If you are an reader of Style Island, then you already know that I may have some issues with ethnocentricity. That is, I absolutely adore my city, and the island of Manhattan, where I was born and raised. In New York City, everything and literally anything is at your fingertips, but more important then the actual, tangible things are the opportunities. One might not venture out every single night, or even every weekend. But if, and when you want to, the option always remains right there for you to take it.
The ability to do the most random, or passionate of things is what makes this city so amazing. I have a slight obsession with dinner theater and burlesque. For others, the most passionate experience can come from dining in a small, obscure restaurant, that when entered, is actually bustling with crowds, or maybe a bar that revels in underground board games. The newest trend soon to be sweeping the city? Bingo.
The state of New York is one of the few notable places that still has various bingo halls to boast about. Since bingo’s rapid comeback with the rise of the hipster culture, bingo halls and cafes are creating a new foodie fusion. Madam Zuzu’s Tea Shop, a pioneer of this concept, is already big in Illinois and it’s only a matter of time before New York puts its own twist on it. Since there isn’t one yet, here’s a list of places in New York, where this fusion of bingo and food could make some real waves.
Thalassa Restaurant
Why this savvy Greek restaurant? Apart from being one of the best listed in USA Today Travel’s Top 10, this restaurant has all the right qualities that can draw the hip crowds. Follow me Foodie enumerates the 10 characteristics of a hipster restaurant and the Thalassa has quite a few of them. Greek cuisine is one of the most underrated in New York and it’s time that we rediscover them, while putting a new spin on them.
Kaffe 1668
We already know how cool understated coffee shops can be. The interior design is contemporary, the coffee is fresh and you can order breakfast and lunch. What sets it apart from other establishments? It’s the wifi. On OpenWifiNYC, it has the fastest internet connection you can get outside a public library.
Bingo nights, though available at a few lounges throughout the city, are still sparse, and may not be a trend among NYC restaurants yet. After all, online bingo is the preferred choice now especially since Dragonfish Games, one of the most popular bingo software providers and developer of Bubble Bonus Bingo, had gone to great lengths just to recreate the live bingo experience through digital channels. But in a city where the options are limitless, the food extensive, and the nightlife, never ending, it’s not a far cry to believe that this can catch on soon. The song says, “concrete jungle where dreams are made of”, and who knows, maybe that dream is winning it big at Bingo. As someone who spent summers as a kid in Southampton going to the firehouse every Thursday for Bingo night with my mom, I’m hoping my city picks up on the fun soon. Maybe this time I’ll even win.
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