A Northside Williamsburg Itinerary for Drinking and Browsing

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Welcome to Drunk Shopping, our feature celebrating the time-honored tradition of getting totally wasted while the sun's still shining before buying a bunch of debatably useful stuff that the sober you would be too timid or too restrained to take home. Each Friday we'll cobble together a new itinerary starting you off with a boozy Saturday or Sunday brunch before meandering through a few neighboring retailers and happy hours notable for seasonal specials, limited time availability, fantastic deals, recent openings, or new shipments.

Maybe you've been too preoccupied with the restaurant renaissance happening on Williamsburg's Southside and the much-ballyhooed Duane Reade invasion on Bedford Avenue to notice—but a lot of pretty unique shopping is popping up in the neighborhood's quieter, greener Northside. Why not check it out? It is the weekend after all, and you're bound to get thirsty.

Start your day right: With pizza. Everyone's always yammering on and on about how good Motorino is. And it is really, really good—but you don't need to wait for dinner. Their weekend brunch includes an egg-topped breakfast pizza (or eggs and bacon for the less adventurous) accompanied by a Bloody Mary or a mimosa for $14. After your first round, check that wine list—it's delightfully comprehensive. Don't get lost in it, though, you're not going to believe the shopping.

You're already on Graham Avenue so your first stops should be Alter, Honey & Hazel and Emily's Pork Store (probably for meatheads only). Alter is brand new—a third installment from the Greenpoint mini-chain. This one is co-ed, but just as hip and refreshingly affordable. Honey & Hazel—formerly Brooklynski—is one of those unique little gift shops chock full of artwork and jewelry and handmade little whatevers for the anyone in your life. As for Emily's—well, it's a serious Italian butcher that sells serious sopressata and, once, matching sopressata shorts.

When in Rome: One of Williamsburg's best bars—Daddy's—is also on Graham. No, it's not leather bar or anything; it's just a total pretense-free, dirt-cheap, easy-breezy spot to booze and hear great music. Just use the bathroom before moving on—there's kind of a lot of ground to cover.

From Daddy's the world is pretty much your oyster. There are a lot of options. And they're in every which direction. Head a block and a half west to lovely cookware shop Brooklyn Kitchen, and their adjacent butcher shop/cooking school/supply center with a slightly less lovely name, the Meat Hook. Or go a little farther afield and peruse comics, graphic novels and artful children's books at Desert Island on Metropolitan between Union and Lorimer.

And what's Williamsburg without vintage? We like Sunday Love for retro-cute everything; Flores Antique Clothing for a litany of well-priced dresses; and Orange Marlamade for your more standard lovingly-curated and not-as-cheap vintage experience. The Vortex, on Montrose and Bushwick, is a little further out, but it's a fun junk-or-treasure scavenger hunt.

Now you deserve a drink. Look at you all experiencing new neighborhoods and checking out new shops! You deserve a pat on the back and several buckets of booze. Harefield Road it is—a beer plus bar with no attitude, great prices and a million choices. Bottom's up!

Enjoy! And please do share your Drunk Shopping tips, tales, and war stories in the comments.

· Drunk Shopping [Racked NY]
· Bedford's New Duane Reade Wins Over The Neighborhood With Beer [Racked NY]
· Alter the Third: Now Open on Williamsburg's Northside [Racked NY]
· Brooklynski Customer Liked the Place So Much, She Bought It [Racked NY]
· Want Some Sausage With Your Shorts? Outlier's Got You Covered [Racked NY]
· Industrial Chic at Strawser & Smith: Perfect For Williamsburg [Racked NY]