New York Trivia Tuesday

If you're the first person to comment with the correct answer on Trivia Tuesday posts, you'll get 50% off the Amazing New York Race of your choice! Feeling smart? Then answer this week's challenge:

On this week in 1857, New York made history by installing the first modern elevator. Located in 488 Broadway, it was designed for the building by Elisha Graves Otis himself, the inventor of the safety mechanism which prevented the car from falling if the cable broke. The building, now an NYC landmark, was also favorite spot of a 19th-century First Lady. Who hung out at 488 Broadway and rode in the city's first elevator?

a) Jane Appleton Pierce
b) Mary Todd Lincoln
c) Eliza McCardle Johnson
d) Lucy Webb Hayes

Check back on Thursday for the answer to this week's trivia question, and to see if you're the winner!

Best of New York: Happy Hours

New Yorkers are known to work hard and play hard. And the best place to see those two things in action is at a good happy hour, where anyone can forget the stress of the office by knocking back a few well-priced drinks. From half-priced swanky cocktails to free snacks and $2 brews, you can drink at a discount at these hot spots:

Fiddlesticks

This Irish pub is a favorite watering hole for many Manhattanites looking to get away from the daily grind. Luckily, it’s easy to do so here, where the building’s many nooks and crannies offers secluded seating for small groups. Sidle up to the bar for the happy hour specials, though, since they’re not offered for table service. And you’ll want the specials, since Fiddlesticks offers any beer, wine, or well drink you want for just $4.

56 Greenwich Ave, Manhattan; 212-463-0516
Monday through Friday, 4 pm – 8 pm

The Dove

With the red velvet wallpaper, the wood paneled bar, the cushy banquette seating and the subterranean location, The Dove feels like a swanky speakeasy crossed with a chic brothel. A popular destination for girls’ nights out, the specialty cocktail menu is the draw here, and it’s easy to see why. Try fancy concoctions like the Honey Dove (cognac, honey, organic vanilla soy milk) or the Silk Road Margarita (cinnamon-infused tequila, orange liqueur, lemon juice). And during happy hour, they’re all half price, so you can have a high-class cocktail for the price of a bottom-shelf gin and tonic.

228 Thompson St, Manhattan; 212-254-1435
Sunday – Thursday, 4 pm – 8 pm

4th Avenue Pub

This bar is a neighborhood staple, especially in the summertime, when the generous outdoor seating area draws crowds hoping to bask in the sun while soaking up a beer or two. And they’ll have a lot to choose from, since the bar has 61 beers on their list, including 26 on tap. During happy hour, you’ll get $2 off any drink you choose (for beers as low as $2), and can even kick back with some free popcorn, deliciously seasoned with Old Bay.

76 4th Ave, Brooklyn; 718-643-2273 Monday through Friday, 3 pm – 8pm

Oro Bakery and Bar

This intimate space, a few blocks away from the crowds that pack SoHo bars, is a real local find. Serving locally-sourced pastries, sandwiches and coffee by day, the spot is just as ideal at night, when the bar comes to life. The happy hour is a bargain, with two-for-one glasses of wine off a carefully curated list of a dozen selections from around the world. Sangria, mulled ciders, and beers are also on the menu here, as are several light dinner options and an array of desserts that will tempt you to stay all night.

375 Broome St, Manhattan; 212-941-6368
Monday through Friday, 4 pm – 8 pm

Acme Bar and Grill

From the outside, Acme looks like a side-of-the-road fried chicken stand—and that’s sort of what it is. The “authentic Southern and Cajun cooking” joint serves up big portions of homestyle favorites like catfish and fried okra. But the happy hour is what keeps patrons coming back, with drink specials rotating on a daily basis. Whether it’s Ladies Night or Hurricane Thursdays (all hurricanes are $4), you’ll find a welcome surprise at this NoHo house.

9 Great Jones St, Manhattan; 212-420-1934
Monday through Saturday, 4 pm – 8 pm; Sunday, all day

When Did McSorely's Open to Women?

And the answer is ...

c) 1970

The historic NYC pub McSorely's didn't open to women until 1970, after they were sued for discrimination by the National Organization for Women. Before then, the bar's motto was "Good Ale, Raw Onions and No Ladies." Although ladies are now present, McSorely's still serves a cheese platter with raw onions.

New York Trivia Tuesday

If you're the first person to comment with the correct answer on Trivia Tuesday posts, you'll get 50% off the Amazing New York Race of your choice! Feeling smart? Then answer this week's challenge:

One of the primary destinations for St. Patrick's Day revelers is McSorely's Old Alehouse, the oldest Irish-themed bar in New York. The watering hole is famous for its relics of "old New York" including Houdini's old discarded handcuffs. But the bar also has another, less welcome distinction: it was one of the last bars in NYC to accept female patrons. When did McSorely's open its doors to women?

a) 1953
b) 1965
c) 1970
d) 1973

Check back on Thursday for the answer to this week's trivia question, and to see if you're the winner!

Best of New York: Steakhouses

New York is known as a destination for foodies because of its wealth of restaurants and diversity of cuisines. But some of the oldest, most revered, and most delicious restaurants in NYC are ... steakhouses. Whether its a classic like Luger or an international spot like Plataforma, you can't go wrong with a steak at one of these joints:

Peter Luger

The original to which most steakhouses aspire, Peter Luger is one of New York’s biggest culinary destinations. A Brooklyn institution, with its well-worn wood paneling and its classily-attired waiters, this restaurant is so good that die-hard Manhattanites will make the trek to sample the Porterhouse – a massive cut of meat, served for two here, makes the perfect “old New York” date.

178 Broadway, Brooklyn; 718-387-7400; peterluger.com

Keens

Taking a trip to Keen’s is like traveling in a time machine. One of the swankiest ambiances in town, the steakhouse is one of New York’s oldest surviving restaurants; pipes smoked by its legendary customers like Teddy Roosevelt and J.P. Morgan are displayed on the walls. Steak aficionados swear by the sirloin, but many say the best cut of meat served here isn’t beef at all; the mutton chop gets perpetual raves.

72 W 36th St, Manhattan; 212-947-3636; keens.com

Quality Meats

Quality Meats is a New York steakhouse for the younger generation—literally; it’s the creation of Michael Stillman, son of the famed Smith & Wollensky’s Alan Stillman). The restaurant plays up a quirky vibe in its industrial décor, which comes complete with meat-hook lamps, and in its trendy touches, like tartare that you spice yourself. But the steaks are delicious in the traditional sense: big, juicy, and with a good touch of char.

57 W 58th St, Manhattan; 212-371-7777; qualitymeatsnyc.com

Plataforma

Although steakhouses are often seen as a classic American restaurant, there’s no place that loves steak more than Brazil. Churrascaria Plataforma is NYC’s homage to the land of beef: a rodizio that prepares all-you-can-eat steak in an unusually upscale atmosphere. Waiters serve and endless procession of skewers to your table; sides and salads are served buffet-style. For a livelier steakhouse option, this is your best bet.

316 W 49th St, Manhattan; 212-245-0505; churrascariaplataforma.com

Strip House

Fans of—what else?—strip steak come to Strip House, where behind the kitschy decorations like pinup posters and red tassled curtains lies a meat lover’s haven. The meat is perfectly tender, and champions of this particular cut will often refuse to go anywhere else. But even vegetarians will find something to love here; the sides are a major star, with twists on beloved classics like truffled creamed spinach and goose fat potatoes.

13 E 12th St, Manhattan; 212-328-0000; striphouse.com

What NYC Paper did Dr. Seuss Work For?

And the answer is ...

b) PM

A short-lived left-wing paper published in New York from 1940-1948, PM was nevertheless home to several famous writers and cartoonists during its short run. Ernest Hemingway, Dorothy Parker, and James Thurber all contributed articles. But Dr. Seuss was one of the paper's most frequent contributors, publishing over hundreds of political cartoons there over in just two years.

Congratulations to clemJIE, who correctly guessed our trivia answer! Email nicole@pogoevents.com to claim your prize.

New York Trivia Tuesday

Starting this month, if you're the first person to comment with the correct answer on Trivia Tuesday posts, you'll get 50% off the Amazing New York Race of your choice! Feeling smart? Then answer this week's challenge:

Tomorrow, March 2nd, is the birthday of one of America's most beloved children's book authors: Dr. Seuss! Born Theodor Seuss Geisel, the famous writer produced classics such as Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, just to name a few.

But before he published those favorites, Geisel worked as an artist for advertising firms and as a political cartoonist. When World War II began, he started drawing for a now-defunct New York City newspaper, resulting in over 400 cartoons. What NYC paper did Dr. Seuss work for?

a) New York Daily Mirror
b) PM
c) Spirit of the Times
d) New York World

Check back on Thursday for the answer to this week's trivia question, and to see if you're the winner!