Schnack opening in the Lyceum

Subject: Re: Schnack opening in the Lyceum

pitu wrote: holy jesus!
the waste of space is getting Schnacks?!

there was a little listing about it in Time Out . . .

That's at least a sign of life. But sadly like the silly cafe (Why You Never Know aka W.Y.N.K.) in there, who really wants to climb about two story's worth of stairs to go to Schnack?

Maybe someone will take that abandonded SEPTA trolley in the yard next to it and make THAT the Schnack stand. That would be perfect.

Subject: Re: Schnack opening in the Lyceum

Jack wrote:
That's at least a sign of life. But sadly like the silly cafe (Why You Never Know aka W.Y.N.K.) in there, who really wants to climb about two story's worth of stairs to go to Schnack?

I would and I'd climb more if i had to. A five decker cheesebuger from schnack with bacon, mushrooms, onions, schnack sauce and habanero sauce, coupled with fries and a huge Jever is my personal happy place that i retreat to in those dark moments. It's the only burger I eat with a knife and fork.

I can eat a scary amount of food. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Arrrgh! Why now, when I no longer live around the corner? Proximity to sausage=good life.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's been profoundly unimpressed with what's been done there.

When's lunch? At this branch of Schnack, never. According to Time Out, they won't be opening for lunch during the week. Dinner 7 days a week, brunch on the weekends. No lunch.

Yes, more details, please!

I love Schnack, but the last bus back from them to my neighborhood leaves around 8 pm, so it's really dine & dash territory. That would be great if the Lyceum were to be spruced up, but I'd be happy to start with a local Schnack!

Subject: Schnack

As official as we can be here are the answers to most of your questions...

1) When are you open:

a) open for Breakfast 7am to Noon
b) open when the Lyceum is open
c) starting Monday open 7 days a week
d) open for dinner 5pm until Late.. (in about a week)

e) open late means until 2am

f) not sure when we are open? Just call 718 857 4816 and ask the friendly staff!

2) What are you serving?

a) Single burgers $2 (free cheese)
b) Stahl-Meyer Black Angus Hot Dogs $3
c) Veggie Dogs ($3.75)
d) Veggie Burgers ($4, house made, not frozen!)

Other items include home made granola (vegan), a Basque Egg sandwich (Torta, veggie), and fried/scrambled eggs, Bagel w/ Salmon, Capers and Red Onion, Bagel w/ cream cheese.

Breakfast stuff served in the AM, everything else in the PM.

3) What is the menu at the 1st Schnack…

The menu is on our web site but its about to go through a few changes as we move to a smaller menu with more specials and some price increases (after almost 3 years). Check our blog for more details when they are available (http://schnackdog.blogspot.com/)

i was dying for the protein brunch on sat morning with the rain and walked down the block to see if the schnack was gonna have the full brunch menu...nah...not a chance. just an egg sandwich, some muffins and mediocre stuff.

aside from that, im stoked i can get schnackies 4 blocks from my apt...and late too...no more drunk moments standing by the mcdonalds drive-thru for a double cheeseburger with the homies.

Subject: Where exactly?

Ok so where exactly is this place? it sounds great!
Z

ah i c- so where is the original schnak?

Subject: Re: brooklyn lyceum/schnack

pitu wrote: [quote=Anonymous]has the "waste of space" poster ever been to a show?

over 100,000 people have been through the building in the last few years.

film festivals.

weddings.

Dance Theater Workshop

Theater productions.

Music events(Polyphonic Spree, Cyro Baptista, Vernon Reid, CALLA, The Sharp Things, Gang Gang Dance).

Parties(Body Temple, Reggae Retro)

Fundraisers(MS 51, Develop Dont Destroy....)

and those regular cafe customers you must never see at 7am.

must be a book by the cover person.

As for the trolley..

i doubt the owner of the trolley(me) would invest $$ to drag in a crowd that complains about 12 steps to get into an adjacent facility.

it really is funny that a local can find any reason to be snooty about a venue, but people come from all over (boston, philly, montreal,...) to attend events in a space you decry as beneath you.

with an attitude like that, no wonder the Lyceum has such dreary programming!

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:


sorry guest, I'll climb plenty of steps for interesting theater, music, dance and the rest of it but it's just not *on* at the Lyceum so far.
If you're wondering, I go to Southpaw and Barbès in the Slope, Galagapos and StrebLab in Williamsburg . . . BAM and Joe's Pub and The Kitchen and Tonic and . . . get it? Patron of the arts here! Rooting for a good venue to take hold in this potentially fabulous space, and disappointed that you're fucking it up!

The good news:
I was by there this weekend and THE SCAFFOLDING IS DOWN. Huzzah!

#1

first question still applies.

has the poster ever attended an event at the brooklyn lyceum?

if so, which one? and did you formulate your opinion of a venue based on one visit? would you do the same about a movie theater?

if not, there must be some deeper issues at work. i suspect it is a marketing issue. it is pretty much death to any independent venue to start dropping $$ on marketing to attract park-slopers. well educated and with a thick marketing skin. the only alternatives are liquor and longevity.


#2

lets disabuse the blog readers and contributors of the thought that the lyceum is trying to be a hipster venue. it has been active since 1998. maybe not to your liking, but thats 8 years of activity, the last 3 years being more or less full-time. its about the quality of work and not the quantity of buzz.

as to the "interesting" & "dreary" comment....
which of the following are uninteresting and dreary?

cyro baptista
mum
calla
the sharp things
earthdriver
polyphonic spree
gang gang dance
yanira castro
marshall arisman
vernon reid
duck baker & marc ribot
cmj
chakra meltdown
polygraph lounge
brooklyn underground film festival
asbury shorts of new york.
nadine goellner
natalia zukeman
josh walden
danzas espanolas
arsenal, big black car, hotsauce, killebrew
body temple
reggae retro
world inferno friendship society


thats music, dance, improv, movies

what has taken much time up at the lyceum is theater....

ain gordon's new york:brooklyn
richard II
antony & cleopatra
wax factory
31 bond
random violence
the nose & the overcoat
too much light makes the baby go blind

dont know'em? google'm.

now that my venting has been done..the brooklyn lyceum is a theater. it is not worried about unique. it is worried about quality.

the name lyceum should make that abundantly clear.

from dictionary.com...
...
A hall in which public lectures, concerts, and similar programs are presented
...

your average draw forty people and call it a success bar band would just be swallowed up in the main space.

i also suspect that a demographic difference exists between you and the the average patron here. our average age is about 45. they come out for the event. not the beer.

i also frequent many of the places that you mention. they are all excellent places on the new york scene. many of the acts you see at these places have played here before they get to those stages.

for the lyceum it is about the caliber of work. sorry the activity over the last several years hasn't spoken to you.

#3

schnack

the signs say "schnack express". it is intended to be a limited version of schnack, not a clone. burgers and dogs and tofu dogs and veggie burgers. no more, no less. and it hits its mark. evening people who want a burger.

where else can you get:

..the best burger in the area
..the best coffee/espresso drinks
..a place to sit looking out _over_ 4th avenue
..a place where you can see large works by artists such as marshall arisman
..a place to eat where you can see a football game on a 25 foot screen
...a place to eat where you can watch over aerialists practicing for a tour
...and yes... beer on weekends.

i like schnack and enjoy having them at the lyceum. the menu is limited to the core items because both schnack management and myself understood that, contrary to schnack fans feelings, most slopers do not know schnack(did the focus group on that one) and when the menu grows it should reflect the tastes of the community.

many things are in the works. but it is a theater/gym. it will not be your usual food-service experience. many things are better. and some are not.


#3

the lyceum is not a bar. it has had grammy winners, nationally known theater troupes and regularly has some of the best improv troupes in the city perform. they don't seem to have an issue with the facility.

#4

stop by. good burgers overcome many impediments.

just remember... its twelve steps up to the schnack:express. and twenty steps down to the performance area. the faint of heart need not apply.

http://www.gowanus.com/RE/photos

#5

full disclosure -- i run the lyceum and do about half the booking.
if you or anyone who reads this posting has a question, email questions.at.gowanus.com.

#6

there are a growing number of things on 4th avenue worthy of a bit of your time. monster gallery (across the street from the lyceum) has some of the best art shows in the city with an opening every month or so. you probably have no idea it exists but i watch 200-300 people show up for each opening from my perch on the lyceum stoop.