In this city, restaurants come and go faster than you can say "sustainable locavore burger." And even though there are great new additions to the culinary landscape popping up every week, you've gotta give kudos to anyone who can stick it out for over a year. With that in mind, we bring you Still Got It, our tribute to establishments that continue to serve mouthwatering meals and drinks long after the buzz has faded—or if the lingering hype is still justified.
If you feel like nightlife's abandoned you just beyond the borders of the Upper East Side, take note of the fact that a few great bars—ABV and the Guthrie Inn, to name a few—have sprouted up on Park and Lexington over the past few years to service the once near-barren upper '90s. Earl's Beer and Cheese is arguably the best of these craft beer-and-cocktail pioneers, a casual neighborhood haunt boasting great beer and hearty food in an offbeat little nook.
Earl's opened in 2011 to much fanfare, and a visit to its 97th Street and Park Avenue space makes it easy to see why. The bar itself is small, seating only twelve or so customers, generally casual and post-collegiate, at a big communal table or at stools along the sides. And the decor is decidedly, er, rustic if you're into that kind of thing, with big taxidermy deer heads and some woodsy paintings hanging from the walls.
But you don't go to Earl's for the decorations. The bar offers a rotating selection of four beers nightly, like Southern Tier Pumking and Ithaca Nut Brown Ale. Drafts run $6 to $8, come in hefty mugs and pair fantastically with the bar's local bread and cheese options, like Beer Cheese (NY State Cheddar, house lager, garlic and toast), $7. If you're looking for a real treat, though, try Earl's classic NY State Cheddar grilled cheese ($8) a smorgasbord of delicious, totally cholesterol-heavy goodies like pork-belly, kimchi and fried egg, all smushed together between two sauce-soaked pieces of sourdough bread. Also of note: Earl's spicy tomato soup ($7), sprinkled with siracha and ginger, and their mac & cheese ($8) made with goat cheese, rosemary and shredded chicken. Prepare to be totally sated and stuffed when you hit Park Avenue once again.
Earl's Beer and Cheese is located at 1259 Park Ave between 97th and 98th Street in East Harlem (earlsny.com, 212-289-1581)
