(3 out of 5 hot dogs)

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Sixth Ward
191 Orchard (Houston and Stanton)
Time: Saturday and Sunday, 11-4
Price: 14.95 entrée and unlimited mimosas

Spring is here!  And with it come flip-flops, a freakshow aka the Easter Parade (nothing like the Judy Garland movie/ rather tourists taking pictures of homeless people dressed up as bunnies), and drunches!   So on the first nice weekend of the year, I headed down to the Sixth Ward for a boozie brunch to enjoy the weather in their outdoor garden.  In Manhattan, anything outdoor constitutes a garden, but this was definitely more alley than garden, with only a slightly less chance of being assaulted.  I ordered an omelet with mushrooms and cheese that came with a meager portion of home fries.  The mimosas were nothing to write home about, but since this is my blog, I’ll write all about it!  I had an exclusive interview with the house mixologist, and was able to get the (previously unreleased) recipe, which I will share with you!

6^th Ward Secret Mimosa Recipe*
1 gallon orange juice
1 bottle cheap champagne
1.5-2 gallons dishwater

*Mix at least 2 days in advance, and let it sit out so champagne has sufficient time to flatten.

And with that, my quest for the best NYC drunch plows onward.  So, this weekend, when you are drinking as many watered-down mimosas as possible before your server cuts you off, look up at the sun, and know that I am looking up at that same sun, drinking the same mimosa, and thinking of you

(3 out of 5 hot dogs)

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Iggy’s Keltic Lounge
132 Ludlow (Rivington and Stanton)
Time: Everyday
Price: Sweet drink specials

One of ITJS’s New Year’s resolutions was to get some Lower East Side action up on the ol’ blog in 2010, so here’s another one for the books.  I popped into Iggy’s for a night cap, because of an alluring chalkboard outside with Midwest-low prices scribbled upon it.  The bar definitely put the ‘deep end’ in dive, and had some really great drink specials. After a car-bomb or three, I subtlety tried to ask the bartender about the different nightly drink specials (didn’t want to blow my cover as the celebrity blogger that I am, and tarnish the objectivity of this post) and he took the time to write them all down on post-it notes for me, which was nice.  And THEN he gave us shots of Jameson on the house (could he…have recognized me?)  I transcribe the post-its below:

Happy Hour
Monday- Friday 2-9 (8 on Friday)
$2 PBR, $3 Draft, $4 well drinks, $5 PBR and shot
Saturday and Sunday 2-8
$2 PBR, $4 Draft and Well, $7 Jumbo Bloody

Daily Drink Specials
Monday- $10 for 2 car-bombs, $2 PBR, $5 PBR and shot
Tuesday- $3 Sauza/ Cuervo shot, $7 Corona and shot
Wednesday- $3 Jack
Thursday-Saturday- $3 PBR, $3 Shot special, $4 Draft
Sunday- $2 PBR, $3 Coors, $4 Draft special

(5 out of 5 hot dogs)

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Tre
173 Ludlow (Houston and Stanton)
Time: Monday 5-11
Price: Unlimited spaghetti and meatballs and sangria, $19

Spaghetti and sangria: two things that don’t really go together, like a Mac and Cheese burger.  But that doesn’t stop it from being awesome!  Right off the bat at this hip LES restaurant, they bring you a large glass of crisp, sweet sangria.  And then out comes a hearty bowl of spaghetti and meatballs that would even make The Situation miss his mama.  The pasta fills you up quickly; I was able to get down a bowl and a half before raising the white flag.  I have no idea how many glasses of sangria were served to me, as the waiter came by and filled us up every time our glasses were half-full.  We wined and dined for over two hours before the waiter cut us off, and believe me, that was plenty.  This made me wonder, what other amazing things have yet to be combined?  Guacamole and cheesecake?  Tequila shots and lobster bisque?  The world may never know…Tre also offers a Sunday-Thursday 3-course prix fixe and a bottomless mimosa brunch, blog for $19, so a ReBlog or two could definitely be in order.

(4 out of 5 hot dogs)

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Bruscheterria
92 Rivington (Ludlow and Orchard)
Time: Monday to Friday, 11:30-4:00
Price: $12:50 for antipasto, entrée and glass and wine

After a $25 Asian Body Rub, I was feeling invigorated and decided to scope out lunch specials on the LES.   I saw several potentials, but Bruscheterria was the first one that included alcohol, and it being Thursday, I decided to roll with it.  Bruschetteria was an adorable little café, almost empty except for 2 girls on their laptops drinking coffee (free WiFi perhaps?).   I started with the artichoke and Italian cheese bruschetta (pronounced with a rolled ‘r’ and a hard ‘c’ a la Giada De Laurentiis).  It was like the classic artichoke dip your one friend brings to every dinner party, except more refined.  For my entrée, I had the spinach, roast beet, and goat cheese salad with pumpkin seeds and vinaigrette, which was fresh and flavorful.  Apparently they also have a happy hour deal, a carafe of wine and bruschetta for $12, so I’ll have to check that out for a ReBlog!

(5 out of 5 hot dogs)

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Doghouse Saloon
152 Orchard (Rivington and Stanton)
Time: All the time
Price: Seriously awesome drink specials, free hotdogs

Beer chugging contests, skanky hoes, projectile vomiting.  Oh, the memories….  People say you can’t go back to college.  But they’d be WRONG.  You totally can!  Just stop by the Doghouse Saloon for crazy drink specials any night of the week.  I went with some friends on a blistery Tuesday evening, to find an empty bar just begging for debauchery.  The specials were this:  $1 PBR, $3 Stoli drinks and $5 Jager bombs.  Because of an unfortunate gin and red bull experience, I had to abstain from the Jager bombs, but in the spirit of bombing things, I asked the bartender how much for an Irish Car Bomb, and he said “I don’t know…$6?”  Whaaat??  You can’t even get just the Guinness for $6.  And this is only the beginning of the awesomeness of this bar.  You can buy pitchers and play a friendly game of beer pong or flip cup at the table out in front.  There is a pool table and skeeball upstairs.  There are baskets of potato chips and pretzels everywhere. AND they give away free hotdogs.  The part of my brain that tells me to never eat hotdogs had a battle with the part of my brain that tells me never to turn down free food, and lost big time.  I woke up at 8 am the next day reeking of Nattie ice, with the taste of processed meat and Baily’s curdling in my mouth, and dragged myself to work.  Did I have any regrets?  Maybe.  Would I make the same mistake again?  Absolutely! Isn’t that what College being an adult in NYC is all about?