0/10
Bin 14 – 8.9/10
Court Street – 8.9/10
Hudson Tavern – 8.9/10
10th & Willow – 8.8/10
Elysian Cafe – 8.8/10
Grimaldi’s – 8.8/10
Madison Bar & Grill – 8.8/10
City Bistro – 8.7/10
Cork City – 8.7/10
Onieals – 8.7/10
Village Pourhouse – 8.7/10
1 Republik – 8.6/10
Mikie Squared – 8.5/10
Wicked Wolf Tavern – 8.5/10
Zack’s Oak Bar – 8.5/10
Black Bear Bar & Grill – 8.4/10
Moran’s – 8.4/10
Arthur’s Tavern – 8.3/10
Oddfellows – 8.1/10
Trinity – 8.1/10
Cucharamama – 8.0/10
Marty O’Brien’s Social Club – 8.0/10
The Dubliner – 8.0/10
East LA – 8.0/10
Scotland Yard – 7.9/10
The Shannon – 7.9/10
Carpe Diem – 7.9/10
Helmers’ – 7.9/10
Teak – 7.8/10
Mulligan’s – 7.7/10
Karma Kafe – 7.7/10
DC’s Tavern – 7.7/10
Louise & Jerry’s – 7.7/10
Brass Rail – 7.6/10
Hoboken Bar and Grill – 7.5/10
Four L’s – 7.5/10
Liberty Bar – 7.5/10
Texas Arizona – 7.5/10
McSwiggans – 7.4/10
Nag’s Head – 7.4/10
Eight Street Tavern – 7.3/10
Maggie’s Place – 7.3/10
Three A’s – 7.3/10
The Tilted Kilt – 7.3/10
Whiskey Bar- 7.3/10
The Quays – 7.2/10
Tutta Pasta – 7.1/10
Sushi House – 7.0/10
Wilton House – 6.0/10