Abilene

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Devotees of East Village pub Black and White would do well to flee the weekend mobs by F-training it to this Carroll Gardens spot where the mix of indie, retro, and roots music is similarly in-the-know (and the vibe just as subdued). Half-drawn Venetian blinds ward off boozehounds normally attracted to $5 happy-hour drafts, thereby leaving the green-painted rectangular room—lit in the bar-noir style of Twin Peaks—to the sort of late-20 and early-30-somethings who have graduated from thrift shops to boutiques. Behind the dark oak bar, the Alabama-accented barkeep takes his sweet time pouring Guinness from the Bavarian-style tap while a coffee pot offers sobriety for a game of scrabble or dominoes. If you’re looking to play, snag one of the two corner nooks equipped with mod furniture instead of the wooden pews and Formica topped tables. — Daniel Maurer

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