Reminder and Final Itinerary: Brooke and Phil’s International Big Adventure.

We're just a couple days away from The International Big Adventure.Feel free to join us anywhere along the way this Saturday, December 5^th!

If you’re planning on joining us, note that the times have changed a bit and there is one major revision in the set up below. Be aware all ye who plan to travel internationally with us!

Lederhosen Restaurant – (Germany) 2:30 PM -39 Grove Street Near 7^th Ave & Christopher St. - West Village. The only combination of Bavarian murals and indoor picnic tables in NYC.

Wang Chen's Table Tennis Club – (China) 5:00 PM ­-250 W 100th Street Near Broadway on the Upper West Side. Due to sundry issues. Spain and Fencing are tagging out but Ping Pong and China are tagging in. Olympic Medalist Wang Chen (truly!) and others who take Table Tennis vvvveeerry seriously are serving up private coaching for us and will then set us loose on their tournament tables. Feel free to come armed with your best “Everyone Wang Chen Tonight” joke.

Pinetree Lodge--(Canada) 7:00 PM -326 E 35th St - Between 1st Ave & Tunnel Entrance St – Murray Hill. This place could only be more Canadian if it was called the “Hoser Hut”. Note that there are seriously two Pinetree Lodges in the same neighborhood, so beware.

Fáilte Irish Whiskey Bar-- (Ireland) 9:00 PM - 531 2nd Ave- Between 29th St & 30th St – Murray Hill. If we don’t see someone dancing a jig or doing a terrible Irish impression, we’ll be a bit sad.

KGB Bar --(Russia) 11:00 PM 85 E 4th St – Near 2^nd Ave. –Lower East Side. From Russia with love, this bar knows that with a little vodka, anyone can pronounce “Dostoyevsky” correctly

Won Jo Korean BBQ --(Korean) Late Night - 23 W 32nd Street between 5^th and 6^th in (where else?) Korea Town. Delicious BBQ prepared right at the table. We’ve reserved the tables with the window view of 32^nd street. A great way to end the night.

As always, the only gear you’ll need is an NYC Metro Card and your drinking shoes. The day is set up to be as inexpensive or as lavish as you want it to be.

While we strive to stay on schedule, the timing on most of these stops is approximate. If you need to find us anytime during the day or see where we may be along the way, reach out to the cell phones.

Hope to see ya Saturday...so we can fill your passport with stamps from around the globe!

Brooke and Phil’s International Big Adventure Update!

We’re hoping you can join us next Saturday, December 5^th.

We’re going to get started around 2:00 PM, but feel free to meet up with the roaming Big Adventure at any point throughout the day. Below is the detailed Itinerary complete with the foreign lands we’ll be visiting without leaving NYC.

Germany -Lederhosen – 2:00 PM -39 Grove Street –Near 7^th Ave and Christopher Street in the West Village.

Our day begins here! Between the over-the-top Bavarian mural and well-priced German cuisine, Lederhosen is the perfect blend of schtick and deliciousness. Often cited as the real Deutch deal when it comes to dishes from schnitzzle to the imported beer and wine.

Spain - Manhattan Fencing Center – 4:00 PM - 225 W 39th St, 2nd Fl – Near 7^th Avenue.

That’s right. We’re going fencing. Foils, Épées, Sabres and those crazy mesh masks. We’ll be taking an entry level class custom taillored just for us. The hope is that Mandy Patinkin will coach us and then accuse us of killing his father over and over again as he searches our hands for six fingers. We'll keep you posted if you need to bring any additional gear.

Canada -Pinetree Lodge -6:00 PM -326 E 35th St - Between 1st Ave & Tunnel Entrance St.

After all that exercise, we’ll kick back at the ole Pinetree Lodge. Tucked away on 35^th Street, its chock full of charm and giant moose heads…just like they have in Canada! We’ve reserved one of their cozy dens and have arranged for 2-for-1 drink specials. Their Pine Tree Ale is a must try. Note that their are TWO locations with "Pine Tree" in the title near one another. Do NOT go to the one on first Avenue. You'll be much happier drinking near the Midtown tunnel and Chinese Embassy.

Ireland – Fáilte Irish Whiskey Bar -8:30 PM - 531 2nd Ave- Between 29th St & 30th St

Just around the corner from Pinetree Lodge, we’ll make a stop at Fáilte. The bar’s name is Gaelic for “Welcome” and is pronounced “fault-ya” as in “I know you stole my money, but I won’t fault ya.” They have received endless accolades for the Best Irish Coffee in the city. A wonderful Whiskey Bar that captures the spirit of the Emerald Isle. John, the affable and attentive bartender, is setting up a space just for us.

Russia- KGB Bar -10:30 PM 85 E 4th St – Near 2^nd Ave.

Man, we love this bar. Located on the second floor above a small performance space and decked out in red, this Communist throwback dive is plastered with posters of Iconic, fallen leaders from the land of Tsars. An endless vodka selection behind the bar and, to be honest, it is the opposite of the bar where everyone knows your name…or even cares that you’re there. With supposed ties to old Russian revolutionists, we always feel like a Bolshevik revolution is just about to go down while we're inside.

Korean –Won Jo Korean BBQ -Late Night - 23 W 32nd Street between 5^th and 6^th

Located in the heart of Korea Town, we’ll cap off the evening with some late night tasty grub: cook-it-on-the-table style. An array of colorful and exotic foods combined with a 24 hour restaurant the specializes in open flame at the table = win. Plus,as a nice bonus its close to a dozen subway lines near 34th Street.

As always, there will be a mix of surprises, personal touches and a contest or two of personal skill (How well do you know your International Flags and Geography?) that tend to accompany every Big Adventure.

Keep in mind all are welcome so feel free to pass this on to your friends, roommates, landlords, and more.

The more the merrier. No need to RSVP, but let us know if you think you might make it so we have an idea for size. Also let us know if you have any questions and suggestions are always welcome. Hope to see you next Saturday!

Brooke and Phil's International Big Adventure is Coming!

Mark you calendars for Saturday, December 5^th, as we’ll be embarking on yet another Brooke and Phil’s Big Adventure.

Keeping in the spirit of all the Big Adventures, we plan on taking advantage of the amazing opportunities available to us by living in New York City. Therefore, this adventure will be our first International Big Adventure!

But there’s no need to pack your passports, fanny packs or any Dramamine because you’ll be touring the world without ever leaving New York City. We will be making stops in Germany, Central America, Canada, Ireland, Russia, Korea and more! As we cross borders throughout the city, we’ll dine on the food, imbibe in the drink and engage in the culture from different nations in our signature casual and fun way.

As with all Big Adventures, the fun starts in the early afternoon and will continue until late at night. Check this very blog for specific details including route, locations and times in the next couple of weeks. But if you would like travel with us, save the date of Saturday December 5^th, for Brooke and Phil’s International Big Adventure.

Photos from The W Subway Line Big Adventure

Some quality snapshots from throughou the day on the last Big Adventure in late May In New York City during the W Line Big Adventure - From Ulysses' at Whitehall Street in Downtown Manhattan all the way to the Beer Garden at Ditmars Blvs in Astoria and many places in between. Selected for your viewing pleasure...

You can take a gander at all of the photos and leave some comments over on Flickr

Final Itinerary for The Salute To The W Line

Below is a fine, detailed and well spelled list of where we will be and when on Saturday, May 30th...


1:00 PM – Whitehall Street Stop – Ulysses Bar – 95 Pearl Street. We’ll begin the Big Adventure at a great downtown pub. Spacious and Historic, Ulysses is best known for their drink specials, great food and raw bar (which is great because there is nothing Brooke loves more than uncooked fish) Brave the meandering downtown corridors and walk straight up either Pearl or Stone street.

We’ll then trek through Washington Square Park for a bevy of events that may or may not be happening. Free Street Fairs, events and such are tricky like that.

3:30 PM – Union Square Stop– Max Brenner’s – 841 Broadway. Get ready to enjoy some of the finest confections in New York as prepared by the legendary “Chocolate By The Bald Man” at the Israeli chocolatier’s largest US Location.

5:00 PM – 28^th Street Stop – Museum of Sex – 253 Fifth Avenue at 27^th Street. Current exhibits include The Sex Lives of Animals, Sex and The Moving Images, The Sex Lives of Robots (?!) and more. And….the filter for all of your work interneting just sent this whole e-mail right to your IT administration team.

7:15 PM – Broadway Stop (Astoria) – Break– 32-04

Broadway at 32^nd Street (upstairs). More than just a Pool Hall, it’s a large pool hall with never ending drink specials, an excellent pub menu, cheap billiards and, of course, The Inaugural Brooke and Phil Air Hockey Tournament! No Holds Barred! Winner Takes All!

9:30 PM – Ditmars Stop – Bohemian Beer Hall Garden– 2919 24th Avenue at 29^th Street. It all culminates here. Voted again and again, one of the best bars in New York City. Most of you have a great Beer Garden story. If you don’t yet, join us, grab a seat on picnic bench, a stein of Czech beer and prepare to enjoy.

Update: Brooke and Phil’s W Line Big Adventure!

Great News! Thanks to the wisdom and strong leadership of the New York State Assembly, the W Subway Line has been saved! Rejoice!

Our Big Adventure will no longer be shrouded in darkness as a somber day of mourning. Instead, it will be a rousing tribute to one of our favorite Subway Lines. Better yet, it will be a day to celebrate the W Line, enjoy one-of-a-kind NYC landmarks along the route, and honor all that we were so close to losing. We’re hoping to get a city proclamation announcing the day next Saturday, but that might be a touch unlikely.

Pack your Metro Card and join us for the Big Adventure NEXT Saturday, May 30th as we Celebrate the W Line! We’ll start near the Whitehall station in downtown Manhattan and slowly work our way to the Ditmars stop at the end of the line in Astoria.

We’ll get started around 1:00 PM with events continuing into the evening. Final details with specific times, addresses and locations to come next Wednesday night right here. Tentative stops and activities include:

Whitehall Street Stop– The adventure begins. Afternoon drinks and merriment at a downtown pub/bar in or near Battery Park. We’re narrowing down the perfect place…preferably with outdoor space. Perhaps Whitehorse Tavern or A.J Kelly.

8th Street Stop– Ah, its spring which means Street Fairs. This one is the legendary Washington Square Park Street Fair. From there, we will wander north to enjoy treats at legendary chocloatier Max Brenner’s place.

28th Street Stop – We’ll then swing by the Sex Museum (225 Fifth Avenue). You know you’ve always wanted to go. And technically it is a museum, so that gives us art street cred.

Broadway (Astoria) Stop – Next up is Break (32-04 Broadway) for the 2009 Winner-Take-All Air Hockey Tournament. On the second floor with all the amenities, you can also try your hand at Billiards, various games and Ping Pong played for some reason in mosquito nets. Oh yeah, hopefully, Drink Specials as well.

Ditmars Stop – Ending (beginning?) the evening at the historic & hip Bohemian Beer Hall which always makes for a good time. Bring a deck of cards. Although the rumor is that the set up has changed a bit this year at Astoria’s Best Known Bar. If the Beer Garden comes up short, we’ll ditch for a new beer hall around the corner that is also rumored to be amazing.

Plus, the usual fanfare of surprise and personal touches that accompany every Big Adventure.

Suggestions for the day are always welcome…Hope to see you next Saturday!

Farewell To The W Line Adventure - Saturday, May 30th

Spring is here and we’re gearing up for another Big Adventure. Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 30^th. That’s when we will bid a fond farewell to the New York Subway “W” Line.

Soon, this nefarious Economic Down Turn and the MTA Budget Cuts will wipe out this entire route for good (along with the Z line). Since we moved to NYC, the W line has hauled us from sundry spots from downtown Manhattan to the edge of Astoria. Over the course of the afternoon and evening, we’ll ride the rails and make several fun and irreplaceable stops to pay tribute to the friendly giant W symbol. Plus, you’ll enjoy the last low fares before the insane jump in cost on June 1^st.

We plan to start the day around 1:00 PM or so and work our way from Battery Park at Whitehall Station downtown and probably end at Ditmars Station in Astoria. We’ll make a few quality stops right off the line which will likely include an Afternoon Air Hockey Tournament, some one-of-a-kind food stops, definitely a visit to the Astoria Bohemian Beer Garden (oh yeah) and much more.

As with all Brooke and Phil Adventures, we promise that the day will be unique, affordable and distinctly NYC. Detailed Information forthcoming in the next two weeks, but we wanted to get it on your radar.

We hope that you’ll join us for one last trip down the W Line before it fades away for good…

The Big Adventure Returns This Spring!

Ah, Great News for all. After a brief hiatus over the winter, Brooke and Phil's Big Adventure returns with vigor and vengeance this spring. We've got some tricks up our sleeves but are waiting till will shore up all the details to spread the word. So...um...get ready to mark your calendars once we have dates for you to mark?

In the meantime, feel free to peruse photos from our last event, The 24 Hour Big Adventure.