Your Ideal Week: March 12 – March 17

A sure sign that warm weather has finally arrived is having too many good things to do on any given day. Tomorrow night, the quarterly event series Artifacts returns for an evening of experiments with food and wine in Gowanus. Further south in the Slope, you can opt for a different edible experiment at Thistle Hill, when the chef of Guinness Storehouse, home of the famous stout, will prepare a three-course, St. Patrick’s-themed dinner that goes beyond the typical corned beef and cabbage. And on St. Paddy’s Day itself, instead of downing pints, you can spend the night pondering the perils of social media at the book launch of Terms of Service, one of the events on our cultural radar this month.

We’ve got seven more ways for you to celebrate the snowmelt this week, from a day of gardening workshops at Brooklyn Botanic Garden to an up-close look at Don Draper’s office. 

Thursday, March 12: Have you ever wanted to ask a stranger a question? Like turn to the person sitting next to you at a coffee shop and say, “If you could pull off a major heist, what would it be?” Well, Ask Roulette, the monthly conversation series and podcast at Housing Works Bookstore, allows you to do just that. Strangers ask each other questions onstage and the only rule is that they have to answer a question first. This month’s special guests are Michelle Wolf (Late Night with Seth Meyers), Tracy Clayton (Buzzfeed), and Cord Jefferson (The Nightly Show). As always, Jody Avirgan hosts with keyboard accompaniment from house musician Eli Bolin. Tickets are $8 and can be bought online or at the door. Doors open at 6:30 and the show starts at 7.–S.W.

Friday, March 13: Throughout this month Ditmas Park has a string of events lined up to encourage you to “Eat and Shop Your Heart Out [on] Cortelyou.” Its restaurant week is about to end on Saturday, so make reservations now for a prix fixe meal at The Farm on Adderley, The Castello Plan, San Remo Pizza, Purple Yam, Asya, Cinco De Mayo or Lea (you can find all the menus here). On Sunday local delis will be offering sandwich specials and the last week of March the area’s boutiques will be offering deals. If you’re not familiar with the neighborhood, be sure to use our Ditmas Park guide to plan your day trip.–N.D.

Saturday, March 14: Whether you have a green thumb or simply want to try your hand at urban gardening, head to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden this Saturday for the 34th Annual Brooklyn Bloom, a free event (with admission) entirely devoted to all things leafy. Starting at 10am, this year’s “Roots In Resilience” Bloom will focus on sustainability as “tradition, not trend,” featuring a keynote address from Farm School NYC director Onika Abraham and expert-led workshops like “The Edible Container Garden” at 11am and 3pm for budding and experienced gardeners alike. At the end of the day, head home with a spring gift bag and get to work growing your own urban jungle.–N.R.

Sunday, March 15: Calling all chili fiends: This Sunday, Greenpoint’s Diamond Bar is calling on anyone who loves the hearty dish to help them crown the best chili in the borough and beyond. Head to the Diamond with $5 in hand and a big appetite to sample local chili recipes or enter your own concoction by shooting an email to dave@thediamondbrooklyn.com. And for those with savant-like drinking abilities, feel free to enter the afternoon’s free macro-brew blind tasting contest and win $20. Everything kicks off at 3pm.–N.R.

Monday, March 16: The Royal Palms Shuffleboard League’s spring season starts today, and if the thought of slinging biscuits in this cocktail palace for prizes and glory isn’t exciting enough, those who mention Brooklyn Based at the time of registering can get a $50 gift card to spend at the bar for your team. Just register as a team captain here, and enter BB50 in the “what’s your favorite royal palms cocktail” field. Each team needs a minimum of four players but six are recommended, but don’t worry if you don’t have your teammates lined up yet–you’ve got a few days to choose who you’ll clink glasses with over your free round of drinks. You can also sign up as a free agent and RPS will set you up with a badass team (but that option doesn’t entitle you to the drink card, so you may want to start that group email now).–N.D.

Tuesday, March 17: What’s better than drinking on St. Patrick’s Day? How about learning something while drinking on St. Patrick’s Day! This Tuesday at 5pm, the Factory Tour series heads to the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Bldg 92 and Kings County Distillery for a special 90-minute evening tour, tasting and history lesson on past whiskey scandals and the spirit’s recent comeback as the drink of choice. $15 tickets ($12 for members) to this 21+ event can be purchased here.–N.R.

Wednesday, March 18: Even if you are not a die-hard Mad Men fan, you can appreciate the attention the show’s creators have paid to the tiniest details of 1960s. And for an up-close view of the clothing and props used on the show, there’s a new exhibit at the Museum of the Modern Image called “Matthew Weiner’s Mad Men.” From now until June 14–well after the second half of the last season ends–you can see reproductions of Don Draper’s office and the kitchen he shared with Betty (on the rare occassions he came home), alongside memorable outfits like Meghan’s “Zou Bisou” dress. If you happen to have Wednesdays off, or can cut out early from work, this is a great day to gape at the exhibit without the weekend throngs.–-N.D.