NYC Meetup? You can be the first to welcome me in town by mugging me for all I've got.

March 2, 2010 5:53 PM

I'm going to be in New York City from the 13th to the 20th, and I was thinking... any mefites wanna meet up for a drink?

In line with fulfilling one of my life goals, I will be taking a train across the country, from LA to New York, and I'll be in town for about a week. I saw the Brooklyn meetup, but alas I won't be there in time.

St. Patty's Day fortuitously falls in the middle of my trip, so there's that, or Saturday the 13th could be cool, or really whenever.

So, NY local mefites, who knows of a cool bar to meet at? I'll be in Manhattan, midtown mostly, but I'm down for whatevers...

posted by malapropist to MetaFilter Gatherings at 5:53 PM (62 comments total)

interestingly, I will also be in NYC from Monday evening to Thursday evening, doing some sightseeing over Spring Break. If a meetup were to occur, I would certainly try to make it out. My schedule may be too full though, so I won't be heartbroken if a different day works better for everyone else.
posted by grandsham at 9:32 PM on March 2, 2010

Sure, I'm up for it.
posted by gaspode at 6:23 AM on March 3, 2010

Ironically I will be away that way cause apparently I'm the God Of Missed Connections.
posted by The Whelk at 7:03 AM on March 3, 2010

Week*
posted by The Whelk at 7:43 AM on March 3, 2010

I'm also going to be in Manhattan, from the 12th through the afternoon of the 15th. A meetup on the 13th would be fine by me.
posted by Iridic at 2:49 PM on March 3, 2010

13th sounds like good times.
posted by kkokkodalk at 3:16 PM on March 3, 2010

I would go for afternoon the 13th. Perhaps some kind of brunch?
posted by grobstein at 6:02 PM on March 3, 2010

The 13th sounds good to me too; I don't have any ideas on the location though.
posted by oh yeah! at 8:32 PM on March 3, 2010

Okay, the 13th should be great then.

Of course, having never been to New York I'm kinda flummoxed about choosing a venue. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm looking at past meetup locations and online in general and if something catches my eye I'll mention it here.
posted by malapropist at 8:36 PM on March 3, 2010

Ok, just throwing this out there, but I've heard good things about Mamoun's falafel on St Mark's Place, and McSorley's Old Ale House is round the corner on 7th. How about Saturday the 13th at 3pm.

Sound good?
posted by malapropist at 9:38 PM on March 3, 2010

I can do this! I will have both time and money!

A second location suggestion: we will be close to St. Patrick's Day that weekend (fortunately, it will be before, so the crowds won't be out in as full force) so maybe an all-out Irish breakfast could work...there's a couple places I know of in the East Village that do this well (St. Dymphna's on St. Marks' near Ave. A, or One and One on 1st Avenue and 1st Street).

How's that sound?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:12 AM on March 4, 2010

Won't all the Irish places be crowded next weekend? If St. Patty's Day is on a Sunday, you can bet the Irish and fauxrish alike will start celebrating hard on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
posted by zoomorphic at 7:35 AM on March 4, 2010

St. Patrick's Day is on a Thursday this year, though. The Thursday AFTER the weekend in question, to be precise.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:08 AM on March 4, 2010

....Huh. I sound strangely sulky there.

Clarifying that this was just an alternate idea I had that I was just throwing out there, and it's not like I'm going to sulk or anything if it's voted down.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:53 AM on March 4, 2010

MAMOUN
posted by grobstein at 9:22 AM on March 4, 2010

Falafel is a sandwich formed from the same magic as flying carpets, and you are right to be mystified by it.

So, okay, why don't we split the difference? Meet up at Mamoun's on Saturday the 13th at 3pm, and afterwards head down to St. Dymphna's, which is two blocks down the street.

I'm sidebarring this sucker.
posted by malapropist at 1:59 PM on March 4, 2010

If we're gonna start anywhere with food, we won't have enough of an appetite for an Irish breakfast, which is a mighty pile of food itself. Trust me.

So the intial plan (Mamoun's first, McSorley's after) actually sounds best. I can get my Irish breakfast fix another time. :-)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:14 PM on March 4, 2010

I'm very curious to see ifdss9's reaction to the falafel. I've tried it a few times and never liked it - I can't identify what spice/ingredient is the turn-off, but there's something in the falafel recipe that sets off my 'ick' response.

Count me in though, always nice to meet more Mefites. (And baklava. Baklava is always a good thing.)
posted by oh yeah! at 5:23 PM on March 4, 2010

Dudes. Mamoun's falafel quite good. It may be the best in the city, in fact. But it pales in comparison to their shawarma, which is other-worldly. Seriously. I've been to Greece and Turkey and never had better slow-roasted meat on a vertical spit than at Mamoun's.

Also, fun fact: Mamoun's great-grandson once beat me up in middle school.
posted by Jon_Evil at 11:04 PM on March 4, 2010

omg I live 2 buildings awy from Dymphna's. You guys can meet my corgi!
posted by spec80 at 2:11 PM on March 5, 2010

Also, Mamoun's is really good. And cheap. But don't fuck around with the hot sauce. I asked for a little bit of hot sauce and my mouth was burning but it was so delicious I forced myself to eat through the pain.

And sometimes Dymphna's has fresh irish soda bread.
posted by spec80 at 2:13 PM on March 5, 2010

I have designs on showing up despite childhood trauma involving my mother's gross Irish Soda Bread. Eating it was like eating a packet of silica gel. Your mouth was dry for weeks. (She made a damn fine choclate peanut butter cookie though.)
posted by edbles at 5:36 AM on March 6, 2010

EAT THROUGH THE PAIN
posted by malapropist at 11:43 AM on March 6, 2010

I'm afraid I've confused matters. What exactly is the plan again?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:50 PM on March 6, 2010

Put me down as a maybe.
posted by smackfu at 2:09 PM on March 6, 2010

Mmm, falafel
posted by ocherdraco at 2:29 PM on March 6, 2010

Well... I was thinking St. Dymphna's could be cool even if we're done eating, considering you gave a personal recommendation of it, and I just picked McSorley's off a map. Also, St. Dymphna's will have happy hour when we're there. So let's go to St. Dymphna's after.
posted by malapropist at 5:03 PM on March 6, 2010

Mmm, falafel

That said......
posted by brujita at 12:18 AM on March 7, 2010

I'd like to join in the falafeling. Mainly because I want to use falafel as a verb.
posted by sciencegeek at 8:08 AM on March 7, 2010

....Wasn't Bill O'Reilly the last person to use "falafel" as a verb?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:22 AM on March 7, 2010

You know, I have no idea. I don't have cable.

Maybe I'd better stick with schwarming.
posted by sciencegeek at 9:05 AM on March 7, 2010 [1 favorite]

Mamoun's on the 13th at 3? I think I might be able to make that. I'm having LASIK done on the 12th, so I'll be in Manhattan for the morning-after check-up and, if I'm not suffering from a head ache due to blurry vision, my plan is to wander around Manhattan, buying stuff like... sunglasses! Non-prescription sunglasses! Oh, the glory!

No, I'm not excited about having LASIK. Not at all. Just because I happen to know that my glasses' lifespan is now limited to 125 hours more...
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 9:28 AM on March 7, 2010

Mamoun's is just a few blocks from my house, but I've never eaten there — I'll try to sneak out and meet y'all!
posted by nicwolff at 9:15 PM on March 7, 2010

OMG SPEC80 BRING OUT DA CORGI AND THIS WILL BE THE BEST MEET UP EVAAAAH.

(Eating falafel while pettig a Corgi=what probably happens in heaven)
posted by kkokkodalk at 8:30 AM on March 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

Think of the human progress that makes it possible to unite a fat dog from Wales with a deep-fried bean ball from Asia Minor.
posted by grobstein at 11:52 AM on March 8, 2010 [1 favorite]

Did you just call my dog fat? I'll show you. I'LL SHOW YOU ALL. My dog.
posted by spec80 at 5:15 PM on March 8, 2010

I fly out at 1:30 pm on the 13th.

I'll be back on the 20th. l'm sad to miss you guys, though (and your falafel and your corgis and your beer and your whiskey in measuring cups).
posted by functionequalsform at 5:18 AM on March 9, 2010

By the way, what's the weather like out by you guys? Should I pack a thick coat or just stick with a windbreaker?
posted by Iridic at 7:31 AM on March 11, 2010

windbreaker. it's cool but not cold. I'd only wear a heavy jacket if you're only wearing a flimsy t-shirt.
posted by The Whelk at 8:06 AM on March 11, 2010

It is likely to rain this weekend.
posted by grobstein at 8:07 AM on March 11, 2010

I hope there's some lull in the rain. I would like to wear cute shoes. A meetup on a Saturday means one of the few days I can actually try and pull an outfit together and maybe for a moment forget that I drink alone way too much and hide behind a busy work schedule because I would rather go home and watch Chiller or the SciFi channel in my pajamas because recently the only guys who hit on me are creepsters, inappropriately older men, and homeless guys that want to make me hobo queen of Bartertown...and I'm just getting so old. Oh, God, Metafilter, hold me, I'm so scared =(.
posted by kkokkodalk at 9:36 AM on March 11, 2010

Mamoun's is just a few blocks from my house, but I've never eaten there

Sacrilege!

Jon_Evil is absolutely right...shawarma just doesn't get better than Mamoun's. It's been my go-to joint for "late night sober up food" for ages (they're open til 5 AM).
posted by JaredSeth at 2:35 PM on March 11, 2010

The forecast now predicts 40-50 F and rain.
posted by brujita at 12:58 AM on March 12, 2010

I do not own cute shoes. Is this a problem?
posted by sciencegeek at 3:08 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Well, I just got paid by a company I didn't think was going to actually pay me, so I'm totally going to be there, but I have to work tomorrow night (technically, Sunday morning) so I won't be able to get rowdy or follow a mefite to a second location.
posted by fuq at 3:19 PM on March 12, 2010

Ok, I just arrived in New York and my first reaction to walking around midtown is OH MY GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY

So anyway I'll see you guys tomorrow.
posted by malapropist at 4:42 PM on March 12, 2010

Drizzle gives midtown that wonderful Bladerunner glow.
posted by The Whelk at 4:43 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

I may either have to arrive late or depart early, depending on when I can get into an office and get at some things that need doing here in Brooklyn.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:42 PM on March 12, 2010

Just to clarify: it's the Mamoun's at 22 St. Marks Pl, not the one at 119 Macdougal, right?
posted by brujita at 11:03 PM on March 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

brujita: thank you for asking that. I had been planning my subway ride based on the MacDougal address and after rereading it appears that it is the one at 22 St. Marks Place - based on the McSorley's proximity if nothing else.
posted by sciencegeek at 6:21 AM on March 13, 2010

Waiting for the PATH train still, looks like I'm not going to make it on time but I'm on the way.
posted by oh yeah! at 11:07 AM on March 13, 2010

My morning stuff got pushed back so I'll have to skip out on the Mamoun's, but I will try to see you at Dymphna's. My corgi is going to have to skip this meetup until better weather. He didn't get the welsh genes of enjoying rain.
posted by spec80 at 11:09 AM on March 13, 2010

Arg. Got on the train and realized halfway to Pavonia that I forgot my wallet. Now waiting for the train back to journal square, so no idea when I'll make it there, but I'm still trying.
posted by oh yeah! at 11:29 AM on March 13, 2010

I'll catch up with you guys at Dymphna's. Probably in a couple of hours.
posted by jason's_planet at 12:36 PM on March 13, 2010

I'm running a little late too since whether or not I leave the house depends on if I can find a poncho I bought four years ago (the wind chewed up and spit out my umbrella when I went to a class earlier today). I'm still going to try and head to Mamoun's first since I haven't I had a chance to catch a bite to eat all day.
posted by kkokkodalk at 1:13 PM on March 13, 2010

We're at Bar St Marks instead, the other bar was too full. It's at the corner of St Marks and 1st Ave, we're at the table in the back by the bathrooms
posted by oh yeah! at 1:47 PM on March 13, 2010

No poncho so no go for me. Ah, the story of my life. Always one poncho short.
posted by kkokkodalk at 1:48 PM on March 13, 2010

:(. Not oh yeah it is odds s no 9
posted by oh yeah! at 1:54 PM on March 13, 2010

I'm still drying out.
Y'know, I think my fingers are actually wrinkled.
posted by sciencegeek at 5:52 PM on March 13, 2010

Really sad I missed this!
posted by grobstein at 8:59 AM on March 14, 2010

I totally missed this! I had to make a trek to Greenpoint to celebrate my friend's birthday party. I guess I can't cash in my One Free Chicago Meetup card now, Iridic.
posted by zoomorphic at 5:15 PM on March 14, 2010

It's cool, Zoomorphic. You can have a meetup on credit.

Thanks again, everyone! I had a fine time.
posted by Iridic at 6:20 PM on March 15, 2010