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The first ingredient necessary for this roll is a warm, sunny day. Whew-hew, welcome spring! We’re actually going to head down the river to the seaport area and hang there for most of the evening, but starting out at Pier 84 (subtract 20 from the pier number and that correlates with the street number) adds a little adventure and seamanship. And we ARE on a seaman’s mission…water and drink.

Depending on the time you get started, you might want to swing by a couple of places for some light touring and nip into that authentic New York flavor. Just make getting to Pier 84 a walk down 46th Street so you can pop into the H & H Bagels factory for a fresh baked treat. The bagel originated in Poland in 1683, and first landed in New York in the 1880’s- thank you Polish immigrants. H & H Bagels have only been making bagels since 1972, but are now the worlds’ largest bagel manufacturer. New York is one of three bagel capitals in the world; the other two are Montreal and Quebec. Go New York! Honestly though, they say that it is New York’s water that makes the bagels (and pizza) so good here. Our watering system is the largest unfiltered surface water supply in the world and 95% of it is delivered to the dirty and thirsty by gravity. It is the part about not being beaten and manhandled that imparts the minerally softness to the liquid that somehow results in superb bagels and pizza. If you want to learn more about New York’s water system, check out The Future Beneath Us: 8 Great Projects Under New York Exhibition until July 5, 2009. That, or you can just ask people for an ever interesting and diverse array of answers.

You won’t be able to miss the next attraction- it’s huge! It’s the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. You actually go onboard the vessel herself for this tour and she really has an interesting story to share having been around since 1943 and participated in several wars. She is warmly known as the ghost ship because of the many battles and injuries she has survived. Kind of like a cat and nine lives. If you aren’t in the mood for a museum, at the very least, stand below her enormous presence and see how you feel. She is a beast to be certain!

Are you thirsty yet? Next stop is at the beautiful Hudson River Park at Pier 84, P.D. O’Hurley’s where you will enjoy outdoor lounging and beer from a plastic cup. Don’t get finicky now, as this is just a casual and lazy place to hang. What, with the sun on your face, the Hudson breeze, and the view of the New Jersey shore, where, pray-tell is there room to complain? You should be plenty entertained though by all the water activities, an adjacent dog park, a water fountain for playing in and many interesting people doing interesting things. Word of warning: there are a ton of clever places to eat on this Roll, so tread lightly on your appetite. Worry not though you will have your share of grub no doubt. Just think of it as a graze day. Draw your fill here then head over to the NY Water Taxi at 44^th Street to enjoy a relaxing boat ride down the Hudson River.

If you hooked up with the Hop On–Hop Off option for the Water Taxi, make the stop at Chelsea Pier 66 to visit The Frying Pan and enjoy a drink and some of their well-known mussels and clams. This cool establishment sits atop an old barge and offers spectacular views of the river shores and sunsets thus making it a popular locals spot. When you are (reluctantly) done with being on the water, hop on the next Water Taxi and head down to South Street Seaport at Pier 17.

Guessing it is still fairly early on your end, head over to another popular locals hangout at Nelson Blue where you will continue to enjoy the nice day outdoors. Nelson Blue has a large area for outdoor diners and they have fantastic food. This is a New Zealander bar and the food, wine, and hospitality are none short of a smart representation of the region. This is easily detectable in the prompt and very friendly greeting as you walk in the door by Derek, the bartender. Our favorite dish here is the squid and lamb from the appetizer menu. Delicious!! The beer pours well and the selection offers more than the standard fare. This is a great place and we never miss stopping in on a regular basis. Have fun with this one!

To add a little more history to this Roll, pull in to Fraunces Tavern where you are sure to get a dose of American history. Although, originally called the ‘Queen’s Head’, it was here apparently that much of the discussion and planning took place for the Revolutionary War. The dining rooms maintain the fashion of 1762 when it was originally established and there is a museum upstairs that is fun to go through, but it is only open until 5pm so you have probably already missed that. We’ve been through it a few times- Tom likes to go there because they talk about one of her ancestors being the first woman to fight in a war…and they have good beer. That is always a must! Although we didn’t have anything to munch on here, we have enjoyed their tasty grub in the past.

Where you choose next is a toss up because they both have music that starts at 10pm, but we always find a way to fit both hot spots into our Rolls. On this evening we started at Killarney Rose for some folk music, dancing, and fun. It is one of those types of pubs where the whole bar gets involved in the common party. You are sure to make new friends here and can even get up and sing with the wee band if you’d like. They have a nice selection of beer to boot.

After you have had your fill of folk music and you are ready to really turn up the volume, head over to Ulysses’. Good luck finding a seat, but you are sure to have a great time and eventually seats do open up. Who needs to sit anyway with great music playing? The music is actually an event that you pay to get into for dancing and more partying, but the same music is piped throughout the bar so if you want to pass the cover charge, hang there. The street of tables is just out the backdoor where you are sure to find seating, community or otherwise. We really dig the music beat here, as do many others that you yourself will soon discover. Good craic!

When the music’s over and/or you’re ready to tone ‘er down, consider finishing at the Gold Street Bar. This bar is in the style of a 50’s diner with gold and purple tiles, glittery décor, and vinyl booths. The mood that this place creates makes it an interesting place to wind down, have a chat, and grab some grub. We headed home after this last stop. Although a busy Roll, it was a dynamite day!

Cheers and Happy Rolling!

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Tags: Bar, Dancing, Dining, Entertainment, Fraunces Tavern, Gold Street Bar, Killarney Rose, Nelson Blue, Nightlife, NY Tours, O'Hurley's, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews, The Frying Pan, Tours, Ulysses'