August NYC Events (08/16/21)

Posted on 08/16/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

Best Free Things To Do in NYC This Week

“The quality and quantity of free events, free things to do that take place in New York City every day of the year is truly amazing. So don’t miss the opportunities that only New York provides: stop wondering what to do; start taking advantage of free things to do, free events to go to in NYC today!”

Join Club Free Time – I did, and it’s one of the best things I ever did. Here is a sample of FREE events this week. Get more information by going to the Club Free Time website.

Best Free Things To Do in NYC This Week

Monday, August 16, 2021

Mon, Aug 16 – 7:00 pm / free; first-come, first-served
Dance Performance | Company at the Vanguard of American Modern Dance and Tap Dancing
The Limon Dance Company, the living legacy of dance theater, will perform two repertory classics: “A … more

Mon, Aug 16 – 7:30 pm / free
Classical Music | Music from Harry Potter, Goodfellas, The Godfather and More
Woodwind ensemble, The Quintet of the Americas, perfoms music used in TV programs and film such as S … more

Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Tue, Aug 17 – 5:30 pm / free; RSVP required
Dancing | Salsa Social
5:30 pm – 6:00 pm : Free Salsa Dance Class (All levels welcomed)6:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Free Salsa … more

Tue, Aug 17 – 7:30 pm / free; standby line
Dance Performance | New York City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Hispanico and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater!
In an unprecedented celebration of dance, 5 famous dance companies share the spotlight for the first … more

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Wed, Aug 18 – 5:00 pm / free
Concert | String Quartet Plays Mozart, Gillespie, and More
Program:MOZART Allegro moderato from String Quartet in F Major, K. 590 … more

Wed, Aug 18 – 7:30 pm / free; standby line
Dance Performance | American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem
In an unprecedented celebration of dance, this major American dance comapnies share the stage. Progr … more

Wed, Aug 18 – 8:00 pm / free; park entry reservation required
Jazz | Latin and Jazz Standards
Seven ensembles, some of NYC’s finest musicians, bring Latin and jazz standards to life. … more

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Thu, Aug 19 – 7:30 pm / free; standby line
Dance Performance | Ballet Hispanico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, and Dance Theatre of Harlem in a Park
These four famous dance companies share the spotlight! Program 3.Please note: Th … more

Thu, Aug 19 – 8:00 pm / free; standby line
Concert | “Phenomenal” (New York Times) Singer Plays Original Music
This award-winning actor-singer-songwriter will bring her own special magic, accompanied by bass and … more

Friday, August 20, 2021

Fri, Aug 20 – 7:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Jazz | Well-known Vocalist and Her Quintet
Antoinette Montague has performed with notable musicians in jazz and blues such as Benny Powell, Sta … more

Fri, Aug 20 – 7:30 pm / free; standby line
Dance Performance | Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Hispanico
In an unprecedented celebration of dance, these most famous American dance companies share the spotl … more

Fri, Aug 20 – 8:00 pm / free; standby line
Concert | “Phenomenal” Singer Plays Original Music
A “phenomenal” (New York Times) award-winning actor-singer-songwriter will bring her own sp … more

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Sat, Aug 21 – 10:00 am / free; RSVP required
Workshop | Kayaking
Glide along the water while kayaking this summer! All levels are welcome. Children under 18 must hav … more

Sat, Aug 21 – 5:00 pm / free tickets required
Concert | NY Philharmonic, Andrea Bocelli, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson and Many More
This historic, once-in-a-generation concert, will feature an array of music icons and contemporary a … more

Sat, Aug 21 – 7:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Opera | Opera Stars Sing Selections from Rossini, Bizet, Puccini, and More
An evening of operatic favorites including selections from The Barber of Seville, Carmen, Rigole … more

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Best new restaurants in NYC

If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.” – Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld,

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Meet in Midtown for Hunanese

Blue Willow / 40 W. 56th St.

When this terrific Hunan restaurant opened last year just down the street from Trump Tower, the owners had trouble attracting customers because security arrangements limited access to the block. But true fans of Hunan cuisine — which can be just as spicy as Sichuan, with a broader array of sharp flavors — have a way of sniffing out talent and overcoming obstacles in their path, and Blue Willow gradually became a word-of-mouth hit, especially among Chinese Americans. Now, with the barriers gone, the restaurant draws diners looking for dishes like house-smoked Hunan bacon (thick swatches of pork belly stir-fried with cloves of garlic) and “snow red greens” (minced mustard greens riddled with pickled red chiles). —R.C.S.

Share Thai Disco Fries at a New-Wave Diner

Thai Diner / 186 Mott St.

It’s clear while sitting at Thai Diner’s packed outdoor setup on Mott and Kenmare that Nolita, a reliably bustling corner of the city that felt eerily quiet throughout the past year, is very much alive these days. At this, Ann Redding and Matt Danzer’s latest spot, they’re serving Uncle Boons (RIP) favorites, such as khao soi and crab fried rice, alongside cheeseburgers, fried-chicken sandwiches, and Thai disco fries smothered in curry sauce, which we recommend pairing with a notably strong martini while ogling the ecstatic-to-finally-be-out-and-about passersby. —R.P.S.

Gorge on Russian Spa Food

Matryoshka at Wall Street Bath & Spa 88 / 88 Fulton St.

The Russian bathhouse isn’t just about cleansing; it’s about restoring and nourishing, which is why the indoor-dining ban hit the banya so hard. You were permitted to sweat it out on Fulton Street, but you couldn’t seek rejuvenation through hot borscht and cold beer. Now, after a few rounds in a sauna set to a screaming 220 degrees, you can once again bring your body back to life in a cafeteria with other dripping-wet patrons wearing very few clothes. Consider filling up on slippery Siberian pelmeni drenched in butter, fried potatoes slicked with enough garlic to qualify as a medicinal supplement, and Georgian lamb soup that will scorch your tongue for days, which means it’s precisely the right temperature.—R.P.S.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

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August NYC Events (08/15/21)

Posted on 08/15/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

NYC-Arts Top Five Picks: August 13 – 19

“Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top events include “Carnegie Hall Selects: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2,” MoMa’s striking exhibition of “Fotoclubismo: Brazilian Modernist Photography,” Restart Stages’ “BAAND Together Dance Festival,” and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.”

Correspondences

Correspondences

Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre

Westchester

Fri, Aug 13, 2021 – Sun, Aug 22, 2021

After a successful premiere in Manhattan’s Astor Place, LEIMAY continues its in-person events with the Queens borough and Upstate premieres of “Correspondences,” an outdoor performance based, public art installation in Queens’ Socrates Sculpture Park and Hurleyville Performing Arts Centre, created by multidisciplinary Colombian and Japanese born duo Ximena Garnica and Shige Moriya featuring their New York City-based LEIMAY Ensemble. “Correspondences” is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of …

BAAND Together Dance Festival

BAAND Together Dance Festival

Restart Stages at Lincoln Center

Manhattan

Tue, Aug 17, 2021 – Sat, Aug 21, 2021

Five of New York City’s most acclaimed dance companies—Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem—will perform on the same stage at the first “BAAND Together Dance Festival” in Damrosch Park as part of Restart Stages, the new outdoor performing arts center constructed on the Lincoln Center campus to champion the city’s cultural and economic revival. The Festival is made possible by CHANEL and is a project of …

Tippet Rise on Tour: August Festival

Tippet Rise on Tour: August Festival

Tippet Rise Art Center

Thu, Aug 19, 2021 – Sun, Aug 22, 2021

Tippet Rise Art Center recently announced the details of its digital summer event “Tippet Rise on Tour: August Festival,” which will premiere seven short performance films between August 19 and 22. The new films feature classical music performances captured at unusual locations across the country, from a tractor barn in Colorado and Ensamble Studio’s Cyclopean House in Massachusetts to the Noguchi Museum in New York City. Since Spring 2020, Tippet Rise has produced or co-produced more …

Carnegie Hall Selects: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2

Carnegie Hall Selects: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2

Carnegie Hall

Fri, Aug 13, 2021 – Fri, Aug 20, 2021

Between 1909 and 1942, Rachmaninoff made nearly 100 appearances at Carnegie Hall. His debut on November 13, 1909, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra featured his own Second Piano Concerto, which has since become his most frequently performed work at the Hall. In this film from 1973, Herbert von Karajan leads the Berlin Philharmonic with soloist Alexis Weissenberg in “Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2” live at the Berlin Philharmonie. The concert is part of “Carnegie Hall Selects,” a new series of free …

Fotoclubismo: Brazilian Modernist Photography, 1946–1964

Fotoclubismo: Brazilian Modernist Photography, 1946–1964

Museum of Modern Art

Manhattan

Sat, May 08, 2021 – Sun, Sep 26, 2021

“Fotoclubismo” explores the unforgettable creative achievements of São Paulo’s Foto-Cine Clube Bandeirante (FCCB), a group of amateur photographers whose ambitious and innovative works embodied the abundant originality of postwar Brazilian culture. Although their work was heralded around the world in the 1950s, it subsequently faded from view. This is the first museum exhibition to present this fascinating moment in photography’s history to audiences outside of Brazil. Photography was a hobby for most FCCB members: on weekdays, group …

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So many things to see and do, to eat and drink in NYC.

Here are 12 of my NYC faves:

19 Sun-Soaked Rooftops for Eating and Drinking Outdoors in NYC

The best NYC tours and walks

The Best Breakfast Sandwiches In NYC – New York – The Infatuation

The best New York tourist attractions that locals love

Tokyo’s Michelin-Starred Tsuta Ramen Is Opening an NYC Outpost – Eater NY

How to explore NYC after a year inside

Chick Chick – Upper West Side – New York – The Infatuation

The best things to do in the fall in NYC – TONY

Outdoor Dining With No Traffic Available On Arthur Avenue In The Bronx – CBSLOCAL

11 Great NYC Sandwiches That Got Us Through the Pandemic – Eater NY

The 9 Best Spots to Watch the Sunset in New York City

The Best Restaurants In The East Village – East Village – New York – The Infatuation

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Best new NYC restaurants

If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Take in Park Views With Your Kelewele

Teranga / 1280 Fifth Ave.

The trapezoidal windows at Teranga have long afforded patrons panoramic vistas of Central Park North, but the city’s embrace of outdoor dining has made Pierre Thiam’s West African–leaning venue even more appealing than before. Now you can snack on kelewele (spicy roast plantains) right at the edge of the park, overlooking the verdant trees while enjoying a warm summer breeze. On a recent Friday, I sat near a pair of diners, one of them relaxing in a jujitsu T-shirt, as I made quick work of a yassa bowl: tender chicken thighs slathered in saucy golden onions. If indoor dining is still quiet here, you’ll never feel alone in the alfresco area. Folks zoom by on hoverboards and messenger bikes, shaved-ice vendors pour polychromatic syrups into snowy cups, and people flood in and out of the park.—R.P.S.

Eat to the Beat in Hell’s Kitchen

Guantanamera / 939 Eighth Ave.

The conga drums are back. Their steady beats spill out onto Eighth Avenue, where outdoor patrons sip minty mojitos on white tablecloths. Although this Hell’s Kitchen Cuban canteen served porky lechon asado and garlicky cassava throughout the pandemic, what was missing for months was the music — the prickly guitars and folksy Caribbean tunes that have made the restaurant an accessible spot for everyday salsa dancing. Ceiling fans spin overhead near the open-air frontage as waiters ferry crisp Cubano sandwiches and some of the city’s finest vaca frita: shredded skirt steak that’s seared until it achieves the texture of soft jerky. —R.P.S.

Taste the Middle East on the Upper West

Dagon / 2454 Broadway

Airy and sun-drenched, the dining room pulsates with Israeli pop and a steady conversational hum. If you didn’t know better, you would think you’d wandered into some beachside hot spot in Tel Aviv, not a post-pandemic restaurant in the sleepy West 90s. Chef Ari Bokovza’s Levantine-leaning menu looks similar to others across the city. But the familiar mezze and salads take a fun turn with delectable things like shishbarak (Lebanese mushroom-filled dumplings) and kubaneh, the fluffy Yemenite Jewish bread that you pull apart like Parker House rolls. —B.O.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

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August NYC Events (08/14/21)

Posted on 08/14/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

8 Actually Fun Things to Do in New York This Weekend

Cocktails and boozy ice cream are a necessity to celebrate National Rum Day.

By Izzy Baskette – Thrillist

“With the end of summer looming, it’s now official: this past week marked the last time New York City will experience an 8 pm sunset until May 2022. That means every single day of the month for the rest of the season should be lived to the max for fun summertime memories, so whether you’re looking to cool down with rum cocktails on National Rum Day, test how rusty your mini-golf skills are, or enhance your closet with vintage finds, we’ve got you covered.”

Read on for eight actually fun things to eat, see, and do in NYC this weekend.

Celebrate National Rum Day at restaurants and bars across the city

Weekend-long
Various locations
After a long week, a chilled cocktail is a necessity—and perfect for us, this weekend falls on National Rum Day. To celebrate, sip specialty drinks made with Caribbean-owned Ten To One rum at 15+ restaurants and bars participating around the city like Cote, Miss Lily’s, Wayan, Fats Duvall’s Rhum Cafe, and more. Not only will these cocktails help you unwind, but you’ll also be helping out the hospitality industry, with all proceeds going to the nonprofit Another Round Another Rally. And for a boozy dessert, Ten to One is also partnering with ice cream spot Van Leeuwen for a special Tropical Rum Daiquiri sorbet available until the end of the month.
Cost: Prices vary

Indulge at this kolache bakery’s first Manhattan location

Weekend-long
West Village
Branch out from the usual Saturday morning bagel routine by grabbing a kolache—a puffy, sweet or savory stuffed pastry—from the newly opened West Village location of Brooklyn Kolache. After success at the original Bed-Stuy location, founder Autumn Stanford is now serving up these Czech-Tex delicacies at Manhattan’s only bakery dedicated to kolache. Accompany your morning stroll with a blueberry and sweet cheese option or snag an afternoon snack with the sausage, jalapeño, and cheese variety.
Cost: Prices vary

Play a round of mini-golf dedicated your favorite Pixar characters

Weekend-long
Battery Park
Channel your inner child this weekend with a round of mini-golf at the Pixar Putt pop-up at Battery Park’s Pier A. From Toy Story to Finding Nemo and Ratatouille, the open-air 18-hole course is designed around beloved Pixar movies that’ll have you reminiscing on where the time’s gone. Brush up on your swing during the day (10 am-7 pm) or opt for an adults-only Pixar Putt After Dark session (from 7 pm-8:30 pm). Tickets are available on the website through to October 31.
Cost: $35 per ticket

Support sustainable shopping at a vintage pop-up

Saturday, August 14, 11 am-7 pm
Fort Greene
Looking to spice up your wardrobe? Thrilling, a Black and Asian-owned online marketplace, is hosting a sustainable fashion pop-up festival, The Thrill, at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene. Peruse the stands of over 75 vintage retailers while local DJ’s (Spinelli, Stretch Armstrong and Dede Lovelace) provide the vibes. After you’re sufficiently shopped-out, check out the art installations or snack on dishes from Makina Cafe, Island Spice Grill, Blackrican Vegan, or Harlem Seafood Soul. Advance tickets to enter are available on their website.
Cost: For a limited time, $3 entry fee for advance tickets and $5 at the door

Drop by a Korean rice wine tasting room debut

Saturday, August 14, 2-11 pm
Greenpoint
After months of anticipation, Korean rice wine brewery, Hana Makgeolli, is opening the doors to their tasting room this Saturday. Sip a glass (or commit to a carafe) of carefully crafted makgeolli (a milky, lightly sparkling rice wine) while munching on classic Korean bar snacks. With a walk-in only policy, there’s no need to make a reservation, but make sure you have proof of vaccination on hand. If you’re looking to take a bottle of makgeolli home, pickup and nationwide shipping are also available via their website.
Cost: Prices vary

Satisfy your Vietnamese coffee fix at this special pop-up

Saturday, August 14, and Sunday, August 15, 9 am-3 pm
East Williamsburg
For one weekend only, Nguyen Coffee Supply is setting up shop at East Williamsburg’s Win Son Bakery. Founded by Sahra Nguyen, Nguyen Coffee Supply imports their coffee beans directly from Da Lat, Vietnam, then completes the roasting process in Brooklyn. At their first pop-up in two years, the menu will have classics like the pandan latte or a cold brew, but the stars of the show are undoubtedly the specials. Try out a Vietnamese coffee creation like the espresso martini or espresso with lemon and seltzer. Before you head out, treat yourself to a coffee and pandan soft serve swirl and enter into the raffle to win a special coffee bundle.
Cost: Prices vary

Explore an art and performance festival dedicated to Black culture

Weekend-long
Meatpacking District
Spend a day outdoors exploring the debut weekend of the arts festival From A Place, Of A Place hosted by ARTNOIR—a female-majority and minority-owned collective focused on promoting intersectionality within art and culture. Dedicated to “Black art, culture, and commerce,” the five-part festival runs until October and for its lineup, admire displays like a large-scale sculpture by artist Olalekan Jeyifous, a gallery exhibit by Danny Baez, and a multi-sensory live performance by Dario Calmese. Afterwards, dot around following the festival’s Guide to the Meatpacking District, which highlights Black-owned businesses in the neighborhood.
Cost: Free

Swing by Little Island for a weekend of free events

Weekend-long
Little Island
With a calendar packed full of free summer series events, Little Island is your go-to for a financially-responsible weekend. De-stress from the workweek on Friday at 7:30 pm with a performance by the String Orchestra of Brooklyn with Adam Tendler, or catch a late night comedy show with River L. Ramirez at 10:15 pm. After relishing those extra hours of sleep on Saturday and Sunday, get lost in the fast-paced movements of tap dancing routines by The Foreman Brothers and Joshua Johnson from 12:30 pm-2:45 pm. On Saturday night, a DJ set by SONI withanEYE at 11 pm is the ultimate path to some feel-good energy. If you’re not sure of your weekend schedule just yet, check the lineup posted on the website and be sure to secure free timed entry reservations to go anytime after 12 pm.
Cost: Free but free timed entry reservations are required

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Thrillist, a site with tons of food, drink, travel & entertainment info, introduces folks to the coolest things to do in NYC (and other places when you are traveling). I like to check them out regularly. You should, too.

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So many things to see and do, to eat and drink in NYC.

Here are 12 of my NYC faves:

Here are the NYC places you can only go if you’re vaccinated – silive.com

NYC Michelin Bib Gourmands 2021: The Full List – Eater NY PUB

New York’s 2021 Michelin Bib Gourmand Restaurants, Mapped Eater NY PUB

Yayoi Kusama’s infinity mirror room opens in August – TONY

The Best Restaurant Patios In NYC – New York – The Infatuation

15 Best Happy Hours In NYC – Secretnyc

The NYC Best Restaurants and Markets for Loading Up on Picnic Supplies – Eater NY

The 80 best things to do in NYC for locals and tourists – TONY

The Best Mexican Restaurants In NYC – New York – The Infatuation

The best Statue of Liberty tours – TONY

Where To Find The Best Caribbean Food In NYC – The Infatuation

Secret New York: 30+ off the beaten path spots in New York City to love

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Best new restaurants in NYC

If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Try Simone Tong’s New Menu

Silver Apricot / 20 Cornelia St.

Last summer, as restaurateurs hastily built makeshift patios, Silver Apricot partners Emmeline Zhao and Simone Tong created a space that truly translated the dining experience to the street without sacrificing a bit of elegance or refinement. (Being situated on one of the West Village’s quieter blocks didn’t hurt.) Purse hooks on the plastic dividers, lavender planted along the perimeter, and quality glass and plateware made for a setting worthy of Tong’s inventive Chinese American dishes like chile-crab rangoon dip and burnished scallion puffs. Now they are renovating the dining room in preparation for indoor service and plan to reopen June 17 with a new seasonal menu.—A.K.

Binge on Bánh MÌ

Bánh Vietnamese Shop House / 942 Amsterdam Ave.

Veteran chefs John Nguyen and Nhu Ton began peddling their Vietnamese sandwiches and crispy pork-belly salad rolls from an empty pop-up space on the upper reaches of Amsterdam Avenue last summer, and the operation was such a hit that by January they’d put down permanent roots in the neighborhood. There are five varieties of toasty bánh mìs to choose from (when in doubt, order the charcoal-grilled pork), numerous sturdy classics from Ton’s native central Vietnam (try the Frisbee-size rice-noodle delicacy called bánh dap), and a deeply flavorful beef pho. —A.P.

See How Cervo’s Spruced Itself Up

Cervo’s / 43 Canal St.

Last summer, the outdoor-dining setup at downtown Portuguese-Spanish restaurant Cervo’s was a destination almost in spite of itself. Simple wooden folding tables and chairs sprawled across an unadorned and fluorescent-lit expanse of Canal Street. Counter-service orders were called out brusquely over a loudspeaker mounted on the building’s exterior. Serviceware was disposable. You found and bussed your own table. But the Dimes Square denizens flocked nonetheless, pushing together tables laden with dark-pink Spritzes, fried-fish sandwiches, and glistening head-on prawns. It was casual, cool, and as COVID-safe as one could hope for. Now, after a winter hiatus operating as a shop, the scene returns to Cervo’s, but this time the restaurant has full-service outdoor dining on a newly built yellow-tiled patio with proper glassware, plateware, and a menu of old favorites like piri-piri chicken, mussels escabeche, and crispy shrimp heads.—A.K.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
all 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

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August NYC Events (08/13/21)

Posted on 08/13/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

5 Things to Do This Weekend in NYC

“Our critics and writers have selected noteworthy cultural events to experience virtually and in person in New York City.” (New York Times)

Pop & Rock

Dance

Theater

KIDS

Classical Music

Read a fuller discussion of these things to do HERE

The New York Times has an Arts section second to none. If you want know What’s Happening in the Arts around town this is the place to be.

3 Art Gallery Shows to See Right Now

Lizania Cruz on the art of gathering testimonies; Arcmanoro Niles’s brilliantly hued portraits; and “Counter Flags” takes on the symbols of nationalism.

Through Aug. 25. CUE Art Foundation, 137 West 25th Street, Manhattan. 212-206-3583; cueartfoundation.org

Through Aug. 27. Lehmann Maupin, 501 West 24th Street, Manhattan. 212-255-2923; lehmannmaupin.com.

Through Aug. 22. Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, Manhattan. 212-598-0400; abronsartscenter.org.

Read a fuller discussion of these gallery shows HERE

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If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Eat All Your Chinese Vegetables

Fat Choy / 250 Broome St.

It’s one thing to offer a $335 meat-free menu for the one percent (see Eleven Madison Park 2.0). It’s another to charge $10 and under for veggie-centric Chinese food for everyone: the curious carnivores, the certified vegans, and the dedicated superfans like Deborah from the Upper West Side, who loves the food and the vibe so much she literally hiked down the West Side Highway from 88th Street to Broome and Orchard one recent Saturday afternoon just to tuck in to paper-boatloads of chewy rice rolls topped with gai lan and juicy bok choy showered with crispy fried garlic. We know she did this because Fat Choy is the kind of place where diners who have navigated the scrum of Lower East Side streeteries — bars, vegan-cupcake shops, more bars — start conversations with strangers to recommend dishes, offer bites, and generally share communal moments of vibrantly flavored, inventively conceived culinary bliss. —Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Sip a Sazerac in a Secret Garden

Villanelle / 15 E. 12th St.

This elegant Greenwich Village establishment has flown so far under the radar that many regulars (ourselves included) were afraid it would close forever when disaster struck. Miraculously, unlike with the still-shuttered Gotham Bar & Grill across the street, the opposite has happened. Owner Catherine Manning fitted the space out back with tables and little enclosed “garden rooms” that have become a hit during the outdoor-dining craze. The Sazeracs we enjoyed on a recent summery evening were exceptional, and you can also addle yourself with $9 cocktails during the new happy hour. The talented young chef Tyler Heckman (Ferris, Le Turtle) took over the kitchen last fall, and he’s slowly added the kind of variety and style to the aggressively seasonal menu (braised spring lamb on our visit, white-asparagus velouté, gnocchi with escargot) that threatens to turn this sleepy local favorite into a proper big-city dining destination. —Adam Platt

Sample the Latest Fusion Cuisine on New York’s Original Open Street

The Migrant Kitchen / 45 Stone St.

Long before 2020 brought alfresco eating to every corner of our city, Stone Street was a pedestrian paradise, and it still is, a cobblestoned car-free wonderland for outdoor pints, pizza, and mozzarella sticks. The Migrant Kitchen, which opened last fall, brings Middle Eastern–Latin fusion to this Fidi pub-grub zone. Owner Nasser Jaber, who operates out of the Dubliner bar’s kitchen, sends out sumac-butter-slicked fried-chicken-and-falafel waffles, mariquitas (fried plantain chips) nachos, and pastelon mahshi, a Dominican-style maduros-and-beef riff on the traditional Palestinian stuffed gourd. And since many office workers are still Zooming in from home, Stone Street feels distinctly chiller and less suits-y these days. —Ryan P. Sutton

m

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

August NYC Events (08/12/21)

Posted on 08/12/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

The best things to do in NYC this weekend

“The best things to do in NYC this weekend include the Jazz Age Lawn Party, BRIC’s Celebrate Brooklyn!, NY Restaurant Week and more.”

Edited by Shaye Weaver – Time Out New York“

“Looking for the best things to do in NYC this weekend? Whether you’re the group planner searching for more things to do in NYC today, or you have no plans yet, here are some ideas to add to your list for this long summer weekend. Don’t miss the return of the Jazz Age Lawn Party, Shakespeare in the Park, BRIC’s Celebrate Brooklyn! festival, go out for New York Restaurant Week, do an outdoor movie screening, or take a hot tub boat tour.”

Things to do in NYC this weekend

Time Out New York has 115 best things to do this weekend.

These are just a few of my faves. Want more? Find your faves right here

1. The Jazz Age Lawn Party

Break out your favorite flapper dresses, tuxes and 100-year-old Gatsby-inspired garb, New York’s favorite throwback party is back this weekend for its 15th anniversary. Following a short hiatus in 2020, The Jazz Age Lawn Party returns to Governors Island this weekend, August 14 and 15, with live music, cocktails, retro cocktails, croquet and more Prohibition era events and entertainment. This year, dance lessons will help you learn the Charleston and Peabody steps, to dance to Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra, plus a fabulous lineup including The Dreamland Follies, Queen Esther, Peterminton and more musicians to help get you out on the two enormous wooden dance floors on the lawn. A 1920s motorcar exhibit will show off vintage vehicles of the time and a special kidland will off retro carnival games and prizes. Pack a picnic or stop at the Dreamland General Store to shop for picnic blankets, parasols, hand fans and assorted sundries. A gourmet picnic market will also vend fancy fare to accompany nosh from gourmet food trucks, ice cream and old-time snacks. Plenty of old fashioned lemonade, soda, juices, water, and iced tea will also be available to whet your whistle. Those in need of vintage outfits can also shop from special clothiers on the island. 

4. Speakeasy Magick

  • Chelsea Until Sep 24, 2021

Todd Robbins (Play Dead) is a sideshow master who combines technical expertise with humor, historical knowledge and good old-fashioned showmanship. In his soirees at the McKittrick’s Club Car venue, he welcomes a live jazz pianist to set the atmosphere and guest magicians (such as Alex Boyce, Jason Suran, Mark Calabrese, Matthew Holtzclaw,Prakash Puru and Rachel Wax) to perform feats of close-up magic in an intimate setting.

8. Battery Dance Festival 2021

  • Until Aug 20, 2021

The free annual Battery Dance Festival, formerly known as the Downtown Dance Festival, takes place outdoors at Robert F. Wagner Park, in front of the sparkling New York Harbor. Last year, the festival went fully virtual, but for its 40th edition this year, it is offering both in-person and streaming options: three nights of virtual performances from around the world, followed by six nights of live performances that will also be live-streamed on YouTube. (The shows remain viewable for ten days afterward.) See below for a full schedule of the artists and companies that will be performing.

Thursday, August 12 (virtual only):
Introdans (Netherlands)
Dance Troupe Braveman (South Korea)
Chilaquiles Rojos Colectivo (Mexico)
Nantea Dance Company (Tanzania)
Boca Tuya / Omar Román De Jesús (Puerto Rico/NYC)

Friday, August 13 (virtual only):
Team AJC (South Korea)
Jiva Velázquez (Paraguay)
Bollwerkfilm (Switzerland)
Arabesque Vietnam (Vietnam)
Australian Dance Theatre (Australia)

Saturday, August 14 (virtual only):
Chenglong Tang (China)
Jill Crovisier (Luxembourg)
Abhilash Ningappa (India)
Dancing Earth Creations (United States)
Hoedy Saad (Lebanon)
Massala Company (France)

Sunday, August 15 (India Day): 
Parul Shah Dance Company 
Kasi Aysola & SaiSantosh Radhakrishnan
Swathi Gundapuneedi-Atluri
Maya Kulkarni 
Eventually Epic 
Rajika Puri

Monday, August 16 (Young Voices in Dance):
Kate Louissaint & Nhyira Asante
Imani Gaudin
Spencer Everett & Isabella Aldridge
Brian Golden
Ramya Durvasula
Lily Summer Gee
Grace Yi-Li Tong
Kanyok Arts Initiative

Tuesday, August 17:
Luke Hickey
Graciano Dance Projects
Company | E
Baye & Asa
Rohan Bhargava/Rovaco Dance Company
Jon Lehrer Dance Company

Wednesday, August 18:
Dancing Wheels
Will Ervin – Erv Works Dance
Demi Remick & Dancers
MorDance
Battery Dance
William Byram

Thursday, August 19, 2021:
CHR Project
Christian Warner
Jamal Jackson Dance Company
New York Theatre Ballet
Akira Uchida, Maddy Wright, Joshua Strmic
Christopher Williams
Dolly Sfeir
Battery Dance

Friday, August 20:
Flamenco Vivo II
Ohiole Dibua
Ballet Nepantla
STASIS
Galletto y Guzmán
Beatrice Capote
Battery Dance

10. Free Math Festival

The fifth annual New York City Math Festival returns on Saturday, August 14, from 10am to 4pm with hands-on math exhibits, entertaining mathematical games, intriguing puzzles and brainteasers at 28 Liberty’s Plaza. Don’t miss the  augmented reality exhibition that lets you literally put yourself in the picture along with Anton Bakker’s sculptures; group constructions of a giant, geometric sculpture with mathematician David Reimann; speed sorting, intuition and dynamic multiplication games from The Lab for the Developing Mind; four different human-scale mazes; a race of mathematical and visual perception with Play Truchet; and an opportunity to take a uniquely mathematical kaleidoscopic selfie.

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amNY Weekender | Here are 7 things to do in NYC this weekend

By Dean Jamieson & Emily Davenport

Friday, Aug. 13

The CIFA Summer Show: The Children’s Institute of Fashion Arts is hosting its annual summer show where kids aged 7-14 can strut their stuff and learn simple fabric techniques, drape fabric, and create a fashion parade. The show is free, but only 30 people can participate so advance registration is required. Rain date is Aug. 15. West 174th Street in J. Hood Wright Park, Manhattan. 5 p.m. Free.

Summer on the Hudson: The Count of Monte Cristo: The Hudson Classical Theater Company is putting on a performance of Susane Lee’s adaptation of “The Count of Monte Cristo.” The performance is pay what you can to enter, and you may need to bring a lawn chair for a seat — be sure to show up by 6:10 to grab a good seat! Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument in Riverside Park, West 89th Street and Riverside Drive, Manhattan. 6:30 p.m. Pay what you can.

Movies Under The Stars: Red Pill: Grab a blanket and head over to the park for a screening of “Red Pill.” This film is for mature audiences only and starts at dusk with a talk with the director ahead of the screening, which will begin at 8 p.m. St. Nicholas Park 135 Lawn in St. Nicholas Park, West 135th Street, Manhattan. 7 p.m. Free.

Saturday, Aug. 14

“The Thrill”: Thrilling’s First Pop-Up Festival: The Thrill, the premier Black & Asian-owned online marketplace for vintage clothing, is hosting their first pop-up festival this Saturday at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn NY. Come buy clothes from city icons such as Accidental Icon, LaTonya Yvette and Marquise Miller, enjoy music from DJs Spinelli and Stretch Armstrong, and eat food from vendors like the Makina Cafe and Harlem Seafood Soul. 357 Clermont Avenue. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Free.

Saturday Sets: If you love live street music, head over to the Meatpacking District to hear some Saturday sets. This weekend, you’ll find live music at Chelsea Market from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. and at Coffee + Cocktails at the Gansevoort from 8:30 to 9:15. Be sure to make a reservation at a nearby restaurant or take a stroll by to enjoy the show! Multiple locations, 6:30 p.m. Free.

Sunday, Aug. 15

Live Outdoor Music & Comedy at Culture Lab LIC: Every weekend, Culture Lab LIC hosts live performances outdoors for the public to enjoy. This Sunday, be sure to come by and check out live shows from Matthias Loescher “Songs Of Life” followed by Flowmingos. 5-25 46th Avenue, Long Island City, Queens. 5 p.m. Free.

40th Annual Battery Dance Festival: Battery Dance is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a free summer festival. This Sunday is India Day, and top-tier dancers will put on the show of a lifetime to celebrate the holiday. The show is also available over livestream. Robert F. Wagner Park, 20 Battery Place. 7 p.m. Free.

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If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Hang Out in New York’s Best-Smelling Vestibule

Frenchette Bakery / 220 Church St.

Last fall, the abandoned Arcade Bakery space came back to life as Frenchette Bakery, ready to fulfill the carb-craving needs of Tribeca moms, the doctors in the medical practices upstairs, and passersby lured in by the sweet, yeasty promise of croissants and baguettes. Happily, the new owners have retained a big part of what made Arcade so special. Its unique design, using drop-down table ledges and inset benches, transforms a generic hallway into a gathering place for impromptu meetings, shared pizza lunches, and the kind of coffee breaks office workers never knew they’d miss. The bakers line the display case with their own enticements, too: exceptional loaves of sourdough and rye; savory breakfast pastries like the mortadella, egg, and Comté; and rich and flaky pain au chocolat. —Adam Moussa

Follow Your Nose to Great Bronx BBQ

Hudson Smokehouse / 37 Bruckner Blvd., Mott Haven

This recently opened barbecue joint is located at the southern tip of the Bronx on a street once populated by antiques shops, and you can smell the ’cue as you walk by. The corral seating in front catches the sun during the daytime, and inside there’s a high-ceilinged room where social distancing isn’t a problem. The meats include great fatty brisket, pork ribs worth gnawing, and pork-belly burnt ends that make deliriously good bacon. Even the beer list, with many mugs originating in the Bronx, draws you in.—R.C.S.

Start With Salteñas in Sunnyside

Bolivian Llama Party / 44-14 48th Ave., Sunnyside

The Oropeza brothers have pulled off a rare pandemic feat: They closed their tiny takeout outpost in midtown, which focused on soupy salteñas (Bolivia’s take on the empanada), and rebooted in Sunnyside with a sit-down location serving creative South American fare. On any given Saturday, a young crowd may show up to eat (and ’gram) craggy fried-chicken chicharrón sandwiches with spicy Llajua-spiked mayo, stark white bowls of sopa de maní (peanut soup), vegan “chola” sandwiches crammed full of charred jackfruit instead of the usual pork, and cherimoya birthday-cake ice cream. The best time to swing by is just before dusk, when you can grab a seat on the streetside terrace and take in the Empire State Building framed against a pink sky while Andean music plays from the storefront.—R.P.S.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
all 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

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August NYC Events (08/11/21)

Posted on 08/11/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

60 Phenomenal Things To Do This July In New York City
By Claire Leaden • Secret NYC

“Summer in New York City is filled with plenty of things to do, and it’s finally the perfect outdoor weather!

With 4th of July on the horizon and summer in full swing, July will offer plenty of opportunities to soak in the sun and hang by the water before the brutal heat of August kicks in (because like it or not, it’s coming!).

Check out glorious rooftops, cool off at beaches and pools, traipse through fields of sunflowers and lavender (ok, those are a bit outside of NYC!), and much more with our recommendations of things to do this month.”

Here are 60 Phenomenal Things To Do:

  1. Catch this year’s bigger-and-better-than-ever 4th of July fireworks

2-6. Head to the beach
NYC is know for its notoriously hot and humid summers, which may be true for all over the tri-state but definitely seem worse when you’re surrounded by tons of sky-high buildings! Taking a trip to one of our lovely beaches is definitely one of the best ways to beat the heat, so check out our list of the 10 best beaches in NYC. Here’s a sneak peek:
The People’s Beach at Jacob Riis Park, Queens
Coney Island, Brooklyn
Orchard Beach, The Bronx
Rockaway Beach, Queens
Brighton Beach, Brooklyn

7-11. Or take a dip in an NYC pool
NYC’s free public pools are now officially open for the season, but if you’re looking for something more high-end, there are tons of gorgeous private pools to check out too! Here are some of our favorites:
Roosevelt Island’s stunning multicolored pool
Jimmy at the James in SoHo
The Beach at Dream Downtown in Chelsea
McCarren Hotel & Pool in Brooklyn
Profundo Pool Club at the Ravel Hotel in LIC

  1. Camp under the stars on Governors Island
  2. Watch paintings swirl all around you at Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
  3. Grab tickets to the new multisensory exhibit on infamous British street artist Banksy
  4. Take in sultry tunes under the stars at NYC rooftops
  5. Or if you’re more into classical music, try one of these glowing concerts by candlelight
  6. Catch a hilarious rooftop comedy show
  7. Be transported to Paris with this Moulin Rouge-era outdoor show in the Village
  8. Immerse yourself in a dazzling, multi-sensory experience
    Happy-Go-Lucky
  9. Plan your visit to NYC’s thrilling Money Heist experience coming this winter
  10. Explore NYC’s first-ever floating park ‘Little Island’
  11. See a concert at Bryant Park
  12. Hop Aboard NYC’s first-ever floating Mexican restaurant
    La Barca Cantina

24-29. Take in skyline views at these stunning NYC rooftops
Nothing beats a drink in hand and a skyline in sight. Here are some of our favorite rooftops around the city:
Check out Cantina Rooftop and try the 12-lb taco!
Experience a backyard vibe at The Ready
Escape to the Hamptons right in the city at this beachy-themed bar
Dine on Eataly’s rooftop and see their seasonal decor
Admire all the floral installations at Ampia Rooftop
Sip on cocktails at Top of the Box in Brooklyn

  1. Catch Lady Liberty napping in Morningside Park
  2. Kayak for free at Brooklyn Bridge Park
  3. Explore this stunning lavender farm on Long Island
  4. Or pick summer sunflowers in New Jersey
  5. Ride Coney Island’s brand-new roller coaster
  6. Or try out the world’s longest, tallest & fastest single-rail coaster in nearby NJ
  7. Embrace your inner child at this giant inflatable theme park coming to Brooklyn
  8. Give into temptation at this extravagant cirque-burlesque mixology experience
  9. Experience true darkness at the dystopian immersive show Blindness
  10. Grab a bite at the Queens International Night Market
    Queens Night Market

40-45. Cool off with NYC’s best ice cream shops
One of the best ways to beat the heat in NYC is by indulging in some delicious ice cream! Of course Mister Softee is a classic, but here are some of our other favorite spots to grab a cone:
Minus Celsius Ice Cream, Lower East Side
Mikey Likes It, Lower East Side & Harlem
Whipped Urban Dessert Lab, Lower East Side
Van Leeuwen’s, Multiple Locations
Tipsy Scoop, Kips Bay & Williamsburg
Milk & Cream Cereal Bar, Little Italy

  1. Take an outdoor yoga class in Bryant Park for free

47-51. Take in the views at NYC’s most stunning waterfront dining locales
The best (and coolest) place to be in the summer is on the water (Manhattan is an island, after all). From eating on historic boats with insane views of the sunset to checking out secluded seafood hotspots on NYC’s smaller surrounding islands, these are some of our favorite spots for a breezy cocktail and bites:
Grand Banks, Pier 25 in Tribeca
Watermark Bar, Pier 15 in South Street Seaport
Baylander Steel Beach, Harlem
City Vineyard, Pier 26 in Tribeca
Anable Basin, Long Island City

52-58. Catch an outdoor movie

  1. Enter the wizarding world of Harry Potter at the new flagship store
  2. Sip on Butterbeer just like Harry and his friends

Secret New York City is one of the finest online guides to things to do and see in NYC. From the best restaurants, to fascinating museums, this site will help you discover amazing new places and create some beautiful memories along the way.

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The best NYC events in August 2021

“Plan your month with the best NYC events in August 2021 including rooftop openings, outdoor tours and public art exhibitsWritten by Shaye Weaver / Time Out NY

Get ready to use our NYC events in August calendar as your guide for ending the summer with a bang! Now that we’re stuck at home a lot while NYC slowly reopens, now’s the time to take advantage of New York beaches and pools before they close for swimming next month. There are many more things to do outside this month, like enjoying incredible rooftops, going to the botanical garden and trying out fun social distanced mini-lawns, too. And use August as your last change to take advantage of all the outdoor movies at Parklife and more. This is the last full-month of summer—make it count!”

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

If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Experience Arthur Avenue Alfresco

Zero Otto Nove / 2357 Arthur Ave., Belmont

Zero Otto Nove has been a mainstay of the Bronx’s Little Italy since it opened in 2008. But Open Streets’ weekend transformation of Arthur Avenue into the car-free Piazza di Belmont has brought a fresh and breezy feel to this first-rate southern Italian trattoria. Previously, restaurants along the strip rarely set up for outdoor dining, confining the festivities to the often-curtained dining rooms. Now and hopefully forever, the celebratory and communal open-air atmosphere brings the action (and all the neighborhood characters) outdoors, where diners partake in lively people-watching while enjoying dishes like citrusy seafood salad, butternut-squash pizza, and mafalde cooked in tinfoil.—Terri Ciccone

Rediscover the Joy of Big Round Tables

Hwa Yuan / 42 East Broadway

There are many good reasons to revisit Manhattan’s Chinatown these days. But if you’re in the mood for a quick Peking-duck banquet or a taste of Shorty Tang’s famous dry-sautéed crispy beef in a crowded, near-celebratory post-pandemic atmosphere, this East Broadway destination is the place to be. When we dropped in on a Friday evening not long ago, the streets outside were still eerily empty, and so were the dining booths set up on the sidewalk. But inside the brightly lit two-floor restaurant, parties of revelers from uptown, across the river, and around the neighborhood filled the round tables. For those acclimated to dining in the great indoors, we guarantee a bite of Peking duck (or crispy beef) never tasted so good.—A.P.41

Nosh Bagels and Lox Off Madison Square

Mark’s Off Madison / 41 Madison Ave.

At Mark’s, which opened in November, the Queens-born chef Mark Strausman (Freds at Barneys, Coco Pazzo, Campagna) delves into the Jewish and Italian dishes that have come to define his 30-year career: lush eggplant parm, rich pappardelle with brisket ragù, and a killer chicken soup named after his grandmother Estelle. In nice weather, the outdoor terrace, with its view of Madison Square Park, gets fairly packed with a tony mix of locals and Strausman groupies from his Freds days. On weekends, starting at 9 a.m., the place doubles as a Jewish bakery whose bagels and bialys and black-and-white cookies put most of the competition to shame. —R.C.S.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
all 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

August NYC Events (08/10/21)

Posted on 08/11/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

35 ways to have the best summer in NYC – Time Out New York

“Soak up the sun as well as our list of recommendations for the best things to do during summer in New York.”
By Shaye Weaver and Krista Diamond

“This summer in NYC promises to be an unforgettable one now that our city is back up. The city has a boundless energy once the heat cranks up, and doubly so this year, so it’s time to start checking off our sensational list of things to do in summer in NYC. Some of the most popular New York attractions provide an endless list of things to do outside from rooftop movies and free dance parties to can’t-miss music festivals and more. Here’s how to make the absolute most of these steamy summer nights.

Tip: You may want to request off for a few staycation days too so you can spend some time relaxing at a few rooftop pools during the week when they’re less crowded.”

35 ways to have the best summer in NYC

Do dinner and drinks at Time Out Market New York

Broadway at the Drive-In

Be a disco diva at Lola Star’s Dreamland Roller Disco

Catch “In the Heights” at the Tribeca Film Festival

See live music at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival

Try the city’s best bites at Smorgasburg

Take in a show at Irving Plaza, finally

Get down at Hot Honey Sundays

Get free entry to the 1885 Tall Ship Wavertree

Skate around at TWA Hotel’s Roll-A-Rama

Celebrate Pride!

Visit NYC’s gorgeous floating park

Do margs on NYC’s only floating Mexican restaurant

Go glamping in the Rockaways

Go glamping on Governors Island, instead

Fill up at Queens Night Market

See the hot Immersive Van Gogh exhibit

See movies atop Pier 17’s rooftop

See a free SummerStage show

Devour an ice cream cone at Ample Hills Creamery

Eat, drink and shop in the streets

Cool off in the city’s pools

Lindy Hop at the Jazz Age Lawn Party

Take a trip to Governors Island

Catch a flick at Rooftop Cinema Club

Have drinks with a view at these rooftop bars

Drink on the water at boat bar!

Scream your guts out at Luna Park

Go stargazing on the High Line

Nosh on as many lobster rolls as you can

Dance the night away at Midsummer Night Swing

Tackle the water slide at Summer Streets

Go kayaking (for free!)

Attend a tennis match during the U.S. Open

Have a picnic in the park

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If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Experience Arthur Avenue Alfresco

Zero Otto Nove / 2357 Arthur Ave., Belmont

Zero Otto Nove has been a mainstay of the Bronx’s Little Italy since it opened in 2008. But Open Streets’ weekend transformation of Arthur Avenue into the car-free Piazza di Belmont has brought a fresh and breezy feel to this first-rate southern Italian trattoria. Previously, restaurants along the strip rarely set up for outdoor dining, confining the festivities to the often-curtained dining rooms. Now and hopefully forever, the celebratory and communal open-air atmosphere brings the action (and all the neighborhood characters) outdoors, where diners partake in lively people-watching while enjoying dishes like citrusy seafood salad, butternut-squash pizza, and mafalde cooked in tinfoil.—Terri Ciccone

Rediscover the Joy of Big Round Tables

Hwa Yuan / 42 East Broadway

There are many good reasons to revisit Manhattan’s Chinatown these days. But if you’re in the mood for a quick Peking-duck banquet or a taste of Shorty Tang’s famous dry-sautéed crispy beef in a crowded, near-celebratory post-pandemic atmosphere, this East Broadway destination is the place to be. When we dropped in on a Friday evening not long ago, the streets outside were still eerily empty, and so were the dining booths set up on the sidewalk. But inside the brightly lit two-floor restaurant, parties of revelers from uptown, across the river, and around the neighborhood filled the round tables. For those acclimated to dining in the great indoors, we guarantee a bite of Peking duck (or crispy beef) never tasted so good.—A.P.41

Nosh Bagels and Lox Off Madison Square

Mark’s Off Madison / 41 Madison Ave.

At Mark’s, which opened in November, the Queens-born chef Mark Strausman (Freds at Barneys, Coco Pazzo, Campagna) delves into the Jewish and Italian dishes that have come to define his 30-year career: lush eggplant parm, rich pappardelle with brisket ragù, and a killer chicken soup named after his grandmother Estelle. In nice weather, the outdoor terrace, with its view of Madison Square Park, gets fairly packed with a tony mix of locals and Strausman groupies from his Freds days. On weekends, starting at 9 a.m., the place doubles as a Jewish bakery whose bagels and bialys and black-and-white cookies put most of the competition to shame. —R.C.S.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
all 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

August NYC Events (08/09/21)

Posted on 08/09/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

Best Free Things To Do in NYC This Week

Monday, August 9, 2021

Mon, Aug 9 – 6:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Author Reading | The Nazi Menace: Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and the Road to War
Benjamin Carter Hett discusses his new book. … more

Mon, Aug 9 – 6:30 pm / free; no reservation required
Concert | Salsa Collective
A cooperative ensemble featuring leaders of some of the most swinging salsa bands in New York. … more

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

Tue, Aug 10 – 12:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Concert | Accordionist/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist
This concert showcases an accordionist/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist based in New York City. She ca … more

Tue, Aug 10 – 6:30 pm / free; RSVP required
Dance Lesson | Batingua Arts Dance Class
Batingua Arts instructors and accompanying live musicians will make you leap from your seat and move … more

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Wed, Aug 11 – 12:30 pm / free; no reservation required
Author Reading | Broadway, Writing, and Show Biz, with 4-Time Tony Nominee Tovah Feldshuh
Authors offer advice and discuss their latest books. WithTovah Feldshuh, … more

Wed, Aug 11 – 7:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Jazz | Bertha Hope 5tet
One of jazz’s living legends, pianist/composer Bertha Hope has toured globally with artists like Nat … more

Wed, Aug 11 = 8:00 pm / free; reservation required
Concert | The History of the Piano: Playing and Discussing
A renowned French pianist plays and discusses some of the intrument’s greatest composers. Discover m … more

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Thu, Aug 12 – 4:00 pm / free; registration required
City Walk | Battery Park City: ‘Green Guidelines’, Teardrop Park and More
The tour covers the north residential neighborhood of Battery Park City, built mostly after 2001 to … more

Thu, Aug 12 – 5:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Concert | Musical Selections from Bach, Bartok, Broadway and the Beatles
Performers:Victoria Paterson, violinHiroko Taguchi, violinPhilip … more

Thu, Aug 12 – 8:00 pm / free
Concert | Brian Stokes Mitchell, Tony Award-Winning Actor and Singer
Welcome back Broadway’s favorite leading man when he returns with an evening of song. Stokes, whose … more

Friday, August 13, 2021

Fri, Aug 13 – 4:30 pm / free; no reservation required
Performance | Famous Theater Company: Shakespeare-Inspired Performances
Breaking traditional theatrical molds, this acclaimed theater company invites people to gather in pu … more

Fri, Aug 13 – 7:00 pm / free; no reservation required
Jazz | Blending Jazz, Haitian Sacred Song and Electronic Pop
One of the world’s best known and most highly respected expert in the centuries old Haitian Vodou re … more

Fri, Aug 13 – 8:00 pm / free
Concert | Brian Stokes Mitchell, Tony Award-Winning Actor and Singer
Welcome back Broadway’s favorite leading man when he returns with an evening of song. Stokes, whose … more

Saturday, August 14, 2021

Sat, Aug 14 – 10:00 am / free
Tour | Garment District: Fashion, Immigrants, Child Labor, Triangle Factory Fire, Gangsters

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Best new restaurants in NYC

If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Try Simone Tong’s New Menu

Silver Apricot / 20 Cornelia St.

Last summer, as restaurateurs hastily built makeshift patios, Silver Apricot partners Emmeline Zhao and Simone Tong created a space that truly translated the dining experience to the street without sacrificing a bit of elegance or refinement. (Being situated on one of the West Village’s quieter blocks didn’t hurt.) Purse hooks on the plastic dividers, lavender planted along the perimeter, and quality glass and plateware made for a setting worthy of Tong’s inventive Chinese American dishes like chile-crab rangoon dip and burnished scallion puffs. Now they are renovating the dining room in preparation for indoor service and plan to reopen June 17 with a new seasonal menu.—A.K.

Binge on Bánh MÌ

Bánh Vietnamese Shop House / 942 Amsterdam Ave.

Veteran chefs John Nguyen and Nhu Ton began peddling their Vietnamese sandwiches and crispy pork-belly salad rolls from an empty pop-up space on the upper reaches of Amsterdam Avenue last summer, and the operation was such a hit that by January they’d put down permanent roots in the neighborhood. There are five varieties of toasty bánh mìs to choose from (when in doubt, order the charcoal-grilled pork), numerous sturdy classics from Ton’s native central Vietnam (try the Frisbee-size rice-noodle delicacy called bánh dap), and a deeply flavorful beef pho. —A.P.

See How Cervo’s Spruced Itself Up

Cervo’s / 43 Canal St.

Last summer, the outdoor-dining setup at downtown Portuguese-Spanish restaurant Cervo’s was a destination almost in spite of itself. Simple wooden folding tables and chairs sprawled across an unadorned and fluorescent-lit expanse of Canal Street. Counter-service orders were called out brusquely over a loudspeaker mounted on the building’s exterior. Serviceware was disposable. You found and bussed your own table. But the Dimes Square denizens flocked nonetheless, pushing together tables laden with dark-pink Spritzes, fried-fish sandwiches, and glistening head-on prawns. It was casual, cool, and as COVID-safe as one could hope for. Now, after a winter hiatus operating as a shop, the scene returns to Cervo’s, but this time the restaurant has full-service outdoor dining on a newly built yellow-tiled patio with proper glassware, plateware, and a menu of old favorites like piri-piri chicken, mussels escabeche, and crispy shrimp heads.—A.K.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
all 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

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August NYC Events (08/08/21)

Posted on 08/08/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

NYC-Arts Top Five Picks: August 6 – 12

“Interesting. Unusual. Uniquely NYC. Highlights of this week’s top events include “Showstoppers! Spectacular Costumes from the Stage and Screen,” Spike Lee’s powerful “Do the Right Thing,” the Louis Armstrong House Museum, and more. Get the NYC-ARTS Top Five in your inbox every Friday and follow @NYC_ARTS on Instagram or @NYCARTS on Twitter to stay abreast of events as they happen.”

Showstoppers! Spectacular Costumes from the Stage & Screen

Showstoppers! Spectacular Costumes from the Stage & Screen

234 West 42nd Street

Manhattan / Thu, Aug 05, 2021 – Sun, Sep 26, 2021

Thinc Design, the international award-winning exhibition design firm, recently announced the opening of a dazzling 20,000 sq ft exhibition, “Showstoppers! Spectacular Costumes from Stage & Screen,” for a limited eight-week engagement, August 5 to September 26, in the heart of Times Square at 234 West 42nd Street (formerly the home of Modell’s). Thinc has partnered with the Costume Industry Coalition (CIC)—a group created in 2020 to advocate for the survival of New York City’s theatrical costume industry—to produce this …

Louis Armstrong House Museum

Louis Armstrong House Museum

Louis Armstrong House Museum

Queens / After being closed for the majority of the pandemic, the Louis Armstrong House Museum recently announced that they would once again be open to the public and giving guided tours of the historic home of Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong—the world’s most famous jazz musician—was an international celebrity who could have lived anywhere. Yet in 1943, he and his wife, Lucille, settled in a modest house in Corona, Queens, where they lived for the remainder of their lives. …

1930 W.O. DECKER Tugboat Ride

1930 W.O. DECKER Tugboat Ride

South Street Seaport Museum

Manhattan / Sat, Jul 31, 2021 – Sat, Aug 28, 2021

Take an exciting 75-minute ride on the last surviving New York-built wooden tugboat “W.O. Decker,” recently named “Tugboat of the Year” by the Steamship Historical Society of America. Cruises will explore New York Harbor, and views may include the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Battery, and Governors Island, as you set out on an adventure unlike any you’ve had before! Advance reservations are recommended, and guests must check in 15 minutes before the scheduled tour. …

Do the Right Thing Screening

Do the Right Thing Screening

Restart Stages at Lincoln Center

Manhattan / Tue, Aug 10, 2021, 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm

Spike Lee’s third feature marked nothing less than a revolution in American cinema, and endures today as not only a seminal portrait of New York City but also as an urgent work of art about race relations, gentrification, and the meaning of community. Set across one blazing-hot summer day in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, the film—which earned Lee his first Oscar nomination, for his original screenplay—captures, with a spellbinding blend of humor and political seriousness, the …

MMMX

MMMX

Art at a Time Like This

Art at a Time Like This, an arts organization dedicated to providing a platform for artists caught in crisis, presents “MMXX,” an exhibition of nine artists based in Hong Kong organized by Jing Chong, senior curatorial officer of the Hong Kong Art Center and independent curator Andre Chan.  Featuring artists Bouie Choi,  Lee Kit, South HO,  Vvn HO,  Billy H.C. Kwok, Vvzela Kook, June WONG Sui Ling, Winnie YAN Wai Yin and the collective ACAB (All Cats Are …

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So many things to see and do, to eat and drink in NYC.

Here are 12 of my NYC faves:

Here are the NYC places you can only go if you’re vaccinated – silive.com

NYC Michelin Bib Gourmands 2021: The Full List – Eater NY PUB

New York’s 2021 Michelin Bib Gourmand Restaurants, Mapped PUB

Yayoi Kusama’s infinity mirror room opens in August – TONY

The Best Restaurant Patios In NYC – New York – The Infatuation

15 Best Happy Hours In NYC – Secretnyc

The NYC Best Restaurants and Markets for Loading Up on Picnic Supplies – Eater NY

The 80 best things to do in NYC for locals and tourists

The Best Mexican Restaurants In NYC – New York – The Infatuation

The best Statue of Liberty tours – TONY

Where To Find The Best Caribbean Food In NYC – The Infatuation

Secret New York: 30+ off the beaten path spots in New York City to love

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If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Surrender to Carbs in Soho

Coco Pazzeria / 307 Spring St.

You see traces of far-west Spring Street’s past at the still-swinging Ear Inn and symbols of its future in the luxury apartment towers that have sprouted along Renwick and Greenwich Streets. Coco Pazzeria, with its raw bar and sparkling-wine list (liquor license pending), is the perfect pizzeria for this newly ritzy part of town, if the steady flow of neighbors stopping in for takeout orders is any indication. But thanks to the reputation of owner Pino Luongo and the presence of homegrown pizzaiolo Ciro Verdi, who can be seen slinging thin-crust pies and his trademark focaccia robiola at his oven in back, the restaurant also attracts couples on dates, travelers from other Zip Codes arriving on fancy folding bikes, and young families taking full advantage of the BYO policy (a must when your dining companions are an infant, a toddler, and a juvenile-delinquent tween). The menu extends to pastas and salads, but dough is the thing, fried into mini-calzones or formed into loaves for sandwiches, including a recent lobster-roll special. —R.P. & R.R.

Eat Greek Off the Beaten Path

Eléa / 217 W. 85th St.

This airy greek restaurant opened in 2018 on a rather unfavorable Upper West Side side street, facing a soon-to-be construction site, at a remove from the buzzier stretches of Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues. But when COVID hit, Eléa was one of the first places in the neighborhood to build a beautiful, greenery-draped outdoor seating area, complete with inviting flowers, twinkly lights, and copious heat lamps. The kitchen didn’t miss a beat, turning out zesty shareable small plates like fried-zucchini “chips” and sesame-crusted feta. Now, Eléa has blossomed into a local go-to for date nights and other special occasions — the kinds of dining excursions that feel more celebratory than ever. —Ellie Krupnick

Slurp Some Pho in a Brooklyn Backyard

Bolero / 177 Bedford Ave., Williamsburg

This Vietnamese restaurant smack in the middle of prime Bedford Avenue opened just before the pandemic and managed to soldier on throughout thanks to its backyard — small and slightly suburban-feeling with its wooden fence and strings of tiny lights. Pots of herbs grown on the restaurant’s farm in Pennsylvania line that yard; sometimes a cook will wander out and clip a fragrant betel leaf or a sprig of rice-paddy herb. It’s the ideal setting to enjoy chef Matt Le-Khac’s neo-traditional Vietnamese dishes, such as an unusual pho topped with coarsely ground beef and a vegetarian bun bo Hue chay made with mushrooms as opposed to the customary pig’s blood. —R.C.S.

Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

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August NYC Events (08/07/21)

Posted on 08/07/2021 by GregD
Pre Covid-19 we searched the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you didn’t have to.” We made it as easy as 1-2-3.
Covid has required some changes.

9 Actually Fun Things to Do in New York This Weekend

A festival dedicated to hard seltzer, Olympic viewing spots, and more.

By Juliet Izon – Thrillist

“We’ve got sunny skies on tap for this weekend, which makes the weather especially ideal for New York City’s Summer Streets. In Manhattan, from the Brooklyn Bridge to Central Park, there will be seven miles of car-free streets that are perfect for running, biking, or simply admiring our beautiful home. Also on tap for the end of the week? A hard seltzer festival (we know), plenty of places to grab a drink (in addition to the city’s best bars), and free, live theater performances. Read on for nine actually fun things to eat, see, and do this weekend in NYC.”

Escape to the tropics by way of downtown

Weekend-long
NoLita
If you can’t quite make it to the rainforests of Central or South America this weekend, we’ve got the next best thing: Jungle Summer. This pop-up at The Garret Cocteleria features an immersive, floor-to-ceiling tropical plant installation, music from Latin-leaning DJs like DJ Milkyshake, and, of course cocktails garnished with palm leaves, flowers, or served in ceramic coconuts. We like the refreshing Tamarind Tambourine made with saffron, pineapple, tamarind, mezcal, gin, and guava.
Cost: Cocktails from $13

Eat all the noods at this new restaurant from the creator of Republic

Weekend-long
Lower East Side
New York noodle lovers fondly remember Republic, one of Union Square’s most iconic restaurants that sadly closed in 2017. It’s very good news, then, that restaurateur Jonathan Morr is back with Mother Duck: a casual spot slinging bao buns, noodles, and rice bowls (and with everything on the menu under $20). Make sure to try the duck confit yellow curry, made with fresh rice noodles, lychee, orange, and Malay curry sauce.
Cost: Entrees from $16.75

Sip cocktails made with the city’s coolest ice cubes

Weekend-long
East Williamsburg
Isn’t it time you upgraded your ice cubes from plain water? Don’t answer that until we tell you more about Philomena’s, a new cocktail lounge opening this week from brothers Kyle and Sean O’Brien of Den Hospitality. The drinks here, created by beverage director Kyle Dailey, are unique because of their intricately carved or infused ice cubes. The Felix, for example, consists of mezcal, expressed orange, and a cucumber-lime-tajin cube. Light bites to complement the booze include semolina pita and spreads like hummus and bottarga onion dip.
Cost: Cocktails from $13

Watch a free, outdoor performance from The Public Theater

Friday, August 6, 4:30 pm
South Bronx
The New York theater community has always been known for its creativity, but we’re still always impressed when they come up with innovative ways to bring live theater to everyone. This weekend, head to the South Bronx for The Public Theater’s free performance of Mobile Unit’s Summer of Joy. The three-part show will include the interactive Stage for Healing and Resilience from the National Black Theatre, VERSES @ WORK – THE ABRIDGED MIX by Mobile Unit artist Malik Work, and SHAKESPEARE: CALL AND RESPONSE, conceived by Patricia McGregor.
Cost: Free

Embrace hard seltzer once and for all

Saturday, August 7
Greenpoint
Love it or hate it, hard seltzer has cemented its place in the alcoholic beverage canon. So, whether you’re a White Claw aficionado or simply want to see what the big deal is, head to Greenpoint this Saturday for Seltzerland, the first nationally touring hard seltzer festival. Over 30 seltzers will be available from the big names (Mike’s Hard Lemonade seltzer) to the artisanal (Willie’s Superbrew).
Cost: Tickets from $39

Celebrate the last days of the Olympics at this pop-up

Weekend-long
West Village
Since we had our dreams of attending the Games this summer in Japan dashed, come drink away your sorrows at a Tokyo-inspired pop-up bar. The country’s leading shochu producer, iichiko, has created the perfect spot (located in the downstairs area of bar Katana Kitten) to watch the US win all the golds. The space is kitted out with international flags, a large projector showing the events, and specialty drinks like Meguroni #2 made with iichiko Saiten, Old Simon Genever, aged umeshu, and caffo red bitters.
Cost: Cocktails from $16

Enjoy live jazz while dining outside

Saturday, August 7 starting at 6:30 pm
Meatpacking District
One of the greatest joys of a New York summer night is stumbling across outdoor music. This weekend, we’ll make it a little easier for you to find: starting this Saturday, the Meatpacking District is bringing back Music on the Cobbles. The program pairs local musicians with area restaurants to serenade diners as they eat. For the first installment, jazz musician Benny Benack III will swing by Simo Pizza (6:30 pm–7:15 pm), Serafina (7:30 pm – 8:15 PM), and Kobrick Coffee (8:30 PM – 9:15 PM).
Cost: Free

Catch a dance performance that encourages audience participation

Saturday, August 7 and Sunday, August 8, 1 pm–3 pm
Greenwich Village
Brendan Fernandes is a contemporary visual artist and choreographer whose works have appeared at The Whitney, The Guggenheim and MoMA, among other major museums. But this weekend, you can see him in action at the Walker Hotel Greenwich Village, where he will be workshopping his new piece “Together we are.” The performance brings together dancers from major institutions like American Ballet Theatre in a piece that asks viewers to ponder the connection between isolation and intimacy.
Cost: Free

Stock your pantry with global goodies from this new deli

Weekend-long
Cobble Hill
We’re sure you got pretty good at filling your pantry during 2020, but there is more to a well-stocked kitchen than enough yeast to last a lifetime. Explore a wonder of shelf-stable options at the newly opened Romero Delicatessen, which has a dizzying array of international products like jarred olives, chocolates, and tinned fish. And if you’re hungry right then and there, you’re in luck: owner Monica Muzzo Romero will also be serving house-made sandwiches on Balthazar bread, decadent desserts like lemon bread pudding, and cheese and charcuterie boards.
Cost: Prices vary

Want more Thrillist? Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Thrillist, a site with tons of food, drink, travel & entertainment info, introduces folks to the coolest things to do in NYC (and other places when you are traveling). I like to check them out regularly. You should, too.

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If you are looking for some of the best info on food and drink, restaurants and eating in New York City, then you want to head to New York magazine’s Grub Street.

Right now you want to check out: The Return of Restaurants

“Make up for lost meals. No takeout, no pasta kits, just 66 of the best new (or newly relevant) places to eat.”
Edited by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld, Photographs by Dina Litovsky

Here are 3 more of my faves:

Eat All Your Chinese Vegetables

Fat Choy / 250 Broome St.

It’s one thing to offer a $335 meat-free menu for the one percent (see Eleven Madison Park 2.0). It’s another to charge $10 and under for veggie-centric Chinese food for everyone: the curious carnivores, the certified vegans, and the dedicated superfans like Deborah from the Upper West Side, who loves the food and the vibe so much she literally hiked down the West Side Highway from 88th Street to Broome and Orchard one recent Saturday afternoon just to tuck in to paper-boatloads of chewy rice rolls topped with gai lan and juicy bok choy showered with crispy fried garlic. We know she did this because Fat Choy is the kind of place where diners who have navigated the scrum of Lower East Side streeteries — bars, vegan-cupcake shops, more bars — start conversations with strangers to recommend dishes, offer bites, and generally share communal moments of vibrantly flavored, inventively conceived culinary bliss. —Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Sip a Sazerac in a Secret Garden

Villanelle / 15 E. 12th St.

This elegant Greenwich Village establishment has flown so far under the radar that many regulars (ourselves included) were afraid it would close forever when disaster struck. Miraculously, unlike with the still-shuttered Gotham Bar & Grill across the street, the opposite has happened. Owner Catherine Manning fitted the space out back with tables and little enclosed “garden rooms” that have become a hit during the outdoor-dining craze. The Sazeracs we enjoyed on a recent summery evening were exceptional, and you can also addle yourself with $9 cocktails during the new happy hour. The talented young chef Tyler Heckman (Ferris, Le Turtle) took over the kitchen last fall, and he’s slowly added the kind of variety and style to the aggressively seasonal menu (braised spring lamb on our visit, white-asparagus velouté, gnocchi with escargot) that threatens to turn this sleepy local favorite into a proper big-city dining destination. —Adam Platt

Sample the Latest Fusion Cuisine on New York’s Original Open Street

The Migrant Kitchen / 45 Stone St.

Long before 2020 brought alfresco eating to every corner of our city, Stone Street was a pedestrian paradise, and it still is, a cobblestoned car-free wonderland for outdoor pints, pizza, and mozzarella sticks. The Migrant Kitchen, which opened last fall, brings Middle Eastern–Latin fusion to this Fidi pub-grub zone. Owner Nasser Jaber, who operates out of the Dubliner bar’s kitchen, sends out sumac-butter-slicked fried-chicken-and-falafel waffles, mariquitas (fried plantain chips) nachos, and pastelon mahshi, a Dominican-style maduros-and-beef riff on the traditional Palestinian stuffed gourd. And since many office workers are still Zooming in from home, Stone Street feels distinctly chiller and less suits-y these days. —Ryan P. Sutton

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Also see Eater New York’s interactive map that highlights
these 66 restaurants that deserve your attention.

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

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