Gentlemen, a little secret: she’s not always looking for white tablecloths and violins.
Most gals (the good ‘uns, anyway) appreciate the occasional nitty gritty: when she can throw on some jeans and flats and have a little fun sans pretense.
There is a hallowed venue Downtown perfect for just an outing.
Its name is Winnie’s and it is, without embellishment, simply one of the most charmingly dirtbag karaoke venues the world has ever known.
Now, at the end of the month, after 28 years of slinging high-test “Hawaiian Punch” amid the sweet strains of “Juke Box Hero,” they’re shutting their doors for good.
Time is of the essence. So here’s your three-step plan to a casual night out she’ll remember as fondly as any six-course frou frou fest:
Step One: Gear Up
If you’re going to sing karaoke, you damn well better do it in a vintage rock T-shirt. And if you’re going to get a vintage rock t-shirt, you damn well better do it at The Quality Mending Co.: the go-to vintage menswear emporium for that weathered Iggy Pop number you’ll look great in onstage and she’ll look great in come morning.
Step Two: Dinner
Pies N’ Thighs, aka the best fried chicken in Brooklyn, has finally opened up a Manhattan outpost on Canal Street. Your order is simple: you’re both having a chicken box. Unless she doesn’t eat fried chicken, in which case you should start this whole plan over with a different woman.
Step Three: Sing Out
Winnie’s is just a quick stroll down the block, and for the uninitiated, here’s what to expect: it looks like a small-town VFW (wood paneling, Christmas lights year ‘round), only whacked with Chinese knickknackery and a tiki stick a couple times. It is delightfully cozy. The drinks are wicked strong. If you want to sing, the old lady near the stage will demand a dollar. It will be worth it.
Tune choice is on you.
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