Eat Cetera: Kombucha Kegger, Allman Bros Special, Burger Barrell Brunch
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<em>A Kombucha "mother," courtesy <a href="http://www.feelgoodeats.com/anytime-recipes/kombucha.html">Feel Good Eats</a></em><p></p> <strong>Kombucha Kegger:</strong> Let's. get. it. STARTED IN HERE! Mark your calendars for<em> next</em> Friday, March 25th, when the <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/01/20/new_restaurant_and_bar_radar_34.php#photo-5">newish Cobble Hill bar 61 Local</a> has will be taken over by rowdy <strike>frat</strike> hippie boys and kegs of Kombucha. Local purveyor <a href="http://kombuchabrooklyn.com/about-kbbk">KBBK</a> recently released its fifth bottled flavor, The Grape Equalizer, and to celebrate, the company will be hosting a raging kegger "with plenty of FREE 'buch." For the uninitiated, Kombucha is a potent fermented tea that's been consumed in China for thousands of years, and is currently enjoying a Renaissance here in America, where companies like KBBK have touted its energy-enhancing and detoxifying properties.<p></p>You'll recall that <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/06/25/popular_kombucha_teas_may_be_classi.php">some Kombucha companies ran afoul</a> of the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, because some bottles had an alcohol content above 0.5%, the legal threshold for a non-alcoholic beverage. But KBBK tells us they're "alcohol regulation compliant," and they ferment their Kombucha in small-batch non-lead ceramic vessels which "allow our pristinelycultivated cultures (a mixture of bacteria and yeast) to do all of the work. The teas and sugars that we brew with are hand- selected, fair trade and organic."<p></p>They currently have five flavors, and you can try all at the kegger. 61 Local will also be serving their usual selection of local beer and wine, and we're told there will be a variety of snack food from local food purveyors.<p></p><em>61 Bergen Street, 7-10 p.m.</em>
<strong>Allman Brothers Happy Hour:</strong> The friendly bros in<a href="http://gothamist.com/2007/06/06/zak_pelaccio_ch.php"> Zak Pelaccio</a>'s Fatty family are getting down with <a href="http://www.jambands.com/news/2011/03/16/robert-randolph-and-steve-earle-sit-in-with-the-allman-brothers-band">the Allmans' fans</a> during the band's annual spring run at the Beacon Theater. The Upper West Side <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/03/05/despite_lean_times_the_uws_gets_fat.php#photo-4">Fatty Crab</a> location is doing a pre-show happy hour every night of the run, which continues through March 22nd. Over the course of 13 nights, the restaurant will help patrons "get their groove on" by transforming their regular happy hour (Monday - Friday, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m., bar only) into an all-Allman's Happy Hour.<p></p>What this means: Allman Brothers songs for the duration, and a special cocktail inspired by the band called the "Stormy Monday" (tequila, ginger syrup, lemon, lime, bitters and ginger beer, $8 during happy hour). And all the usual <a href="http://www.fattycrab.com/">Fatty Crab</a> delicacies like chicken wings, oyster omelets, and Fatty duck to satisfy the munchies. <p></p><em>2170 Broadway, (212) 496-2722 </em>
<strong>Burger & Barrel Brunch:</strong> The comfy <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/10/21/new_restaurant_and_bar_radar_25.php?gallery0Pic=2#photo-3">Burger & Barrel</a>, a chipper "American pub" on the north edge of SoHo, <a href="http://www.burgerandbarrel.com">just started doing brunch</a>. The owners invited us to check it out last weekend, and while we had a hard time abiding by the adult contemporary Yacht rock playlist, the convenient location makes it a solid place to grab a no-fuss meal before catching a movie at Angelica. (They do take reservations, which is crucial.) In addition to their regular menu of classic burgers, sandwiches and salads, Chef Josh Capon is also offering a number of classic breakfast options, including a hearty and delicious breakfast burrito filled with chorizo, peppers, onions, mozzarella and pico de gallo ($13). It's a good hangover cure, and if want something <em>really</em> filling, go with the "Leo" pizza, made with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and caramelized onions on flatbread ($12)âthey should call it a <em>thick</em>bread. B&B's fresh Bloody Mary (called a "Blood Simple" in a sly Coen brothers homage) puts the hair back on your dog, and if you need a sugar boost, don't miss the apple fritters: thin, doughnut-shaped apple slices deep fried and lathered in a thick layer of eye-popping, decadent sugar. ZANG! But it's a fruit, so its healthy. <p></p><em>25 West Houston Street at Mercer St, (212) 334-7320, weekend brunch 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.</em>