Hello and welcome to July. Summer is now in full swing, I’m eating two ice creams a day and New York is in the middle of a heat wave. And even though my body is melting from it all, these sweet, warm, summer nights are my favorite time of year.

Here’s another doubly whammy of places and things and eats as you gear up to celebrate the Fourth of July! May it be full of food, fireworks and beer a-plenty.

I hope you enjoy my journey through the city and, as always, tell me if go and what you thought!

Food

Milkmade : This is small ice cream shop located in Cobble Hill, featuring a unique blend of Brooklyn named and inspired flavors. Including an Aperol Spritz infused sorbet (yes, there is actually alcohol in it). This shop also makes their own flavored cones, so that you could have, say, your Aperol Spritz sorbet in an orange sorbet flavored cone. Milkmade is high on my recommend list.

North River Lobster Company : If you ever felt the need to eat lobster while traversing the Hudson River, you’re in luck. Located at Pier 81, the NRLC serves up views of the New York City skyline alongside lobster rolls, corn on the cob and plenty of rose and beer. The boat costs $10 to ride, and once on you can choose whether or not you’d like to buy the rather expensive food and wine. If you’d like to enjoy a drink yet still do this trip on the “cheap”, I’d recommend their bucket o’ beers offer, 5 beers for $36 dollars. The whole experience feels a little like a frat party on a boat, but it’s nice to be on the water. Great for big groups.

Upright Brewhouse : When I lived in the West Village this little bar was my go-to. They have a decent happy hour - on both the weekday AND the weekend, with a relaxed vibe and a rotating menu of great beers. More, they have a simple, but delicious, menu great for a causal mid-week dinner or a chilled out weekend brunch. This past weekend I spent a couple of hours there on their front patio, reading and watching New York stroll buy while sipping my pink wine.

Bed Stuy Provisions : For a quiet place to grab brunch without the wait, or a quick dinner on your way home from work, Bed Stuy Provisions has you covered. They serve up Vietnamese inspired flavors, from sandwiches to veggie bowls. And, if your sriracha sauce or garlic chili is running low, you can pick some up here while waiting for you food to be made fresh. I ordered their pork belly sandwich and loved every single bite.

Antique Garage : This restaurant has multiple locations across the city. Their fare is mediterranean and Greek inspired, serving up such things as fish wrapped in grape leaves, kebabs and plenty of hummus. I would say the best thing about the Antique Garage is their ornate and borderline gaudy interior design. While the overall experience was delightful, I would say the food is a little too average for the price.

Malaparte: I stumbled across Malaparte while trying to get a table at Barbuto. Rather than wait the 45 minutes to be sat at Barbuto, my friend and I decided to wander around and ran into this lovely Italian restaurant. It is cozy on the interior, with low lighting, wood paneling and an Italian speaking staff - a great spot for a date. My friend and I opted to sit at the bar to be sat straight away. We ordered a carafe of Barbera, and split their pesto rigatoni and gnocchi with red sauce. The buffalo mozzarella was tempting and I regret not splitting that as well. Overall, I’d go back. And if you are ever waiting for a seat at Barbuto, head down to Malaparte, you won’t be disappointed.

Drink

Randolph Bar: Located in the LES, Randolph Bar is a cocktail bar with a somewhat divey vibe. The cocktails are delicious and they have a killer happy hour, but the atmosphere of this bar I’ve always found somewhat confusing and a little off-putting (but nothing I know how to fully articulate). This hasn’t stopped me from enjoying a whiskey cocktail or a glass of prosecco there on multiple occasions while catching up with friends (particularly during happy hour), but it always seems to be the place I go when I don’t know where else to. A great back up bar.

Entwine: This wine bar is located just south of Chelsea and just north of the West Village. The upstairs is cozy, with just enough seating to sit around the bar, but if you’re in a group they also have seating in their basement. I’ve been here multiple times, it's a great spot to meet a friend for a drink, wait for your table at Barbuto, or to simply go and be alone with a book. The bar staff are friendly and the wine is good. They also have a happy hour that goes until 7pm, covering wine, beer and cocktails.

Double Windsor: One of my favorite pubs in Park Slope, the Double Windsor is the triple threat of bars - Great food, excellent drinks selection in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere without breaking the bank. And while it has plenty of space for a New York bar, this place gets busy fast, it can, at times, be a fight to find a table or seat at the bar, but it's a great place to hang for a while if you do find one.

Hop Shop: This is family friend bar that serves up a good rotation of beers on tap, free popcorn and some delicious bar food. As a bonus there is also a patio that opens up during summer. Overall a great place to spend a relaxed afternoon with a beer in an open air space (or to accidentally get caught up in conversation until midnight on a Sunday). This little shop is located on the Columbia Street Waterfront, near Cobble Hill.

Brookvin: One of my favorite places to go in Park Slope. During the summer they have a patio out back, with fans to keep you cool and they even supply the mosquito repellent. Happy is all night on Mondays and if you’re looking for food their macaroni with bacon is heavenly. I spend afternoons or evenings there with my journal or computer in hand, writing away next to all the couples on first dates and celebrating an anniversary.

Gowanus Yacht Club: My ever reliable summer spot, with its outdoor seating and BBQ-like vibe

Whiskey Tavern: This place brings the strong ‘bro’ vibes. Not bad in a situation in which you are looking for TV screens, loud music and cute men, but not great when you are over the age of 28 and are trying to catch up with a girlfriend. The beer was good and the waitresses were passing out free shots of Jagermeister, trying to “change its image”. So now you know.

Out and About

Bring Your Own Story: A close friend sent me the link to this group a couple months back. Once signed up you can choose to join a Friday night dinner in someone’s home and over dinner all of the guests tell a story to a theme. I had the most amazing time with these five strangers empathizing, connecting and laughing. I 100% recommend Bring Your Own Story to anyone.

West Village: The first neighborhood I ever lived in in New York is the West Village. I loved it and I miss it and all the wonderful things you’ve ever heard about it are true. On Sunday I spent part of the afternoon wandering through the neighborhood streets, taking pics and stopping at my old favorite shops. I sometimes forget to explore in my own city so an afternoon spent pretending I was on vacation was incredibly refreshing.

Smorgasburg Prospect Park: Smorgasburg is a food festival that takes place in different pockets of the city from Williamsburg to Dumbo and Park Slope. On a Sunday wandering through the park, testing out my new camera, I stumbled across the lines of people queuing for food and decided to treat myself to some lemonade and an Indian Taco.

Rockaway Surf Beach: The fact that one hour away by train I can go surfing makes my heart happy. Leave the city by 8am, surf for a few hours, take the train back in and you’re back in time for brunch and before the beaches get too crowded.

Damascus Bread & Pastry: I’ve heard for years that one must try the hummus from Sahadi’s, in Brooklyn. What I didn’t hear was that Sahadi’s is closed on Sundays. But, luckily the Damascus Bread & Pastry next door was open and while I can’t make a direct comparison of their hummus to Sahadi’s, it's pretty damn good. As are their olives, pita bread and lemonade. I might be hooked.

Wood’s Grove: Cobble Hill is full of interesting little shops of all varieties from books to perfumeries, artisanal food and more. This shop may be one of my favorite. I came across it after getting Ice Cream at Milkmade, on my way to see a movie at the Cobble Hill Cinema. This shop sells goods from local artisans, from jewelry to wood designs, candles and prints. I will probably purchase all future gifts for everyone I know here.

Culture

Celebrate Brooklyn! Every summer the bandshell in Brooklyn is transformed into a giant outdoor music space featuring free shows and paid shows, big names and lesser known ones. One of my favorite New York summer activities.

Mason Jar Music: Once a month over the summer, Mason Jar Music puts on a free show in their brooklyn backyard, featuring mostly of local artists. Their shows are among my favorite, with a wide variety of insanely talented people across styles.