BBQ and Wine
Drinking an ice-cold beer with your barbecue is a bona fide American tradition, but the right wine can be just as satisfying at a summer cookout. At this pairing class and tasting, vino expert Richard Vayda will match ’cue from Blue Smoke (applewood-smoked chicken, Texas-style brisket) with a variety of wines (gewürztraminer, zinfandel), as he tells you which grapes go best with smoked meats. The Institute of Culinary Education. 7–9pm; $95.

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Ride the R train to the end of the line this weekend to check out the recently expanded Middle Eastern restaurant Tanoreen in Bay Ridge. This week, Jay Cheshes gave it a four-star review, recommending a vast meze spread, followed by pilaf, some grilled meat and one of the more offbeat entrées from the very long list of specials. “You’re not likely to find better outside the West Bank,” says Cheshes. And for all the MTA’s faults, we’re pretty sure it renders Bay Ridge more accessible than the West Bank.

Photos by Aubrey Therkelsen

Haute tiki is the cocktail obsession of the moment, but this tropical, surfing-themed bar is keeping it real. The campy brainchild of Eugene Ashe, Tom Wilson (both formerly of Mas [farmhouse]) and Robert Guarino (Five Napkin Burger), Réunion features board-shorts-clad servers, a collection of sipping rums, and low-key drinks such as mai tais and slushy, vodka-fortified frozen Coronas. The grub reflects drunk-food traditions from around the world: The Dodo dog is a frank topped with pork belly, cucumber and sriracha, while tacos are stuffed with mahi-mahi and guacamole, with fry bread (deep-fried dough) standing in for tortillas

You’re plenty familiar with the gastropub, where drinks paired with upmarket grub are the stock in trade. Now meet the gastrodive, where you can down a can of Schlitz with haute junk food instead. TONY fell hard for one such spot, The Commodore in Williamsburg, deeming Stephen Tanner’s low-key cooking “the city’s best cheap-ass bar eats.” The Pies ‘n’ Thighs vet makes fried chicken that “trumps even that of his former employers,” plus a creamy, gooey pimento grilled cheese and even beautiful seasonal salads. Not bad for “a seedy venue where folks come to get blotto.” Read the full four-star review here.

This weekend, take your boozing down to the Lower East Side, where laid-back, but gorgeously executed tiki drinks await you at Painkiller. “Handcrafted bitters and mini paper umbrellas peacefully coexist” at the rum-driven drinkery, observed TONY in our review this week. Share a flaming scorpion bowl with friends, or try a classic mai tai, which balances “the acid notes of lime with the round sweetness of aged rums and the bitter edge of house-made curaçao.” We wouldn’t mind seeing a bit more camp in the tropical decor, but Painkiller is still a great spot to kick back on a summer night. Read more about it in our three-star review.

Planning a day trip to Long Island’s North Fork wineries may sound like a logistical nightmare if you don’t have a car; thankfully, the MTA has done all the dirty work for you. Purchase tour passes under “Deals & Getaways” at any LIRR ticket machine anytime before midnight on Thursday 29; a 7:40am train will take you to West Hampton, where a bus will pick you up and escort you to Pindar Vineyards, Duckwalk Vineyards and Sparkling Pointe, with tastings included at each. Purchase lunch at a stopover in Greenport. Visit mta.info/lirr/getaways for more info. 7:40am–7:44pm; $52.

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Vegans can throw back a few cold ones with like-minded folks at this edition of Vegan Drinks, a monthly get-together for anyone interested in promoting veganism and advocating animal rights. Get $2 off all drinks until 8pm, and $1 off drafts and well drinks from 8 to 9pm. At 8:15pm, the music will be turned down so attendees can introduce themselves and their causes. Angels & Kings. 7–9pm.

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Join chef John Adler (Franny’s) as he cooks four Italian summer dishes using local produce. Partake in a meal that includes chilled corn soup, plus wine pairings. Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center, 540 President St between Third and Fourth Aves, suite 2E, Gowanus, Brooklyn (347-422-0337). 6–9pm; $55.

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Jay Cheshes visits Tanoreen’s new digs where owner Rawia Bishara’s cooking is “based on tradition but not enslaved by it.” Cheshes gives it four stars and advises you to double-down on a vast meze spread. [TONY]

The Commodore in Williamsburg is a four-star gastrodive with chef Stephen Tanner, formerly of Egg and Pies ’n’ Thighs, “cooking up fried chicken that trumps even that of his former employers.” [TONY]

Tiki bar Painkiller heralds a new age where “handcrafted bitters and mini paper umbrellas can peacefully coexist.” [TONY] Read more »

National Scotch Day
Scottish gastropub Highlands celebrates National Scotch Day by hosting the distiller Highland Park for a whiskey-and-tapas dinner. A rep will guide a tasting of four pours (including a 30-year-old single malt), while chef Will Hickox serves small plates inspired by Spain, the source of the sherry casks in which Highland Park ages its Scotch. Highlands. 7, 9:30pm; $55.

NY State beer & cheese cruise
Climb aboard this brews cruise to sample local beers and international cheeses as you sail along the Hudson. Chat with reps from Shmaltz Brewing Company while enjoying five pairings, including a malty Coney Island Human Blockhead served with an aged Gouda from Holland. By the end of the tour, you’ll be toasting two Statues of Liberty. Board at Chelsea Piers (Pier 62), W 22nd St at the Hudson River (sail-nyc.com). 6:45–8:45pm; $75.

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