Today marks the beginning of Wine and Dine, Grand Street’s semi-annual restaurant and bar event! From February 21st to March 6th, you’ll have the opportunity to try 18 of Grand Street’s restaurants and bars at lower than ever prices. 11 of the best eats in Williamsburg are offering 3-course prix fixe dinners at discounted rates from $23 to $35 in North Brooklyn’s annual celebration of local cuisine, while 6 bars are also offering drink specials! With all these offerings on 6 blocks, it might be difficult to make a decision. This guide is here to give you all the answers to why you should visit each participating business on Grand Street, and what you can order for the best experience. Each of the following restaurants and bars has special Wine and Dine menus, so just ask if you don’t see one.
As always, take a picture of your wine and dine experience and post with #DineonGrand for a chance to win $50 to a Grand Street BID business of your choice.
Follow @grandstreetbid for the most up-to-date information on the event.
WINE
For the perfect evening on Grand, try either a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap at one of our participating bars. Our suggestions will help you decide the ideal course for your Grand Street nightlife experience.
For classic drinks and cheap beer be sure to stop by Blinky’s for their extended happy hour lasting till 9PM. With $10 house cocktails, $9 house wine, $7 draft beers and a $5 beer and shot, this deal is hard to beat. Crystal Lake Brooklyn also has a variety of options with $8 house sangria, $6 tap beers, and a $6 whiskey shot.
Passion Daiquiri, from Blinky’s
Grand Street’s newest bar, The Last Call will be sure to catch your eye. The Tokyo-inspired bar specializes in sake and draft beer, while also serving up yakitori. They’re offering two for one glasses of sake and draft beer until 9PM. For a summer vibe (it’s been feeling like summer this whole month hasn’t it?), the home of the pickleback shot, Bushwick Country Club is serving out $7 frozen boozy slushies just down the street.
Fancy a snack at the bar? Philomena’s is serving a deal of any two of their signature cocktails and throwing in pita and dip, all for $25. The Starlight Tavern is offering a similar special, offering two house cocktails and chips and guac for $21. We also recommend checking out Starlight’s skee-ball machine while you’re there, for a retro arcade experience.
If skee-ball doesn’t satiate that craving for fun, Haven is the place to go for drinks and billiards before you head off to dinner. This lounge is offering 2 beer and shot combos along with an hour of pool for just $25. Just make sure your hour of pool starts before 6pm.
Philomena’s bar seating
DINE
Grand Street Classics
GRAND MORELOS—$30
A Grand Street staple, Grand Morelos has been with the neighborhood day and night for decades. The late-night diner & bakery has seen us all at our finest and not-so-fine hours. The Grand Morelos bakery is also one of the better-kept secrets of our food scene, so take advantage. Guacamole is our go-to appetizer, but we also recommend the nachos if you’re extra hungry. Mixed Chicken and Steak Fajitas for your entree will fill you if the app didn’t, but try to save room for the strawberry cheesecake. Impossible chocoflan and tres leches cakes are your other options for dessert. Once you’ve fallen in love with Grand Morelos stop back in for affordable cookies & doughnuts from the bakery and amazing iced coffee (not just by diner standards) any time you want - literally.
Miso Ramen, from Ryujin
RYUJIN—$25
This Grand Street staple has been serving Japanese comfort food to the neighborhood for over 12 years. Something about the ramen from Ryujin leaves us stuffed after every bowl. Now add an appetizer and dessert to the mix to really make the most of a 3 course dinner. Keep it light with your app so go with the pork bun or the edamame. You can choose from 6 different options of ramen bowl, but our favorite is the samurai miso bowl. Finally, the meal is paired with either beer, or mochi ice cream. The jury is out here so we’ll leave that choice to you.
Vegan Burger from The Clonard
THE CLONARD—$25
Known for their lager and bar food staples, The Clonard has been open for just over a year but is already Grand Street Classic. They’re offering bar staples Mozzarella Sticks and Jalapeño Poppers to get the appetite going. Then you can enjoy an 8oz burger, with the option of going for a Beyond Burger if you’re looking for a vegan option. Enjoy a Clonard Lager, or a glass of Pinot Grigio if you’re feeling classy, with your meal for the full bar eatery experience.
DAR525—$23
A Grand Street classic, Dar525 just celebrated its 12th year on Grand Street this month. Serving up Middle Eastern classics, Dar525 is offering Wine and Dine’s best value deal with the lowest price point of $23. They’re also offering a fourth course, adding extreme value to this deal. You can start with hummus or babaganouj, but they’re offering other apps as well. Next you can choose from kibbeh or a cheese and parsley roll. For the main course you’ve got a variety of protein choices including the vegan falafel and the not-so vegan chicken shawarma. Top your dinner off with baklava or basbous for a fantastic four-course meal at amazing value.
Critically Acclaimed on Grand
AMMAZZACAFFÈ—$35
All pasta at Ammazzacaffè is made in-house
Winner of a coveted Bib Gourmand title from Micheline Guide, Ammazzacaffè has already built its reputation for affordable fine dining at its best. Be sure to try the Tartare crostino with sea trout, Lettuga salad with Botarga, and sunchokes as an appetizers. For your entree, try the Reginette—pasta with pork shoulder ragu — it’s a perfect dish, especially during these last few cold days of winter. Finish the night with their daily dessert offering for the perfect date or special night out on Grand Street.
BK JANI—$35
The Jani, from BK Jani
There are a lot of burger joints in Williamsburg, but only BK Jani’s burgers come with mint chutney as a sauce option. Featured on Infatuation’s The Best 20 Burgers in NYC, you can’t go wrong with a burger here. They’re offering Two Lamb Chops to start, then any burger of your choosing. We recommend The Jani Burger; ½ pound of custom blend ground beef, cooked medium rare, mint chutney at the bottom, grilled tomato and a touch of raita. Included in their special is a soda or one of their house drinks.
BAHIA—$25
Bahia has been on Grand Street for over 20 years, serving up pupusas and other delicious Salvadorian dishes. After decades on Grand, they’ve been recognized as one of The Best Restaurants in Williamsburg by Infatuation NYC. We recommend you start with their famous pupusas; you can choose from a wide variety of options but some favorites include the revueltas pupusa stuffed with pork, refried beans, and cheese, or jalapeño pupusas .For the main entrée enjoy their delicious Carne Asada, Pollo al Limon, or Tilapia al Sarten. A glass of either sangria or wine is included in your meal, alongside a delicious slice of amaretto cheese cake to finish.
Filling Favorites!
TACO EDITION—$25
Elote to start, at Taco Edition
It all starts with the birria consume, NYC’s latest birria taco craze is a must try at Taco Edition. The prix fixe menu starts with a choice of chicken tortilla soup, birria consume, or elote. We, of course, recommend any of these delicious options. With two hearty options to choose from for dinner, our favorite is the enchiladas. Don’t miss out on this tasty dish that comes with chicken or as a vegetarian dish. Churros are for dessert, served with a chocolate sauce it’s the cherry on top of a perfect meal.
MAD FOR CHICKEN—$25
The chicken at MFC is an obvious choice, shipped in daily from a farm in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, and coated with a unique sauce of soy, garlic, and various fruits but Wine and Dine is a great chance to explore other options. Choose your drink, start with a salad, and try the kimchi fried rice or bulgogi over rice.
Curry from Thip Osha
THIP OSHA—$25
This Thai spot nearby the Grand Street L station always feels cozy. With a diverse prix fixe menu, Thip Osha has altogether 50 combinations to choose from. There is surely something that will please everyone from curry to noodles to fried rice. Out of all of those choices, our favorites are the crispy chicken wings with red chili sauce to start, green curry with chicken, and banana sticky rice for dessert. Stop by this tiny spot for big flavors.
CARNEVAL—$25
Carneval is inspired by the owners’s own cultures and carnivals from countries they’ve visited around the world. This comes in the form of a wide variety of different cuisines all fused into one. Start with Rainbow Sushi, then follow it up with Dominican style fried rice dish Chofan. Finish your meal with either a Poached Pear that sits in red wine and comes with almonds and ice cream, or Lava Cake.
