“Our plan is the secret to success. Bowling and fish tacos. What else could people be doing, on a Saturday afternoon, that could possibly be better? Really?”
For the past few months, my girlfriend and I have been going to The Gutter, the bowling alley/bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Saturday afternoons. Almost every Saturday afternoon. Sometimes friends join, but for the most part, it’s just the two of us, working on our game.
The Gutter, which has been around for about a year, is owned by the (eco-friendly) geniuses that created Barcade, the bar/arcade filled with classic games like 1942, Pac-Man, Smash TV, Punch-Out and Super Mario Bros. Located next to old factories and warehouses, The Gutter, which is decked out with dark wood floors, booths and old beer signs, looks like an alley or bar that you’d find in some small town circa 1980. So much so, that after finding the inconspicuous location, you feel like you’ve entered a time warp (especially when AC/DC or Iggy is blaring from the speakers).
This comforting nostalgia is definitely one of the beauties of The Gutter. My girlfriend and I had gone bowling from time-to-time growing up. Her in Florida, I in Wisconsin. When we first went here, we both noticed how similar it was to the alleys we’d rolled down in the past. The only things missing were the semi-pros supporting paunches, concessions, and That Bowling Smell. The Gutter has part of that smell, beer and lane oil, but not the other scents that create That Bowling Smell, which are cigarette smoke, fried foods and a general staleness. Due to certain restrictions, I don’t foresee these scents filling The Gutter anytime soon, which is sad, but nothing worth complaining about.
The place is split, almost perfectly, in two. Half bar, half bowling alley. The bar has a wealth of beers, plenty of seats, a pool table, antiquated decor and a super friendly staff. The alley has 8 lanes with old computers, chipped, scratched and colored bowling balls and more beer signs. We spend most of our time in the alley half, playing our three games a week.
When we started becoming regulars several months ago, we made a conscious decision to improve our game. I don’t know that we’d ever join a league or anything, but it’s a lot of fun. Right now, my goal is just to get my name on their high score board. The lowest score, last time I checked, was 202. My high score, so far, is 186. My girlfriend is pretty damned good, too. I believe her high score has been in the 150’s or 140’s. She even has her own technique, which strikes some as odd, especially after she leaves the lane pinless. She also has more passion for it than I. I can’t tell you how often, usually mid-week, she’ll sigh, a dreamy look in her eye, and say, “I can’t wait to go bowling Saturday.” I always agree.
This past Saturday, after a solid session at the lanes, we found ourselves dazed and in need of sustenance. We decided to go to one of our neighborhood’s newest additions, the Mexican restaurant and beer garden, Papacitos.
Papacitos, located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is an outdoor restaurant serving Mexican street food. Soon it will have an indoor area, but for now it’s a simple patio area with picnic tables, a few plants, a couple of signs for Mexican beers, an eclectic mix of music blasting from a boombox and a bar. Very basic and very relaxed. More like a friend’s barbecue than a restaurant, which gives it a ton of charm.
Then there’s the food.
My girlfriend loves Mexican food and fish tacos are one of her favorite dishes. She’s had them across the country. New York, Florida, California. Though you don’t know her, trust me when I say that she knows what she’s talking about. What is she talking about? How Papacitos has the best fish tacos she’s ever eaten.
I’m no expert, but I agree. Made of tilapia, pickled cabbage, onions, cilantro and a, we believe, sour cream-based white sauce, the tacos were absolutely delicious. Warm, fresh and totally satisfying. You can order 1, 2 or 3. She got 3, I got 2. Luckily, she was nearly full after 2 and I got to eat most of her third. If my stomach was big enough, I would have eaten 9. The flavors were so distinct, clean and just damned tasty.
In addition to the tacos, we got an order of chips and salsa. The chips, which are made from scratch, were warm and delicious. As was the salsa, which was finely chopped, but still thick and hearty. So good. So, so good.
The whole experience lead my girlfriend to utter the above quote during our meal. I had no answer for her.
Walking back to our apartment afterwards, we were positively beatific. Belinda Carlisle was right, Heaven is a place on Earth. A place located conveniently in our neighborhood.
