Something I Drank
Whiskey Highball, Nickel City
This past summer, Emily and I spent 5 days in Austin, Texas doing what we do best–eating and drinking. We visited some old favorites and a whole lot of new spots. The only place we kept going back to was Nickel City. A self described “Buffalo, New York Dive Bar” with fantastic AC and cold drinks was exactly what we needed as it was over 100 degrees every single day.
The bar has all the classic staples that you’d expect and some fun frozen stuff. I found my drink in something a little unexpected. They make a super simple whiskey highball with Elijah Craig, soda water, and lemon. It’s dispensed right from the tap at 38 degrees and served with a lemon twist. I know this isn’t exciting or innovative but holy smokes after an afternoon of barbecue and sweating you don’t need something complex. You need something refreshing and relaxing. This, 60 degree AC, and the dim lights at Nickel City will have you ready to party after any sort of meal.
Something I Bought
Look, I am by no means a fashion editor but there are a lot of horrible sunglasses out there now.
The whole early 2000’s late 1990’s men’s sunglass trends are pretty bad IMO. I see a lot of small or gas station-style frames that somehow through groupthink we have accepted. I refute this wholeheartedly.
I don’t think they look cool. And if you’re reading this and have some, I have a wonderful alternative for you. The sunglasses made by Crap Eyewear are vintage looking but incredibly fun and affordable. You can go classic with a wayfarer shape or get a little crazy with a rose colored frame and look like a 1980’s poker player. The sunglass quality is fantastic and they are always running some sort of deal. I literally wear them every single day and always want more pairs.
Shop responsibly but get a few pairs here.
Something I Ate
Darlings of the NYC food universe: Zaab Zaab opened up a new seafood-focused spot in Williamsburg last month.
To say that I was excited that this food would be mere minutes away from me would be an understatement. If there is anything I love it’s crispy, spicy, and herby food. Zaab Zaab’s Isaan-style Thai food is perfect for that, especially the whole fried fish. 99% of the time I find a whole fried fish to be somewhat disappointing, as they can sog out pretty quickly.
This is not the case for Zaab Zaab.
They fry the fish in a light batter leaving the entire thing crispy and perfect. They even cut it so that you can rip nuggets of incredibly delicious fish right off. The entire thing is covered in fairly mild chiles and was my favorite thing on the menu by a country mile. This, some larb, and a few thai beers is a perfect (and fairly affordable) dinner out in Brooklyn.
Something that made me laugh
xoxo,
Will
Glad y'all enjoyed Austin. Nickel City is a gem! Austin Summers had me drinking a lot of highballs as well.