Today’s “Fab Five” / Selected NYCity Events – SUNDAY, July 07, 2013

MoMA Summergarden
Programming at this popular concert series held outdoors in MoMA’s walled-in Sculpture Garden alternates between new-music presentations featuring Juilliard School performers and jazz nights booked by Jazz at Lincoln Center. You’ll hear fresh contemporary classical music on July 7 and 21; on July 14 you can swing with saxophonist Melissa Aldana, and pianist Aaron Diehl brings the series to an end on July 28. Lines for these popular events forms well in advance, so show up early for prime seating.

La Boule New Yorkaise Picnic Pétanque Tournament
What is pétanque? Well, it’s a French game that’s a lot like bocce. If you don’t know that already, you’re probably better off spectating at this tourney and picnic (bring a dish to share!) organized by NYC’s pétanque club, La Boule New Yorkaise. Players should register by 9:30am and be ready to make new friends, as partners will be randomly assigned for each game.
Bryant Park, Sixth Ave. (btw 40th and 42nd Sts)
10:00am – 6:00pm | Fountain Terrace / FREE
212-768-4242  / bryantpark.org
Event website: Labouleny.com

Roy Hargrove Quintet 
“Hard bop has an able-bodied ambassador in Roy Hargrove, a trumpeter who manages to inhabit the style without rigidity or stifling nostalgia. He’s also a shrewd bandleader with an unfailingly disciplined crew: the saxophonist Justin Robinson, the pianist Sullivan Fortner, the bassist Ameen Saleem and the drummer Quincy Phillips.” (Chinen-NYT)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South, West Village,
at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. / $25 cover, with a one-drink minimum.
(212) 255-4037 / villagevanguard.com

Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band
“Conga-playing trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez’s fiery barrio-jazz ensemble, Fort Apache, fuses boppish melodies with the Afro-Cuban rhythms its founder picked up in the Bronx ’hood that gives the band its name.” (TONY)
Blue Note, 131 West Third Street, Greenwich Village
At 8 and 10:30 p.m./$25 cover at tables, $15 at the bar
(212) 475-8592 / bluenote.net

Kimberly Thompson Quartet
“Born in Los Angeles and raised in St. Louis, drummer Kim Thompson has become an essential part of the New York scene: a smooth-swinging powerhouse whose supple groove has energized leaders as far apart as Kenny Barron and Beyoncé. Tonight she calls the tune with a foursome of her own.” (TONY)
Iridium Jazz club, 1650 Broadway at 51st St
At 8pm / $25
212-582-2121 / iridiumjazzclub.com

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A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Upper West Side

Dinosaur /  700 w125th St. @ 12th ave.

Walk only five minutes from the 125th st. station on the #1 line to find this authentic honky-tonk barbecue joint. Some folks think Dinosaur is just a place to eat ribs. Au contraire. With 24 carefully selected taps, this is a place to drink beer, and eat ribs.

No food goes better with American craft ales than American barbecue. Dinosaur may be the best combo of good beer drinking and hearty eating in town, which makes the trip to Harlem totally worthwhile.

This second incarnation of Dinosaur in Harlem is in an old brick warehouse near the Hudson River. Don’t let that run down exterior fool you. Inside it’s a large space with huge, rough wooden columns and unfinished wooden floors and brick walls – just right for a bbq joint. As soon as you open the door you are hit with that tantalizing aroma of barbecue coming from the large open kitchen. Reminds me of all those great rib joints I frequented when stationed in North Carolina all those years ago. If your stomach wasn’t grumbling before, it is now.

Head to the bar, sit down and try to decide on a beer. It’s not an easy decision – a good problem to have. This is a pretty damn good beer list to choose from, one that most beer bars should be jealous of. I love that they feature NY craft beers. You may want to try the four beer sampler, which is always fun, and in this place may be necessary.

The Mississippi blues music playing in the background will get you in the mood for their North Carolina style barbecue, and even when it’s a full house your order shouldn’t take too long. The food is all slow smoked, so it’s already mostly done and ready to go. I always start with an order of their giant, spice rubbed wings, so good they may make you give up Buffalo wings.

Unfortunately, a place this good does not fly under the radar. There can be some humongous waits at dinnertime. So you need a strategy – avoid prime time, and try not to arrive with your entire posse, which will limit your seating options.

A seat at the bar, a small table in the bar area, or in the summer, an outside table, underneath what’s left of the elevated W. Side Hwy., all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very early or late for dinner.

Website: http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com/
Phone #: 212-694-1777
Hours: M-Th 11:30am-11:00pm; Fr-Sa 11:30am-12:00am;
Su 12:00pm-10:00pm
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day; $1 off all drinks
Music: Fri / Sat 10:00pm
Subway: #1 to 125th st
Walk 2 blk W on 125th to Dinosaur Bar-B-Q,
just past the elevated highway

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“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, wine bars, cocktail lounges,  tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars – just about anyplace you can get a drink with no cover. ========================================================