Malt and Mold

362 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10010 - Gramercy @ 21st Street
221 East Broadway, New York, NY 10002 - @Lower East Side @ Clinton Street, 

Most of us are familiar with wine and cheese, but the owner of Malt & Mold kicked the wine to the curb and added beer with wonderful results! Founder Kevin Heald, a self professed beer and cheese monger, consistently assembles an impressive menu of artisanal beer and cheese, and in the process, has garnered quite a loyal, cult following. Both the beer and cheese offerings depend upon availability from local, small production purveyors; often times patrons are limited in how much they can purchase due to the limited supply and ready demand of other customers. They even have a membership (Chinaski Mug Club) where members can pay $100 and have their very own mug which stays at the shop, ready for trying the (daily/ weekly) offerings from the tap (psst... this is so popular that membership is frozen @ Gramercy).  Membership in this club includes the mug (stored on premises ... this is your Norm from Cheers moment), your first beer, discounted future beers, birthday beers (yours and staff!), special events, and advance notice on unicorn beers (those fancy, one case per shop, one bottle per customer rarities that send beer geeks running around the city during work hours). Around the Gramercy and LES stores, you'll see many a person with their Malt and Mold growlers ready to be filled or emptied, depending on the direction you're headed. Oh and by the way, walk a few steps from the LES store and find another great pairing spot ICE & VICE. Here, you can try very creative, innovative, and experimental flavors of small batch ice cream made on site with names like Opium Den, 3 Little Pigs, 9 AM, and Golddigger to name a few. Beer, cheese, and ice cream --- dinner is sounding overrated!