July NYC Events (07/26/21)

Posted on 07/26/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

Best Free Things To Do in NYC This Week

“The quality and quantity of free events, free things to do that take place in New York City every day of the year is truly amazing. So don’t miss the opportunities that only New York provides: stop wondering what to do; start taking advantage of free things to do, free events to go to in NYC today!”

Join Club Free Time – I did, and it’s one of the best things I ever did. Here is a sample of FREE events this week. Get more information by going to the Club Free Time website.

Best Free Things To Do in NYC This Week

Monday, July 26, 2021

Mon, Jul 26 – 8:00 pm / free; tickets required; available only through a digital lottery
Play | Merry Wives: Shakespeare Adaption in the Park
Set in South Harlem, amidst a vibrant and eclectic community of West African immigrants, This adapta … more

Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Tue, Jul 27 – 1:00 pm / free; RSVP required
Discussion | Andy Warhol: A Conversation (virtual)
Join a lively conversation with Warhol biographer Blake Gopnik and art museum curators Kenneth Brumm … more

Tue, Jul 27 – 7:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Jazz | The George Gee Big Band: Swing and Jazz
The Queens-based George Gee Big Band will mix swing and jazz. Audience members will surely want to d … more

Tue, Jul 27 – 7:30 pm / free; RSVP required
Dancing | Outdoor Dance Party with Grammy-Winning Saxophonist Michael Thomas
This program is making people twist and shout. Queens Theatre is currently facilitating outdoor danc … more

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Wed, Jul 28 – 3:00 pm / free; RSVP required
Open Studios | 2021 Summer Open House: A Day of Live Rehearsals and Studio Presentations
Take part in conversations about international contemporary art with arts professionals from around … more

Wed, Jul 28 – 6:00 pm / free
Concert | From Swing to R&B to 80’s Pop Hits
Join a rotating cast of musicians curated by ArBuzz and Sharla, as they play everything from swing t … more

Wed, Jul 28 – 7:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Jazz | Jazz at the Pier: Steve Blum and the Molecular Organ Trio
This seasonal favorite combines smooth tunes with beautiful evenings on the Park’s green piers for a … more

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Thu, Jul 29 = 12:30 pm / free
Jazz | Grammy Winner Arturo O’Farrill and his Latin Jazz Group
Grammy-award winner Arturo O’Farrill and his ensemble of fiery musicians continue to innovate, … more

Thu, Jul 29 – 5:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Concert | Fabulous Five: Popular Favorites from the Beatles, Broadway, Coldplay, Sting, Lady Gaga and More
Performers:Victoria Paterson, violinHiroko Taguchi, violinPhilip … more

Thu, Jul 29 – 6:00 pm / free
Concert | Japanese Contemporary and Traditional Music: Bamboo Flutes, Taiko Drums and More
Various styles of Japanese contemporary and traditional music, with a focus on the shinobue bamboo f … more

Friday, July 30, 2021

Fri, Jul 30 – 5:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Classical Music | The Met’s Balcony Bar from Home Featuring ETHEL and Friends in Concert (virtual)
Fix yourself a drink and experience The Met’s Balcony Bar from home with ETHEL, one of the most accl … more

Fri, Jul 30 – 6:00 pm / free, registration required
Play | Twelfth Night: One of Shakespeare’s Most Celebrated Comedies
Shipwrecked in the alluring country of Illyria, twins Viola and Sebastian each believe the other dea … more

Fri, Jul 30 – 7:00 pm / free
Concert | Adrienne Warren and Friends: Tony-Award Winning Singer
Adrienne Warren made her Broadway debut in the 2012 musical Bring It On, and in 2016 receiv … more

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If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Eat All Your Chinese Vegetables

Fat Choy / 250 Broome St.

It’s one thing to offer a $335 meat-free menu for the one percent (see Eleven Madison Park 2.0). It’s another to charge $10 and under for veggie-centric Chinese food for everyone: the curious carnivores, the certified vegans, and the dedicated superfans like Deborah from the Upper West Side, who loves the food and the vibe so much she literally hiked down the West Side Highway from 88th Street to Broome and Orchard one recent Saturday afternoon just to tuck in to paper-boatloads of chewy rice rolls topped with gai lan and juicy bok choy showered with crispy fried garlic. We know she did this because Fat Choy is the kind of place where diners who have navigated the scrum of Lower East Side streeteries — bars, vegan-cupcake shops, more bars — start conversations with strangers to recommend dishes, offer bites, and generally share communal moments of vibrantly flavored, inventively conceived culinary bliss. —Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Sip a Sazerac in a Secret Garden

Villanelle / 15 E. 12th St.

This elegant Greenwich Village establishment has flown so far under the radar that many regulars (ourselves included) were afraid it would close forever when disaster struck. Miraculously, unlike with the still-shuttered Gotham Bar & Grill across the street, the opposite has happened. Owner Catherine Manning fitted the space out back with tables and little enclosed “garden rooms” that have become a hit during the outdoor-dining craze. The Sazeracs we enjoyed on a recent summery evening were exceptional, and you can also addle yourself with $9 cocktails during the new happy hour. The talented young chef Tyler Heckman (Ferris, Le Turtle) took over the kitchen last fall, and he’s slowly added the kind of variety and style to the aggressively seasonal menu (braised spring lamb on our visit, white-asparagus velouté, gnocchi with escargot) that threatens to turn this sleepy local favorite into a proper big-city dining destination. —Adam Platt

Sample the Latest Fusion Cuisine on New York’s Original Open Street

The Migrant Kitchen / 45 Stone St.

Long before 2020 brought alfresco eating to every corner of our city, Stone Street was a pedestrian paradise, and it still is, a cobblestoned car-free wonderland for outdoor pints, pizza, and mozzarella sticks. The Migrant Kitchen, which opened last fall, brings Middle Eastern–Latin fusion to this Fidi pub-grub zone. Owner Nasser Jaber, who operates out of the Dubliner bar’s kitchen, sends out sumac-butter-slicked fried-chicken-and-falafel waffles, mariquitas (fried plantain chips) nachos, and pastelon mahshi, a Dominican-style maduros-and-beef riff on the traditional Palestinian stuffed gourd. And since many office workers are still Zooming in from home, Stone Street feels distinctly chiller and less suits-y these days. —Ryan P. Sutton

–

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

July NYC Events (07/25/21)

Posted on 07/25/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

NYC-Arts Top Five Picks: July 23 – 29

“Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top events include Melvin Edwards’ “Brighter Days,” Will Power’s adaptation of “Richard III,” works by Robert Bauer, Lucian Freud and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.”

That Eighties Show

That Eighties Show

Forum Gallery

Manhattan / Thu, Jul 15, 2021 – Sat, Sep 18, 2021

Forum Gallery presents “That Eighties Show” (July 15 – September 18, 2021), a summer exhibition of thirty-five works created between 1980 and 1989, a decade of meteoric growth and accelerated modernization in economy and culture. The dedicated artists in the show responded in diverse ways to these heady, turbo-charged times that saw a dramatic return to figurative and representational means of expression. Following on from “That Seventies Show,” presented at Forum Gallery in the summer …

What’s It All About

What’s It All About

Jenkins Johnson Gallery

Brooklyn / Sat, Jul 17, 2021 – Fri, Aug 27, 2021

Jenkins Johnson Projects presents “What’s It All About,” an exhibition bringing together a multi-generational group of abstract artists. The exhibition features renowned professors Dewey Crumpler, San Francisco Art Institute, and Lisa Corinne Davis, Hunter College. Participating artists include Anthony Olubunmi Akinbola, Patrick Alston, Carmen Neely, Esteban Ramón Pérez, Emma Soucek and Jason Stopa. Exhibition essay by Amarie Gipson, Writer and Critic. Dewey Crumpler is a multi-disciplinary artist who examines issues of globalization and cultural commodification through …

Brighter Days

Brighter Days

City Hall Park

Manhattan / Tue, May 04, 2021 – Sun, Nov 28, 2021

From May 4th to November 28th, Public Art Fund will be presenting “Brighter Days” at City Hall Park, a thematic survey of seminal artist Melvin Edwards’ work featuring five sculptures created between 1970 and 1996, as well as a new work commissioned in 2020 for this historic exhibition. For more than 60 years, Edwards has created works that bring abstract forms together with recognizable motifs—often related to his own personal history—to engage with themes of …

Two Noble Kinsmen

Two Noble Kinsmen

Bryant Park

Manhattan / Thu, Jul 15, 2021 – Sat, Jul 31, 2021

The Drilling Company will return with Shakespeare in the Parking Lot July 15 to 30, offering a portable three-week run of “Two Noble Kinsmen,” a rarely-produced curiosity of the Shakespearean canon. Performances will begin July 15, 16, 17 in the parking Lot of The Clemente, 107 Suffolk Street; move July 19, 20, 21 to Bryant Park, and return July 28 29, 30 to The Clemente.  Director Hamilton Clancy is re-envisioning the story of Thebes and Athens into a modern spy caper …

Seize The King

Seize The King

Marcus Garvey Park

Manhattan / Tue, Jul 06, 2021 – Thu, Jul 29, 2021

The Classical Theatre of Harlem presents “Seize The King.” With his country’s throne empty, Richard knocks down threats to his ascension, fueling his insatiable ambition and paranoia. Even if he can be stopped — who can ensure a tyrant won’t rise in his place? Award-winning playwright Will Power delivers a propulsive and timely modern reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” that the “San Diego City Beat” described as “a sharp, lyrical script that blurs the line …

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So many things to see and do, to eat and drink in NYC.

Here are 10 of my NYC faves:

NYC Restaurant Week’s best summer 2021 spots are now serving menus -TONY

Saving New York City’s Last Wildernesses – Scientific American

The best things to do in the fall in NYC – TONY

The Best Thai Restaurants In NYC – New York – The Infatuation

Eyes On New York, The Ride’s World Premiere on Staten Island, Takes Flight July 1 – Times Square Chronicles

The Best NYC Bars & Restaurants With Live Music – New York – The Infatuation

Best Ice Cream Shops in NYC: Classic and Unique Ice Cream Spots to Try – Thrillist

A 35,000-Square-Foot Indoor Amusement Park Will Open An Hour From NYC Next Year – Secretnyc

Best Seafood Restaurants in NYC: Top Places to Go To in New York – Thrillist

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel is the star of this immersive exhibit coming this fall to NYC – TONY

===================================================================

If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Eat All Your Chinese Vegetables

Fat Choy / 250 Broome St.

It’s one thing to offer a $335 meat-free menu for the one percent (see Eleven Madison Park 2.0). It’s another to charge $10 and under for veggie-centric Chinese food for everyone: the curious carnivores, the certified vegans, and the dedicated superfans like Deborah from the Upper West Side, who loves the food and the vibe so much she literally hiked down the West Side Highway from 88th Street to Broome and Orchard one recent Saturday afternoon just to tuck in to paper-boatloads of chewy rice rolls topped with gai lan and juicy bok choy showered with crispy fried garlic. We know she did this because Fat Choy is the kind of place where diners who have navigated the scrum of Lower East Side streeteries — bars, vegan-cupcake shops, more bars — start conversations with strangers to recommend dishes, offer bites, and generally share communal moments of vibrantly flavored, inventively conceived culinary bliss. —Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Sip a Sazerac in a Secret Garden

Villanelle / 15 E. 12th St.

This elegant Greenwich Village establishment has flown so far under the radar that many regulars (ourselves included) were afraid it would close forever when disaster struck. Miraculously, unlike with the still-shuttered Gotham Bar & Grill across the street, the opposite has happened. Owner Catherine Manning fitted the space out back with tables and little enclosed “garden rooms” that have become a hit during the outdoor-dining craze. The Sazeracs we enjoyed on a recent summery evening were exceptional, and you can also addle yourself with $9 cocktails during the new happy hour. The talented young chef Tyler Heckman (Ferris, Le Turtle) took over the kitchen last fall, and he’s slowly added the kind of variety and style to the aggressively seasonal menu (braised spring lamb on our visit, white-asparagus velouté, gnocchi with escargot) that threatens to turn this sleepy local favorite into a proper big-city dining destination. —Adam Platt

Sample the Latest Fusion Cuisine on New York’s Original Open Street

The Migrant Kitchen / 45 Stone St.

Long before 2020 brought alfresco eating to every corner of our city, Stone Street was a pedestrian paradise, and it still is, a cobblestoned car-free wonderland for outdoor pints, pizza, and mozzarella sticks. The Migrant Kitchen, which opened last fall, brings Middle Eastern–Latin fusion to this Fidi pub-grub zone. Owner Nasser Jaber, who operates out of the Dubliner bar’s kitchen, sends out sumac-butter-slicked fried-chicken-and-falafel waffles, mariquitas (fried plantain chips) nachos, and pastelon mahshi, a Dominican-style maduros-and-beef riff on the traditional Palestinian stuffed gourd. And since many office workers are still Zooming in from home, Stone Street feels distinctly chiller and less suits-y these days. —Ryan P. Sutton

–

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July NYC Events (07/24/21)

Posted on 07/24/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

9 Actually Fun Things to Do in New York This Weekend

Indian food pop-ups, giant cookies, and an art fair are all on tap.

By Juliet Izon / Thrillist

“In a year that’s been short on good news, here’s a little something nice: there won’t be any fare hikes from the MTA until at least 2022! So, whip out that Metrocard this weekend and take advantage of lots of fun stuff happening in the five boroughs: we’ve got art fairs, we’ve got juicy burgers, and we’ve even got live salsa music. Read on for nine actually fun things to eat, see, and do in New York City this weekend.”

Chow down on the summer’s hottest burger

Weekend-long
SoHo
Bronson’s Burgers comes from the team that produced beloved spots Wayla and Kimika, so it should be no surprise that the towering creations coming out of this kitchen are already creating buzz. Start off with the signature burger, which features a thick, juicy patty with caramelized onions, cheddar cheese and pickles, but save room for the chili cheese hot dog, the grilled cheese served with a side of tomato soup, and, of course, the cheeseburger hash browns. If you still have room, finish off the meal on a sweet note with one of their numerous milkshakes, including a decadent cookie butter crunch version.
Cost: Burgers from $12

Dine at some of your favorite restaurants on the cheap

Weekend-long
Citywide
After both canceling and reformatting the past year’s events, NYC Restaurant Week is back in all its glory. The program gives New Yorkers a chance to dine at restaurants that might otherwise be out of reach by organizing prix-fixe meals at affordable price points. This year, lunch is $21 and dinner $39 for an entrée and side. But, if you’re feeling fancy, there is also a brand-new $125 option that includes three courses and unique add-ons curated by each restaurant participating. Some of our favorites to look out for: Hancock Street’s elevated American cuisine, Sylvia’s classic soul food, and Khe-Yo’s flavorful Laotian.
Cost: Varies

Groove to live salsa at this famed brewery

Friday, July 23, 7:30 pm-11:30 pm
Port Morris
Is there a better summer combination than live music and beer? Head to The Bronx Brewery this Friday for live salsa music from Grammy award-winner Jeremy Bosch, plus Los Hacheros and DJ Javick. While you’re grooving, sip on suds like Rise & Grind (coffee kolsch), Some Like It Hopped (a hoppy Vienna lager), and Big City Bastard (hazy session IPA). And don’t forget to check out the merch, we’re big fans of the bucket hats.
Cost: $25 a ticket

Nibble on bites from around the world at this reopened market

Weekend-long
Lower East Side
After successfully weathering the pandemic, one of NYCs most unique food halls fully reopens this weekend. Located right off the Manhattan side of the Williamsburg Bridge, The Market Line is a subterranean snacker’s paradise boasting some of the city’s heaviest hitters including Nom Wah, Doughnut Plant, Veselka, and Ample Hills. Make sure to save some time to explore The Tenement Museum after you eat.
Cost: Varies

Catch the sunrise at the city’s most iconic building

Saturday, July 14, 5 am
Midtown East
While New Yorkers may be more likely to see 5 am before they go to sleep, perhaps we can convince you to go to bed early on a Friday night just this once. To celebrate its 90th year and a $165 million overhaul of its visitor experience, the Empire State Building is offering guests the chance to greet the new day from its famed 86th floor viewing platform. Every Saturday through the Sunrise with Starbucks event, up to 100 visitors can watch the day break over Manhattan (with coffee in hand, of course) and snag some seriously ‘gram-worthy snaps.
Cost: $114 per ticket

Try a black and white cookie from the bakery that made them famous

Weekend-long
Upper East Side
Are you really a New Yorker if you’ve never tried the pillowy black and white cookie from William Greenberg Desserts? If you’re hanging your head in shame right now, make sure to scoop one up from the shop’s newly redesigned digs, which open this Friday. Aside from the famed cookies, there are also delicious hamantaschen, Linzer tarts, pies, and cakes, plus a new street-side pick-up window if you’re in a hurry.
Cost: Pastries from $1.75

Join a dinner party cooked by a beloved chef

Sunday, July 25
SoHo
While he lived here, Gerardo Gonzalez was one of New York’s buzziest chefs, helming the burners at hotspots like El Rey and Lalito. And though we still mourn his move to the Cayman Islands, this Sunday and Monday the chef will be back to host two delicious dinner parties at wine-centric Niche Niche. Expect a mix of both Mexican and Caribbean flavors for the menu, with plenty of flowing wine. Reservations are available via Resy.
Cost: $65 per person 

Cool down with watermelon chaat salad at this buzzy pop-up

Weekend-long, 5 pm-9 pm
Gowanus
Nidhi Jalan is the chef and founder of Masala Mama, a Brooklyn-based company that makes homemade vegetarian Indian sauces like tikka masala and coconut curry. And now, through a limited-time pop-up, you can try Jalan’s whole range of cooking, from flavorful aloo gobi to a refreshing watermelon chaat salad. While the whole menu is fully vegetarian, many dishes are also vegan; don’t miss the tofu dishes which are made with a tasty, traditional kettle-style preparation.
Cost: Entrees from $12.95

Scoop up new art for your apartment at this independent fair

Weekend-long
Greenpoint
NYC is home to what seems like millions of art galleries, but not many of them are what you’d classify as affordable. But, if you’re looking to upgrade from the posters you’ve had since college, we have the solution. This weekend, The Other Art Fair Brooklyn, presented by Saatchi Art, comes to the Brooklyn Expo Center with 130 independent and emerging artists and art prices starting at just $150. There will also be illustrators making free, 60-second bespoke drawings, tours of the fair from curator Erin Remington, and the chance to sponsor and decorate care packages from Heart of Dinner.
Cost: Tickets from $15

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Thrillist, a site with tons of food, drink, travel & entertainment info, introduces folks to the coolest things to do in NYC (and other places when you are traveling). I like to check them out regularly. You should, too.

==========================================================

If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld,

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Feast on Escargot and the Scene

Pastis / 52 Gansevoort St.

We’re happy to report that whatever strange alchemy it was (the warming onion soup, the cheeseburger “à la Americaine,” the spacious sidewalk operation sturdy enough for any blizzard) that elevated this fashionable Stephen Starr–Keith McNally Meatpacking District brasserie into one of the go-to destinations during the dark pandemic months is still very much intact. Like everywhere else around town, the dining room is beginning to fill up again, but the best seat in the house is still outdoors, where the sidewalk between the tables along Gansevoort Street has turned into a kind of promenade for the vibrantly reopened city. There was a jazz trio spinning out New Orleans sounds when we dropped by the other day, and couples walking arm in arm on their way to the High Line or an evening picnic in the park. Any picnic here should include some oysters and the bubbly, shell-less escargot, but be sure to save a little room for the baba au rhum, the nougat glacé, and the rest of the underrated brasserie desserts.—A.P.

Snag a Seat for Vietnamese Vermicelli

Di An Di / 68 Greenpoint Ave., Greenpoint

Cymande’s “bra” piped through the outdoor jukebox on a recent Friday at the Vietnamese restaurant Di An Di while patrons slurped up brothy vermicelli noodles underneath strings of white lights. Those who arrived after 8:45 p.m. were out of luck, as every table was filled with fashionable young folks in T-shirts and hosts had stopped taking names. Bowls of mi xao bo do bien, firm egg noodles studded with fat slices of squid and shrimp, scented the air with its garlicky perfume. The Before Times menu still hasn’t returned, which means no more rice-paper pizzas for now, but there are newish bánh mì lunch sandwiches stuffed with fried chicken, tofu, or pork belly. And the aromatic shaking beef (bo luc lac), with its wok-seared cubes of medium-rare sirloin and crisp tomato-watercress salad, remains.—R.P.S.

Sip Vermut Like a Basque Boulevardier

Ernesto’s / 259 E. Broadway

The pandemic was a disaster for everyone, but few felt the old “defeat snatched from the jaws of victory” moment more keenly than chef-owner Ryan Bartlow, who had to close this elegant little Basque-themed bar operation just as the buzz for its special brand of convivial tapas-style cooking was building. The bare-bones staff managed to survive on PPP checks and a pickup menu until early summer, before throwing open the floor-to-ceiling windows and filling the sidewalk with rows of tables, which, on a warm night, as the evening light filters through the leafy trees across the street, can feel a little like an outdoor café in San Sebastián. These days, the long, dinner-friendly bar is humming again, and with the first-rate drinks program (try the vermut and tonic), a roster of expertly rendered Spanish classics (the croquettes, the morcilla, the tortilla española), and a peaceful, unhurried vibe, there are, for our money, few more-enjoyable indoor-outdoor-dining options in town.—A.P.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

July NYC Events (07/23/21)

Posted on 07/23/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

5 Things to Do This Weekend in NYC

“Our critics and writers have selected noteworthy cultural events to experience virtually and in person in New York City.”

Film Series

Art & Museums

KIDS

Jazz

Comedy

Read a fuller discussion of these gallery shows HERE

The New York Times has an Arts section second to none. If you want know What’s Happening in the Arts around town this is the place to be.

3 Art Gallery Shows in NYC to See Right Now

“Alan Ruiz’s architectural installations; New Red Order’s Indigenous provocations; and “Wish,” a group show exploring productive pleasures.”

Through July 31. The Kitchen, 512 West 19th Street, Manhattan; 212-255-5793, thekitchen.org.

Through Aug. 21. Artists Space, 11 Cortlandt Alley, Manhattan; (212) 226-3970, artistsspace.org.

Through July 30. Metro Pictures, 519 West 24th Street, Manhattan; (212) 206-7100, metropictures.com.

Read a fuller discussion of these gallery shows HERE

==============================================================

Best new restaurants in NYC

If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” – Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld,

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Meet in Midtown for Hunanese

Blue Willow / 40 W. 56th St.

When this terrific Hunan restaurant opened last year just down the street from Trump Tower, the owners had trouble attracting customers because security arrangements limited access to the block. But true fans of Hunan cuisine — which can be just as spicy as Sichuan, with a broader array of sharp flavors — have a way of sniffing out talent and overcoming obstacles in their path, and Blue Willow gradually became a word-of-mouth hit, especially among Chinese Americans. Now, with the barriers gone, the restaurant draws diners looking for dishes like house-smoked Hunan bacon (thick swatches of pork belly stir-fried with cloves of garlic) and “snow red greens” (minced mustard greens riddled with pickled red chiles). —R.C.S.

Share Thai Disco Fries at a New-Wave Diner

Thai Diner / 186 Mott St.

It’s clear while sitting at Thai Diner’s packed outdoor setup on Mott and Kenmare that Nolita, a reliably bustling corner of the city that felt eerily quiet throughout the past year, is very much alive these days. At this, Ann Redding and Matt Danzer’s latest spot, they’re serving Uncle Boons (RIP) favorites, such as khao soi and crab fried rice, alongside cheeseburgers, fried-chicken sandwiches, and Thai disco fries smothered in curry sauce, which we recommend pairing with a notably strong martini while ogling the ecstatic-to-finally-be-out-and-about passersby. —R.P.S.

Gorge on Russian Spa Food

Matryoshka at Wall Street Bath & Spa 88 / 88 Fulton St.

The Russian bathhouse isn’t just about cleansing; it’s about restoring and nourishing, which is why the indoor-dining ban hit the banya so hard. You were permitted to sweat it out on Fulton Street, but you couldn’t seek rejuvenation through hot borscht and cold beer. Now, after a few rounds in a sauna set to a screaming 220 degrees, you can once again bring your body back to life in a cafeteria with other dripping-wet patrons wearing very few clothes. Consider filling up on slippery Siberian pelmeni drenched in butter, fried potatoes slicked with enough garlic to qualify as a medicinal supplement, and Georgian lamb soup that will scorch your tongue for days, which means it’s precisely the right temperature.—R.P.S.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July NYC Events (07/22/21)

Posted on 07/22/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

The best things to do in NYC this weekend

“The best things to do in NYC this weekend includes Shakespeare in the Park, Bastille Day fun and more. By Shaye Weaver / Time Out New York

Looking for the best things to do in NYC this weekend? Whether you’re the group planner searching for more things to do in NYC today, or you have no plans yet, here are some ideas to add to your list for this long summer weekend. Don’t miss Shakespeare in the Park, go out for New York Restaurant Week, do an outdoor movie screening, and go find Rugrats-themed ice cream.”

Things to do in NYC this weekend

These are just a few. Want more?

Time Out New York has 101 best things to do this weekend. Find your faves right here

1. New York City Restaurant Week

New York City Restaurant Week, which is now live for dining, has been a twice annual tradition since 1992. When it first got cooking, the culinary holiday was celebrated with $19.92 lunch specials at restaurants like Tribeca Grill. Surprisingly, those midday meals only rose to $26 by 2020. What’s even wilder? This year’s prices have actually fallen. Sort of. Summer 2021’s NYC Restaurant Week, which runs from July 19 through August 22, has three pricing tiers: $21, $39 and $125 for lunch or dinner. RW organizers advise restaurants to offer at least an entree and a side for the first two tiers, and the $125 ticket must include three or more courses plus a little something extra like wine. This year, more than 500 participating Italian, Thai, Russian, Cuban, Spanish, French, Mexican, Indian, Brazilian and Japanese izakayas, ice cream parlors, steakhouses, fish bars, brasseries, bistros, grills, cafes and sushi restaurants decide which deals to offer when. And you decide how many of these marvelous options you can cram into four-and-a-half wonderful weeks. It’s a lot! 

3. The Met’s final week of free streams

Last March, when New York City’s public performance venues were forced to close their doors, the Metropolitan Opera was among the first arts institutions to respond to the crisis with virtual programming. Just days after the shutdown went into effect, the company began its series of Nightly Met Opera Streams, providing viewers around the world with a different free opera from its archives every night—a run that has continued for 70 weeks and drawn more than 20 million viewers. But now the Met, which plans to return to live performances this September, is bringing this tremendously popular series to a close. The lineup for the Met’s final week of free streams, from July 19 through July 25, was selected through a Viewers’ Choice poll, and it includes full works by Mozart, Bizet and Donizetti. Each opera goes live on the Met’s website at 7:30pm EDT (12:30am BST) and remains viewable until 6:30pm EDT the next day. The works are also available through the Met Opera on Demand app on various devices. Full details about Week 71 of the Met’s streaming program are here.

4. Out With The Old, In With The New with Brian Stokes Mitchell

This week, the turn-lemons-into-lemonade project will host a special cabaret/concert performance by the Tony Award-winning actor Brian Stokes Mitchell, who will debut his show Out With The Old, In With The New. Mitchell will hit the stage starting this Wednesday, July 21 through Friday, July 23 at the Restart Stage in Damrosch Park. The performance will see a pastiche of original songs, classic Broadway numbers and songs pulled from the American songbook sung by Mitchell. Can’t make it this week? Don’t worry! Mitchell will return with Out with the Old, In with the New one more time from August 12 through August 14. 

5. The Market Line food hall

The Market Line, a gourmet subterranean food hall on the Lower East Side, is reopening this Thursday, July 22, after a pandemic-hiatus. Originally opened in November 2019, The Market Line is part of the larger Essex Crossing development, and aims to house an eclectic mix of locally-sourced vendors and restaurants reflecting the character, culture and grit of the historic neighborhood. Come hungry, because many returning vendors will offer their iconic local eats and grocery essentials, including Essex Pearl (locally caught seafood!), Nom Wah (dim sum and noodles), Ample Hills, Ends Meat (whole animal butchery), Taqueria Nixtamal (fresh corn tortillas), Pho Grand, People’s Wine, The Pickle Guys, Veselka, Que Chevere (Puerto Rican cuisine), Cafe Grumpy and more.  Brand new vendors will also sell their most popular dishes at the market, including Alimentari Flâneur, Best Damn Cookies, Dragon Bing, Tap NYC, and Mighties among others.

7. A free open-air storytelling festival

There are eight million stories in the naked city, as the old movie said, and this week a select few of them will be aired on the gentle oasis of greenery known as Little Island, which opened in May. From Wednesday through Sunday (July 21–July 25), NYC’s latest must-see destination will play host to its first-ever Storytelling Festival, devoting spaces throughout the park to a mostly free smorgasbord of spoken word, music, poetry and audiovisual art. Nearly all of the events in the festival are free to anyone attending Little Island at the time; admission to the park costs nothing and is open to anyone in the morning, then moves to a system of timed-entry reservations at noon. 

17. Bespoke sidecar motorcycle rides

Dapper Tours is a local tour service that provides guided tours of Gotham from an old-timey sidecar. The vehicle in question is, in fact, a vintage Ural motorcycle, a model that has a fascinating history involving reverse-engineering by Russians in the 1940s. The company now manufactures rides for civilians and is one of the world’s leading purveyors of sidecar motorcycles. The world’s leading purveyor of sidecar cocktails, however, remains any bar we’re at on a Saturday night. A ride on one of the motorcycles will normally set you back $269–$779 depending on the length of your ride and your itinerary. But let’s get real, this is probably something that you’d pull the trigger on when you have someone visiting from out of town. 

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amNY Weekender | Here are 6 things to do in NYC this weekend / By Dean Jamieson

Friday, July 23

Union Square Green Market: One of the largest farmer’s markets in the country, the Union Square GreenMarket is every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Come out for fresh produce, pies, flowers, pastries and meats. Some of the over 100+ farmers and vendors include PE & DD Seafood, Roaming Acres Farm, Pet-al Flowers and She Wolf Bakery. North and West sides of Union Square Park, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free to enter.

“Working On It” & “First Look” at Museum of the Moving Image: A break from the Museum’s regular programming, Working On It & First Look is an event where filmmakers, critics and viewers get to watch, discuss and explore the creative process. This week’s program will include Jeff Reichert’s I Feel Struck by the Loss of Nameless Things; Dining Out, Calling In, and The Sacred and the Staged, to be followed by a discussion. 36-01 35th Avenue, Astoria, 2 p.m. $15 / $11 seniors & students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / Free for MoMI members.

Saturday, July 24

Greenpoint Terminal Market: Located on the waterfront, with a gorgeous view of the Manhattan skyline, the Greenpoint Terminal Market is returning this Saturday with over 100 vendors, from vintage and antiques to local art, design, and a variety of international food. Come eat, shop and support local small businesses and artisans. 2 Noble Street, Brooklyn. 9 a.m. Free.

10th Annual New York City Poetry Festival: Every last weekend of July, for ten years, the New York City Poetry Festival has been bringing poets, audiences and collectives to the idyllic space of Governors Island. Come meet, read, teach, talk and enjoy the sunshine. This year’s poets include Terrance Hayes, Deborah Landau, Ariana Reines, and many more. Colonel’s Row, Governors Island. 11 a.m. Free, but ticket packages are available starting at $10.

Sunday, July 25

Fordham Flea Market: The largest of its kind in uptown and the Bronx, the Fordham Flea Market is returning this Sunday with dozens of local artists, creators and merchants. Come shop for small batch apparel, accessors, packaged goods, and much more. Fordham Plaza, Bronx. 12 p.m. Free.

Movies Under The Stars: “Harriet“: Critic’s favorite “Harriet” is being screened this Sunday as part of the City’s Movies Under The Stars series. Nominated for an Oscar, this 2019 explores the incredible true story of Harriet Tubman. Come spread a blanket and enjoy the film. PG-13. Brower Park, Brooklyn. 8:45 p.m. Free.

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Best new NYC restaurants

If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Take in Park Views With Your Kelewele

Teranga / 1280 Fifth Ave.

The trapezoidal windows at Teranga have long afforded patrons panoramic vistas of Central Park North, but the city’s embrace of outdoor dining has made Pierre Thiam’s West African–leaning venue even more appealing than before. Now you can snack on kelewele (spicy roast plantains) right at the edge of the park, overlooking the verdant trees while enjoying a warm summer breeze. On a recent Friday, I sat near a pair of diners, one of them relaxing in a jujitsu T-shirt, as I made quick work of a yassa bowl: tender chicken thighs slathered in saucy golden onions. If indoor dining is still quiet here, you’ll never feel alone in the alfresco area. Folks zoom by on hoverboards and messenger bikes, shaved-ice vendors pour polychromatic syrups into snowy cups, and people flood in and out of the park.—R.P.S.

Eat to the Beat in Hell’s Kitchen

Guantanamera / 939 Eighth Ave.

The conga drums are back. Their steady beats spill out onto Eighth Avenue, where outdoor patrons sip minty mojitos on white tablecloths. Although this Hell’s Kitchen Cuban canteen served porky lechon asado and garlicky cassava throughout the pandemic, what was missing for months was the music — the prickly guitars and folksy Caribbean tunes that have made the restaurant an accessible spot for everyday salsa dancing. Ceiling fans spin overhead near the open-air frontage as waiters ferry crisp Cubano sandwiches and some of the city’s finest vaca frita: shredded skirt steak that’s seared until it achieves the texture of soft jerky. —R.P.S.

Taste the Middle East on the Upper West

Dagon / 2454 Broadway

Airy and sun-drenched, the dining room pulsates with Israeli pop and a steady conversational hum. If you didn’t know better, you would think you’d wandered into some beachside hot spot in Tel Aviv, not a post-pandemic restaurant in the sleepy West 90s. Chef Ari Bokovza’s Levantine-leaning menu looks similar to others across the city. But the familiar mezze and salads take a fun turn with delectable things like shishbarak (Lebanese mushroom-filled dumplings) and kubaneh, the fluffy Yemenite Jewish bread that you pull apart like Parker House rolls. —B.O.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

July NYC Events (07/21/21)

Posted on 07/21/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

60 Phenomenal Things To Do This July In New York City
By Claire Leaden • Secret NYC

“Summer in New York City is filled with plenty of things to do, and it’s finally the perfect outdoor weather!

With 4th of July on the horizon and summer in full swing, July will offer plenty of opportunities to soak in the sun and hang by the water before the brutal heat of August kicks in (because like it or not, it’s coming!).

Check out glorious rooftops, cool off at beaches and pools, traipse through fields of sunflowers and lavender (ok, those are a bit outside of NYC!), and much more with our recommendations of things to do this month.”

Here are 60 Phenomenal Things To Do:

  1. Catch this year’s bigger-and-better-than-ever 4th of July fireworks

2-6. Head to the beach
NYC is know for its notoriously hot and humid summers, which may be true for all over the tri-state but definitely seem worse when you’re surrounded by tons of sky-high buildings! Taking a trip to one of our lovely beaches is definitely one of the best ways to beat the heat, so check out our list of the 10 best beaches in NYC. Here’s a sneak peek:
The People’s Beach at Jacob Riis Park, Queens
Coney Island, Brooklyn
Orchard Beach, The Bronx
Rockaway Beach, Queens
Brighton Beach, Brooklyn

7-11. Or take a dip in an NYC pool
NYC’s free public pools are now officially open for the season, but if you’re looking for something more high-end, there are tons of gorgeous private pools to check out too! Here are some of our favorites:
Roosevelt Island’s stunning multicolored pool
Jimmy at the James in SoHo
The Beach at Dream Downtown in Chelsea
McCarren Hotel & Pool in Brooklyn
Profundo Pool Club at the Ravel Hotel in LIC

  1. Camp under the stars on Governors Island
  2. Watch paintings swirl all around you at Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
  3. Grab tickets to the new multisensory exhibit on infamous British street artist Banksy
  4. Take in sultry tunes under the stars at NYC rooftops
  5. Or if you’re more into classical music, try one of these glowing concerts by candlelight
  6. Catch a hilarious rooftop comedy show
  7. Be transported to Paris with this Moulin Rouge-era outdoor show in the Village
  8. Immerse yourself in a dazzling, multi-sensory experience
    Happy-Go-Lucky
  9. Plan your visit to NYC’s thrilling Money Heist experience coming this winter
  10. Explore NYC’s first-ever floating park ‘Little Island’
  11. See a concert at Bryant Park
  12. Hop Aboard NYC’s first-ever floating Mexican restaurant
    La Barca Cantina

24-29. Take in skyline views at these stunning NYC rooftops
Nothing beats a drink in hand and a skyline in sight. Here are some of our favorite rooftops around the city:
Check out Cantina Rooftop and try the 12-lb taco!
Experience a backyard vibe at The Ready
Escape to the Hamptons right in the city at this beachy-themed bar
Dine on Eataly’s rooftop and see their seasonal decor
Admire all the floral installations at Ampia Rooftop
Sip on cocktails at Top of the Box in Brooklyn

  1. Catch Lady Liberty napping in Morningside Park
  2. Kayak for free at Brooklyn Bridge Park
  3. Explore this stunning lavender farm on Long Island
  4. Or pick summer sunflowers in New Jersey
  5. Ride Coney Island’s brand-new roller coaster
  6. Or try out the world’s longest, tallest & fastest single-rail coaster in nearby NJ
  7. Embrace your inner child at this giant inflatable theme park coming to Brooklyn
  8. Give into temptation at this extravagant cirque-burlesque mixology experience
  9. Experience true darkness at the dystopian immersive show Blindness
  10. Grab a bite at the Queens International Night Market
    Queens Night Market

40-45. Cool off with NYC’s best ice cream shops
One of the best ways to beat the heat in NYC is by indulging in some delicious ice cream! Of course Mister Softee is a classic, but here are some of our other favorite spots to grab a cone:
Minus Celsius Ice Cream, Lower East Side
Mikey Likes It, Lower East Side & Harlem
Whipped Urban Dessert Lab, Lower East Side
Van Leeuwen’s, Multiple Locations
Tipsy Scoop, Kips Bay & Williamsburg
Milk & Cream Cereal Bar, Little Italy

  1. Take an outdoor yoga class in Bryant Park for free

47-51. Take in the views at NYC’s most stunning waterfront dining locales
The best (and coolest) place to be in the summer is on the water (Manhattan is an island, after all). From eating on historic boats with insane views of the sunset to checking out secluded seafood hotspots on NYC’s smaller surrounding islands, these are some of our favorite spots for a breezy cocktail and bites:
Grand Banks, Pier 25 in Tribeca
Watermark Bar, Pier 15 in South Street Seaport
Baylander Steel Beach, Harlem
City Vineyard, Pier 26 in Tribeca
Anable Basin, Long Island City

52-58. Catch an outdoor movie

  1. Enter the wizarding world of Harry Potter at the new flagship store
  2. Sip on Butterbeer just like Harry and his friends

Secret New York City is one of the finest online guides to things to do and see in NYC. From the best restaurants, to fascinating museums, this site will help you discover amazing new places and create some beautiful memories along the way.

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NYC events in July 2021

“Starting making your Independence Day plans and check out the other amazing NYC events in July By Shaye Weaver / Time Out New York

Some of the best things to do in summer are NYC events in July. Even after all the 4th of July events simmer down, there are still many awesome things to do for the duration of the month. After Independence Day, enjoy fantastic outdoor fun, hit up one of the city’s many rooftops and make sure to pencil in getting a tan at the best beaches in NYC while the weather is still hot, hot, hot.”

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Best new restaurants in NYC

If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Try Simone Tong’s New Menu

Silver Apricot / 20 Cornelia St.

Last summer, as restaurateurs hastily built makeshift patios, Silver Apricot partners Emmeline Zhao and Simone Tong created a space that truly translated the dining experience to the street without sacrificing a bit of elegance or refinement. (Being situated on one of the West Village’s quieter blocks didn’t hurt.) Purse hooks on the plastic dividers, lavender planted along the perimeter, and quality glass and plateware made for a setting worthy of Tong’s inventive Chinese American dishes like chile-crab rangoon dip and burnished scallion puffs. Now they are renovating the dining room in preparation for indoor service and plan to reopen June 17 with a new seasonal menu.—A.K.

Binge on Bánh MÌ

Bánh Vietnamese Shop House / 942 Amsterdam Ave.

Veteran chefs John Nguyen and Nhu Ton began peddling their Vietnamese sandwiches and crispy pork-belly salad rolls from an empty pop-up space on the upper reaches of Amsterdam Avenue last summer, and the operation was such a hit that by January they’d put down permanent roots in the neighborhood. There are five varieties of toasty bánh mìs to choose from (when in doubt, order the charcoal-grilled pork), numerous sturdy classics from Ton’s native central Vietnam (try the Frisbee-size rice-noodle delicacy called bánh dap), and a deeply flavorful beef pho. —A.P.

See How Cervo’s Spruced Itself Up

Cervo’s / 43 Canal St.

Last summer, the outdoor-dining setup at downtown Portuguese-Spanish restaurant Cervo’s was a destination almost in spite of itself. Simple wooden folding tables and chairs sprawled across an unadorned and fluorescent-lit expanse of Canal Street. Counter-service orders were called out brusquely over a loudspeaker mounted on the building’s exterior. Serviceware was disposable. You found and bussed your own table. But the Dimes Square denizens flocked nonetheless, pushing together tables laden with dark-pink Spritzes, fried-fish sandwiches, and glistening head-on prawns. It was casual, cool, and as COVID-safe as one could hope for. Now, after a winter hiatus operating as a shop, the scene returns to Cervo’s, but this time the restaurant has full-service outdoor dining on a newly built yellow-tiled patio with proper glassware, plateware, and a menu of old favorites like piri-piri chicken, mussels escabeche, and crispy shrimp heads.—A.K.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
all 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

July NYC Events (07/20/21)

Posted on 07/21/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

35 ways to have the best summer in NYC – Time Out New York

“Soak up the sun as well as our list of recommendations for the best things to do during summer in New York.”
By Shaye Weaver and Krista Diamond

“This summer in NYC promises to be an unforgettable one now that our city is back up. The city has a boundless energy once the heat cranks up, and doubly so this year, so it’s time to start checking off our sensational list of things to do in summer in NYC. Some of the most popular New York attractions provide an endless list of things to do outside from rooftop movies and free dance parties to can’t-miss music festivals and more. Here’s how to make the absolute most of these steamy summer nights.

Tip: You may want to request off for a few staycation days too so you can spend some time relaxing at a few rooftop pools during the week when they’re less crowded.”

35 ways to have the best summer in NYC

Do dinner and drinks at Time Out Market New York

Broadway at the Drive-In

Be a disco diva at Lola Star’s Dreamland Roller Disco

Catch “In the Heights” at the Tribeca Film Festival

See live music at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival

Try the city’s best bites at Smorgasburg

Take in a show at Irving Plaza, finally

Get down at Hot Honey Sundays

Get free entry to the 1885 Tall Ship Wavertree

Skate around at TWA Hotel’s Roll-A-Rama

Celebrate Pride!

Visit NYC’s gorgeous floating park

Do margs on NYC’s only floating Mexican restaurant

Go glamping in the Rockaways

Go glamping on Governors Island, instead

Fill up at Queens Night Market

See the hot Immersive Van Gogh exhibit

See movies atop Pier 17’s rooftop

See a free SummerStage show

Devour an ice cream cone at Ample Hills Creamery

Eat, drink and shop in the streets

Cool off in the city’s pools

Lindy Hop at the Jazz Age Lawn Party

Take a trip to Governors Island

Catch a flick at Rooftop Cinema Club

Have drinks with a view at these rooftop bars

Drink on the water at boat bar!

Scream your guts out at Luna Park

Go stargazing on the High Line

Nosh on as many lobster rolls as you can

Dance the night away at Midsummer Night Swing

Tackle the water slide at Summer Streets

Go kayaking (for free!)

Attend a tennis match during the U.S. Open

Have a picnic in the park

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The best things to do in NYC this week

“The best things to do in NYC this week include Restaurant Week and new outdoor performances! By Shaye Weaver / Time Out New York

If you’re looking for the best things to do in NYC this week or even today, there are tons of fun options. Enjoy Restaurant Week, see Lincoln Center’s new cabaret series, or attend a free storytelling festival at Little Island.”

Here are just a few of this week’s events.

1. New York City Restaurant Week

New York City Restaurant Week, which is now live for dining, has been a twice annual tradition since 1992. When it first got cooking, the culinary holiday was celebrated with $19.92 lunch specials at restaurants like Tribeca Grill. Surprisingly, those midday meals only rose to $26 by 2020. What’s even wilder? This year’s prices have actually fallen. Sort of.  Summer 2021’s NYC Restaurant Week, which runs from July 19 through August 22, has three pricing tiers: $21, $39 and $125 for lunch or dinner. RW organizers advise restaurants to offer at least an entree and a side for the first two tiers, and the $125 ticket must include three or more courses plus a little something extra like wine. 

2. Lincoln Center Theater’s new cabaret series

The illustrious Lincoln Center recently erected an ambitious outdoors performing center, complete with multiple stages and rehearsal spaces, called Restart Stages. This week, the turn-lemons-into-lemonade project will host a special cabaret/concert performance by the Tony Award-winning actor Brian Stokes Mitchell, who will debut his show Out With The Old, In With The New. Mitchell will hit the stage starting this Wednesday, July 21 through Friday, July 23 at the Restart Stage in Damrosch Park. The performance will see a pastiche of original songs, classic Broadway numbers and songs pulled from the American songbook sung by Mitchell. Can’t make it this week? Don’t worry! Mitchell will return with Out with the Old, In with the New one more time from August 12 through August 14. 

4. Putting Green

Putting Green, an 18-hole course on a 15,000-square-foot tiered deck on the North Williamsburg riverfront has finally opened at the former Con Edison site that now belongs to developer Two Trees. The course aims to serve two purposes—one, to provide a fun time to New Yorkers, and two, to teach them about climate change, green and blue infrastructure, animal habitats, energy, and emissions. Each hole offers up a different scene—hole 1 is “Down the drain,” showing how litter and debris get washed down storm drains and into waterways. Hole 2, “Whale Fall Feast,” shows what happens when a whale dies and sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Hole 15, is “The Big Oyster” by you guessed it, the Billion Oyster Project. Other holes feature polar bears, a windmill, a cow, and a depiction of sea-level rise. 

5. Hyperrealistic crashing waves in Times Square

Massive 3D waves are crashing on a digital billboard, creating an unlikely scene in the middle of Times Square. Across a 125,000-square-foot screen at 1535 Broadway, which is North America’s biggest and most expensive billboard, hyperrealistic waves seem to be contained inside a glass box. If you keep watching, you’ll see that the waves crash down upon a majestic blue whale, hence its name. 

6. A free open-air storytelling festival

There are eight million stories in the naked city, as the old movie said, and this week a select few of them will be aired on the gentle oasis of greenery known as Little Island, which opened in May. From Wednesday through Sunday (July 21–July 25), NYC’s latest must-see destination will play host to its first-ever Storytelling Festival, devoting spaces throughout the park to a mostly free smorgasbord of spoken word, music, poetry and audiovisual art. Nearly all of the events in the festival are free to anyone attending Little Island at the time; admission to the park costs nothing and is open to anyone in the morning, then moves to a system of timed-entry reservations at noon. 

8. The final week of free Metropolitan Opera performances

The Met, which plans to return to live performances this September, is bringing this tremendously popular series to a close. The lineup for the Met’s final week of free streams, from July 19 through July 25, was selected through a Viewers’ Choice poll, and it includes full works by Mozart, Bizet and Donizetti. Each opera goes live on the Met’s website at 7:30pm EDT (12:30am BST) and remains viewable until 6:30pm EDT the next day. The works are also available through the Met Opera on Demand app on various devices. Full details about Week 71 of the Met’s streaming program are here.

9. The Cliffs at Harlem

A new fitness center in Manhattan is taking rock climbing to new heights.  The Cliffs at Harlem had its grand opening celebration this weekend at 256 W 125th St, just across from the Apollo Theater in Harlem, and is now open for those wishing to pay a visit to upper upper Manhattan. The 15,000-square-foot space is now Manhattan’s largest rock climbing facility and features hundreds of climbs (refreshed weekly and state-of-the-art climbing training equipment. Among its offerings are campus boards, a tension board, and LED MoonBoard for customized training programs, cardio and strength training programs, yoga classes and a gear shop for indoor and outdoor climbing needs.

12. The Skyscraper Museum

There’s no shortage of tall, impressive skyscrapers in Gotham: the Flatiron Building, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, the Woolworth Building, Rockefeller Center and One World Observatory are just a few of the massive structures recognizable the world over. At this Battery Park museum exhibit, explore the design, technology, real investments and construction techniques that make these towering beauties possible in our vertical metropolis.

It’s now offering free admission through January 2022.

For the full list and descriptions of all 76 events go HERE

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If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Eat All Your Chinese Vegetables

Fat Choy / 250 Broome St.

It’s one thing to offer a $335 meat-free menu for the one percent (see Eleven Madison Park 2.0). It’s another to charge $10 and under for veggie-centric Chinese food for everyone: the curious carnivores, the certified vegans, and the dedicated superfans like Deborah from the Upper West Side, who loves the food and the vibe so much she literally hiked down the West Side Highway from 88th Street to Broome and Orchard one recent Saturday afternoon just to tuck in to paper-boatloads of chewy rice rolls topped with gai lan and juicy bok choy showered with crispy fried garlic. We know she did this because Fat Choy is the kind of place where diners who have navigated the scrum of Lower East Side streeteries — bars, vegan-cupcake shops, more bars — start conversations with strangers to recommend dishes, offer bites, and generally share communal moments of vibrantly flavored, inventively conceived culinary bliss. —Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Sip a Sazerac in a Secret Garden

Villanelle / 15 E. 12th St.

This elegant Greenwich Village establishment has flown so far under the radar that many regulars (ourselves included) were afraid it would close forever when disaster struck. Miraculously, unlike with the still-shuttered Gotham Bar & Grill across the street, the opposite has happened. Owner Catherine Manning fitted the space out back with tables and little enclosed “garden rooms” that have become a hit during the outdoor-dining craze. The Sazeracs we enjoyed on a recent summery evening were exceptional, and you can also addle yourself with $9 cocktails during the new happy hour. The talented young chef Tyler Heckman (Ferris, Le Turtle) took over the kitchen last fall, and he’s slowly added the kind of variety and style to the aggressively seasonal menu (braised spring lamb on our visit, white-asparagus velouté, gnocchi with escargot) that threatens to turn this sleepy local favorite into a proper big-city dining destination. —Adam Platt

Sample the Latest Fusion Cuisine on New York’s Original Open Street

The Migrant Kitchen / 45 Stone St.

Long before 2020 brought alfresco eating to every corner of our city, Stone Street was a pedestrian paradise, and it still is, a cobblestoned car-free wonderland for outdoor pints, pizza, and mozzarella sticks. The Migrant Kitchen, which opened last fall, brings Middle Eastern–Latin fusion to this Fidi pub-grub zone. Owner Nasser Jaber, who operates out of the Dubliner bar’s kitchen, sends out sumac-butter-slicked fried-chicken-and-falafel waffles, mariquitas (fried plantain chips) nachos, and pastelon mahshi, a Dominican-style maduros-and-beef riff on the traditional Palestinian stuffed gourd. And since many office workers are still Zooming in from home, Stone Street feels distinctly chiller and less suits-y these days. —Ryan P. Sutton

m

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July NYC Events (07/19/21)

Posted on 07/19/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

Best Free Things To Do in NYC This Week

“The quality and quantity of free events, free things to do that take place in New York City every day of the year is truly amazing. So don’t miss the opportunities that only New York provides: stop wondering what to do; start taking advantage of free things to do, free events to go to in NYC today!”

Join Club Free Time – I did, and it’s one of the best things I ever did. Here is a sample of FREE events this week. Get more information by going to the Club Free Time website.

Best FREE Things to do this Week

Monday, July 19, 2021

Mon, Jul 19 – 7:00 pm / free
Classical Music | Summer Serenades: Orchestra of St. Luke’s Musicians Perform Bernstein, Stravinsky, Joplin and More
Orchestra of St. Luke’s (OSL) musicians play wind quintet favorites by Stravinsky and Ibert, as well … more

Mon, Jul 19 – 7:30 pm / free
Opera | Met Opera: Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (virtual, streaming for 23 hours)
One of the most frequently performed operas in the world, The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro … more

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Tue, Jul 20 – 1:00 pm / free, tip-supported, booking required
Tour | Peru’s Cusco: The Inca Capital (virtual, live-stream)
Take a journey around the most important places in Cusco and learn about the beginning of the Inca c … more

Tue, Jul 20 – 6:30 pm / free
Jazz | The New York Swing Orchestra and A Tenor
Tenor Sean Mahony and The New York Swing Orchestra will perform well-loved classics to get you movin … more

Tue, Jul 20 – 7:30 pm / free
Classical Music | Period Instrument Orchestra and Soprano Perform Purcell and More
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; Richard Egarr, conductor; Rowan Pierce, soprano … more

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Wed, Jul 21 – 12:00 pm / free, tip-supported, booking required
Tour | Dubrovnik: Marvelous Old Town with Medieval Architecture (virtual, live-stream)
Old town Dubrovnik is a beautifully preserved architectural and historical jewel of Adriatic. On thi … more

Wed, Jul 21 – 3:00 pm / free
Classical Music | Summer Serenades: Orchestra of St. Luke’s Musicians Perform Bernstein, Stravinsky, Joplin and More
Orchestra of St. Luke’s (OSL) musicians play wind quintet favorites by Stravinsky and Ibert, as well … more

Wed, Jul 21 – 6:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Classical Music | Ensemble Connect: Baroque to Cutting Edge
The brilliant musicians of Ensemble Connect bring thrilling virtuosity and energy to everything they … more

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Thu, Jul 22 – 6:30 pm / Pay what you can
Play | Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost
Love’s Labour’s Lost is one of Shakespeare’s early comedies, believed to have been written … more

Thu, Jul 22 – 7:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Concert | Eli Fola: Saxophone Genius
Eli Fola is a Nigerian-born, New York- and Tulum-based multidisciplinary sound artist, saxophonist, … more

Friday, July 23, 2021

Fri, Jul 23 – 12:00 pm / free
Opera | Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin: 2007 Recording with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (virtual, streaming until Jul 30)
The opera is a radiant example of Russian lyric opera. The plot is based on Alexander Pushkin’s 1825 … more

Fri, Jul 23 – 7:00 pm / free; RSVP required
Play | King Lear — with a Happy Ending
This version of King Lear by William Shakespeare will employ Nahum Tate’s 1681 “happy endin … more

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Sat, Jul 24 – 4:00 pm / free; RSVP required
City Walk | Battery Park City Tour: The Business Core
The second of the Skyscraper Museum’s three thematic walking tours of Battery Park City covers the m … more

Sat, Jul 24 – 7:30 pm free
Opera | Met Opera: Verdi’s Il Trovatore with Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Anna Netrebko (virtual, streaming for 23 hours)
Verdi’s Il Trovatore (The Troubadour) is a staple of the standard operatic … more

Sunday, July 25, 2021

Sun, Jul 25 – 10:00 am / free
Fair | Flea Market in Brooklyn: Art, Jewelry, Antiques and More
Shop for vintage clothing, furniture, collectibles, antiques, jewelry, art, handicrafts, and more. E … more

Sun, Jul 25 – 11:00 am / free; no reservation required
Tour | Historic Flatiron District Walking Tour
Join a professional guide on a 90-minute journey through this vibrant neighborhood, viewing some of … more

Sun, Jul 25 – 6:00 pm / free
Concert | Jazz Trio with ‘the best jazz guitarist Japan has ever produced’ – All About Jazz
Jazz guitarist/composer Nobuki Takamen’s music draws influence from Paul Simon, James Taylor, Jimi H … more

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If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Hang Out in New York’s Best-Smelling Vestibule

Frenchette Bakery / 220 Church St.

Last fall, the abandoned Arcade Bakery space came back to life as Frenchette Bakery, ready to fulfill the carb-craving needs of Tribeca moms, the doctors in the medical practices upstairs, and passersby lured in by the sweet, yeasty promise of croissants and baguettes. Happily, the new owners have retained a big part of what made Arcade so special. Its unique design, using drop-down table ledges and inset benches, transforms a generic hallway into a gathering place for impromptu meetings, shared pizza lunches, and the kind of coffee breaks office workers never knew they’d miss. The bakers line the display case with their own enticements, too: exceptional loaves of sourdough and rye; savory breakfast pastries like the mortadella, egg, and Comté; and rich and flaky pain au chocolat. —Adam Moussa

Follow Your Nose to Great Bronx BBQ

Hudson Smokehouse / 37 Bruckner Blvd., Mott Haven

This recently opened barbecue joint is located at the southern tip of the Bronx on a street once populated by antiques shops, and you can smell the ’cue as you walk by. The corral seating in front catches the sun during the daytime, and inside there’s a high-ceilinged room where social distancing isn’t a problem. The meats include great fatty brisket, pork ribs worth gnawing, and pork-belly burnt ends that make deliriously good bacon. Even the beer list, with many mugs originating in the Bronx, draws you in.—R.C.S.

Start With Salteñas in Sunnyside

Bolivian Llama Party / 44-14 48th Ave., Sunnyside

The Oropeza brothers have pulled off a rare pandemic feat: They closed their tiny takeout outpost in midtown, which focused on soupy salteñas (Bolivia’s take on the empanada), and rebooted in Sunnyside with a sit-down location serving creative South American fare. On any given Saturday, a young crowd may show up to eat (and ’gram) craggy fried-chicken chicharrón sandwiches with spicy Llajua-spiked mayo, stark white bowls of sopa de maní (peanut soup), vegan “chola” sandwiches crammed full of charred jackfruit instead of the usual pork, and cherimoya birthday-cake ice cream. The best time to swing by is just before dusk, when you can grab a seat on the streetside terrace and take in the Empire State Building framed against a pink sky while Andean music plays from the storefront.—R.P.S.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
all 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

July NYC Events (07/18/21)

Posted on 07/19/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

NYC-Arts Top Five Picks: July 16 – 22

“Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top events include Bruce McCall’s New York, Dawoud Bey: An American Project, Onyedika Chuke: The Forever Museum, and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.”

Wall Power! And Storied Quilts

Wall Power! And Storied Quilts

Hudson River Museum

Manhattan

Fri, Jun 18, 2021 – Tue, Sep 28, 2021

“Wall Power! Spectacular Quilts from the American Folk Art Collection.” As an art form, quilts have deep roots in American life and experience. For more than three centuries, artists, primarily women, have created highly individualized expressions in this medium that are both yielding and unforgiving, challenging the maker to test the limits imposed by cutting and piecing bits of fabric. Each work on view is a graphically striking example that embodies a sense of “wall power,” …

Dawoud Bey: An American Project

Dawoud Bey: An American Project

Whitney Museum of American Art

Manhattan

Sat, Apr 17, 2021 – Sun, Oct 03, 2021

Since the mid-1970s, Dawoud Bey (b. 1953) has worked to expand upon what photography can and should be. Insisting that it is an ethical practice requiring collaboration with his subjects, he creates poignant meditations on visibility, power, and race. Bey chronicles communities and histories that have been largely underrepresented or even unseen, and his work lends renewed urgency to an enduring conversation about what it means to represent America with a camera. Spanning from his earliest street portraits …

Spencer Lewis: Susan Mary

Spencer Lewis: Susan Mary

Vito Schnabel Gallery

Manhattan

Thu, Jul 15, 2021 – Sun, Sep 26, 2021

Vito Schnabel Gallery is pleased to present “Spencer Lewis: Susan Mary,” the gallery’s first exhibition dedicated to the Los Angeles-based artist. On view from July 7 through September 26, 2021, “Susan Mary” will feature the presentation of four new paintings by the artist in the intimate setting of the Vito Schnabel Gallery’s Clarkson Street space in New York, beginning June 22. Born in Hartford, CT in 1979, Spencer Lewis is recognized for his works on cardboard and …

Onyedika Chuke: The Forever Museum

Onyedika Chuke: The Forever Museum

Building 110: LMCC’s Arts Center at Governors Island

Sat, Jun 12, 2021 – Sun, Oct 31, 2021

Onyedika Chuke is an artist and archivist who, since 2011, has been focused on “The Forever Museum Archive,” an ongoing project that brings together a disquieting collection of sculptures, text and images that serve as reference points through which to trace the systems of power that shape contemporary society. LMCC and Pioneer Works now present the most recent iteration of this project, “The Forever Museum Archive_Circa 6000BCE.” This large-scale installation, a culmination of research conducted by …

Bruce McCall’s New York

Bruce McCall’s New York

New-York Historical Society

Manhattan

Fri, Apr 23, 2021 – Sun, Aug 15, 2021

Showcasing the vibrant and humorous work of the prolific artist, “Bruce McCall’s New York” presents colorful visions of a fantastical version of New York City—where pterodactyls fly down Central Park West, King Kongs wait to audition for the role of a lifetime, rooftop farms reach far up into the sky, and ubiquitous orange parking tickets are part of the fall foliage. On view in the Pam and Scott Schafler Gallery at the New-York Historical Society and …

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So many things to see and do, to eat and drink in NYC.

Here are 10 of my NYC faves:

The Best New Pizza In NYC – New York – The Infatuation

NYC Restaurant Week

The Infatuation NYC Guide To Summer 2021 – The Infatuation

From the Purveyors of New York’s Best Mozzarella, a New Cafe – The New York Times

The Best Oyster Happy Hours In NYC – New York – The Infatuation

20 Best Summer Rainy Day Activities in NYC – newyorkfamily.com

The Best Outdoor Breweries In NYC – New York – The Infatuation

The 25 best cheap eats in NYC – time out ny

Where To Have Dinner In The Middle Of The Street In NYC – New York – The Infatuation

How to Eat in New York City on a Budget – nomadicmatt.com

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If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Experience Arthur Avenue Alfresco

Zero Otto Nove / 2357 Arthur Ave., Belmont

Zero Otto Nove has been a mainstay of the Bronx’s Little Italy since it opened in 2008. But Open Streets’ weekend transformation of Arthur Avenue into the car-free Piazza di Belmont has brought a fresh and breezy feel to this first-rate southern Italian trattoria. Previously, restaurants along the strip rarely set up for outdoor dining, confining the festivities to the often-curtained dining rooms. Now and hopefully forever, the celebratory and communal open-air atmosphere brings the action (and all the neighborhood characters) outdoors, where diners partake in lively people-watching while enjoying dishes like citrusy seafood salad, butternut-squash pizza, and mafalde cooked in tinfoil.—Terri Ciccone

Rediscover the Joy of Big Round Tables

Hwa Yuan / 42 East Broadway

There are many good reasons to revisit Manhattan’s Chinatown these days. But if you’re in the mood for a quick Peking-duck banquet or a taste of Shorty Tang’s famous dry-sautéed crispy beef in a crowded, near-celebratory post-pandemic atmosphere, this East Broadway destination is the place to be. When we dropped in on a Friday evening not long ago, the streets outside were still eerily empty, and so were the dining booths set up on the sidewalk. But inside the brightly lit two-floor restaurant, parties of revelers from uptown, across the river, and around the neighborhood filled the round tables. For those acclimated to dining in the great indoors, we guarantee a bite of Peking duck (or crispy beef) never tasted so good.—A.P.41

Nosh Bagels and Lox Off Madison Square

Mark’s Off Madison / 41 Madison Ave.

At Mark’s, which opened in November, the Queens-born chef Mark Strausman (Freds at Barneys, Coco Pazzo, Campagna) delves into the Jewish and Italian dishes that have come to define his 30-year career: lush eggplant parm, rich pappardelle with brisket ragù, and a killer chicken soup named after his grandmother Estelle. In nice weather, the outdoor terrace, with its view of Madison Square Park, gets fairly packed with a tony mix of locals and Strausman groupies from his Freds days. On weekends, starting at 9 a.m., the place doubles as a Jewish bakery whose bagels and bialys and black-and-white cookies put most of the competition to shame. —R.C.S.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
all 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

July NYC Events (07/17/21)

Posted on 07/18/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

9 Actually Fun Things to Do in New York This Weekend

Mac n’ cheese ice cream is good for both dinner or dessert.

By Juliet Izon – Thrillist

While we’re pouring one out for the shuttering of the last KMart in Manhattan, we have plenty else to cheer you up this weekend. Not only is there a new bakery offering an eye-popping array of croissants, but one of the city’s most famed bars has also debuted outdoor seating (with a brand-new menu to match). And if you’re looking to keep your body active with activities other than chewing and sipping, there’s also French lawn games and a superb flea market in the Bronx.

Read on for nine actually fun things to eat, see, and do in NYC this weekend

Grab a drink at this iconic bar’s first-ever outdoor space

Weekend-long
East Village
Few watering holes in NYC have risen to the lauded status of PDT, a modern speakeasy hidden behind a phone booth in a hot dog joint. This summer, the bar will get a little easier to find with the opening of PDT Tropicale. This outdoor area located outside the bar’s entrance on St. Mark’s Place pays homage to the East Village’s rich history of Caribbean and Latin American immigrants. Think refreshing tropical drinks like frozen gin and tonics, watermelon margaritas, and pina coladas, plus large umbrellas to keep everyone cool.
Cost: Cocktails from $17

Flock to a croissant lover’s paradise at this new bakery

Weekend-long
Flatiron
Anytime pastry chef Dominique Ansel opens a new concept, you should run, not walk, to sample his latest creations. This Friday, the creator of viral treats like the original Cronut welcomes guests to Dominique Ansel Workshop, a croissant counter located inside his production kitchen. Aside from the classic version, made with rich beurre d’Isigny (a type of French butter), there are also savory olive oil croissants, brioches filled with huckleberry jam and rice pudding, and pains au chocolat stuffed with three batons of chocolate.
Cost: Pastries from $4.50

Try a scoop of mac and cheese ice cream

Weekend-long
Various locations
National Macaroni and Cheese Day may have been on July 14, but we see no reason why you can’t keep celebrating the holiday all week. And while, sure, you could just eat a bowl of it, wouldn’t you rather try it in…ice cream form? The mash-up you never knew you wanted arrives this week at Van Leeuwen through a partnership with Kraft Macaroni & Cheese to create neon orange pints of mac and cheese-flavored ice cream. Will this be summer’s biggest food trend? Who knows, but it’ll certainly make for a fabulous photo on the ‘gram.
Cost: $12 a pint

Enjoy a free outdoor concert from these Grammy winners

Friday, July 16 at 5:30 pm
Bryant Park
NYC’s own Spanish Harlem Orchestra is producing some of the best salsa and Latin jazz music around, so if you haven’t seen the Grammy winners live yet, this Friday is your chance. Bryant Park Picnic Performances will host the group as part of this season’s Carnegie Hall Citywide Series, and tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis with room for about 2,500 visitors. Bring your own blanket and food, or grab a meal from one of the park’s many vendors while you groove to the orchestra’s salsa dura beats.
Cost: Free

Enjoy brunch with a side of Bollywood music

Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18 from 12 pm–4 pm
East Village
If you’re looking to swap out your usual BEC for something more exciting this weekend, may we suggest eating brunch accompanied by live Bollywood jazz music instead? At Baar Baar, a modern Indian restaurant helmed by chef Sujan Sarkar, head over on Saturdays and Sundays for some sweet live tunes served alongside a menu that includes unique dishes like Bombay chili-cheese toast and Malai chicken mac and cheese, made with chicken tikka, cheddar and parmesan cheeses. 
Cost: Entrees from $18

Head outdoors for a New York-centric movie night

Saturday, July 17 at 8 pm
Sunset Park
If you need a reminder of why this remains the greatest city in the world, head to the Brooklyn Army Terminal this Saturday for Rooftop Films’ New York Non-Fiction short film program. Every piece screened tells a story that falls under that classic “only in New York category,” from subway passengers reunited with lost items to the perils of super-cheap apartments. Stick around after for a post-screening reception with a live DJ set from Pleasure Jams.
Cost: $16 a ticket

Try your hand at this famed French pastime

Sunday, July 18 at 12 pm
Industry City
If you didn’t get around to celebrating Bastille Day earlier this week, never fear: Carreau Club is keeping the party going this Sunday with their first annual La Brooklynaise open pétanque tournament. In addition to the lawn game competition, there will also be an oyster cart and classic jambon-beurre sandwiches from M. Wells, plus a “pastis patio” sponsored by Ricard. And if you need motivation to win: prizes will include swank charcuterie boxes from D’Artagnan.
Cost: $75 per group of three players

Eat and shop your way through this market for local entrepreneurs

Sunday, July 18
Fordham
Looking to pick up a unique gift or maybe you just need a little retail therapy this weekend? Head to Fordham Plaza in the Bronx for the Fordham Flea, an event featuring dozens of local vendors and thousands of items, including lip glosses from LaLian Cosmetics, henna tattoos from Sabrina’s Henna, and soy candles from Yonkers Wax. And if all the shopping makes you hungry, there are flavorful tacos from Tacos El Guero, decadent cake jars from Cupcake Me!, and many others.
Cost: Free to enter with a ticket

Check out a new sound and sculpture installation at Lincoln Center

Weekend Long
Lincoln Center
Creativity is all around us in this city, and no exhibit showcases that as beautifully as You Are Here, a new installation from choreographer Andrea Miller at Josie Robertson and Hearst Plazas at Lincoln Center. The work consists of sculptures made by Tony Award-winning scenic designer Mimi Lien, each of which houses a speaker that plays “audio portraits” of different New Yorkers curated by sound artist Justin Hicks. Those included in the recordings include artists who perform at Lincoln Center as well as ushers, security guards, and educators.
Cost: Freehttps://0ffb75498e196454de26aa520c80ce57.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.

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If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Find Singapore in Sandwich Form

Native Noodles / 2129 Amsterdam Ave.

Amy Pryke, who opened Native Noodles in February, has gifted a rare Singaporean restaurant to the city — great news for workers at nearby New York–Presbyterian Hospital and the Washington Heights neighborhood in general. On a recent weekday, two silver-haired folks slurped thick rice noodles in a shrimpy yellow curry as the scent of coconut-jam waffles perfumed the air. Others went for the roti john, a squishy sandwich stuffed with ground beef, soft omelet, and sweet-spicy chile ketchup. If the small dining room is full, take your lunch over to nearby Highbridge Park. —R.P.S.

Conduct an Impromptu Pasta Tasting

Forsythia / 9 Stanton St.

Mark Coleman (Rezdôra) and Jacob Siwak (Olmsted) are the captains of this snug little establishment, which began life as a pop-up many months ago and is crowded now with a rabble of Italophiles, off-duty cooks, and carbonara loons, all clamoring for a taste of the city’s latest haute-pasta menu. The small, blond-toned dining room is nice, but if you want to feel like you’re dining on a side street in Bologna or Rome, ask for a table in the sidewalk cabana, which is strung with lights up in the rafters, lined with baby pine trees, and filled, on temperate evenings, with the bouncy sounds of Italian pop tunes. Pay special attention to Coleman’s elegant interpretations of the old Roman classics, like eggy tangles of tonnarelli pasta tossed alla gricia with pecorino, little chunks of guanciale, and plenty of black pepper.—A.P.

Work Your Way Through the Brand-New Menu at Brooklyn’s Best Thai Restaurant

Ugly Baby / 407 Smith St., Carroll Gardens

At Ugly Baby, New Yorkers exchange glances and ask their neighbors for recommendations — yes, even during a pandemic. The great unifier? The incendiary cooking of southern Thailand. After a winter restricted to delivery, the neighborhood rejoiced when chef-owner Sirichai Sreparplarn reopened for indoor dining in April. Even more exciting: His new menu was nearly three times as long as the original, comprising mostly new dishes like peek gai (ground-pork-stuffed chicken wings over green beans) and kang leung (sour sea-bass curry). While on a recent visit, the restaurant’s laab ped, labeled “stay away duck salad” on the menu, lacked some of the promised heat, Ugly Baby remains a place where napkins are reserved for wiping noses, not hands. —L.F.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment