Brokelyn

This is the fourth in our series on the venues featured in the Brooklyn Beer Book. Today’s spotlighted establishment is The Bell House, the Gowanus bar and music venue best known for live music, comedy shows and other events events including the Connect 4 championship featured in a fancy video produced by Rob Blatt and hosted by Brokelyn’s very own Beth Hoyt (left). Check it out after the jump.

BELL HOUSE
www.thebellhouseny.com
149 7th St. between Second and Third Avenues, Gowanus, 718-643-6510

What it is: In the back, a great venue for rock shows and comedy fests, in the front room, comfy couches and 12 taps.
Why we love it: It’s that rare event space that even feels inviting when there’s nothing going on.
Who to bring: An old friend you haven’t seen in eight years—or a new friend you want to see more of.
What to order: Dub pies and Kentucky beer cheese. When you’re done with your beer, trade up to a cocktail.
Bell House fun fact #1: Whoever wrote the drink descriptions is a genius. The bourbon-and-ginger-ale Tighten Up cocktail is “Like a wedding vow whispered only to you under a willow tree … by a stranger … holding a Louisville Slugger.”
Bell House fun fact #2: The world’s largest Connect 4 board was officially documented at this bar. Watch the video here. Read the rest of this entry »

Continuing this week’s pop-culture jag, we report today on the sold-out Lost premiere last night at the Bell House. More than 200 people packed into the Gowanus bar to have their collective minds blown and, well, pay $9 to watch a TV show. But those who braved the Tuesday night snow got their money’s worth: a performance by recap band Previously on Lost (who set the last five seasons to music), themed drink specials and an hour of free island punch and Dharma Initiative beer. Fans shrieked at every plot turn, as the Season 6 premiere brought even more twists than Oceanic 815 saw as it crashed to earth. Fans had a slew of questions they hope will be answered before the series finale. Here are some of them: Read the rest of this entry »

This is Kristen and her fiancé, Wes, the beaming winners of our wedding ticket give-away to last Saturday’s Brooklyn Based wedding fair at the Bell House (which we heard was big fun). To win tickets, we asked readers to submit their best ideas for saving money at their wedding, and Kristin had a bunch:

“Think of all of your friends and friends of friends and see who might be willing/able to pitch in. My best friend does a baking blog, and she’s making my wedding cake. Another friend has a restored classic Mustang, so he’s providing the getaway car. Yet another works at a brewery, and he was able to give us an awesome deal on alcohol.  Cashing in on relationships—without taking advantage—is a great way to save money while making the wedding unique at the same time. “

Yep, ya gotta have friends, and ones with restored classic Mustangs are the best kind. But Kristen isn’t the only Brokelyn bride-to-be with some cheap tricks up her sleeve. Read the rest of this entry »

Find your very own Santa at the BK Holiday Meatup

Holidays. Nog with two straws. People skating hand-in-hand. Sickeningly cute couples huddled for warmth behind a frosted coffee shop window. It’s all enough happy winter romantic goo to make you want to vomit. And you know damn well you want to be a part of it. Unfortunately, December is a notoriously crappy time to meet new people to date, what with everyone’s attentions all on parties and family and such. But this year, don’t worry, because the BK Meatup is back, and it’s meatier than before. Read the rest of this entry »

Robert, my defeater.

Word has spread, competition has gotten fierce, and tonight I got my ass kicked. I already admitted I didn’t practice. But while last Tuesday was mostly light-hearted, tonight felt personal. Got that, Robert?

At the Bell House in Gowanus about 30 people gathered to compete in the world’s largest Connect Four tournament. Fewer than last Tuesday, but then again, all the winners from last week- the real die-hards- needn’t come back until the Championship Night on Nov. 24.

Robert Arnow of Park Slope beat me in three sequential games. You can play up to five, but see, if you lose those three, there’s no way to win. (If you didn’t understand that, then you definitely shouldn’t show up next week.) Rob also has a chess background, and once used a Connect Four board to keep track of which roommate had to empty the dishwasher. Though my distraction technique didn’t work on him at all, Robert deployed it on me to great effect. I told him I’m an actor/comic, and might make fun of him publicly, like, maybe for taking a really long time with each move, and he cleverly waited until I was debating a difficult checker drop to ask, “Beth… do you have a day job?”

Read the rest of this entry »

These two came from Williamsburg last week, and probably won, based on their smiles.

For me, last week was just practice.  Tonight, it’s on.*

Last Tuesday, 40 people gathered to compete in the world’s biggest Connect Four tournament, happening at the the Bell House in Gowanus. Aside from the free vodka and beer specials, the people came to line up four in a row, stare their competitor in the face, and say “that’s right.”  Half succeeded.  They will be playing on November 24 for the championship, which could provide the winner with up to $1,000 (depending on the turn-outs tonight and next Tuesday.) Tonight’s a brand-new slate.  Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Will Vanlue

Connect Four, the seemingly-simple, ambiguously-named pastime of dropping checker-like pieces into little yellow slots, is about to be vaulted to the competitive level of a major-league sport. Drop into the Bell House (149 7th St.) tomorrow night, November 3, for round one of the self-proclaimed, yet not-to-be-downplayed “World’s Biggest Connect Four Championship.” Tomorrow is the first of four weekly tournament rounds that will culminate in one master of connectivity being named “Connect Four Champion of Brooklyn” on November 24. Just imagine the excitement: four evenings, the ruthless, fast-paced fusion of basketball, checkers… and beer. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Mark Sullivan Bernal.

We’re still climbing the ladder of recovery after last night’s totally slamming, wall-to-wall-packed, dance-floor-makey-outey BK Meat Up. But oh what a night! The sights! The pumping jamz! That lingering Busch hangover! The sopping wet Wolverine hipster who was triumphant over his bro competitors! That guy in the Bill Murrays baseball shirt whose picture was on the screen, like, 1,000 times!

Plus: That cute girl’s number we got that we’re totally going to call! Success!

According to all the twitterings and bloggings going on last night and today, more than a few people made  solid connections in the hormone-soaked singlespalooza that was the Bell House last night. But not everyone got the hookup they wanted. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Lulu 11.

Calling all single Brokelynites—we want to hook you up! We proudly present the BK Meatup (meat market + meetup) that we’re co-sponsoring on Wednesday Sept. 30 along with our fave digisphere partners: FuckedinParkSlope (FiPS) and Brooklyn Based.

So why a singles party? It all started when commenters wrote to FIPS about how hard it was to hook up with other single people in Strolleropolis and thus a meatup was born. Read FIPS for the whole story but here’s the quick version of what you can expect on Wednesday, September 30 at The Bell House, from 7 to 11. Read the rest of this entry »