Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – TUESDAY, FEB. 25, 2014

James Oseland, Sigrid Nunez, Andre Aciman, Monique Truong, Josh Ozersky, Beth Kracklauer & Francine Prose
In celebration of the release of A Fork In The Road, the Strand is bringing together a great group of writers to discuss their experiences writing about their travels in the world of food. A Fork In The Road editor and Top Chef Judge James Oseland will moderate a panel of contributors to the latest in Lonely Planet’s travel literature series.

Sigrid Nunez, Andre Aciman, Monique Truong, Josh Ozersky, Beth Kracklauer and Francine Prose. will discuss their stories of their most memorable meals the world over. Whether you’re an enthusiast for food, travel, or both, this is an evening you won’t want to miss!
Strand Bookstore, 828 Broadway at 12th St.- 3rd floor Rare Book Room
At 7:00PM / buy a copy of A Fork In The Road
or a $15 Strand gift card in order to attend this event.
strandbooks.com

The Little Prince and the Big War – Adam Gopnik
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker essayist and author of The Steps Across The Water, The King In The Window, and Paris to the Moon—and who is currently adapting The Little Prince for the National Ballet of Canada—will talk about Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and the Second World War, and how this haunting children’s masterpiece can be seen as an idiosyncratic piece of war literature.
The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue
At 6:30 p.m. / $15; $10 for Members
212-685-0008

Ladysmith Black Mambazo 
They are probably the world’s most famous a cappella singing group. Almost 30 years since they found global acclaim on Paul Simon’s “Graceland,” Ladysmith Black Mambazo carry on — releasing new records, touring the world, and collecting awards, including a recent fourth Grammy. I could listen to them all day.
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd St.
At 8 p.m./ $45
800-745-3000, bbkingblues.com

Building New York: A Conversation With Michael Horodniceanu
This site advocates getting around town by public transit, so this event is a natural.

The President of MTA Capital Construction sits down with New York Times metro reporter Michael Grynbaum to provide insights into two giant projects that are reshaping the city and the way we travel within it. The conversation will center on the extension of the 7 train to Manhattan’s west side and the new Fulton Transit Center.
St. Francis College, Founders Hall, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn
At 7PM / FREE with RSVP @ NY Transit Museum
Subway: #2,3 to Borough Hall (about 30 min from TimesSquare)

Celebrate Craft Beer Week
Now that the Olympics are over it’s time to turn our attention to Craft Beer Week in NYC. Opening night was Friday, Feb. 21, and the closing bash will be on Sunday, Mar. 2 at Houston Hall in the West Village. In between there are many special beer related events taking place around town. Each day I will try to ID a few of the best (gadzooks, some events may not even be on the WestSide).

Beer Dinner with Other Half at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que “What goes well with beer? Pretzels, you say? How about an entire hog? On Tuesday, Brooklyn’s offshoot of the famed Syracuse rib joint will be hosting the beer/food event you need to attend. And yes, one of the many dishes they’ll be offering is a whole hog smoked on-site served with chicharron and Mississippi sauce, which they deem the “Tour of Pig”. More importantly though, beer will be served by the Other Half Brewing Company, which will include their Doug Cascadian Dark Ale and their mighty 11% ABV Imperial Stout.” (Gothamist)
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que [604 Union Street, Brooklyn] // $50

Dogfish Head Tap Takeover “You all know it, you all love it, and on the 25th, it’s coming to a bar near you. Dogfish Head will be doing a Tap Takeover at the Pony Bar on the Upper East Side that will not only include 20 different draft beers, but also free samples of a special Dogfish Head R&D beer. The list of draft beers will include Chicory Stout, Black & Blue, Piercing Pilsner, and Miles Davis Bitches Brew among many others. Oh, and don’t forget to say hello to Head Brewmaster Tim Hawn while you’re there.” (Gothamist)
6 p.m. // The Pony [1444 1st Avenue] // Free

To make your beer week experience even easier, download the official brewers guild beer week guide (now conveniently available as an app). This will give you a bit of an advantage on those other hop heads by providing event listings as well as deals on food and beer, among other things.

Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change. ===========================================================================================

Chelsea is the heart of the NYCity contemporary art scene. Home to more than 300 art galleries, the Rubin Museum, the Joyce Theater, and The Kitchen performance spaces, there is no place like it anywhere in the world. Come here to browse free exhibitions by world-renowned artists and those unknowns waiting to be discovered in an art district that is concentrated between West 18th and West 27th Streets, and 10th and 11th Avenues. Afterwards stop in the Chelsea Market, stroll on the High Line, or rest up at one of the many cafes and bars and discuss the fine art – my fave is Ovest on W 27th St., where the aperitivo is like Happy Hour on steroids.

WHAT’S ON VIEW:

Richard Serra, “New Sculpture” (through March 15)
“In this show, Richard Serra continues along the road that emerged from the hugely successful “Torqued Ellipses” of the 1990s, but also circles back to his earlier oeuvre. Here you have the Serra of the ’60s and ’70s, revised and updated: heavy rectilinear plates and cubes fabricated in steel rather than lead, his signature material in the ’60s.” (Schwendener-NYT) 
Gagosian Gallery, 555 West 24th Street,
 Tue–Sat 10am–6pm / 212-741-1111, gagosian.com

For a listing of 25 essential galleries in the Chelsea Art Gallery District, organized by street, which enables you to create your own Chelsea Art Gallery crawl, see the Chelsea Gallery Guide (nycgo.com) Or check out TONY magazine’s list of the “Best Chelsea Galleries” and click through to see what’s on view. ==========================================================

For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in the right Sidebar: “Selected Events + Special Exhibitions : Manhattan’s WestSide” dated (02/23) and (02/21).