Tradesman
222 Bushwick Ave., nr. Meserole St., Bushwick; 718-386-5300
For years now, Bushwickians of the bewhiskered, flannel-clad, Vice-subscribing stripe have flocked to Duckduck, one of the few neighborhood bars that spoke their language. But thanks to the March opening of Larissa Varges and Marek Gregorski’s “dad’s-old-workshop”-ish pub, the weekend drinking scene is a touch more diversified. The duo gut-renovated a long-vacant Mexican restaurant, hand-tiling the entryway, paneling the walls in salvaged wood, and decorating with antique hammers, screwdrivers, and planes. The results are rugged and warm, much like the drinkers planted the length of the seventeen-foot-long bar: urban lumberjack types, all swigging $6 beers pulled from a dozen northeasterly focused taps (Tröegs, Kelso, Greenport Harbor) or sipping cocktails made with locally distilled spirits. The vibe is buzzy and warm but never L-train crowded, though that may change with the addition of a 1,500-square-foot backyard patio this summer.