Well, I guess this is vegan, right?

So I know I was supposed to do an article about my Vegan experimentation, but I realized there is something amazing (and fall themed) here in our very own Lawrenceville that I couldn’t neglect to alert you to. Arsenal Cider House & Wine Cellar is a tiny venue that brews its own… you guessed it… cider and wine. The proprietors live right above the shop, make the beverages themselves, and aren’t shy with the samples. Plus, last time I was there I heard tell of them hosting a live music event soon. Check them out on Facebook for the latest happenings, or better yet, in person. I highly recommend the dry sherry.

Slight blogging hiatus- Belvedere's

Hello hello, Blogland! I'm sorry for my recent flakiness about posting. I'll try extra hard to update regularly from now on- most likely, on a MWF schedule.
I'm devoting this post to an oldie but a goody- Belvedere's, on Butler St. For those unfamiliar, Belvie's is a total dive bar. Not only is it as lacking in natural light and air as Sarah Palin's bathroom, it is usually crammed with people thrash-dancing in the most alarming way. If I happen to be jogging past here during the 15 minutes a week they air it out, the stench of condensed cigarette smoke is enough to give me a nicotine buzz for a week.
With an intro like that, how could you resist?
But really, Belvie's has some redeeming qualities- in the form of 80's nights. 80's night is every Thursday, and features- you guessed it- 80's music. It's a good place to stop by if you're in the area, if only for the great DJ, the lounge-esque area, and the freedom to thrash dance as you please. It's a $4 cover, and drinks are relatively cheap, like most dive bars. Just be prepared to shower afterwards.

Brillobox is where your heart is.

So I know this has been exposed to death, but I can’t help but give a little shout-out to my favorite bar in the Pittsburgh area- Brillobox, on Penn Avenue in Lawrenceville. Yes, it’s crowded, and yes, it’s lousy with hipsters, but it also has a consistent selection of exciting new beers, a delicious vegetarian-friendly menu, eclectic décor, and it features badass bands and DJs on a regular basis. Some notable performances of the past year that I’ve seen include their Pandemic World Beats night- a mashup of music from all around the world, Bear Cub (see End of an Era), Donora, and an independent hip-hop show featuring Superfuturisticthugsciencefiction. With the great variation of music and bands plus required the hipster-mocking*, you’ll never be bored. Brillobox always has something fresh to offer its patrons, whether it’s a new band or an $11 import beer. (Just kidding. More like $7).
Speaking of which, I’m ashamed to admit here to a new secret obsession. The implications of being in love with an expensive French Canadian imported beer are not lost on me (bad at money management? Maybe. Budding yuppie? Likely. Punk-ass pussy bitch? Definitely) but I can’t deny it any longer. I love Ephemere Apple. It comes in a giant bottle if you buy it at Brillobox, and its’ light, well-balanced hints of coriander and apple make it almost like juice. Scrumptious, alchoholic juice.

*There's some controversy as to whether I myself am a member of this unfortunate social movement. I would say no. My non-vegetarian friends who don't prize organic gardening, obscure French movies, and gallery-crawls say yes. Either way, I do like to mock hipsters, which would make me a hipster who mocks being a hipster. A metahipster? Urgh. Forget it.