A Reason to Go to Midtown, Manhattan?

I'm not a fan of midtown Manhattan. To the west, Times Square loaded with droves of tourists. To the east, Grand Central Station filled with more camera touting visitors, in addition to commuters hopping on the Metro North heading back to Westchester County and various stops in the first part of New England. If it isn't work related, I avoid Midtown. 

 In Gotham, with a myriad of food and drink options, it's the uniqueness of a bar or restaurant that (generally) lures New Yorkers to the establishment.

"Hey, let's get some of that Avenitus on 1st Ave and talk to the German owner that has the degree in economics."

"You know, I got a real hankering for some lemon wasabi, let's go to that Japanese place....."

"We haven't been to the Upper East Side in a longtime, let's go and talk about the crime ridden NYC of the 1980's with that Bronx native that drinks Guinness at......."

For me, Midtown is bereft of special food and drink.  In steps The Perfect Pint II. 

Situated at 203 E. 45th Street (The original Perfect Pint is located on the West Side in the Theater District), The Perfect Pint II is firmly nested in my no-go zone. But with time to spare before meeting someone, I stepped into The Pint II for a drink. 

The bar has a wide selection of drafts such as: Heinken, Guinness, Brooklyn, Sam Adams, Stella, Magners ( a little more difficult to find on draft).  Simply put, all of the normal beers found in NYC bars. 

My initial thought was: go with the Stella in the sleek chalice. However, I then see it: the elusive Chimay on draft!

I had been looking for Chimay on tap in The Big Apple for a few months. I had been searching for this mystical drink as if I were Indiana Jones. Then finally, I inadvertently find it. 

The verdict: potent, fresh, and pricey; but totally worth it. The Perfect Pint II has given me a reason to slightly curb my loathing of Midtown Manhattan. 

Michael Francis Rizzi, Do You Renounce Satan? The Churches of Little Italy, Manhattan Part 1

One can easily devote a complete blog to Little Italy in Manhattan. The area is filled with filled with the history of immigrants (Irish, then Italian, now Chinese) and La Cosa Nostra.  The neighborhood also has beautiful churches and a strong cinematic heritage.

Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral (now a basilica), the predecessor of its more famous successor, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, located on Fifth Avenue, is intricate to the history of Roman Catholicism in New York City.  The church was at the center of violent disputes between Irish Catholics and Protestant Know-Nothing activists in the early part of the 19th Century.  In addition, freed Haitian slave Pierre Toussaint and his wife were buried in the graveyard there. 



The main entrance to the church. 



Notice there are no masses in Italian; but mass in Chinese is offered.

The gate to enter the courtyard of the old church.

The old church has also hosted famous scenes from mob movies.  In Mean Streets (1973), a young Martin Scorsese filmed a young David Proval (as Tony) who is struggling to rationalize his deep Catholic convictions with his mobster lifestyle (film is worth a look just to see a very young Robert DeNiro).



David Proval, as Tony, asking for forgiveness. 



However, the most memorable scene filmed in Old St. Patrick’s is the baptism scene from The Godfather.  Al Pacino, as Michael Corlene, stands as godfather for his nephew.  During the scene, director Francis Ford Copolla highlights antiquated Roman Catholic baptism rituals and the Sicilian Mafia ritual of vengeance by murder.  Copolla’s examination of this complex subject is worth seeing again (please see video below).   



This is the view of the church when the baptism scene begins.