Dutch Kills Centraal - Trying a Newie-Oldie

This weekend was quite a busy one, as I attended several blog related press events, celebrated a dear friend's new journey in life and got to check out a few new neighborhood haunts.  One of these happened to be Dutch Kills Centraal, the newish neighborhood bar in the Dutch Kills area on 39th Avenue.  Some of you may know it for its recent name trademark controversy with Dutch Kills bar, which is being fully appealed.
But...let's get to the facts:

Atmosphere:
Very much a neighborhood watering hole, Dan and I walked in at an odd time, as we were in the mood for a quick snack and a drink before moving on to the city.  We found the bar to be cozy and filled with a few people, celebrating a child's birthday party.  Even though this was a bit unusual, it spoke volumes of DK Centraal's friendly, hospitable environment.

Inside, you'll find a nice looking mahogany bar that stretches through the entire length of the main room.  On a chill afternoon, we got our pick of seats, but I imagine it gets busy in the evenings.  Along the perimeter of the room, there's lots of little tables and an overall spacious airy vibe that makes this place feel very comfortable and conducive to just lounging around.

Food:
Although I wasn't very hungry, Dan was ravenous and ordered a burger sans the bun.  Of course I teased him about it, but what came out was as equally impressive as it was delicious.  The juicy burger patty totally hit the spot, and it was cooked to a perfect medium texture.

A heaping portion of shoestring fries with skins still on provided a tasty accompaniment that was made even better when dipped into a spicy aioli.  An overall solid meal experience made me curious about other things on the menu that I'll have to explore next time (such as the fish and chips).

Service and Costs:
Staying true to its neighborhood vibe, the service at Dutch Kills Centraal also feels personal and friendly.  It didn't take long for the bartender to strike up a conversation in getting to know us and vice versa.  Enjoying the friendly banter, we'll look back on our experience fondly and would love to return for a tasty bite and a filling pint.

Costs are on the higher side for a casual bar, but definitely justified due to quality and an overall positive customer experience.  We paid a total of $25 for Dan's burger, a beer and a club soda.

3 Mmmms

Dutch Kills Centraal - 38-40 29th Street, Long Island City NY 11101
718.606.8651
N/Q Train to 39th Avenue
www.dutchkillscentraal.com

Welcome Crescent Grill

This past week, Meg and I had the pleasure of exploring a new LIC based bar and restaurant in the Dutch Kills area called Crescent Grill.  Even though the shin-dig they threw on Thursday eve was technically a re-launch, I've never been there before, so it was all new to me.

Atmosphere:
Since the evening was all about celebrating, the atmosphere was fun and lively, peppered with tons of folks from the neighborhood, who were happy and eager to welcome Crescent Grill.  On my walk over from the subway, I was surprised by how buzzing the neighborhood was, as I passed a holiday pop-up shop as seeing the new Dutch Kills Centraal bar.  It was a welcome change to the neighborhood, which just a mere 2-3 years ago felt sleepy and deserted.

Once we walked in, Meg and I were impressed by the open space, which was studded by a plethora of beautiful local art and photography.  In fact, the evening was also dedicated to a the opening of the Dougherty Gallery (connected to the restaurant), which pays homage to local LIC artists, some of whom were at the party.  My favorite piece was the one shown above of the NYC skyline from an LIC vantage point.

Aside from the beautiful artwork, we marveled at the industrial-looking light fixtures and the exposed wooden beams.  The overall vibe was industrial chic, but not in a pretentious way - it still accomplished to feel very warm and comfortable as well.

Food:
Although we mostly tasted a few standard appetizers, which were no doubt made just for the party, we took a peek at the menu, which looked delicious.  Exemplifying new American cuisine, you can expect some pretty snazzy dishes, including seafood.

While they'll officially start serving food on the 18th, we found out they'll be featuring a $29 3-course dinner prix-fixe as well as weekend brunch.  Milton Enriquez, who's the Chef here is also known for his success on the Food Network's Chopped program, so I'm quite excited about what he'll deliver in the coming weeks.

I'll circle back with more food details when they're ready, but in the meantime, I wanted to get you excited.

Crescent Grill - 38-40 Crescent Street, Long Island City NY 11101
718.729.4040
N/Q Train to 39th Avenue
www.crescentgrill.com