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Read the press release here.

Bushwick 'Dive' Bar Pairs Shot Specials with Broccoli and Beets

By Serena Dai | November 6, 2014 10:24am
 Alphaville, a new bar in Bushwick, wants to serve healthy and locally sourced food.
Alphaville
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BUSHWICK — Looking for a kale salad to go with your shot-and-beer special?

A new bar that opened last week in Bushwick is striving to offer customers a dive experience — but won't be serving "dirty," unhealthy foods typically associated with cheap watering holes, the owner said.

Alphaville, located at 140 Wilson Ave., aims to be an affordable, comfortable neighborhood bar with food "that’s not going to clog our customers' arteries," said co-owner Skyler Insler, 28.

Healthier options on the menu so far include Thai beet soup, roasted broccoli and a warm purple carrots, and a kale and sesame salad. Purple carrots, Insler said, are "higher in antioxidants" than their better-known orange relatives.

Even the bar's less-healthy options — like roasted poblano queso with homemade chips and a bahn mi-style burger — are all made from locally sourced ingredients, Insler added.

Despite the higher-quality grub, all the menu items costs less than $10. Drink deals like a $6 beer-and-a-shot special run around the clock.

"There's a focus on bar food to be really cheap and unhealthy and dirty," Insler explained. "There’s no place where you can go and get cheap, casual food that’s good that isn’t going to give you a heart attack."

Beyond the food, Insler, who also owns Alaska in East Williamsburg, and musician Scott Rosenthal, Alphaville's other owner, hope to eventually make the space home to live music.

Rosenthal's been involved the music scene in Williamsburg for years, with his band Beverly about to go on a European tour with indie-pop band The Drums. Infler got his start in New York organizing DIY shows in the area.

Once they receive city approval to host shows, they plan to book musicians across genres, from rock to electronic acts. Until then, the spot wants to keep its dive identity while raising the bar for its pub fare.

"This part of the neighborhood was kind of lacking in options that were affordable and comfortable and unpretentious," Infler said. "We wanted to fill that gap."

In other local business news:

► Bushwick also has another option for the health conscious — its very own CrossFit. Bushwick CrossFit opened last month at 10 Wilson Ave. with four class options a day.

For those who are still unsure about participating in the fitness craze, owner George Lee offers two free intro classes a week, one on Tuesday at 8 p.m. and one on Saturday at 11 a.m.

Beginner programs cost $225 a month, while those who sign up with a friend will get a $25 discount.

► A new club called Good Room has opened in the former Europa space at 98 Meserole St. in Greenpoint. The club has been hosting preview nights but officially opens this weekend, according to a representative.

► Chef Sandy Dee Hall, from Lower East Side restaurant Black Tree, will be at Kings County Saloon with a "nose-to-tail" themed pop-up restaurant between Nov. 5 and 9.

The menu includes whole roasted duck and pig, as well as beef stew, duck tacos and duck banh mi, according to the bar, which is located at 1 Knickerbocker Ave. 

At the end of the week, the bar will host a Polynesian luau with tiki punch and a family-style pig roast. Tickets cost $25 in advance and $30 and the door.

► Casual Asian spot Little Mo, from the owners of Little Skips, has soft-opened in Bushwick at 1158 Myrtle Ave., according to Bushwick Daily. It serves food such as banh mi sandwiches, Brussels sprouts and bao, which are steamed buns with meat and pickled cucumbers.