FOOD: Amity Hall UWS [New York]

Amity Hall in the West Village is one of those staples that I think most people have been to at least once.  The location is great and you can easily reserver space for a party or event.  But what I didn't know is that they opened another location on Amsterdam between 108 and 109!
I used to  spend a lot of time up there--I used to live on 83rd and West End but my friends lived (and actually still live) above 95th Street.  I remember when this space was The Pour House and I was so excited to hear that they had changed it.  That place was nasty to say the least.  But now, it's completely transformed and has an even better vibe than the Amity Hall downtown.  The space is open and clean and not at all fratty, if you know what I mean.
We went on a Saturday to watch football and for a group of 5, only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table, right below a TV and tucked away in a warm corner.  We started off with a bucket of 5 beers (Coors Light and Miller Light) for only $20 and I think it goes without saying that we had several of those throughout the night.
After a bucket or two we started to get hungry and the menu was pretty impressive.  I think downtown is more of a bar first, restaurant second kind of vibe, but up here it was restaurant first, which is perfect for game days, in my opinion.  I hate standing in a crowd eating mediocre food but drinking cheap beer.  This way, we got to have it all.
I ordered the mac and cheese, of course, and it was so, so good.  It met all of my expectations, including truffles, a hot skillet, and a really good base covered with breadcrumbs and parsley.  My other friends had the nachos, which I have to admit looked like the best nachos I've seen in a while.  They were piled high with the usual toppings but not greasy or messy and didn't look like they were made in just 2 minutes in a microwave.

While it may not be reasonable for some to come all the way up to 108th for this alone, if you ever do find yourself in the area this is a great option.
Amity Hall
982 Amsterdam Ave (between 108 and 109)
New York, NY