Owner Katrina McNamee and Executive Chef Christie Flanagan
For nearly fifty years, Hallak Cleaners the Couture Cleaner has been entrusted with Manhattan’s finest wardrobes. New York’s fashion boutiques have been recommending Hallak to their loyal customers for years. They understand the importance of quality fabric care and protecting their client’s investment. While Hallak is known for their expert handling of couture and other precious items, they also make it a point to give your more casual garments the same level of attention. Their representatives are always on the look out for the hard-to-notice stains, loose seams, missing buttons, etc. You can trust Hallak Cleaners with your entire wardrobe and then some. A sample of some of their specialized services:
Designer Handbag & Purse Cleaning
Wedding Gown Preservation & Bridal Services
Expert tailoring department located at both locations.
Complimentary Pick Up and Delivery Service 6 Days a Week.
1232 Second Avenue (near 65th)
If you have any questions or would like to schedule a pick up, please feel free to email us at info@hallak.com
Obviously, anything boys can do girls can do better especially when they are IRISH, and that maxim was just recently reinforced by Katrina and Christie of Draught 55, undoubtedly the hottest Irish gastropub in town. It boasts a myriad of craft beer options, so if you are into Craft beer, this is the place for you. If you are not, have no fear as the food trumps even the beer! As you recall, Draught 55 was first featured in Terrific Takeout:
and it advanced to Tasty Tidbits:
Draught 55 has earned a spot in Peachy's Picks! It has fantastic cuisine in a jovial atmosphere with top service and a great ownership team (though we have yet to meet the four men involved... but you see the two stars at the top.) It is hard to believe that it was just opened in December 2012 as it has a strong following and an established feel to it. Katrina is very dedicated to getting every last detail right and is super-organized we can tell, and also she's meticulous. We were greeted with House Made Peter Piper's Pickles-a pot of Founders Ale Soaked Pickled Cukes. They were fresh and it is unusual to encounter such pickles of originality that are also homemade.

You know Peachy tried that other stout on the takeout review, but you really cannot mess with the perfection of Guinness. Even the toucan says Guinness is good for you and we firmly believe that, in moderation of course. Details are not lost on us, and if you look closely from above, you can see this Guinness was properly pulled with a Shamrock design:
We will admit as adventurous as we may be with red wines from Italy, we honestly cannot say we've expanded our horizons in beer. Yet. Peachy Deegan was fast friends with the Guinness for the duration of the evening, however if you are a beer connoisseur you will find that the beer list has what is on tap with Draught, Style, ABV and Pour listed and on the reverse, you see
bottled and canned selections. We challenge you to find a beer that they don't have!
If you looked at that picture standalone from this post, you'd think you were in a fine dining atmosphere. This is not your average bar at all. And since when would we be featuring anything average. This is the Modern Irish Gastropub of Manhattan, and Executive Chef Christie Flanagan has a degree from the CIA and a resume that includes past experiences at
Chez Pascal in Providence, Larry Forgiones's American place, Gigi's trattoria, Michael Jordan's steakhouse and Michael Jordan's sport cafe. Above we see the incomparable Slow Roasted Pork Belly, which was just divine. The outside was crisp and the inside was tender and the autumn maple brown sugar sauce added a supremely decadent touch. Deep fried pickles added some nice flavor and texture to the delightful appetizer.