Saturday, March 13th, 2010—Bar 62

Day 62—Friday, March 12th
Vol de Nuit

Another day and more donations! I really want to thank everyone who’s been able to send in some cash to help fund this bar crawl. It’s expensive here in New York and this really helps out!

Robin Maillo from Tampa, Florida sent in twenty bucks and she says she wants me to hoist a few for her. Consider them hoisted Robin and thanks!

Total amount: $20.00 USD
Purpose: I want Marty to hoist a few for me
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Shawmir Naeem sent in 20 bucks and he lives right here in New York! Thanks Shawmir and if you want to join me at some point on the bar crawl, let me know and I’ll buy you a beer back!

Total amount: $20.00 USD
Purpose: No reason other than I admire the idea
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Chris Curen from Brooklyn sent in 20 dollars. Thanks a lot Chris and like Shawmir, if you’d like to join me on the crawl, just let me know.

Total amount: $20.00 USD
Contributor: Chris Curen
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And last and certainly not least, Sticky Steve the Vulgar Vaudevillian, the Dynamite Daredevil of Depravity from last night’s burlesque show, Tits and Giggles Burlesque Presents: Hell's Kitchen Hotties at Port 41 sent over five bucks. He actually contributed more as he comped me to the show. Thanks Sticky Steve, I appreciate it and look forward to covering more shows!

Total amount: $5.00 USD
Purpose: Thanks for coming to our show at the Port 41 Marty here's a drink on me! - Sticky Steve
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Alright on to tonight’s bar of the evening. I’ve had a crazy week and just feel like chilling out, which might be tough to do on a Friday night in a bar in New York City, but I got a list of suggestions from Kenneth Tso and one of them looks like a nice place that might night be too crazy on a Friday night. It’s called, Vol de Nuit and it’s a Belgian bar on Fourth St. I love Belgian beer and from what I’ve seen online it looks like the spot to go to. So let’s get in a Belgium frame of mind and...”Ga!” (Check your online translators for Dutch.)

It would be easy to walk past this place on 4th St. and I'm sure I have. Thanks to Kenneth Tso for pointing it out.

Chris and Anandi were outside having a cigarette. Check out the video of Anandi at the end of this crawl.

Inside the red lit Belgium-themed hideaway.

I accidentally took a shot of the bar without a flash and it turned out kind of cool. Talk about a red light district!

I snared a seat at the crowded bar and bartender Patrick poured me a bottle of De Dolle.

Seated next to me at the bar were Nabil and Chris.

The candle-lit front room was packed with people enjoying the intmate settings.

Here's Stephen, Joe, Mike and Pat. Cheers, guys!

Patrick pointed showed me the book that the bar is named after. Vol de Nuit translates into Night Flight. I'm old enough to remember that show from the U.S.A. Network.

Luke and Megan were seated at the corner of the communal table opposite the bar and were encouraging about the 365 site idea.

These two were nice, but they were a little shy and didn't want their photos taken, so I took a back shot.

Nicole and Kevin were enjoying drinks at a candle-lit table.

Redrum!

Roheil serves up the biggest bottle of Duvel I have ever seen!

Woo hoo, cheers everyone!

Here's Sham who owns the joint pouring a beer.

Sham and I enjoying a drink at the bar.

Sam and Scott were enjoying beers and fries at the bar.

Luke who's back! It's Luke and his friend Patrick. Patrick had already seen this site, which was cool.

Michael brings up a pot of mussels and fries from the kitchen.

And a parting shot from the communal table. Cheers and goodnight everybody!

Here's Anandi who you met at the beginning of the crawl. Anandi's a photographer and  she explains what she's doing in New York City.

Review

Vol de Nuit is a hidden treasure on W. 4th St. If you’re lucky enough to see the tiny sign, you’ll walk down a covered trail/front patio to a unique Belgian beer lounge. Inside the brick walls, suspended red lights and cozy settings make you feel like you’ve left New York and entered a decadent European hideaway bar. There’s a small bar in the back, candle-lit tables in the front and a large communal table opposite the bar where people gather to drink Belgium beer, eat mussels and frittes and get to know each other. Definitely a nice place for singles and a nice bar for a date as well, which is a rare dichotomy.

Vol de Nuit has the largest selection of Belgian beers in the city and offers comfortable surroundings in which to sample them. They have 13 drafts and 25 bottles on the menu. The drafts include, Leffe Blond, Hoegaarden, Lindemans Framboise and Delirium Tremens (I thought that’s what happens when you quit drinking.) A few of the bottled beers to be had are: Farmhouse Ale, La Chouffe, Grand Reserve, Framboise and Kwak (which is wack!)

To soak up the Belgium beer, mussels and fries are available for the ordering and they have thirteen homemade sauces to dunk the fries in including, ailoli garlic, curry, bourbon, dijon gold and for the less adventurous, ketchup can also be had.

Vol de Nuit
148 W. 4th St. (near 6th Ave.)
212-982-3388