Category Archives: Community

Mash Files: Charm City Edition

[Flatbread Spring Salad from Slow Supper @ Cylburn Mansion.]

After a great weekend in Philly with my family I hopped into the car with Meg, our Event Producer, and my partner in Mash voyages, and headed for Baltimore. Hersh’s Pizza was our first stop on this rainy evening, but a tour of the kitchen and the 950 F Italian wood-fired pizza oven warmed us right up. After meeting Josh, Chef and Owner of Hersh’s and sampling some of his great pies, I was eager to start cooking the menu we collaborated on for our Local 2 Ways dinner. Charm City stood up to its name as the skies cleared on Tuesday, and the Baltimore Mash hit the ground running with the speed of a lookout boy from HBO’s The Wire. Max’s Tap House, just a block from the harbor, provided a perfect Mash HQ. We sat outside sipping cask ales before heading off to Birroteca to try another modern Italian take on the pizzeria. After living so many years in Italy, it is always nice to find good Italian food in a new city. (continued below)

Birrotecca may be known for its pizza, but the confit calamari and the house-cured meats were out of this world. I have never had calamari as tender in my life. The Duck Prosciutto was like stepping into a Peking duck house with subtle notes of star anise, so good I changed our Sunday Slow Supper menu to feature it as one of the courses. Another menu adaptation occurred when I tasted the passion fruit buddino. My mouth went wild with the most amazing puckering tartness, followed by a smooth tropical sweetness; I knew we had to incorporate it in our dinner.

Early the next morning I headed back to Birroteca to meet up with Executive Chef Cyrus Keefer, the mastermind behind these dishes, along with Aja Cage the buddino goddess/Pastry Chef. We tweaked the menu, adding some local ginger to the dessert (candied and as a cookie), and planned to meet at the market on Sunday morning to get vegetables for Slow Supper. Then it was off to Hersh’s to prep with his team for Local 2 Ways. I was excited to cook for a group of family members and 45 other guests all seated upstairs in the private dining room. Many beers where paired with an outstanding array of food, from pizza with to crab sformato paired with Sorachi Ace. For a glimpse at the whole menu check out BrooklynBreweryMash.com. As my mother praised her son to anyone who would listen, guests mingled and stayed long after their last sips of Brooklyn Black Ops.

After saying my goodbyes to the team at Hersh’s, we boogied over to Metro Gallery to catch the Soul Clap & Dance Off with my buddy Jonathan Toubin on the ones and twos. I can safely say that Baltimore hipsters could give our Williamsburgians a run for their money. Many a dancer was left in the dust, sipping Summer Ale as their consolation, as number 11 shimmied his way to the top securing himself a roundtrip ticket to New York to compete in the Soul Clap and Dance-off Finale. Follow me on vine to catch a glimpse of those dancing skills and some super duper outfits.

I knew Baltimore had some great restaurants but I was in for a treat at Chaos Cooking when I found out it was hosted by the executive chef of Moonshine Tavern. John and his lovely lady had a roof deck that overlooked the stadium with the harbor in the distance and a kitchen fully equipped to handle the chaos that ensued. Chefs and amateurs alike doled out delicious dishes and john made racks of lamb with parsnip puree and a rich demi-glace that left us all fighting over the last chops. We sipped Brooklyn and broke bread with new friends until late in the evening.

Saturday was the highlight of my trip as I headed over to the 15th Annual Kinetic Sculpture Race, one of the wildest events I have ever seen. Riders in crazy outfits took to the streets in giant whimsically constructed vehicles for a 13 mile race combining water, mud, hills and other obstacles. I watched these crazy creations hit the water then headed for The Wine Source for a cheese and beer pairing.

The Cylburn Mansion could have been a set from the Adams Family with the beautiful Nuit Blanche installation casting ghost like shadows on the walls. Instead it became our Slow Supper space. Tucked away in the Arboretum the Cylburn estate is a city landmark that inspired a meal rich in Baltimore history. Cyrus, Aja and I prepared a menu paying homage to the local bounty of Baltimore and the surrounding area. As the band played, and representatives from Slow Food Baltimore, the center for a livable future spoke, glasses clinked, and lights flickered in this old mansion a midst the background of beautiful Japanese maple trees, we almost forgot we were in a bustling city. Needless to say, it was a charming way to end our BmoreMASH.

SLIDELUCK LONDON V RECAP

[Text by Nichon Glerum]
[Photos by Nichon Glerum and Maria Teresa Salvati]

On a cold but sunny Saturday, Slideluck London celebrated its fifth show by throwing a smashing Slideluck event for the grand finale of FORMAT Festival, in Derby’s charming old Chocolate Factory.

Between 6 and 7pm the 200+ (international) guests arrived by car, train, and the special Slideluck London coach. All were welcomed with Format chocolates, Brooklyn Brewery beers and – as more guests arrived- an ever growing number of delicious potluck dishes on the buffet. All indulged themselves on velvety smooth carrot cupcakes, colorful salads, broccoli pies and much much more. Mothersmilk was also on the menu, although only for one very special little guest!! Zac, born only days before the event, is the beautiful newborn of featured artist Fjona Hill.

Then, the guests sat down to watch the slideshows as curated by Monica Allende, photo editor of The Sunday Times Magazine and founder of the pioneering photography section, Spectrum.

Brooklyn Beers kept everyone’s throats chilled, hot water bottles warmed peoples hands, and an overwhelming display of visuals and audio was overflowing the audience.

In the break people could play and have their picture taken in Kitty Walkers industrial cardboard city photobooth.

After part two Director Maria Teresa Salvati announced the winner of the Blurb award, selected by her and Louise Clements, artistic director of Quad and Format festival. Alfonso Almendros is the lucky Slideluck artist that will go home with a £350 Blurb Gift Card!

Then she announced the artists that would be featured in Spectrum, as selected by Monica Allende. Monica was originally going to pick one, but, overwhelmed by the outstanding works, decided to give 7 photographers the chance to shine at this amazing platform. They are: Fan Shisan, Alfonso Almendros, Rafael Arocha, Alexander Aksakov, Arantxa Cedillo, Jean-Marc Caimi & Valentina Piccinni and Bryan Schutmaat.

After the slideshows and a little break, it was time to taste the sound of The Developer: a unique multi-artist residency responding to the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site at John Smedley, especially created for FORMAT13.

As icing on the Slideluck-cake, a raffle was held, in which lucky winners took home prizes not only from sponsors such as Viewbook and Gup magazine, but also 7 beautiful prints kindly donated by participating artists.

All in all, the evening offered a relaxed vibe, with the guests mingling to discuss love, life, art and the universe. Slideluck London was a great succes, thanks to all that were part of it!

A massive thanks to the director Maria Teresa Salvati; the super-efficient and creative producer Nichon Glerum; Pedro Lopez Paz, who helped with all the technical aspects of this edition and was a super hero in organising the coach from London; and Kitty Walker who jumped in to support the whole team wherever needed and who designed built the wonderful cardboard industrial city used for the photo booth. Also, this night would not have been possible without the help of the amazing team of Format: Louise Clements, Federica Chiocchetti, Michael Sargeant, Sebah Chaudhry, Jill Carruthers and all their fantastic volunteers that helped us out. We thank our partners and sponsors Viewbook, GUP magazine, Blurb, Feature Shoot, Format Festival & Quad, Develop Photo, Lily Vanilli, Duckrabbit, and of course Brooklyn Brewery.

Mash Files: NOLA Edition

“NOLA: The Marvelous”
By Brooklyn Brewery House Chef Andrew Gerson

With the sounds of 90.7 WWOZ, the nation’s greatest station set on the dial, a perfect back drop to a week in New Orleans, I boogied my way around town soaking in the sun and NOLA’s laid back brassy balance of history, tradition and innovation in food, booze, music and festivities.

New Orleans on any given week is pretty spectacular, but combine Saint Patrick’s Day, Super Sunday with the Mardi Gras Indians, and the Brooklyn Brewery Mash tour and it’s like: listening to Rebirth at the Maple Leaf, eating crawfish etouffee, and shrimp and alligator cheesecake at Jacques-Imo’s, meeting Wendell Pierce, chatting with Poppy Tooker, sipping Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout, slurping Gulf Oysters, sipping NOLA Blonde Ale, more Smokey trumpets and saxes, crawfish Tempura and dancing, a ”Treme” episode on acid in funky-fast-forward. Mash NOLA was marvelous! And that was just a glimpse of day one… [read more below the slideshow]

The Avenue Pub, way down on St Charles St. front and center for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, was the quintessential Mash Headquarters. Patty and her gracious crew of knowledgeable beer aficionados and bourbon and whiskey connoisseurs hosted a week’s worth of happy-hours filled with cask kegs of EIPA, tastings of Elijah Craig and Cuvée Elijah, flowing bottles of Brooklyn Silver Anniversary Lager and cheese pairings from St. James Cheese (think Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout/Gorgonzola Dolce, or Aged Gouda/ Brooklyn Local 2). The upstairs bar at Avenue also provided a beautiful balcony to catch a moment’s rest, bare foot, listening to reggae, basking in the sun, Brooklyn Summer Ale in hand.

For me the beauty of New Orleans is the love and soul behind the music, food and libations. Maurepas restaurant overseen by Executive Chef Michael Doyle, and an old buddy of mine, Sous Chef Grant Waters is a great embodiment of what New Orleans is to me. Our Local, 2 Ways dinner was a true treat as I got to cook with a great friend, and a team of other talented chefs. Maurepas is known around the Bywater and the rest of the city for its cocktail list and deep-rooted New Orleans cuisine, mixing Creole, Cajun and Southern inspirations into unpretentious family style food with a sprinkle of ingenuity and freshness. Like our take on a crawfish boil, mixed with menu staples like the fried oyster cabbage salad. Diners fought over their family style bowl of duck egg and herb gnocchi in a lamb neck ragu, but were relieved to have individual heaping portions of chocolate duck egg ice cream with shortbread cookies paired with Black Chocolate Stout. This decadent spread set in the heart of the Bywater, NOLA’s hippest neighborhood felt like a summer evening in Brooklyn, with more colorful houses, and a splash of that NOLA funk that only crawfish essence and brass bands can muster.

Brass bands where abounding as second liners followed feather and bead clad Big Chiefs, Spy Boys, Wild Men queens and an array of other plumage, all clad in full regalia at A.L. Davis Park for the Mardi Gras Indian Council’s annual Super Sunday celebration. The spirits of the ancestors mixed with the drums and brass of the bands, along with the stomping of feet and the songs of the Big Chiefs.

Gary Granata, of Slow Food NOLA lead us through the crowds as music mixed with the smoke and aromas from the best of NOLA’s street food vendors, some of which I had seen at the First Annual NOLA Vendy Awards, where I was lucky enough to be a judge along with Poppy Tooker (my new best friend), Sarah Rohan, President of the board of the Southern Food Ways Alliance, and Juan Carlos Gonzales, Executive Chef of Sobou.

Helena Tubis, Executive Director of the Vendy Awards pulled it off again, as over 500 happy guests sampled the best street food NOLA had to offer, washing it down with an array of Brooklyn beers to the sounds of a twangy string band. As the votes came in, Foodie Call was the unanimous winner, but after nine tastes I am convinced NOLA street vendors can hang with the best of them. The crowd, Brooklyn cans clasped firmly in hand, sang along to the rendition of “When The Saints Come Marching In” belted over the PA system by Vance of Vaucresson Sausage Co.

Our Saturday really picked up when Tres Barnard, Chef of We’ve Got Soul treated us to Southern soul inspired dishes tucked away at a chefs table in the cozy back-room of Marie’s Bar. The best duck confit I have ever had was served with a cherry glaze over stone ground grits, and Grand Marnier roasted carrots alongside Brooklyn Local 2. Dessert was leg-quiveringly good, local strawberry and bacon cobbler with Black Chocolate Stout caramel sauce. After our feast we sat on the stoop sipping our last drops of Stout, relishing in the warm evening breeze, hanging with our table mates and the crew of We’ve Got Soul, before ending another perfect night in NOLA with a little brass.

Sunday, after my brief “Indian adventure break” from prepping for our Slow Supper Swamp Dinner, I headed to the site to set up for our final meal in what appeared to an abandoned roofless building. Tucked in the central business district, blocks from the French Quarter, this was a perfect match for our first swamp-inspired Dinner Lab-Brooklyn Brewery collaboration meal. The ambiance of this evening was magical as course after course was paired with a large array of Brooklyn Big Bottles, featuring a Wild One Ghost Bottle. The meal was swamptastic, the pairings Paco Robert and I selected where spot on, and the space glistened under string lighting as guests chatted on into the evening long after the band had packed up their instruments.

After the whirlwind of my week in NOLA I have to say my fondest memory was my very first Crawfish “Buurrrlll,” an impromptu Prequel to our Dinner Lab-Brooklyn Brewery Mashup in Paco’s backyard. Between ham hocks, potatoes, corn, crawfish and Cajun seasoning, Brooklyn Summer Ale, Sorachi Ace and EIPA, I didn’t mind the elbows of everyone else at the table rocking to the music and fending off their prized piles of delight. An evening I will never forget in a week I look forward to remembering. It might be cold and snow covered back in Brooklyn, but at least I can stream 90.7 WNOZ FM for a little taste of that NOLA warmth.

The Brooklyn Brewery Mash Comes to New Orleans, March 13-16

Brooklyn Brewery is taking its neighborhood on the road. Collaborating with friends old and new, the Brewery has bundled up some of its favorite events into The Brooklyn Brewery Mash as a benefit for Slow Food USA, rolling out in the Big Easy March 13-16. Check back for a New Orleans Mash recap from Brooklyn Brewery House Chef Andrew Gerson (@BKLYNhouseChef).

1st Annual New Orleans Vendy Awards
Wed, Mar 13, 7-10pm; The Historic French Market; 1008 N. Peters St., New Orleans, LA | After eight years in New York and events in LA and Philadelphia, the Vendy Awards – an intense cook-off between the best sidewalk chefs in the city – is coming to New Orleans to determine the best street food vendor in town while raising money for the New Orleans Food Truck Coalition (NOFTC) & Slow Food NOLA.

NY Night Train Soul Clap & Dance-Off with DJ Mr. Jonathan Toubin
Thu, Mar 14, 9pm; Siberia; 2227 St. Claude, New Orleans, LA – $7 | America’s most popular soul party returns to New Orleans. Get down to the exquisite 1960s soul 45s of world famous Brooklyn DJ Jonathan Toubin all night long. Join the 1am dance contest for $100 cash prize and a trip to New York for the Dance-Off championship at Brooklyn Bowl. The evening kicks off with a live performance by New Orleans’ legendary King Louie One Man Band.

Found Footage Festival
Thu, Mar 14 & Fri, Mar 15, 10pm; La Nuit Comedy Theater; 5039 Freret St, New Orleans, LA – $11 | A hilarious comedy event that showcases footage from videos that were found at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters across the country.

Farmers Market Workshop
Sat, Mar 16, 10am–12pm; Crescent City Farmers Market, 700 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA – Free | The Brooklyn Brewery House Chef will be cooking up some of his favorite finds from the market. Stop by for cooking and beer pairing tips.

Local, 2 Ways
Thu, Mar 14, time TBD; Maurepas Foods; 320 Burgundy St, Bywater, New Orleans, LA – $70 | Multi-course beer dinner celebrating regional cuisine interpreted 2 ways: by Chef Michael Doyle and Chief Intoxicologist, Brad Smith, of Maurepas Foods, the Brooklyn Brewery House Chef, Andrew Gerson.

Togather Books & Beer
Sat, Mar 16, 1pm; Perestroika at Pravda ; 1113 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA – $25 | With our friends from Togather, our favorite Crescent City culinary cheerleader Poppy Tooker sits down for a conversation with our pals from Brooklyn-based Liddabit Sweets. Join their conversation about sleepless nights starting a business, inspiration and tricks in the kitchen. Ticket price includes a Brooklyn beer, Liddabit samples and The Liddabit Sweets Candy Cookbook.

Slow Supper: “Swamp to Table”
Sun, Mar 17, 5pm – $80 | Hosted by DinnerLab and benefitting Slow Food NOLA, guests will feast on swamp creatures including crawfish, alligator, nutria and more. Chef Paco Roberts matches the spontaneity of an underground supperclub to Chef Andrew’s Brooklyn perspective. Projection installations from Brooklyn’s NBNY, ornamentation by New Orleans artist Rebecca Rebouche and music from Luke Winslow King with Esther Rose. Location is secret.

Chaos Cooking
Wed, Mar 6, 7pm – Free | A stalwart citizen opens his kitchen for a 150 person cooking party where everyone is a cook. There will be 7 cooking stations including 2 food trucks, a chandelier wok, indoor kitchen and plenty of grills. Each attendee brings the ingredients and everyone cooks together. Dishes are passed around, and there’s plenty of Brooklyn beer to enjoy. For location details, go to ChaosCooking.com.

Vintage Photo of the Week: Who’s Your Valentine?

From Brooklyn Historical Society:

In case you forgot, Valentine’s Day is once again upon us. This week’s photograph is just your pleasant reminder to run out for the last box of chocolates or diamond delicacy because tomorrow might be as hectic as Tax Day, Black Friday, or Christmas Eve. It’s also a reminder of this institution’s love for the photographs of Harry Kalmus, photographer of Jewish Flatbush in the 1950s. Here is a pair of aurally skilled twins, Ann and Stan Moel, in what looks like the moments before or after Ann’s marriage ceremony. For those of you seeing Kalmus’s photographs for the first time, do check out the finding aid for his collection and the blog posts with more samples of his great photographs. And, Happy Valentine’s Day!

SLIDELUCK AUSTIN V RECAP

[Text by Ben Sklar, Slideluck Austin Director]
[Photos by and Drew Anthony Smith and Lindsay Hutchens]

The cozy garden space at the CTC International non profit welcomed Slideluck back for another fantastic show in a spectacular outdoor setting by hosting Austin Slideluck V. Rainy weather that worried attendees held off for a perfect evening of laughs and art in the outdoor venue. Plenty of photographers were ready to kick off their shoes and see the show as they were wrapping up the 3 day Texas Photo Roundup conference. Over 250 people made their way to the garden to share amazing dishes and see Slideluck’s fifth Austin showing. The crowd was full of smiling faces and happy potluckers ready to mingle in the laid back vibe. Everyone ate home made dishes as unique as chocolate cameras and devoured pizza from Homeslice while happily indulging in almost 400 cans of Brooklyn Lager.

We were fortunate enough to have Molly Roberts, a native Texan and photo editor of Smithsonian Magazine, curate all the wonderful submitted work. The show highlighted many local artists demonstrating a broad range of talent from abstract iphone photography to portraits of musicians to one favorite pet dog. The first half got the audience to ‘turn up’ while the second half could best be described as ‘Crunk’.

A few lucky guests were awarded with raffle prizes for bringing outstanding dishes that were favorites of the volunteer staff. After the show was complete, raffle prizes given away and plenty of Brooklyn Lager had been drank. The night ended with the smashing of a piñata and the quick gathering of delicious candy.

Austin’s spirited community pulsed all night, Slideluck Potshow Austin V brought out the love for the arts in the city and the creative people who make it home.

Announcing The Brooklyn Brewery Mash: Adventures in Food, Film, Music, Books & Beer

Brooklyn Brewery is taking its neighborhood on the road. Collaborating with friends old and new, the Brewery has bundled up some of its favorite events into The Brooklyn Brewery Mash as a benefit for Slow Food USA. Kicking off at SxSW Interactive in Austin, The Mash will drop in 11 cities during 2013 and roll out a roster of parties, comedy, concerts, pop-up supperclubs and readings, all featuring humanity’s favorite beverage.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have the support of the Brooklyn Brewery as it launches its Mash tour,” says Richard McCarthy, Executive Director of Slow Food USA. “Brooklyn Brewmaster Garrett Oliver has been a Slow Food supporter for a long time and we’re looking forward to the celebrations in the various local communities.”

NYC food and art organizations have been closely linked to Brooklyn Brewery from the beginning. Be it a beer dinner, cook-off, concert or film festival, the ethos of these happenings has consistently mirrored the consideration and creativity behind the making of The Brewery’s beer. Paired with the flavor and flair of Brooklyn, classic nightlife like eating out and going to a movie are reinvented into a more intimate and interactive experience.

Helping color in The Mash, NBNY, the organizers of Brooklyn’s Bring to Light festival, will create their immersive installations of light and projection art throughout the tour. Continuing a tradition of giving back, Brooklyn Brewery cooked up The Mash as a benefit to Slow Food USA and local Slow Food chapters in each city it visits.

“The Mash is an expression of Brooklyn art, music, food and the cultural links we see with many cities around the world,” says Brooklyn Brewery President & Co-founder Steve Hindy. “There is a revolution happening in the world of food and the world of beer, and we are happy to celebrate this revolution with our friends around the US.”

THE TOUR

Every installment of The Mash is custom tailored to the cities it visits.
Go to BrooklynBreweryMash.com for info.

AUSTIN, TX: March 4 – 10
NEW ORLEANS, LA: March 13 – 16*
NASHVILLE, TN: April 11 – 14
BOSTON, MA: April 25 – 28
BALTIMORE, MD: May 2 – 5
TWIN CITIES, MN: June 20 – 23
WASHINGTON, D.C.: September 19 – 22
CHICAGO, IL: October 3 – 6*
PITTSBURGH, PA: October 24 – 27
PHILADELPHIA, PA: November 7 – 10*
MIAMI, FL: December 12 – 15

* with Vendy Awards

AUSTIN EVENTS: MARCH 4 – 10

Chaos Cooking
Wed, Mar 6, 7pm | A stalwart citizen opens their home kitchen to strangers for a dinner party where all guests are cooks. Each attendee brings the ingredients and everyone cooks together. Dishes are passed around, and there’s plenty of Brooklyn beer to enjoy. Location is secret – go to ChaosCooking.com for details.

Local 2 Ways
Thu, Mar 7, 7pm; Swift’s Attic, 315 Congress Ave, Austin, TX | Multi-course dinner celebrating regional cuisine interpreted 2 ways: by the Brooklyn Brewery House Chef & Chef Mat Clouser of Swift’s Attic.

Slow Supper, Beer & Books: An Evening with Marcus Samuelsson & Jesse Griffiths
Fri, Mar 8, 6pm; Springdale Farm, 755 Springdale Rd, Austin, TX – $100 | Food Republic, Togather & Brooklyn Brewery present Beer & Books: Marcus Samuelsson and Austin’s own Jesse Griffiths in a conversation about technology’s effect on the food world. Following is Slow Supper, an outdoor dinner party benefitting Slow Food Austin co-created by Samuelsson & Griffiths with a helping hand from Brooklyn Brewery’s House Chef. Stay for the free Soul Clap & Dance-Off immediately following at 9pm.

NY Night Train Soul Clap & Dance-Off with DJ Mr. Jonathan Toubin
Fri, Mar 8, 9pm; Springdale Farm, 755 Springdale Rd, Austin, TX – Free | America’s most popular soul party returns to Austin. Get down to the exquisite 1960s soul 45s of world famous Brooklyn DJ Jonathan Toubin all night long. Join the 11pm dance contest for $100 cash prize and a trip to New York for the Dance-Off championship at Brooklyn Bowl.

Farmers Market Workshop
Sat, Mar 9, 10am–12pm; Cedar Park Farmers Mkt, 11200 Lakeline Mall Drive, Cedar Park, TX
Sun, Mar 10, 10am–12pm; Mueller Farmers Mkt, Browning Hangar, 4550 Mueller Blvd, Austin, TX

The Brooklyn Brewery House Chef will be cooking up some of his favorite finds from the market. And drinking beer. Stop by for a sip and a cooking tip.

The Austin Smoke Experiment
Sun, Mar 10, 1–4pm; Clive Bar, 609 Davis St, Austin, TX – $15 | Austin’s top home chefs create their best smoke-themed dish ranging from savory to sweet. Some wear costumes, some pimp out their table, but all come to win over the audience and our esteemed culinary judging panel. The Food Experiments return to SxSW for the third year in a row.

The SxSW Marketing Party
Sun, Mar 10, 7:30pm; Clive Bar, 609 Davis St, Austin, TX – Free | Brooklyn Brewery, Found Footage & Imgur are throwing a party featuring music by Brooklyn bands Prince Rama, The Dig and Sinkane, odd, rare and outrageous VHS clips from Found Footage Festival, projection art by Nuit Blanche and beer from Brooklyn Brewery.

Check back for a Mash Austin recap from Brooklyn Brewery House Chef Andrew Gerson (@BKLYNhouseChef).

SLIDELUCK VANCOUVER RECAP

What a night! Vancouverites came together like never before at the inaugural SLIDELUCK Vancouver to recognize local artists, enjoy new food and celebrate the arts community.

Hosted in the atrium of the historic re-developed Woodwards building, over 150 people joined together to dine on delicious dishes contributed by Save On Meats, Not So Fast Food, Brioche Urban Baking & Catering, Le Tigre Cuisine, Ze Bite and Earnest Ice Cream.

The phrase “I can’t believe it’s finally happening!” was over-heard more than once coming from tables of citizens as diverse as Canada itself. Each person with a cup full of wine or beer from our friends at Brooklyn Brewery.

As the night went on and strangers became friends, the whole crowd buzzed with a sense of joy, appreciation and goodwill. Content with the knowledge by coming out to SLIDELUCK Vancouver, they weren’t just supporting the artists but also the Vancouver community by donating one Save On Meats meal token to our local community partners for each ticket purchased.

As light from the last slideshow faded, music from the live band Warless grew louder, one thing became clear. SLIDELUCK Vancouver is only getting started, and here to stay!

Vintage Photo of the Week: Where Is Our Snow?

From Brooklyn Historical Society:

“While I am not hoping for a blizzard to hit Brooklyn, I am crossing my fingers for a little more snow than the dusting we received in the past week or so. This photograph was taken in 1888 by an unidentified member of the Brooklyn Academy of Photography soon after the Great Blizzard of 1888. The storm took place on March 12 and 13, affected a large part of the East Coast, and took about two weeks to dig out. It is appropriate that this photographer would find him or herself on Henry Street since the club was headquartered on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. As you may know, both Henry Street and Love Lane still exist; Love Lane being quaint as ever with some of the same structures standing as can be glimpsed above. While no longer located on Montague Street, the Brooklyn Academy of Photography also still exists, but is now known as the Brooklyn Camera Club. To learn more about the album this photograph came from check out thefinding aid.

Finally, let me end by reiterating: Brooklyn deserves some sledding in Prospect Park, cross-country skiing on Flatbush Avenue, a day or two of school and meeting cancellations, and the sweetest cup of hot cocoa only experienced after a glorious flop in a feathery pile of snow.”

SLIDELUCK SAVANNAH RECAP

[Text by Francis Allen]

[Photos by Cedric Smith]

The line was out the door, down the street and around the corner to get into Savannah’s first SLIDELUCK last Thursday night.

Due to fire capacity, we had to turn folks away but their sadness was averted because they now had an entire casserole to themselves and ice-cold Brooklyn Brewery frosties to wash it down with in the downstairs lounge. Upstairs, in the ballroom of American Legion Post 135, the crowd was wall-to-wall, even more so after the potluck and the B vitamins were flowing thanks to Brooklyn Brewery!

By the end of the evening, despite the firehose of culture that is SLIDELUCK, we were hearing more “youse’s” than “y’all’s” and Troy Wandzel had traded in his crazy sideways cap du jour for a crazy sideways Nets cap. City Hotel served up some old-timey string music and close to 400 Savannahians acknowledged that their lives now consisted of the pre-SLIDELUCK years and everything that happened thereafter. Brooklyn Brewery’s IPA and Pilsner were the clear winners on the night, with the Chocolate Stout coming in a still respectable third—considering it was 70 degrees outside in January and Savannahians’ blood is already thick as cane syrup.

Thank you, Brooklyn Brewery and SLIDELUCK for an evening people will be mumbling about till the next time around!