Thistle Hill Tavern, NYC

What do you get when you drop two former ‘inoteca employees, an East Village bartender and an estranged-yet-talented punk musician in a bag and let them go at it? Well, rather then the projected mess that this sounds like – and really, it does – what we get in this case is a wicked little tonic, in the guise of Thistle Hill Tavern .

Sticking with the original theme of exposed brick and mahogany floorboards, Thistle Hill is quite a cool Brooklyn watering hole that does its best to shine under the spotlight. David Massoni and Mike “Fat Mike” Burkett of the punk band NOFX bring their own expertise to the Thistle table while their colleagues have shaped a European menu with traces of Mediterranean influences.

If you’re looking for nachos splashed with grease, note that this tavern may not be for you. Chef Rebecca Weitzman has constructed a menu to appease both carnivores and legitimate vegetarians: Zucchini pancakes, spiced nuts and seeds and grilled asparagus with mustard herb aioli fill out the starters section while the mains focus on the use of fresh ingredients from local farms. To feed starvation, Weitzman includes items like grilled octopus, roasted leg of lamb with smoke tomato vinaigrette and the household grass-fed Fat Mike Burger. The grilled grass-fed beef rib-eye is plated with roasted asparagus, horseradish pan sauce. A milk-braised pork belly comes with fava beans, mushrooms and pickled ramps.

Aching for breakfast? Thistle Hill Tavern’s variation uses house-made sausage, farm fresh egg and pancakes smothered in peppered maple syrup. Bartender John Bush also stands his ground with vast choices of wine by the glass and Brooklyn Brewery Pennant Ale and Guinness Stout on tap. Tally his house cocktails like the John Daly (sweet tea vodka, lemonade) and the Thistle (scotch, bitters, vermouth) and you have a long night of classy debauchery awaiting you. Just don’t heckle the NOFX tunes; the Thistle Hill Tavern has more class than you might expect.

441 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
(347) 599-1262
Sun.-Mon. 5 p.m.-12 a.m. Tue.-Wed. 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Thu.-Sat. 5 p.m.-4 a.m.
Cuisine – European
Area – Park Slope
Price – $$$ (Within Reach)

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