PARADE WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

The past weekend found the community of Bay Ridge awash in Irish pride as they celebrated the 20th Annual Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade.  We found ourselves caught up in the excitement as we also celebrated in our own special way.  With performances all weekend long from the HELL or HIGH WATER BAND, The JOHN RAFFERTY BAND and THE CANNY BROTHERS, the tone was set for a great time.  And indeed, a great time was had by all, highlighted by the parade marching by Yellowhook.  It was great seeing the families get excited about the parade and cheering on the dignitaries and marchers.  And aside from a blast of cold later in the day on Sunday, the rest of the weekend was perfect from a weather point of view.  Even Mother Nature couldn't put a damper on the kick-ass time that was had under the tent!

On a personal note, this was my first experience at the Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade and it exceeded my expectations.  It was pretty cool to see everyone get into the spirit of the day.  It was also great to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in a long time (some I've known for over 20 years). In most cases, it was like it was only yesterday, picking up where we left off.  And it was especially nice to have Bay Ridgers welcome me with open arms.  A great feeling that only added to the wonderful day.  I was especially impressed by the musical talent that played over the course of the weekend. Now I've seen these bands play in years past, but years later, listening to them again and it's like fine wine; they just seem to keep getting better and better. And we were lucky to have them play at this year's parade!

We salute the Parade organizers, the NYPD, FDNY, DSNY and of course, the performers that entertained the masses throughout the weekend on a terrific job.  The Parade itself went off without a hitch and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely.  We look forward to the 21st Annual Parade next year!

Now that we're finally done with the celebrations, it's time to look forward to Spring!  In less than a week, Opening Day kicks off the Major League Baseball league season (Yankees/Mets fans rejoice).  We also have a growing list of great events and surprises coming up in the month of April, so make sure to check back in with us (Event calendar will be up shortly)

Once again, thanks to everyone who chose to spend their Parade Weekend with us.  It was a wonderful time!

Our list of Twitter followers continue to grow and we love it!  If you on Twitter, make sure to give us a follow!


Cheers!

PARADE WEEKEND COUNTDOWN

Now that the chaos of NYC's St. Patrick's Day Parade has come and gone, it's time to turn our attention to something that's near and dear to the locals of Bay Ridge:  This weekend's 20th Annual Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade.

This year's parade takes place this Sunday, March 23rd, with the parade kicking off at 1pm.  The parade ends just past our place and of course, the natural thing to do is to stop by for some post-march cheer!  The whole weekend is stacked with events surrounding the 20th Anniversary festivities.  Some of the highlighted events include:


FRIDAY NIGHT: "The Parade Toast".  We're "officially" kicking off the start of the weekend festivities with everyone at the bar participating in the raising of a pint of cheer! It's the 20th Annual march of the Parade, so it's only proper to kick things off the right way with a proper salute! (9pm)

SATURDAY: "Party Under the Big Top".  Our celebration kicks into full gear with a live performance by the famous "Hell or High Water Band".  This band has been a local fixture for years with a huge and loyal following.  The performance is set to kick off at 4pm.

In addition to the band, we're also bringing in TIM ("Tusky") BUTLER and KEVIN JAMIN (of the infamous Sugar Bowl in Breezy Point) to serve as guest bartenders for the afternoon!  So expect to see a lot of familiar faces throughout the crowd! We expect no less than a stellar afternoon of good-pouring fun!

SUNDAY:  PARADE DAY.  Finally, the day we've all waited for. The 20th Annual Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade.  One of the most respected and attended parades in the New York City area, residents both present and former, make it a point to attend this cherished event.  This is one of those occasions where you really get to see the neighborhood pride on display.

We start the day bright and early with Sunday Brunch, complete with our special St. Patrick's Day menu.  From there, you can enjoy the pageantry of the Bay Ridge Parade as it marches right by our front windows!  The patio deck will be open as well to accommodate the masses, going and coming from the parade.

There will be another live music performance later in the day, this time from the immensely popular group, THE CANNY BROTHERS BAND. They have become a tradition for Yellow Hook on Parade Day and they NEVER disappoint.  We're expecting much of the same this year, so make sure you get here early to catch their set (4pm).

In short, this weekend is going to be EPIC.  It's not very often that you get to celebrate 20 years of something as wonderful as the Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade, so we're planning on making the most of it, RAIN or SHINE.  We are well stocked with plenty of beer, whiskey, food and music, so there are no worries there.  And of course, we NEVER charge a cover.

If you thought St. Patrick's Day in the city was a good time, wait to you experience it, Bay Ridge style!


For the latest information on what's happening at Yellow Hook Grille, make sure to follow us on TWITTER and FACEBOOK (we follow back)!  See you this weekend!


Cheers!

ST. PATRICK'S DAY COUNTDOWN

After enduring what can safely be called the WORST winter in several years, there's finally light at the end of the tunnel.  For starters, it's OFFICIALLY the last weekend of winter (and not a moment too soon).  Spring finally makes its appearance on March 20th, 2014.  And I'm sure I speak for all of you in saying "GOOD RIDDANCE"!

That being said, it's also the official start of the St. Patrick's Week.  Yeah, I know most of you thought I made a typo.  Not at all.  If this was Manhattan, then yes, I would say St. Patrick's Day.  But since we're NOT in Manhattan, but in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, St. Patrick's Week is indeed the correct term.


We kick things off with our countdown to St. Patrick's Day weekend, with celebrations taking place all weekend long.  Think of it as a "dress rehearsal" for what's to come on Monday, March 17th when the big parade takes place in Manhattan.  There will be plenty of Guinness and 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey to go around, as well as a killer playlist to get you in the mood to show off your Irish pride, even if you aren't.

On the big day itself, Yellow Hook Grille will open its doors at 10am!  We'll serve up a special St. Patrick's Day menu that will help get you in the mood to celebrate the Marching of the Green!

For those of you not making the trek into Manhattan, we'll carry the parade live on our many large screened TV's! So while you won't be there "physically", you'll still feel as if you were part of the fun.  And of course, for those of you who do make it into the city for the big parade, you know we'll be here to help you continue celebrating when you return to Bay Ridge!  There will be plenty of Guinness to go around and we are expecting an appearance from the beautiful ladies of 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey and you can be sure they will spread plenty of cheer!

We're expecting nothing less than a great day of fun! So bring your "A" game, because we are definitely bringing ours!  Oh, and just when you thought you finally recovered from all of the shenanigans of Monday's celebration, just think of it as a trial run as we do it all over again when we celebrate the 20th Annual Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday, March 23rd!

BREAKING NEWS.... The long-awaited YELLOW HOOK GRILLE tee shirts are finally in!  This year's edition comes in Carolina Blue with a navy blue trim and orange highlights.  These tees are available in medium, large and extra large and each shirt comes with a matching pint glass!  Shirts will be available for purchase this weekend for only $15! (limited quantities, so act fast)

AND FINALLY... NCAA Championship Week continues today with a huge slate of games and we will continue to provide coverage of all of the important tournament games throughout the day.  While you're here, make sure to take advantage of our "Championship Week" special ($4 Blue Point Toasted Lager, Brooklyn Pennant Ale & Goose Island Honkers Ale) during all NCAA Championship Week games!

That's it!  Looking forward to kicking off St. Patrick's Week with you!


Cheers!

ST. PATRICK'S THEMED- TRIVIA TUESDAY!

TONIGHT (and every Tuesday Night) is TRIVIA TUESDAYS at Yellow Hook Grille!

It's FREE to play, and with great prizes up for grabs every week (as well as bragging rights for the winning team), what a way to spice up what would normally be a mundane Tuesday night.

TONIGHT'S THEME: ST. PATRICK'S DAY.  Many of the questions tonight will be geared around the theme, so plan accordingly. Tonight's edition is also a special one as we are collecting donations on behalf of Guinness for the Denis Leary Firefighters Foundation, an organization that provides funding and equipment to fire departments all across the country.  So whether it be as an individual or as a team, it would be cool to raise some funds for a worthy cause.  And as a reward, we'll be offering up discounts on Guinness and Fireball Whisky throughout the night, as well as serving up some cool swag!

So get here early, snag yourselves a good table and don those thinking caps. It should make for a great night!

**DON'T FORGET** NCAA Championship Week swings into high gear on Wednesday!  BIG EAST & ATLANTIC 10 Tournaments are among the Major Conferences tipping off and Yellow Hook Grille is, of course, the "Home of March Madness"! Stop in tomorrow night (7pm), order up a pint of Brooklyn and get a raffle ticket, good for a chance to score a pair of tix to the A-10 Quarterfinals, taking place this Friday Night at the Barclays Center!

Why are we doing this?  Because we can!

See you tonight!

Please don't forget to follow us on Facebook & Twitter!


Cheers!

IONA vs MANHATTAN: WINNER GOES "DANCING"

With "MARCH MADNESS" right around the corner, two of the local colleges with ties to Bay Ridge (both present and alums) play each other tonight with a ticket to "The Big Dance" going to the winner.

IONA COLLEGE faces off agains MANHATTAN COLLEGE in the MAAC final (tonight, 7pm). These two teams have a long history and the rivalry is pretty intense.  This season, the two teams played each other twice, splitting the season series with the home team winning each time.  Now playing on a neutral court with a NCAA berth on the line, the pressure goes up big time.  Watching these two teams play against one another for bragging rights is always intense and exciting and YELLOW HOOK GRILLE will carry the game, live with sound.  We'll also offer up food/drink specials during the game ($15 Bud/Bud Light buckets, $4 Abita Purple Haze & 1/2 priced pizza pies).

So if you are a current student home on break or an alum looking to get together with your former classmates to cheer on your alma mater, join us for what should be a classic encounter!

SPEAKING OF LOCAL SPORTS, we want to congratulate DISTRICT 5, DSNY's roller hockey team on their first win of the season!  They play in the Ft. Hamilton Roller Hockey League, which plays their games every Sunday morning.  Special shoutout to Patrick Piper, who led the team with a +3 rating for the game! Stop by and check them out every Sunday- they are great guys!

TOMORROW NIGHT: Don't forget to stop by and check out our weekly TRIVIA NIGHT event, hosted by John Saponaro! This week is a special St. Patrick's Day themed Trivia Night; it's also a special Fundraiser for the Denis Leary Firefighter Foundation.  During the night, we will collecting donations to support this great cause and there will be drink specials and giveaways on tap from Guinness and Fireball Whisky! So make sure to stop by and enjoy a fun night for a great cause!



Cheers!

WE'RE UP AND RUNNING!

Welcome to "Happenings at The Hook", Yellow Hook Grille's own blog!

We've created this blog to keep our patrons up to date on everything that's going on here at Yellow Hook Grille!  Between dining & drink specials, upcoming events, celebrations and neighborhood news,  you'll now be in the loop of everything here.

Creating this blog is only the tip of the iceberg of new things taking shape here at Yellow Hook Grille.  Down the pike, you'll also see a new and improved website, as well as an updated food menu for the Spring/Summer 2014 season.  We'll keep everyone up to date on the changes as they take place, so feel free to bookmark this page and check back often for the updates.  In the meantime.....

March 2014 is a busy month for Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, as well as Yellow Hook Grille. It seems that every weekend St. Patrick's Day is being celebrated somewhere in the five boroughs and Bay Ridge, Brooklyn is no exception.  We boast one of the largest and most popular St. Patrick's Day parades outside of the grandaddy of them all, the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan.  This year's parade is extra special in that it's the 20th Annual Bay Ridge St. Patrick's Day Parade, scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 23rd.

Yellow Hook Grille is making preparations to ensure that this year's festivities will be the best yet. Our famous "Big Top" tent will be in place as well as live music all weekend long!  On Saturday, March 22nd, we welcome the return of "The Hell or High Water Band", one of the hardest working bands in NYC.  Always a pleasure to see, they will keep you entertained from beginning to end!


Live music continues on Parade Day, Sunday, March 23rd with the appearance by the ever-popular Canny Brothers Band.  The ever-popular band has become a sort of tradition for us on Parade Day and if you ever had the opportunity to see them live, you know that they will rock the house with a wildly entertaining set.
Both shows begin promptly at 4pm.  Get here early!

Of course, there will be plenty going on throughout the month of March besides the St. Patrick's Day celebrations.  Other upcoming events include:

3/11/14: SPECIAL ST. PATRICK'S DAY TRIVIA NIGHT (sponsored by GUINNESS & FIREBALL WHISKY).  Our weekly Trivia event will have special meaning this week as it's also a fundraiser for the Denis Leary Firefighters Foundation. The theme for the week will, of course, be St. Patrick's Day and we'll be accepting donations from individuals as well as trivia teams that night.  Guinness & Fireball Whisky specials on tap all night!

3/12-3/16: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK kicks into high gear with the tip-off of the Atlantic-10 and Big East Tournaments.  Brooklyn is a hotbed of hoops and this is the time of year that everyone looks forward to. Will your favorite college team make it into the Big Dance?  We will host several Viewing Parties throughout March, starting with one on Wednesday, March 12th at 7pm. Sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery, we will be raffling off TICKETS to the Atlantic-10 Tournament (Friday night session).  Thursday, March 13th at 6pm, sponsored by Blue Point Brewery & Goose Island Brewing Co. There will be samples and giveaways during the games, so stop by and cheer on your favorite teams!

3/17/14: ST. PATRICK'S DAY. The 253rd Annual Parade takes place in Manhattan starting at 11am.  We will be open bright and early for pre-game before you head into the city. We'll also air the parade live on TV and offer up the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage lunch during the festivities.  And of course, we will be here for you when you return from the Parade, well stocked with Guinness, Two Gingers and a smile!

3/18-4/7: MARCH MADNESS!!  The Big Dance starts off with the play-in games on Tuesday and Wednesday before kicking into high gear on Thursday, March 20th at 12pm.  Tradition has it that a lot of people call in sick or take that "extra-long" lunch break on those days and with good reason.  Non-stop college basketball until well after midnight. In and you live to see another day; Lose and that's it for your season.  It doesn't get any better than that.  We'll carry EVERY game of the NCAA tournament and offer up $15 Bud/Bud Light buckets throughout the tournament ($20 with an order of wings)!

3/31: METS HOME OPENER! Of course, with the end of March comes the sounds of baseball and the Amazin's start their season off at home against the Washington Nationals. Join us as we celebrate Opening Day!

That's just some of the things we have going on this month.  Like we said before, we'll keep posting things periodically to keep you abreast of what's taking place at Yellow Hook Grille.  It's a work in progress, just like this blog is a work in progress.  It will keep evolving over time.  In the meantime, if you haven't done so yet,  you can also stay connected with us via FACEBOOK and TWITTER (make sure to follow us).  Feel free to leave us your feedback (keep it clean of course) and we'll try our best to respond!

AND FINALLY:  Daylight Savings time returns this weekend! Don't forget to set your clocks AHEAD one hour! And make sure you check & change the batteries in your smoke detectors!

Thanks for your time!


Cheers!