Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – THURSDAY, FEB. 20, 2014
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♦ “Notable NYC Events-Feb”, and also “on Broadway”, and “Top10 Free” in the header above.
♦ For NYCity trip planning see links in “Resources” and “Smart Stuff” in the header above.
Olympic Hockey has reached the games that count.
Today at noon – the Women’s Gold Medal game between our girls and those rough, tough Canadians. They are easily the two best teams, evenly matched, and don’t much like each other. Watch the goals score and the fists fly.
Friday at 12 noon – the titanic rematch of the two teams that played for the Gold in the last Winter Games – USA v Canada, this time in the semi-finals.
Here are a few places to watch the games with other hockey fans:
The Flying Puck is a short walk from Madison Square Garden, and usually filled with Ranger fans. This is probably THE hockey bar in town. Four large TVs at the end of the bar can be programmed to create one 100-inch screen, (although the screen bezels are too large and distracting). Their additional flat screens above the bar ensure unimpeded sight lines. Admire the stained-glass skylights depicting hockey players in action.
364 Seventh Ave at W 30th St
(212-736-5353 / theflyingpuck.com).
Penn 6 is a new, upscale gastropub that should please sports fans and foodies alike. The kind of place your GF would not mind being dragged to watch the game. Its proximity to the Garden, along with walls lined with flat screen televisions, make this large dining destination a very suitable sports bar. Come here to watch the Games because of the 9 monitor hyperwall behind the bar, and their 20 taps.
132 West 31st Street (btw 6/7)
(212) 727-3666 /
Pennsylvania6nyc.com
Warren 77 is a secret mecca for hockey fans downtown. When you walk through the velvet curtain into this unmarked Tribeca bar, you might feel like you’ve gained entry into an exclusive viewing party. Owned by a former Ranger, this should be one of the more sedate spots to watch the Games, but you will still have six 50-inch screens.
77 Warren St / 1 blk S of ChambersSt., btw West Broadway and Greenwich St
(212-227-8995 / warren77nyc.com).
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Update: Turns out hockey at noon on a weekday is a tough sell. Although big screens and big crowds can make the experience electric, almost as good as being there, today there were no big crowds. Best big screen was at Penn 6, best hockey crowd (although still modest) was at the Flying Puck.
William Hooker: ‘Body and Soul’
“Mr. Hooker, a drummer aligned with the combative free-jazz lineage, performs a live accompaniment to the 1925 Oscar Micheaux film “Body and Soul,” which introduced Paul Robeson to the screen. His musical partners will include the saxophonist Ras Moshe and the violinist Skye Steele.” (Chinen-NYT)
David Rubinstein Atrium, Lincoln Center, Broadway, between 62nd and 63rd St.
At 7:30 p.m./FREE (limited seating, be sure to get there early)
atrium.lincolncenter.org
Jessica Molaskey Sings Joni Mitchell (American Songbook)
“If the mysterious Miss Converse is (or, more likely was) the most obscure of all worthy female singer-songwriters, there’s no doubt who the most justifiably celebrated is. Joni Mitchell would have to look hard to find a better interpreter and champion than Jessica Molaskey, a highly astute singer and interpreter who’s proven her worth repeatedly in the fields of Broadway, cabaret, and even jazz.
This is a new project for Mrs. Pizzarelli, but her experiences with Ms. Mitchell’s music thus far include a thoughtful rendition of “Blue” and an ingenious re-imaginging of “The Circle Game,” in which she and husband-collaborator Mr. Pizzarelli mash-up that nursery-rhyme like air (with all of its painted ponies) together with Jobim’s “Waters of March,” thus giving both tunes a welcome shot in the arm. If Ms. Molaskey’s full-length program of Joni classics is as good as those two pieces, this will be a splendiferous evening in the Allen Room.” (WSJ)
The Allen Room (Jazz at Lincoln Center), Broadway at 60th St.,
At 7:30PM / $75-$140 (only a few tickets left)
212-721-6500
DANCE HEGINBOTHAM
“The company of the witty and musical choreographer John Heginbotham joins the musicians of Alarm Will Sound in taking over the Charles Engelhard Court, in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In addition to excerpts from Heginbotham’s enigmatic and ominous “Twin,” set to electronica by Aphex Twin, the program includes the première of “Fly by Wire,” with an original score by Tyondai Braxton, as well as another new dance, set to Edgar Varèse’s “Poème Électronique.” The museum hasn’t seen much site-specific dance; count on Heginbotham to have fun with the place.” (NewYorker listings)
Metropolitan Museum of Art
At 7 p.m./ $60
212-535-7710,metmuseum.org/events
Angel Olsen
“Heartbreak almost seems advantageous in the agile hands of the jazz-inflected Ms. Olsen, who treads through the emotions of its fallout on her excellent new folk-rock record, “Burn Your Fire for No Witness.” A former member of Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s band the Cairo Gang, she truly excels in unadorned settings. Pity the dumb sap who caused her lonely tears, inspiring the spitfire defiance that would make her cry “Won’t you open a window sometime?/ What’s so wrong with the light?” on the song “Windows.” With Cian Nugent and Jaye Bartell.” (Anderson-NYT)
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, near Thompson Street, Greenwich Village,
At 6:15 p.m., $15.
212-505-3474, lepoissonrouge.com
Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
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A PremierPub – 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 for a table 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 West Side Hwy, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very 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
NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide 