Brooklyn Social Club   

You might miss the essential charm of this Smith Street speakeasy on a weekend night when it's packed with hipsters shooting pool and sucking down cans of working class beer du jour. That's not to say you shouldn't go when it's crowded. It's a friendly but dignified drinking place, one a little too stately for body shots or an impromptu game of Twister. But make at least one visit in the early evening to get a chance to soak in the atmosphere of an authentic members-only Brooklyn social club of the type once frequented by un-indicted co-conspirators with roots in a European nation that shall remain nameless. Inside there are aged photos of outer-borough heroes like the 1947 Dodgers and the 1969 Mets. There's a pool table, a smoking deck and a backyard lounge that's open until 11PM weeknights and midnight on weekends. The dark brownstone retains its forbiddingly inconspicuous facade -- you'll pass right by it if you don't read the street numbers.