Ask any New Yorker and they will tell you their favorite time of year in the city is summer. When they start listing the reasons why, rooftops are always the top reason. There are festivals and food block parties weekly and just being able to enjoy your company in a fun and lively environment is what makes everyone happy. In winter, although you are confined indoors because of the ice cold, unpleasant weather there are still cool things to do.
My new favorite place to hang out now is the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg. Personally, I'm not a fan of bowing. I get bored with it very quickly and unless I'm hitting strikes the whole time it's just not my cup of tea.
Brooklyn Bowl offers brunch on the weekends, happy hour during the week, and live show performances. Their full bar filled with local brooklyn beers on tap and the versatile food menu by Blue Ribbon is all I need to keep going back. Even the delicious menu for little ones makes me wish I was 12 again.
The Brooklyn Bowl offers many vegetarian and gluten free options, as well as a fried chicken dinner from Blue Ribbon. Keep reading to see my favorites.
BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER
LIGHTLY BATTERED AND FRIED WITH BLUE CHEESE DRESSING & BUFFALO SAUCE
I actually had to ask myself, "wait are these boneless wings or cauliflower?" They are breaded and you have the option of eating them plain or with buffalo sauce.
FRIED ARTICHOKE HEARTS
WITH RANCH DRESSING
Frying artichokes really takes this vegan lifestyle to a new level. The ranch dressing is made with a combination of lemon, garlic, dill, apple cider vinegar, and a secret seasoning mix. It sure does not taste like your typical ranch dressing.
EGG SHOOTERS
WITH PICKLED PEPPERS & OLIVE OIL MAYO , ADD FRIED OYSTERS*
At an extra cost you can add fried oysters to your deviled egg shooters and I definitely advise that you do.
FRIED COCONUT SHRIMP
WITH SRIRACHA MAYO
This dish was by far my favorite. The breading on the shrimp was not overwhelming and was cooked perfectly crisp. Your first bite, without sauce, is very crunchy with a slight hint of coconut. Second, dip the shrimp generously in the Sriracha Mayo and it's a warm, delicate, flavorsome bite.
AHI TUNA POKE BOWL
SUSHI GRADE RAW TUNA WITH SPICY MAYONNAISE, BROWN RICE, AVOCADO, WATERMELON RADISH, QUICK PICKLES, SCALLIONS, NORI & TOASTED SESAME SEEDS
I love a good tuna poke bowl. Normally you would just eat it over a bed of rice. However, this dish by Brooklyn Bowl is served in a tostada-like bowl for you to eat with chips, or do it like me and just go in with a fork.
MEAT[LESS] BALL HERO
MOZZARELLA, PARMESAN, TOMATO SAUCE, BASIL ON CIABATTA SERVED WITH MIXED GREENS
Have you ever had a "meatless" dish and were disappointed with the fact that it was just a vegetable? These impossible burgers taste EXACTLY like real meat! They are seasoned with a Mediterannean mix from what I can tell. The Impossible Meat gives you all the flavors of real meat, but it's actually just plants doing all the work. Wheat proteins and potato proteins give the "meat" a chewy texture, beets for the color, and several seasoning mixes to give you the aromas of real meat. I highly, highly recommend these sliders.
FRIED CHICKEN DINNERS
WITH WHITE TOAST, MASHED POTATOES, COLLARDS WITH BACON & HONEY
Need I say more? FRIED CHICKEN. Anyone that knows me, knows chicken wings are my weakness. Especially a deep fried crispy chicken wing. This was my first time having Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken and I must say, I was very pleased. My only con would be that the seasoning was very light. However, they were lightly dusted with cayenne pepper which adds the kick that you should be looking for when eating fried chicken. This entree comes with smooth mashed potatoes and a generous amount of collard greens with bacon and honey.
Do I Recommend?
Just the food alone will drive anyone to Brooklyn Bowl. It's located on Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, right across from the Williamsburg Hotel. There is a full bar and lounge area for you to watch bowlers and drink, or enjoy a show and EAT. The venue has 16 bowling lanes fit for 8 people per lane. I recommend Brooklyn Bowl for Friday night activities or day party fun or even a nice birthday outing. It's a great alternative to going to the club...in my opinion and its kid friendly so bring the whole family!
