How have you been spending these past days of summer? Are your days lazy, full of slow movements and plenty of lemonade? Or are you more of a Carpe-the-summer-Diem type of person - making sure each summer second is lived to its fullest? I lean toward the latter, but both are important and I think I need more lazy days in my life. And honestly, today I’m tired so I think I’ll take a nap.

And did you watch the World Cup? Are you happy for France? Sad for Croatia? Both? Don’t Care? Either way I encourage you to taste the wine from both countries.

Below is my offering for this week. The places I spent my time, the food I ate and my recommendations for you. As usual there is a lot of Brooklyn, with Red Hook and Bushwick in particular making special appearances this week .

Please let me know if you go or have tried these places - I’d love to hear what you thought!

Food

Ops Pizza: Bushwick is no stranger to yummy Pizza. Roberta’s has, for years, taken much of the limelight and drawn in foodies from all of New York City’s Burroughs. Ops Pizza has all of the taste and unique flavor combinations of Roberta’s with a paired down menu and slightly less arrogance. I love Roberta’s, but as it happens Ops is just as wonderful with less of a wait in a friendlier atmosphere.

Morgan’s BBQ: To me, BBQ is BBQ unless it is extremely bad. Morgan’s serves up good BBQ to someone who lacks discernment in this area. But what I love most about this place is the portion of their menu dedicated solely to a variety of different types of Mac and Cheese. From traditional Mac to Jerk flavored Mac and many options in between, this smorgasbord of cheesy noodles makes a visit worth while. They also have an array of whiskeys and beers, but very little wine options. During the summer the outdoor patio is open, which despite being on Flatbush Avenue, is incredibly pleasant.

Lobster Pound: I’m going to be honest with you. I went to the Lobster Pound not for the lobster, but because I was waiting for a Christie's event to start and I didn’t want to show up early. And, as it happens, on a Monday the Lobster Pound have an all night Happy Hour. So I drank my $6 glass of rose at the bar to kill some time, avoiding the lobster rolls all together. BUT at the Christies event there just happened to be a lobster pound food truck where, in small portions, I ate the equivalent of more than one lobster roll. I tend to shy away from Lobster rolls due to their expense, often costing at least $20 (at the low end), but hot damn, are they good. So, if you’re looking to splurge on some crustacean sea creatures in a buttered potato bun, I’d recommend the Lobster Pound and I’d recommend going on Mondays, when you can drink rose for $6 a glass all night long.

Drink

Boobie Trap: This Bushwick dive bar has become instagram famous thanks to the naked Barbie dolls and image of boobs which line its walls, not to mention their crude wall behavior (with “Fuck Off” displayed in large neon lights) and their willingness to give a free bottle of booze to any hipster willing to cut off their man bun (at least a dozen or more man buns in hair nets are pinned to the ceiling of the bar with the names of their former owners pinned to them). One could say it’s a dive bar with flare. The beers and cocktails are cheap and there are free lighters and gummies lining the bar should either of those items take your fancy. So what am I saying? I’m saying if you are not the sort who is easily offended you should absolutely go.

Starliner: Also located in Bushwick, also a bar - albeit one with slightly more class, fewer topless dolls and fewer crude sayings in neon lights on their walls. In fact, the one sign we did see encourages a people to consider themselves lucky just to be alive. I had my first mezcal margarita here, so it will forever be held in memory as a wonderful place. The bar also features a photo booth (I LOVE PHOTO BOOTHS) and a back patio. Plus, for a Friday night it was relatively quiet, a welcome way to spend an evening. I won’t be making a trek to go here specifically, but if I am ever back in Bushwick, it will certainly be top of mind.

Double Windsor: If you’ve read any of these blogs before, you’ll know that the Double Windsor has made an appearance at least once, and the truth is I go more often than I write about it. One of my favorite park slope bars and one of the best places to go post a show at the Brooklyn Bandshell if you’re not quite ready to go home yet. This is a staple, a home away from home, a reliable place to get a good beer or glass of wine.

Grand Central Station: You may have heard of this place before. However, Grand Central has undergone a little renovation in recent years, adding in plenty of shops, eateries and places to drink for its pre or post work crowd. The Campbell apartment is a particularly famous spot, but in the summer it is too dark, cold (thanks to A/C) and crowded to make it a good spot to be. Instead, I met my friend at the new food court just inside one of the main entrances on 42nd street. Midtown can be a difficult place to find an affordable place to eat or drink, but Grand Central is the happy medium, offering up cocktail bars, happy hours and shake shack. All a person needs.

Rooftop Reds: I’m hesitant to tell you all about this place because I would really like it to remain (somewhat) secret. But I know that will never happen. Rooftop Reds has been on my list for over a year and i finally made it this past weekend. The wine is priced how you might expect for New York (the rose is deliciously dry), but it is served on a rooftop in Brooklyn with hammocks, corn hole and a bring your own food policy. I’m going back and you’re all invited to join me.

The Gatehouses @ The Brooklyn Navy Yard: This is one of the tasting rooms and bar for Kings County Distillery and they only serve up food and drink made and distributed in New York City. Meaning, the only soft drink they serve that isn’t soda water is a drink called Cheerwine, which is the New York off-brand version of Cherry Coke and it is lovely and refreshing on a hot summer’s day. On this particular day I didn’t go for the whiskey or moonshine, but I’m glad to know it’s there. With their back patio, corn hole court, frozen margaritas and relaxed vibe, this is the sort of place I’d want to spend a summer afternoon.

Out and About

Yoga in the Park: One of the best things about summer is that it is, effectively, the “free” season, if you play your cards right. Parks, beaches, dance lessons and yoga are all free throughout the summer and that’s just to name a few. Multiple New York parks serve up free Yoga, but at Prospect Park they do it every Thursday and it is less crowded than the parks in Manhattan or Williamsburg.

Domino Park: This is a new park, built on the land in front of the old Domino Sugar factory in Williamsburg. Let me tell you, whoever designed this park - they crushed it. This park features a mini High Line, a taco stand, a fountain with kids running naked or in swimsuits through the water, beach volleyball courts, lounge chairs and plenty of green space all sitting right on the East River. It is beautiful, turquoise and incredibly well done. I cannot gush enough about this free outdoor space. It is my new summer favorite and I intend on taking everyone I know.

Culture

Celebrate Brooklyn: We’ve talked about this all summer long outdoor music festival in Brooklyn. It is one of the best things about summer in Brooklyn. I’ve been before, I went last week and I will go again. If you’re in the New York Metro area, get yourself to Brooklyn!

Christie’s Summer Opening: I love art. Generally, I’m an observer more than a creator, but I could spend hours in any 4art museum. Christie’s has a program for young collectors (I’m an aspiring collector, not there yet) and hosts many events throughout the year to this end. My favorite one of these is their summer opener. Less buttoned up, more party than art, it’s hosted at their warehouse in Red Hook. Rose flowed, lobster and tacos and cheesesteaks were served and ice cream sandwiches were there for desert. The DJ and sunset views of manhattan (along with all of the art on display) made this one hell of a night and one hell of an event.

World Cup: This may or may not be considered culture, but I was present at the bar providing my full support to my soccer loving boyfriend. Allez les bleus!