Earl's Beer and Cheese is a brand new and the trendiest new establish in my East Harlem hood. It's located at 1259 Park Avenue between 97 and 98th Streets. I've tried to get to this place three times before with no success. Earl's is about the size of a closet and can only seat about 15 people. It's always been packed when I've passed by. A few weeks ago, Time Out featured a full page on the joint. It was also voted New York Magazine's Best Cheap Eats of 2011. Lucky for me last Sunday there were a couple of empty seats and I decided to finally check it out.
Earl's is a hipster version of a wine bar. They serve craft beers, cheese, and cheese specialities (menu). Walk up to the bar, place your order, and than take a seat along the wall or on a long communal wooden table. It can be a bit loud with faint music in the background. I had no idea what to get and forgot my glasses (So I had a hard time reading the chalk board menu). I got a recommendation from two guys sitting next to me, which was the grilled cheese. I also ordered the Mac and Cheese and two craft beers ($5-$6 per pint).
This is not a place to go if you are on a diet! Everything is rich, heavy, gooey, but tasty. The grilled cheese consisted of cheddar, pork belly, kimchi and a fried egg on sourdough ($8). If you ask me I could not taste or see any cheese. The bread was a bit too thick. Overall yummy. The mac 'n' cheese came in a large tea cup. Not your typical fare it was made with goat cheese, shredded chicken, and truffle oil. The mac 'n' cheese was also served with a large hunk of bread. The bread was kinda hard, and tough to eat. The total bill came out to $40.00 for four beers, the mac 'n' cheese, and grilled cheese.
I would go to Earl's again for the yummy cheeses and the craft beers. There is not much that is so close to my apartment. Especially a trendy type place. Gentrification at it's best. The only caveat is being able to find a seat!