Gowanus + Red Hook, Brooklyn · bar
A Gowanus bar where the cocktail list is tight — negronis, paper planes, the essentials — and the toasted cheese sandwiches in the kitchen have given the whole room a perpetual fondue-adjacent smell that reviewers either warn about or come back for. Comedy nights, trivia, pool, darts, and a private party space where you can bring your own food and decorations make it more neighborhood institution than bar.