It’s official….the holiday season is upon us! And one of NYC’s landmark events, the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting, is just around the corner. If you’ve never been, this might just be the year to make your way over to see this world-famous event. Take advantage of unseasonably high temperatures – at this writing, temperatures are expected to be in the high 40s or low 50s – and enjoy the performances of artists including crooner Michael Buble and the popular Cee-Lo Green, among many others.

The show starts at 7, with the tree itself scheduled to be lit at 8:55 – we recommend that you get there early to try to get a good vantage point! After the festivities, let us keep the celebration going – but, no matter what you do, don’t blow your Christmas budget trying to eat near Rockefeller Center. The prices will be jacked up and the lines will be long. (Think about it – the restaurants have a captive audience to say the least, why NOT double the prices!?) And, the $25 chicken sandwich and hour plus wait is pretty much a guaranteed buzzkill – don’t lose your holiday spirit because you’re not sure where else to eat!

Instead, make like a local and walk a few blocks west to Brickyard and enjoy a relaxing late dinner (Spinach, Aged Asiago & Garlic Ravioli, or Pumpkin & Ricotta Gnocchi sound good?) or a cocktail or two. We’re less than a ten minute walk from Rock Center, so lose the crowds on the way, come in and sit down right away (or darn close to it) and come raise a glass with us to the unofficial beginning of the holiday season! AND – bonus – when you get there, ask for Addis, and prove to him that you’ve been to the tree lighting or read this blog article (be creative – you don’t have to bring Michael Buble with you, though that would be pretty amazing!), and enjoy 10% off, just because we love spreading holiday cheer. Cheers!

Are you planning to visit NYC for the inflation of the Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons on Thanksgiving Eve?

We have some tips for you.

The Thanksgiving Parade balloons are inflated on 79th and 81st Streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. The balloons are set out around 3 pm, and begin the inflation process around 6 pm. The area is closed to the public around 10 pm. To learn much more about the process and find activities to share with your kids, read this blog post from a marvelous school librarian.

The 81st St station on the C Train is right in between the two blocks on which the balloons are inflated. However, it is very heavily used all day, and, while the NYPD does an extraordinary job of crowd control, using this station can still be quite a claustrophobic experience. Consider arriving in the area on the 1 train at 79th and Broadway, or the C train at 72nd St., and walking to the area.

Once you enter the line to view the balloons, you are essentially barricaded in for up to an hour, due to the large crowds. Nonetheless, it is a remarkable experience that every New Yorker or visitor should have at least once. All of the balloons are laying on their sides, looking like King Kong after he fell from the Empire State Building. Getting so up close and personal with the balloons provides a fresh perspective on them.

Before or after you visit the balloons, visit Brickyard Gastropub for dinner. We’re a family friendly restaurant with a kids menu that means the little ones don’t cost you an arm and a leg. Yet Mom and Dad still get to enjoy our superb dinner menu and learned why Brickyard has been named a “Diner’s Choice” on Open Table because of its customers’ stellar reviews of Brickyard Gastropub.

Better yet, if you come after seeing the balloons and show us a picture to prove it, well give you 10% off your check.

Brickyard Gastropub will be open from 11 am till 4 am on Thanksgiving, offering its lunch and  bar menus all day long.

We know that many people in New York do not celebrate American Thanksgiving, choose to celebrate it on another day for various reasons, or want to enjoy lunch after the Thanksgiving Parade before heading home to dinner with family.

Whatever your reason, if you are eager to find a place with top-notch food that is something other than turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, and don’t want to pay “holiday” prices, come to Brickyard Gastropub at 52nd and 9th an enjoy our lunch menu or bar menus all day long. Witte Steam Cockles, Pulled Pork Sliders and Bison Beef or Veggie Burgers are as far from turkey and mashed potatoes as you can get.

You’ll find that Brickyard is one of the best restaurants for lunch near the Thanksgiving Parade route, which passes just a four-minute walk away. We’ve been named a “Diner’s Choice” on Open Table because of its customers’ stellar reviews of Brickyard Gastropub.

Brickyard's front bar

The much loved Harry Connick Jr is back on Broadway this winter! A perfect fit for Broadway, Connick is known for his rich, crooning voice, and has become as well-known for his many acting successes, from Independence Day to romances like Hope Floats. He’s also an extremely talented instrumental musician, and evokes the feelings of performers of old – truly a modern classic. Loved for both covers like the classic “The Way You Look Tonight” and original songs like “You Didn’t Know Me When”, he has a perfect voice for Broadway. (And, on a personal sidenote, I met him once enjoying a low-key breakfast in a North Carolina hotel, talking to his daughter about her homework on his cell phone – he couldn’t have been nicer.)

If you’re not excited yet, check out the site and information for his new Broadway musical, “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever”. Connick plays a down-to-earth psychiatrist who is swept off his feet by a beautiful woman. Co-starring Broadway newbie Jessie Mueller and vets including David Turner and Kerry O’Malley, this show is sure to be a classic. Get your tickets now (previews run in November, and the show debuts in December) and plan your night. Shows start at 8 PM, so there’s time for an early dinner before the show.

The performance is at the St. James Theatre,  about a ten minute walk from Brickyard. So, skip the overpriced and boring chain restaurants, and come see us before (or after!) the show. Enjoy a beer during Happy Hour ($5 craft beers, wine, drink specials) or have a full meal from our popular Fall Dinner Menu. Or, come back after the show for our second Happy Hour from 11 PM – 1 AM. Our crowd is always friendly and always fun – making it a perfect night! Cheers!

This week begins the UEFA Euro Qualifying matches.

The UEFA Euro Qualifying Matches are hard to find on television in New York City. So whether you’re an ex-pat living here or one of the many Irish or Estonian tourists in New York City for the day, you’re likely wondering where to watch Ireland vs. Estonia in the UEFA Euro Qualifying Matches in New York City.

With nine 50-inch HD screens and the best beer menu in NY, Brickyard Gastropub is one of the very best bars in New York City to watch Ireland vs. Estonia.

We’ll be showing the first match of Ireland vs. Estonia on Friday, November 11,  at 2:45 pm NY time, from A. Le Coq Arena in Estonia.

We’ll also be showing Ireland vs. Estonia on Tuesday, November 15, at 2:45 pm NY time, from Dublin Area.

We’ll also be serving our regular menu, including our new bar menu. Of course, we encourage you to wear your finest football shirt!

We expect  a large crowd, so call us today at 212-767-0077 or email us at info@brickyardnyc.com to reserve your table, and come early.

Are you a child of the 90s? If so, you’ve almost got to be a Foo Fighters fan. Luckily, this is one 90s band that hasn’t declined over the years – it’s hard to believe that they had their first #1 album in 2011! Frequently on tour, NYC is in luck this week when they play at Madison Square Garden this Sunday, 11/13 at 8 PM. This always hit live performance, at the new-and-improved Garden, is sure to be an instant classic.

Heading to the show? (Or, did we just give you a really brilliant idea? Tickets available here) Party with us at Brickyard after (or before!) the show. We’ve got Happy Hour both before and after the show, $5 select drafts and wine and cocktail specials! If you’re hungry, you’ll enjoy our dinner and bar menus – Kobe Beef Sliders, Beer Battered Fish & Chips, and oh so much more.

The best part? We’re a short walk away from Madison Square Garden, so come see us for dinner and you can leave just 15 minutes before the show! And, afterward, no walking around in the cold…just come back, just in time for our second happy hour, starting at 11 PM. We’re here all night – and if you want to keep the Foo Fighters going, just ask the bartender – we’re here to oblige.

The classic Broadway show, Godspell, is back on Broadway, at last! The hit musical, which premiered in 1971, is based on a series of parables, based on the Gospel of Matthew. Interwoven with modern music and the lyrics of traditional hymns, the soundtrack to this musical has been released in several popular versions over the years, with hit song “Day by Day” even making its way up the Billboard charts in 1972.

The show has been re-released before, but never on Broadway, where its highly anticipated previews opened this month. This fun and spirited musical has been universally praised, in part because of its highly talented and touted all-star cast, which includes Hannah Montana‘s Anna Maria Perez, Hunter Parrish of Weeds, Telly Leung of Glee (and countless Broadway productions), and more.

Tickets are still available from Telecharge – click here to buy Godspell tickets at a discount through official channels – so pick your night! The show is playing at the Circle in the Square theater at 50th and Broadway – pretty much right in our backyard. So, when you’re planning your day or evening, don’t find yourself wandering around Broadway desperately seeking food and a restaurant without a line (it’s cold out there!!!) And, please, don’t find yourself spending hundreds on subpar chain restaurant food – no one deserves that. Instead, walk 2 blocks west and come see us at Brickyard.

No matter what your group size or dynamic (that means kids, we love them too!), you’re welcome at Brickyard. Enjoy a delicious meal in a fun and warm environment, while you re-hash the show. Coming for dinner? How does Spinach, Aged Asiago Cheese and Roasted Garlic Ravioli sound? Or, enjoy our famous Kobe Beef Sliders for a lunchtime indulgence. And, of course, you may join the many who have come for the food and stayed for the extensive craft beer list – and that’s OK too. Cheers!