Today’s “Fab 5”/ Selected NYCity Events – WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014.

Stars In The Alley
Free Broadway outdoor concert in the legendary Shubert Alley, between Broadway and 8th Avenue and 44th and 45th Streets. Listen to stars performing songs from approximately 25 shows, including many of this year’s Tony nominees. Plus appearances from another half dozen non-musicals.
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Rain or shine! Please enter from 44th St.

2014 Tony-nominated actors/actresses scheduled to appear include Adriane Lenox (After Midnight), Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder), Kelli O’Hara (The Bridges of Madison County), Lena Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Andy Karl (Rocky), Joshua Henry (Violet), and Tyne Daly(Mothers and Sons) as well as performances from all 2014 Tony Award-nominated musicals now in performance on Broadway including After Midnight, Aladdin, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, The Bridges of Madison County, Bullets Over Broadway, Cabaret, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, If/Then, Les Misérables, Rocky and Violet.

The show will be hosted by star of stage and screen Norm Lewis, who has just taken over the legendary title role in Broadway’s record-breaking The Phantom of the Opera.

Harold Mabern Trio
“Encountered most frequently playing with longtime compadre George Coleman or protégé Eric Alexander, Memphis piano titan Harold Mabern settles into Smalls for a one-night stand with bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Joe Farnsworth.” (TONY)
Smalls, 183 W 10th St. btw Seventh Ave South and W 4th St.
at 9:30pm / $20
212-252-5091 / smallsjazzclub.com

Marissa Mulder -“Living Standards”
“Living Standards” is an exciting new cabaret show that addresses the complaint “they don’t write ’em like they used to.” “Living Standards” presents later entries to the Great American Songbook. Songs written by living composers and lyricists. Songs that are every bit as witty, elegant, touching, and intelligent as the Gershwin/ Kern/ Porter standards of days past. ”

Living Standards” will include work by the best of today’s cabaret songwriters, writers such as Francesca Blumenthal, John Bucchino, Craig Carnelia, Julie Gold, and Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich, as well as songs from singer-songwriters like Christine Lavin and Anais Mitchell. Celebrity songwriters like Randy Newman and Joni Mitchell will be included as well.

Some songs will be well known in the cabaret community, having achieved “standard” status through numerous recordings or industry awards. Other songs will be less well known, but in the opinion of the show’s creators, equally deserving of the high status. Marissa Mulder recently won two MAC Awards, for Major Artist and for recording of the Year. Both awards pertained to her last show at the Metropolitan Room, “Tom…In His Words,” devoted to the songs of Tom Waits.” (Cabaret Hotline)
THE METROPOLITAN ROOM, 34 West 22nd St.
212-206-0440
at 9:30PM / $25 cover plus a 2-drink minimum

Need to leave Manhattan’s WestSide for a two very special events:

‘America’s Romance with Chocolate: A Sweet Social History’
“Attention, chocoholics: Chocolate and its growth in popularity from a drinkable treat to a portable confection is the focus of this lecture, which, appropriately, comes with a sampling. Cathy Kaufman, a culinary historian, will lead the discussion, by chocolate and wine tasting. “ (NYT)
Merchant’s House Museum, 29 East Fourth St.
212-777-1089, merchantshouse.org
At 6:30 p.m. /$40, $75 per couple, reservations required
this looks good, worth the short detour.
subway: N/R to 8^th St.; walk S 3 blks on B’way, E 1 blk on 4^th St.

Pizza: The Brooklyn Story
“Learn about pizza’s path from Southern Italian snack to quintessential Gotham grub at this talk with Scott Wiener, the Scott’s Pizza Tours founder who’s also been featured in New York magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Wiener pays special attention to the important role Kings County played in citywide appreciation of the perfect slice.” (TONY)
Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St. at Clinton St
718-222-4111 / brooklynhistory.org
at 7:00pm / $8, members $5
subway: 2/3 to Clark St. (1^st stop in Bklyn) / Brooklyn Heights
===============================================================

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

♦ NYCity is a big town with many visitors where quality shows draw crowds. Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==============================================================================

The Week That Was in NYCity
(courtesy NYPost, with the most unique front/back pages anywhere)

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

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker/W4th St.)

Café Vivaldi is a classic, intimate club located in Greenwich Village on Jones Street, the street featured on the cover of Bob Dylan’s second album, “Freewheelin’ ”.

Each night Ishrat, the long time proprietor and impresario, carefully curates and schedules an eclectic series of musicians. You can often see him at his table in the corner, hard at work reviewing music videos and listening to cd demos on his laptop, scouting out future bookings. Musicians come from all over to play and sing in a club in Greenwich Village. Some are local New Yorkers, others are just passing through, in town for a few days.

There is a small bar, seating maybe 10. It’s close to the stage and I find it’s a perfect spot to sip a glass of red wine while listening to the music. The room itself has the performance area at one end and a cozy fireplace at the other. The performance area here is small, dominated by a large black Yamaha Grand piano. Tables are bunched together and most people at the tables are eating lite meals or sampling the wonderful desserts.

There is also a good selection of wines and lite meals, fairly priced, but you are here because of the music. You can never be quite sure what you’re going to find, and that’s half the charm of this place. It’s not a home run every night, but many nights it’s pretty special.

I remember the night I saw the most talented bossa nova group, just in from San Paulo. As I listened, I wondered if there was any better music playing anywhere else in New York City that night. And at Caffé Vivaldi there is never a cover charge. I should note that their recently redesigned web site does give you a better idea of the type of music playing each night.

At one time Greenwich Village was filled with clubs just like this, but times change. Real estate interests have impacted the village, and not for the better. Even Caffé Vivaldi had a rough time recently, when a new landlord raised the rent exorbitantly. Fortunately, Ishrat has built a loyal following over the years, and a fund raiser and slightly more reasonable rent has kept Café Vivaldi in business.

When Woody Allen and Al Pacino wanted to make movies featuring the timeless quality of Greenwich Village they came to Vivaldi. It’s important that we keep this special place alive, for if we lose Cafe Vivaldi, NYC will have lost a piece of it’s soul.

Website: http://caffevivaldi.com/
Phone #: (212) 691-7538
Hours: Music generally 7:30pm – 11pm, but varies
Lunch/Dinner 11am-on
Subway: #1 to Christopher st
Walk 1 blk S on 7th ave S to Bleecker st, 1 blk S/left on Bleecker to Jones st, 50 yards E/left on Jones st to Caffe V

===========================================================================================
“Pub” is used in it’s broadest sense – bars, bar/restaurants, jazz clubs, wine bars, tapas bars, craft beer bars, dive bars, cocktail lounges, and of course, pubs – just about anyplace you can get a drink without a cover charge (except for certain jazz clubs).

If you have a fave premier pub or good eating place on Manhattan’s WestSide let us all know about it – leave a comment.
===========================================================================================

3 Good Eating places

It’s not difficult to find a place to eat in Manhattan.
Finding a good, inexpensive place to eat is a bit harder.
Here are a few of my faves in this neighborhood:

Fish – 280 Bleecker St (just a bit S. of 7th ave South)
This was an easy pick – the best raw bar special in town. $8 gets you 6 of the freshest oysters or clams + a glass of wine or beer. Don’t know how they can do it, but I tell everyone I know about this place. And it’s located right in the heart of some of the best no cover music in town.

Bleecker Street Pizza – 69 7th ave S (corner of Bleecker)
The place is tiny and not much to look at, but this is one good slice. They like to brag that they have been voted “Best pizza in NY” 3 years in a row by the Food Network. I believe them. I would have voted for them.

Num Pang – 21 E 12th st (btw. University place/5th ave)
This is a Cambodian banh mi sandwich shop that kept me well fed while I was in class nearby recently. It’s cramped, even for NYCity, but usually there is room up the spiral staircase to sit down and eat. In good weather carry your sandwich a few blocks to Union Sq park. You may have to wait a few minutes, because everything is freshly made, but it’s worth it. Can you believe – an unheard of 26 food rating by Zagat.

================================================================================
“3 Good Eating places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”

That covers a wide range of food – pizza, burgers, food trucks/carts, vegetarian/falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars, hot dogs, bbq, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls. No reservations needed. ================================================================================

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places and descriptions of my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods (plus 27 casual dining places with free Wi-Fi) order a copy of my e-book: “Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($3.99).
(available Fall 2014)