"The big, wood-paneled tap room at Wild East gets plenty of light, but it still feels like the cozy basement where that one kid with the cool parents would pass around a six-pack of Coors—minus the Coors, that is. The Gowanus brewery specializes in crisp Czech-style beers, especially lagers, but the huge U-shaped bar at the center also pours IPAs, farmhouse ales, and sours. Get some tacos from Nene’s Taqueria around the corner, grab a board game, and claim a booth with friends." - molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, willa moore, will hartman, neha talreja