TOP 3 EVENTS (below 34th street) (04/18/13)

Ben Ottewell (Of Gomez) 
City Winery, 155 Varick st
8:00PM, $15 bar stool or $18 reserved

“Ben Ottewell, one of several singer/songwriters in the successful British rock band Gomez. While Gomez is a three-singer band, Ottewell’s powerful tenor has graced many fan favorites, from early songs like “Get Miles” and “Revolutionary Kind” to the more recent singles “How We Operate” and “See The World.” In one early profile, Rolling Stone declared, “Gomez’s not-so-secret weapon is Ben Ottewell. His deep, raspy voice is spine chilling… more like an otherworldly bluesman than a baby-faced Brit.” And GQ once wrote, “Ottewell’s voice is not of this world. It is a deep, reverent baritone, the kind of voice that shakes windows.””

Loser’s Lounge Tribute to Elvis Costello
Joe’s Pub, part of The Public Theater,
425 Lafayette Street between East 4th and Astor Place
7pm, $25

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Tribeca

“Pubs” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, lounges, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge.

B-Flat
277 Church st (Btw Franklin/White)

There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door. But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

It’s a basement jazz spot all right, but not like any traditional jazz joint you may have been to before. This place looks as fresh as today, probably because it’s only been open for XX years. Even though it hasn’t had a chance to age gracefully, the cherry wood accents and low lighting make this small space very inviting.

There is always jazz, often progressive jazz,  playing over their very discrete, stylish bose speakers, setting just the right tone as you find a seat at the bar, or one of the small tables. There is wine and beer available, but this place has some expert mixologists making some very creative cocktails, which I’m told change seasonally, a nice touch.

Come at happy hour and tasty cocktails like the el Diablo or the lychee martini are $8 – not bad. I am a sucker for any drink made with lychee and how can you not try a tequila drink named el Diablo. There is also nice selection of small bites available at happy hour and a food menu that is as innovative as the cocktail menu, so this does not have to be a happy hour only stop.

It wasn’t surprising to find a tasty prosciutto and arugula salad with yuzu dressing, but I did not expect to find such a good version of fried chicken breast on the apps menu. Here it’s called “Tatsuta.” Best bet is to sample happy hour, then dinner on a Monday or Wednesday night, when you can finish with no cover live jazz that starts around 8.

This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music it may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.