Thirstbaràvin – Wine Bar on Classon Ave

Having been raised a vegetarian by an ex-hippie Mom, for the first 20 years of my life, I will be the first to admit I could care less about establishments whose menu's boast of serving dishes like Bollito Misto (Beef Tongue and Brisket with Two Sauces)or Pork Belly etc.,

So, to my surprise the new Wine Bar on Classon Ave at Pacific, Thirstbaràvin, exceeded ALL of my expectations!

Granted I did not have the Bollito Misto (Beef Tongue and Brisket with Two Sauces)or the Pork Belly - I had the Leeks in Vinaigrette Sauce - but the experience was totally AMAZING!!!!!

Check it out bk.ly/xmU

i wonder how this place is doing. horrible location.

Mr. Met.., initially I thought the location was a Killer also, but being near the borders of 4 neighborhoods - Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill, and Bedford-Stuyvesant - might prove to be it's saving grace.

What's your issue(s) with the location?

Excellent photos - what wines did you try and how are prices?

What's your issue(s) with the location?

it seems like a relatively upscale place, but it's surrounded by all of those scrapyards and the chicken slaughter place. plus i feel like a lot of the successful places in crown heights are closer to eastern parkway. it's not really close to a subway and that area doesn't get as much foot traffic as others.

i hope you're right about the 4 neighborhoods thing, though. hope the place sticks around.

i love the new falafel place on bergen and classon. good, cheap food. haven't seen much about it on brooklynian.

As someone who lives within a couple of blocks I initially thought it was a bad idea too, but Outpost does really well (sometimes too well and I can't get a seat) just a couple of blocks away. Also it is not too far from the Franklin C stop. This area also lacks date spots- Outpost is hit and miss and doesn't have that kind of food selection. I think the biggest thing will be letting people know they exist.

...what is Outpost?

I thought she meant Habana Outpost http://www.yelp.com/biz/habana-outpost-brooklyn

But that's not exactly the location... probably Outpost Cafe (Lounge) http://www.outpostlounge.com/pages/map.html

They list the same "nexus": "Outpost is located at the nexus of four amazing Brooklyn neighborhoods. Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights."

it seems like a relatively upscale place, but it's surrounded by all of those scrapyards and the chicken slaughter place. plus i feel like a lot of the successful places in crown heights are closer to eastern parkway. it's not really close to a subway and that area doesn't get as much foot traffic as others.

Interestingly, as we note in the article, there is actually an Italian restaurant slated to open next door. The owner owns an Italian restaurant in the Lower East Side ... unfortunately, I can't remember the name. A few visionary restaurateurs could really make "warehouse row" as we call it, a happening place!

Interestingly, as we note in the article, there is actually an Italian restaurant slated to open next door. The owner owns an Italian restaurant in the Lower East Side ... unfortunately, I can't remember the name. A few visionary restaurateurs could really make "warehouse row" as we call it, a happening place!

hope so. new eating options always welcome.

How about the meat-packing district on 14th st in Manhattan?

That strip has transformed from seedy hotels by the hr, hustlers, pimps, sweet, but hard-working "working "girls"".., into this strip of totally "upscale" establishments.

If the meat-packing district can do a total transformation.., and clean-up to that degree.., then lil' ole Classon Ave with her scrap yard shop here and there - just may stand a chance to be transformed into a quaint dinning experience.

My fingers are crossed!

I don't know if 'transformation' and 'clean-up' necessitates it being 'better'. It all depends upon whose interests are being met. Were I a john looking for a 'working girl' (or 'boy' for that matter) then the price of said service has now gone up. I mean, the meat-packing district has become a ghetto for boutique bullshit and the self-consciously scrubbed; stainless steel, glass and chrome are now prerequisites. I dunno, that kind of stuff is disgusting in a 'progressive' sort of way....

What's wrong with a wine shop beside a scrapyard and a chicken slaughterhouse? Note my use of 'shop' instead of bar. It's conscious. Why must we dress up everything? That's not a rhetorical question. There is something self serving and narcissist when 'folks need to sit in mood lighting just to drink alcohol. A bottle of wine that retails for 8 bucks is taken into a 'wine bar' where one buys a glass of wine for 8 bucks... Crazy hipsters....

It's like the difference between drinking in a fern bar (if that term is still used) on the one hand, and in an old Irish shot-and-a-beer joint.

You're going to have a very different experience in each.

'fern bar'? It's an unwarranted elitist perspective; self-congratulatory.

(In a Schwarzennegger-type voice:) Look at us, we are so sensitive and progressive drinking fancy wine in a wine bar! We are all SO cool, and hip, and FANCY, drinking our overpriced wine! Oh, if we could get rid of the scrapyard and the chicken slaughterhouse - then we wouldn't have to be reminded of those un-cool, un-hip people! Then it would be 'better'!

How about this?

Get rid of the scrapyard and the chicken slaughterhouse, and I'll bet there are gonna be fewer rats...

That presumes that rats like to eat metal and tires, and that the slaughterhouse isn't circumspect about the remains that they throw away -- another unwarranted elitist presumption Booklaw....

rats = getting kinda offtopic, guys.

wine = it's what's for dinner!!

I don't know if 'transformation' and 'clean-up' necessitates it being 'better'.

like clockwork

tick tock

rats = getting kinda offtopic, guys.

Hardly, on a bed of mesclun no less.

OK, that's at least funny, especially if you photoshopped it.

Not to contribute to the off-topic-fest, but speaking of absurd salad photos, you really have to see this recent post: Women Laughing Alone With Salad

What's wrong with rat salad? It's sure better than rat-shit salad, which I am sure we have all eaten whether we would like to think so or not....

MHA said - "Note my use of 'shop' instead of bar. It's conscious. Why must we dress up everything?"

I thought a wine shop is where one goes to buy a bottle of wine for off premise consumption, whereas a wine bar is primarily a bar that focuses on the on premise consumption of wine. I'm not sure how that is dressing it up in as much as quantifying what it is. Did I miss something?

Anyway, I hope this new wine bar/shop succeeds. Thank you SnowboardQueen for sharing. I think hubby and I will pay them a visit - sans the rat salad.

"i wonder how this place is doing. horrible location. "

It's an excellent location, actually. I bet the rent is crazy cheap and people who like good wine are going out of their way to get there.

Yes, the owner also owns a wine store in a different location.

....he/she likely has an existing client list of people who like "slow, quality dining and refined food". ....they will travel to get there.

I thought a wine shop is where one goes to buy a bottle of wine for off premise consumption, whereas a wine bar is primarily a bar that focuses on the on premise consumption of wine. I'm not sure how that is dressing it up in as much as quantifying what it is. Did I miss something?

it's a bar.

You mean 'qualifying' Mr. Met.

So, has anyone (besides SnowboardQueen) eaten here yet?

SnowboardQueen, no offense but I am looking of a non-vegetarian point of view before I check this place out.

whynot_31 - None taken of course. I enjoy friendly discussion of the pro's and con's of an issue from all sides.

I actually went with LB and she had the Pork Belly dish. She was quite satisfied with the flavors, textures etc.

After 20 years, I'm no longer a vegetarian, but in all honesty, any meat besides fish, chicken or turkey does frighten me.

Hopefully LB will personally post of her experience soon.

Note my use of 'shop' instead of bar. It's conscious. Why must we dress up everything? That's not a rhetorical question. There is something self serving and narcissist when 'folks need to sit in mood lighting just to drink alcohol. A bottle of wine that retails for 8 bucks is taken into a 'wine bar' where one buys a glass of wine for 8 bucks... Crazy hipsters...

This is a joke, right?

right?

Cowboys are hipsters? A saloon is a bar. A bar is like a restaurant for drinks -- or do you not see why people would go out to eat either? I mean, you can eat at home for cheaper too.

People drink at bars for reasons other than wanting to feel hip or whatever. Some people want the experience of leaving their house (for whatever reason -- I like to because if I'm at home I feel compelled to watch TV or to do work or to clean or whatever) or they want to hear music while drinking or they want to dance while drinking or they don't want so-and-so in their house while drinking or they want to meet new people while drinking or they want to try new wines/beers/cocktails or they want to have something that someone else picked out for them so that they don't have to decide and can have something delicious.

xlizellx, sorry to be curt, but somethings don't need to be said.

I want to hear from someone who has gone here. I have an anniversary coming up.