NYCity 1-2-3 : What's Happening / Manhattan's WestSide

Selected Events (02/25) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 02/25/2016 by GregD

Today’s Fab 5+ > THURSDAY / FEB. 25, 2016

“We search the internet everyday looking for the very best of What’s Happening, primarily on Manhattan’s WestSide, so that you don’t have to.” We make it as easy as 1-2-3.
(click on links for more complete event info.)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Pacific Northwest Ballet
New York City Center, 131 W55th St. / 7:30PM; $35–$125
“The Seattle company, led by Peter Boal, returns to New York with a pair of programs. The first (February 24, 25) presents three works by George Balanchine, including Square Dance (1957). The second (February 26, 27) comprises David Dawson’s A Million Kisses to my Skin, William Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude and Crystal Pite’s Emergence.” (TONY)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet (through Feb. 28)
Village Vanguard, 178 7thAve. S. at 11th St./ 8:30 + 10:30PM, $30
“The title of his 2014 album, “The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint,” is still open to interpretation, but the effect of Akinmusire’s trumpet is immediate and unambiguous. His stirring playing will be on display in a stripped-down quartet setting—joining Akinmusire are the pianist Sam Harris, the guitarist Harish Raghavan, and the drummer Justin Brown.” (NewYorker)

Joyce, Dori Caymmi, Trio da Paz (through Feb. 27)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St./ 8:30 + 11PM, $40
“Billed as “A Rare Appearance of Brazilian Greats,” this engagement features the singer-songwriters Dori Caymmi and Joyce Moreno — backed by the samba-jazz cooperative Trio da Paz, consisting of Romero Lubambo on guitar, Nilson Matta on bass and Duduka Da Fonseca on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
New York City Beer Week (Feb.19 – 28)
HopHeads Rejoice! It may be the heart of winter but there is a silver lining. The annual ten day celebration of craft beer throughout New York City will have events including festivals, tastings, menu pairings, and beer dinners.

For the astounding list of upcoming events for this year’s Beer Week head over to newyorkcitybrewersguild.com/beer-week/2016-beer-week/ .
Oh My! How to choose, they all look so enticing.
Please drop us a line in the comment section to let us know how your event turned out.

“Black Baseball, Black Business”
Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, 67 E11th St./ 7PM, FREE, RSVP required
Meet Roberta J. Newman and Joel Nathan Rosen, the authors of “Black Baseball, Black Business,” at the Bergino Baseball Clubhouse in Greenwich Village. I love the monthly talks here, surrounded by a bunch of serious and knowledgeable baseball fans. Only thing better right now – being in FL for spring training.

and how about some hot chocolate?
City Bakery Hot Chocolate Festival (thru Feb.28)
City Bakery, 3 W18th St./ opens 7:30AM, $
“Regress to childhood with skillfully concocted mugs of hot chocolate courtesy of this downtown canteen. Owner-mastermind Maury Rubin will serve a different flavor of his intoxicating cocoa every day during February.” (TONY)

=======================================================
Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

=======================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
=======================================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW
My Fave Special Exhibitions – MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s WestSide
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museums,
and also to see their expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Museum of Modern Art:

‘Jackson Pollock: A Collection Survey, 1934-1954’ (through May 1)
“The first exhibition devoted to the Modern’s unsurpassed Pollock holding gives a dazzling account of the evolution of his signature poured paintings. Its 58 works on canvas and paper also attest to the Modern’s laserlike focus on accounting fully for the achievements of artists it deems great. 212-708-9400, moma.org.’ (Smith-NYT)

‘Take an Object’ (through Feb. 28)
“Installed next to the Modern’s Jackson Pollock exhibition, this show of 37 works from 1954 to the 1970s reflects how the finality of the Abstract Expressionist’s drip paintings deflected many artists from the medium toward found objects and a greater worldliness. Its title is from a famous notebook entry by Jasper Johns. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Smith-NYT)

Whitney Museum of American Art:

‘Collected by Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner’ (through March 6)
“Two of New York’s most dedicated explorers of new art set an important example by refusing the auction or private-museum route and giving almost all of their large collection to a museum. Their generous gift both signifies and adds to the Whitney’s growing stature, especially going forward, as it is integrated into the museum’s rich holdings. This first sampling is quite rewarding. 99 Gansevoort Street, at Washington Street, 212-570-3600, whitney.org.” (Smith-NYT)

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For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 02/23 and 02/21.
=======================================================

OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.

Subway Time
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Train and Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/24) + Today’s Featured Pub (Midtown West)

Posted on 02/24/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6+ > WEDNESDAY / FEB. 24, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Joyce, Dori Caymmi, Trio da Paz (through Feb. 27)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St./ 8:30 + 11PM, $40
“Billed as “A Rare Appearance of Brazilian Greats,” this engagement features the singer-songwriters Dori Caymmi and Joyce Moreno — backed by the samba-jazz cooperative Trio da Paz, consisting of Romero Lubambo on guitar, Nilson Matta on bass and Duduka Da Fonseca on drums.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet (through Feb. 28)
Village Vanguard, 178 7thAve. S. at 11th St./ 8:30 + 10:30PM, $30
“The title of his 2014 album, “The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint,” is still open to interpretation, but the effect of Akinmusire’s trumpet is immediate and unambiguous. His stirring playing will be on display in a stripped-down quartet setting—joining Akinmusire are the pianist Sam Harris, the guitarist Harish Raghavan, and the drummer Justin Brown.” (NewYorker)

Pacific Northwest Ballet
New York City Center, 131 W55th St. / 7:30PM; $35–$125
“The Seattle company, led by Peter Boal, returns to New York with a pair of programs. The first (February 24, 25) presents three works by George Balanchine, including Square Dance (1957). The second (February 26, 27) comprises David Dawson’s A Million Kisses to my Skin, William Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude and Crystal Pite’s Emergence.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

PT 109 and the Making of an American President
NYPL – Main Branch, 5th Ave @ 42nd St./ 6PM, FREE
Without PT 109, there never would have been a President John F. Kennedy.”
-David Powers, White House official, Kennedy Administration

Author William Doyle, Bill DoyleWilliam Doyle is the author of PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy (HarperCollins), a writer-in-residence in The New York Public Library’s Allen Room and a 2015-2016 Fulbright Scholar.

Movie Freaks: Critics in Conversation—Book Launch
The Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave./ 7PM, $10
“Join Owen Gleiberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum as they discuss what it means to be obsessed with movies. The iconic taste-makers and long-time co-critics for Entertainment Weekly will discuss Gleiberman’s new memoir, Movie Freak: My Life Watching Movies, as they share stories of the pleasures (and perils) of professional cinemania. They will also weigh in on the Oscars and talk about what makes a movie great—or not so. This is a night for the critic in all of us!” (ThoughtGallery.org)

New York City Beer Week (Feb.19 – 28)
HopHeads Rejoice! It may be the heart of winter but there is a silver lining. The annual ten day celebration of craft beer throughout New York City will have events including festivals, tastings, menu pairings, and beer dinners.

For the astounding list of upcoming events for this year’s Beer Week head over tonewyorkcitybrewersguild.com/beer-week/2016-beer-week/ .
Oh My! How to choose, they all look so enticing.
Please drop us a line in the comment section to let us know how your event turned out.

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

Bonus – Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South — villagevanguard.com / 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St., nr 6th ave. — bluenotejazz.com / 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St., nr 7th ave.S. — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9 ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway, nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St., nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

A PremierPub / Midtown West.

Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)

Sure, you could travel to Minsk or even Brighton Beach, for an authentic Russian experience, but why bother. On those days when you feel you must wash down your dish of kasha with a few glasses of icy, cold vodka, the Russian Vodka Room will definitely satisfy your urge.

From the outside this place looks a bit drab, and with no windows, a bit mysterious. Midtown tourists walk right by on their way to see “Jersey Boys,” just down the block.

Those in the know enter a secret hideaway, a dimly lit front room with soft jazz playing – a perfect spot for an illicit late-night rendezvous, or maybe a meet-up with your Russian spy handler, but that’s later in the evening. Early in the evening the large U-shaped bar fills with the after work happy hour crowd, a group made very happy by the much reduced prices.

Their website says: “Welcome Comrades”. Of course, this welcome focuses on dozens of different vodkas, including their own special infusions, which marinate in giant, clear glass jugs visible around the room. The large vodka martinis ensure that you won’t confuse this place with your mother’s Russian Tea Room.

But man does not live by vodka alone. Eat some food, especially the tapa like appetizers. Be decadent and try the cheese blintzes with chocolate, or try a main dish like beef stroganoff with kasha.

Your best bet is to go on a night when the piano man is playing. This guy, who looks like he has eaten a lot of those cheese blintzes, plays five nights a week from 7 to 12 (no Mondays and Thursdays). When the piano man is playing American pop tunes, and you are at the crowded, dimly lit bar testing the horseradish infused vodka, that’s when the RVR shines.

It’s the kind of place where the noise gets louder and the crowd gets happier as the happy hour goes on. I’m generally a beer guy, but I like to come here with a group of friends. We find a table in the back room near the piano man; we eat, and we drink vodka ‘till it hurts (and it will hurt).

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

Website: http://www.russianvodkaroom.com/
Phone #: 212-307-5835
Hours: 4pm-2am; Fri-Sun closes 4am (that could be trouble)
Happy Hour: 4-7pm every day
$4 shots infused vodka (2oz), $5 cosmos; $4 czech draft beer
Music: FR-SU; TU-WE / 7pm-12am
Subway: #1 to 50th St.
Walk 2 blk N. on B’way to 52nd St.; 1 blk W. to RVR
Confusingly, the Russian Samovar is right across the street, on the S. side of 52nd St.
The RVR, your destination, is on the N. side of 52nd St.
Update: music now includes a sax player with a younger, trimmer piano man. “tiny” we miss you.

==================================================================================
“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.

============================================================
This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS:
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

Subway Time
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
=============================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet, Birdland, Dori Caymmi, Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, Movie Freaks: Critics in Conversation, New York City Beer Week, New York City Center, NYPL Main Bldg., Pacific Northwest Ballet, PT 109 and the Making of an American President, Trio da Paz, Village Vanguard | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/23) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 02/23/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6+ > TUESDAY / FEB. 23, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Seu Jorge (most nights thru Feb 28)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./8 +10:30PM, $55 @bar-$85, (2nd show always an easier ticket)
“This Brazilian singer, guitarist, and actor grew up as Jorge Mário da Silva in Belford Roxo, a favela outside Rio. After his brother was killed, in 1990, in a battle between favelados and the police, Jorge decided to become a musician, a choice that prompted his uncle to kick him out of the house. Despite the hardship of living on the street, Jorge persisted in honing his nascent talents, especially his supple baritone voice and lyrical nylon-string-guitar playing.

His big break came when he was cast as Knockout Ned in “City of God,” a searing Oscar-nominated portrait of favela life that was followed by a role as a Bowie-singing Brazilian sailor in Wes Anderson’s film “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.” Jorge’s magical, melancholy Portuguese interpretations of hits like “Changes” and “Space Oddity” earned high praise from their creator, as well as giving Jorge an American beachhead. For this two-week run, he’ll sail through harmonically adventurous, playful originals and covers shaped by samba, bossa nova, and other Brazilian styles.” (NewYorker)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts

Ehud Asherie with Hilary Gardner
Mezzrow, 163 W10th St./ 8 +9:30PM, $20
“Vocalist Hillary gardener is all class, a true pro with an outstanding voice and rapier like wit. With her is the equally droll Ehud Asherie on piano.” I always try to get to a Hilary show and am never disappointed. This pairing with Ehud works especially well.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

National Geographic Live
Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 La Guardia Place, at Washington Square South, 7:30PM, $35+
“The latest installment of this speaker series features Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, an Austrian hiker who has climbed all 14 of the world’s eight-thousanders (peaks higher than 8,000 meters) without the help of supplemental oxygen. Her K2 climb was featured in National Geographic in April 2012; now, she brings the story to the stage, as she discusses the hike’s numerous tribulations, including heavy snowfall and the threat of avalanches. The achievement, which made her the first woman to reach all 14 summits, earned her an honor as one of National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year.” (NYT-SpareTimes)

Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of Our Nation’s Leaders
Barnes and Noble Upper West Side, 2289 Broadway @ 82nd St./ 7PM, FREE
“Radio host and reporter Brady Carlson crafts an entertaining exploration into the death stories of our nation’s greatest leaders – and the wild ways we choose to remember them. With an infectious passion for history and an eye for neglected places and offbeat characters, Carlson shows that the ways we memorialize our presidents reveal as much about us as it does about the men themselves.”

Richard Price discusses his novel The Whites
Center for Fiction, 17 E. 47th St./ 7PM, FREE, RSVP required
A Manhattan detective investigates a murder at Penn Station.
Richard Price, one of the Bronx’s finest, is always interesting.

For the astounding list of upcoming events for this year’s Beer Week head over tonewyorkcitybrewersguild.com/beer-week/2016-beer-week/ .
Oh My! How to choose, they all look so enticing.
Please drop us a line in the comment section to let us know how your event turned out.

Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance, even if it’s just on the day of performance.
==============================================================================

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

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

An exhibition the NewYorkTimes likes:

Robert Ryman (through July 29)
“For nearly 60s years, the Minimalist painter Robert Ryman has had few equals when it comes to doing more with less. White has been his primary, if not quite his only, color, the square his typical format. And yet within these seeming limitations a remarkably fecund and resonant body of work has evolved as demonstrated with unusual clarity (and in natural light) by this small but comprehensive exhibition. Dia: Chelsea, 535 West 22nd Street, 212-989-5566, diaart.org.” (Smith)

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

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

TIP: After your gallery tour, stop in Ovest at 513W27th St. for Aperitivo Italiano (Happy Hour on steroids). Discuss all the great art you have viewed over a drink and a very tasty selection of FREE appetizers (M-F, 5-8pm).

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 02/21 and 02/19.
======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Dead Presidents: An American Adventure into the Strange Deaths and Surprising Afterlives of Our Nation's Leaders, National Geographic Live, New York City Beer Week, Richard Price discusses his novel The Whites, Seu Jorge | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/22) + Today’s Featured Pub (Times Square/ Theater District)

Posted on 02/22/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6+ > MONDAY / FEB. 22, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Tibet House Benefit Concert With Philip Glass and Iggy Pop
Carnegie Hall, 7th Ave. at 57th St./ 7:30PM, $35+
“In 1987, at the request of the Dalai Lama, this nonprofit organization was formed to insure the survival of Tibetan civilization and culture at a turbulent point in the county’s history. Its annual benefit concert, which brings together politically and spiritually minded musicians, is now in its twenty-sixth year, and continues to be led by the experimental composer Philip Glass, who helped the institution in its infancy. He is joined here by an eclectic group of musicians, including Sharon Jones, Iggy Pop, and the British singer-songwriter, producer, and highly kinetic dancer Tahliah Debrett Barnett, who goes by the stage name FKA Twigs.” (NewYorker)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Broadway Sings Billy Joel
Highline Ballroom, 431 W16th St./ 8PM, $35
Acclaimed concert series that takes a pop icon and flips their music to create brand new, unique arrangements and orchestrations. Each installment gathers over a dozen Broadway stars to belt out new versions of the songs you love, backed by a full jazz band.
“More than two dozen Broadway up-and-comers perform new arangements of Billy Joel classics, backed by piano man Joshua Stephen Kartes and a jazz orchestra, in the latest edition of Corey Mach’s concert series. The Billy club includes Betsy Wolfe, Corey Cott, Erich Bergen, Laura Michelle Kelly, Sydney Morton, Zak Resnick, Adam Roberts and Grasan Kingsberry.” (TONY)

Behind the Scenes of Fiddler on the Roof
Museum of Jewish Heritage, 36 Battery Place / 6:30PM, $15
‘With Tony-nominated actors Danny Burstein and Jessica Hecht, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick. Rediscover the joy of one of the greatest American musicals at a special evening of conversation and songs from the Broadway revival.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

Slide Lecture / Bernini: Impresario
NYU, Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo, 24 W. 12th St./ 6PM, FREE
“Sculptor, architect, painter, playwright, and scenographer, Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) was the last of the universal geniuses of early modern Italy, placed by both contemporaries and posterity in the same exalted company as Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Bernini’s artistic vision remains palpably present today through the countless statues, fountains, buildings and other works of his design that transformed Rome into the Baroque theater that continues to enthrall in our own time.”

For the astounding list of upcoming events for this year’s Beer Week head over tonewyorkcitybrewersguild.com/beer-week/2016-beer-week/ .
Oh My! How to choose, they all look so enticing.
Please drop us a line in the comment section to let us know how your event turned out.

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
Psychobiography with Gail Saltz:
On Frank Sinatra with David Lehman
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 12PM, $25
“The acclaimed poet and critic David Lehman discusses the man, his music and his larger-than-life story with psychologist Gail Saltz, and shares insights from his new book, Sinatra’s Century: One Hundred Notes on the Man and His World.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

+ Monday’s FREE events
These events did not quite make the cut for today’s Sweet 6
but they are worthy, and they are FREE.
>National Museum of the American Indian – FREE all day
>Sivan Magen: Harp Master Class @ Manhattan School of Music, 12:30PM
>Organik Vibe Trio @ 55 Bar, 7PM

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

Jimmy’s Corner / 140 W 44th St (btw B’way & 7th ave)

Jimmy’s Corner is right in the heart of Times Square, but you won’t find it on the corner, it’s mid-block. Enter this long narrow bar and you are struck by the walls covered with mostly black-and-white boxing photographs, and memorabilia. Soon enough you learn that “Corner” refers to proprietor Jimmy Glenn’s long career as a corner man for some of boxing greats – Liston, Tyson, even “the greatest”, Ali.

Jimmy’s is a sort of time machine, taking you back to a time and place that no longer exists. All around you Times Square has cleaned up, grown up, assumed a new identity. Jimmy’s probably hasn’t changed a bit since it first opened in 1971. Certainly the bar itself looks original and the prices haven’t changed much either. When I brought a friend, who owns her own bar, she was surprised when she got the small tab for a round of drinks. Figured there must be a mistake, that maybe they forgot to charge for all the drinks.

Times Square today is filled with neon glitz and wandering tourists from Dubuque, but not Jimmy’s. You’ll likely find some old timer’s at the bar nursing their drinks, some younger locals at tables in the back, and maybe a few adventuresome tourists clutching their trusty guidebooks. There’s no food served here because this is just a bar, and sometimes that’s all you need.

On nights when no local team is playing, it’s a fine place to sip some drafts and listen to a great old time jukebox (40s, 50s, R&B, and soul). On sports nights this very narrow bar can get a bit claustrophobic, filled with excited fans watching their team on the TVs. Either way, Jimmy’s is the place to be if you are looking for an old time bar in the new Times Square.
————————————————————————————————————————
Website: are you kidding !
(although there is a facebook page with lots of photos –
facebook.com/jimmyscornernyc)
Phone #: 212-221-9510
Hours: 11am – 4 am, except Sunday they open 12 noon
Happy Hour: not necessary, low prices all day, every day
Subway: #1,2,3 to TimesSquare 42nd st
walk 2 blks N on 7th ave to 44th st; ½ blk E to Jimmy’s

==================================================================================
“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 finding 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:

Patzeria Perfect Pizza – 231 W46 St. (Btw 7th/8th ave)
Perfect name for a pizza joint. On a street filled with Broadway theaters, this is a real hole in the wall, but don’t let the dive look scare you away. You can never go wrong with a slice of NYCity pizza, and this one is a classic thin crust. Only a few seats here, but pizza was made to eat standing up.

Shake Shack – 691 8th Ave. (Btw 43rd/44th st)
Danny Meyer has revolutionized the high quality burger in this town. Now he has a branch on the West Side that was desperately needed, with a bit less of the insane lines that you find at the Madison Sq. Park location. Worth the wait.

Xi’an Famous Foods – 24 W45th St. (Btw 5th/6th ave)
Try to avoid long lunch lines. Order lamb hand ripped noodles and warm your insides at one of the tables in the back. You’ll return, just remember that even mild is pretty spicy.
==============================================================
“3 Good Eating Places” focuses on a quick bite, what I call “Fine Fast Food – NYCity Style”
◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 Premier Pubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available Summer 2016).
◊ Order before July 31, 2016 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.
==============================================================

Subway Time
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station.
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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Behind the Scenes of Fiddler on the Roof, Broadway Sings Billy Joel, Psychobiography with Gail Saltz:, Slide Lecture / Bernini: Impresario, Tibet House Benefit Concert | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/21) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 02/21/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6+ > SUNDAY / FEB. 21, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Copenhagen Street Dog Winter Championship
Jimmy’s No. 43 / 1-8PM, $25
“Seek out the top dog at this second-annual Danish sausage showdown featuring inventive takes on a street-style dog. Last year’s competitors ranged from a Mexi-Dog (guacamole, pickled jalapeños) to a Hot Hanoi (sriracha mayonnaise, mint) and the winner, a God Morgen Dog (jalapeño coleslaw, deviled egg cream). Stuff your face through a host of all-new contenders to help crown this year’s winner, who’ll take home a glorious pig trophy, while testing your own luck during a mystery raffle session.” (TONY)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Pam Tanowitz Dance (LAST DAY)
Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, at 19th St./ 2PM, $
“In recent years, Ms. Tanowitz has emerged as one of the most buzzed-about New York choreographers for her ability to embrace and then smartly reconfigure a physical vocabulary pulling from ballet and modern and postmodern dance.

“Wit” is a word regularly associated with Ms. Tanowitz; her choreographic choices are often unexpected and satisfying. For this engagement, she presents a new work and brings back an acclaimed one, with music played live by the Flux Quartet.” (NYT-Schaefer)

Dave Holland (through Feb. 21)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South / 8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“During the early and mid-1990s, the bassist Dave Holland had an inspired younger partner in Kevin Eubanks, a guitar virtuoso with fluency in myriad styles. They parted ways for a while — Mr. Eubanks to “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” and Mr. Holland to a series of acclaimed bands and albums — but reunited a few years ago, to strong effect. Next week they’ll be working in a trio with Obed Calvaire, a smartly assertive drummer.”(Chinen-NYT)

Seu Jorge (most nights thru Feb 28)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./8 +10:30PM, $55 @bar-$85, (2nd show always an easier ticket)
“This Brazilian singer, guitarist, and actor grew up as Jorge Mário da Silva in Belford Roxo, a favela outside Rio. After his brother was killed, in 1990, in a battle between favelados and the police, Jorge decided to become a musician, a choice that prompted his uncle to kick him out of the house. Despite the hardship of living on the street, Jorge persisted in honing his nascent talents, especially his supple baritone voice and lyrical nylon-string-guitar playing.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)

For the astounding list of upcoming events for this year’s Beer Week head over tonewyorkcitybrewersguild.com/beer-week/2016-beer-week/ .
Oh My! How to choose, they all look so enticing.
Please drop us a line in the comment section to let us know how your event turned out.

Audubon Winter Eco-Cruise (Sundays through March 13)
South Street Seaport’s Pier 16 / 12PM, $35
“See harbor seals, ducks, geese, loons and sandpipers on this tour with NYC Audubon, a non-profit that runs conservation campaigns to protect birds and habitats in New York City. You’ll also be able to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis and Governors islands and drink complimentary hot tea and cocoa in the heated cabin. Dress warmly and bring binoculars.” (amNY)

+ Sunday’s FREE events
These events did not quite make the cut for today’s Sweet 6
but they are worthy, and they are FREE.
>Frick Collection (PayWhatYouWish), 11AM-1PM
>Genius #CHOPIN – A Theatrical Concert @ Caffe Vivaldi, 4PM
>Concert / Bach Vespers; Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 5PM

===========================================
Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Feinstein’s/54 Below – 254 W54th St., 54below.com, 646-476-3551
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St., joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd St., bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St., lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

WHAT’S ON VIEW
My Fave Special Exhibitions – MUSEUMS / Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue
(See the New York Times Arts Section for listings of all museum exhibitions,
and also see the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Guggenheim Museum:
‘Photo-Poetics: An Anthology’ (through March 27)
“Formally complex and expressively reserved, even hermetic, the work by 10 photographers in this stimulating show has roots in Conceptualism and takes language, history and speculative thinking as its raw materials. Photographs are structured with the equivalent of poetry’s metrical cadences and internal rhymes, and treated less as generators of translatable ideas than of suggestive metaphors. 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, 212-423-3500, guggenheim.org.” (Cotter)

‘Peter Fischli David Weiss: How to Work Better’ (through April 27)
“Presenting more than 300 sculptures, photographs and videos, this marvelously entertaining exhibition demonstrates the power of creative play to invigorate hearts and minds. It includes photographs of doll-scale tableaus made mainly of processed meats; films starring the artists as Rat and Bear in frowzy costumes; more than 160 small, comical clay sculptures representing a harebrained history of the world; and myriad trompe l’oeil sculptures of ordinary objects. Most importantly, there’s the team’s classic movie “The Way Things Go” (1987), the landmark film documenting an apparently continuous series of chain reactions of a Rube Goldberg-type construction. 1071 Fifth Avenue, at 89th Street, 212-423-3500, guggenheim.org.” (Ken Johnson)

Metropolitan Museum of Art:
‘Wordplay: Matthias Buchinger’s Drawings from Collection of Ricky Jay’ (thru April 11)
“A draftsman, calligrapher, magician and musician, Matthias Buchinger (1674–1739) traveled all over Northern Europe to entertain kings and aristocrats as well as hoi polloi with feats of physical dexterity. He was especially noted for elaborate drawings featuring biblical passages written in letters too small to be read by ordinary naked eyes. This he managed despite having been born without hands or legs: His arms ended at the elbows and his lower extremities were truncated at the upper thighs. Sixteen of his amazing works are featured in this exhibition. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Johnson)

‘A New Look at a Van Eyck Masterpiece’ (through April 24)
“This small show of Flemish art, highly specialized yet not inaccessible, is the latest in an impressive sequence of laser-focused examinations of the Met’s holdings of late medieval and Renaissance painting. A crystalline Crucifixion attributed to van Eyck, and a jam-packed Last Judgment painted by him and his studio, now hang as a diptych — but technical analysis of the frames suggests they were probably side panels for a central painting now lost. Alongside the Met’s van Eycks is a recently resurfaced drawing of the Crucifixion, lent by Rotterdam’s Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, whose wizened Virgin and writhing thieves rhyme with the painted version. Did van Eyck draw it? Whether he did or not, the drawing grounds these divinely impeccable paintings in the real world of brushes and pencils. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Jason Farago)

‘Celebrating the Arts of Japan: The Mary Griggs Burke Collection’ (continuing)
“This lavish roll out of 160 objects came to the Met from the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation last spring. The Burkes loved Japanese art — all of it — and the collection is close to compendious in terms of media, from wood-carved Buddhas to bamboo baskets, with a particular strength in painting, early and late. The quality of the work? Japan thinks highly enough of it to have made the Burke holdings the first Japanese collection from abroad ever to show at Tokyo National Museum. Some pieces on view now will be rotated out and replaced in February, making this an exhibition to visit at least twice. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Cotter)

‘Reimagining Modernism: 1900-1950’ (continuing)
“One of the greatest encyclopedic museums in the world fulfills its mission a little more with an ambitious reinstallation of works of early European modernism with their American counterparts for the first time in nearly 30 years. Objects of design and paintings by a few self-taught artists further the integration. It is quite a sight, with interesting rotations and fine-tunings to come. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org.” (Smith)

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Museum Mile is a section of Fifth Avenue which contains one of the densest displays of culture in the world. Eight museums can be found along this section of Fifth Avenue:
• 105th Street – El Museo del Barrio (closed Sun-Mon)*
• 103rd Street – Museum of the City of New York (open 7 days /week)
• 92nd Street – The Jewish Museum (closed Wed) (Sat FREE) (Thu 5-8 PWYW)
• 91st Street – Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (open 7 days /week)
• 89th Street – National Academy Museum (closed Mon-Tue)
• 88th Street – Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (closed Thu) (Sat 6-8 PWYW)
• 86th Street – Neue Galerie New York (closed Tue-Wed) (Fri 6-8 FREE)
Last, but certainly not least, America’s premier museum
• 82nd Street – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (open 7 days /week)*
*always Pay What You Wish (PWYW)

Although technically not part of the Museum Mile, the Frick Collection (closed Mon) (SUN 11am-1pm PWYW) on the corner of 70th St. and Fifth Avenue and the The Morgan Library & Museum (closed Mon) (Fri 7-9 FREE) on Madison Ave and 37th St are also located near Fifth Ave.
Now plan your own museum crawl (info on hours & admission updated June 2, 2015).
==============================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 02/19 and 02/17.
=============================================================
This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS:
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Audubon Winter Eco-Cruise, Copenhagen Street Dog Winter Championship, Pam Tanowitz Dance | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/20) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 02/20/2016 by GregD

Today’s Fab 5+ > SATURDAY / FEB. 20, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
PITH Pop-Up,
The Bronx Brewery, 856 E136th St./ 7:30PM, $50
“You’ve heard about Jonah Reider — the Columbia student who operates a pop-up restaurant out of his dorm room. Thus far, it’s been hard to get a seat at his campus venture, but for one night only, he’ll be serving up dinner at the Bronx Brewery. The meal will include a tasting of pale ales paired with each of the menu’s four courses. Additionally, the event will feature unique lighting and sound designed to enhance the senses during the dining experience. Tickets are $50 per person; reserve them here.” (VillageVoice)

OK, so this is definitely not Manhattan’s WestSide, but it is too good to pass up.I met the brewmaster some time ago, before there was even a brewery. He’s a professional and enthusiastic about his beer, which by the way is quite good. As a Bronx guy myself, I’m looking forward to tonight’s special dinner.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Seu Jorge (most nights thru Feb 28)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./8 +10:30PM, $55 @bar-$85, (2nd show always an easier ticket)
“This Brazilian singer, guitarist, and actor grew up as Jorge Mário da Silva in Belford Roxo, a favela outside Rio. After his brother was killed, in 1990, in a battle between favelados and the police, Jorge decided to become a musician, a choice that prompted his uncle to kick him out of the house. Despite the hardship of living on the street, Jorge persisted in honing his nascent talents, especially his supple baritone voice and lyrical nylon-string-guitar playing.

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo: Cinderella (LAST DAY)
New York City Center, 131W55th St./ 8PM, $50+
“Monaco’s national ballet company visits New York to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a performance of artistic director Jean-Christophe Maillot’s unsentimental take on the Cinderella story, in which Ella’s late mother plays a prominent role. The piece is set to music by Prokofiev, and features a set by Ernest Pignon-Ernest.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
New York City Beer Week (Feb.19 – 28)
“This year, the festivities kick off with an Opening Bash Cruise on February 20, offering unlimited food and drink samplings for $85. “We were trying to find an iconic spot to do the opening party,” Taylor notes. “We were looking at places like the Met, and they’re expensive and only available at night.” For more flexibility, they decided to take to the sea. “There’s nothing more iconic than the Manhattan skyline. I love boats, and they’re heated.” (VillageVoice)

Tour the Off-Limits Woolworth Building with Untapped Cities
Woolworth Building, / 4PM – 5PM , $45
“The Woolworth Building is one of New York City’s most famous off-limits landmarks. Though its Byzantine, cathedral-like interior of glass tesserae and marble is landmarked, security concerns after 9/11 rendered it closed to only those that worked in the skyscraper, once the tallest in the world.

Since 2013, Untapped Cities has worked with Woolworth Tours, a company founded by Helen Post Curry, the great-grand daughter of the building’s architect, Cass Gilbert, to curate tours of the building lobby and basement level specifically tailored for Untapped Cities. They’ve made a big update to provide even more behind-the-scenes access than before.” (untappedcities.com)

+ Saturday’s FREE events
These events did not quite make the cut for today’s Fab 5
but they are worthy, and they are FREE.
>Jewish Museum – FREE all day
>Concert / Orchestral works by Gershwin, Schubert, and more; Sharp Theater @ Juilliard School, 7:30PM
>Yumi Ito @ Caffe Vivaldi, 8:15PM
=======================================================

Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th ave. South, — villagevanguard.com / 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. — bluenotejazz.com / 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave. South — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9 ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway, nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
=================================================================================

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

Caffe Vivaldi / 32 Jones Street (btw. Bleecker St./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 fairly priced wines, 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. 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, NYCity 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 left on Bleecker to Jones St., 50 yards 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

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. $9 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 St.)
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 Square 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”
This covers a wide range of food – the traditional pizza, burgers, & hot dogs; but also food trucks & carts, soup & sandwiches, picnic fixins’, raw bars & lobster rolls, bbq, vegetarian, falafel, ramen, chopped salad & salad bars. No reservations needed.
==========================================================================
NYCity is the most diverse and interesting place to find a meal anywhere in the world. With more than 24 thousand eating establishments you might welcome some advice.

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, and essays on my favorite 18 PremierPubs in 9 Neighborhoods on Manhattan’s WestSide, order a copy of my e-book:
“Eating and Drinking on NYCity’s WestSide” ($4.99, available Spring 2016).
◊ Order before May 31, 2016 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places with free Wi-Fi.

=============================================================
This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS:
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Blue Note, Bronx Brewery, City Bakery Hot Chocolate Festival, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo: Cinderella, New York City Beer Week, New York City Center, PITH Pop-Up, Seu Jorge, Tour the Off-Limits Woolworth Building, Woolworth Building | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/19) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 02/19/2016 by GregD

Today’s Fab 5+ > FRIDAY / FEB. 19, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
New York City Beer Week (Feb.19 – 28)
HopHeads Rejoice! It may be the heart of winter but there is a silver lining. The annual ten day celebration of craft beer throughout New York City will have events including festivals, tastings, menu pairings, and beer dinners.

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo: Cinderella (thru Feb 20)
New York City Center, 131W55th St./ 8PM, $50+
“Monaco’s national ballet company visits New York to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a performance of artistic director Jean-Christophe Maillot’s unsentimental take on the Cinderella story, in which Ella’s late mother plays a prominent role. The piece is set to music by Prokofiev, and features a set by Ernest Pignon-Ernest.” (TONY)

Elsewhere, but hey it’s Chaka Khan, and you know she is worth the detour:
Chaka Khan
Kings Theatre, 1027 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn/ 9PM, $40-$125
“To quote the title of one of her biggest hits, “Ain’t Nobody” like the R&B songstress. Starting with her days as the front woman for the 1970s band Rufus through her solo career, Khan has been one of the music industry’s most successful female vocalists, racking up 10 Grammy Awards and performing with superstars from Ray Charles to the Funk Brothers. Also on the bill is singer Vivian Green (“Get Right Back to My Baby”). (amNY)
subway: easy 40 min from Times Square on the Q train.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Screening: “City of Women” at Film Forum
Film Forum, 209 W Houston St./ 7:40PM, $14
“A rarely screened cinematic gem from celebrated Italian director Federico Fellini, City of Women finds the filmmaker’s alter ego, actor Marcello Mastrioanni, at a feminist convention that’s focused on polyandry, a form of polygamy where a woman takes multiple husbands at the same time. Mr. Mastrioanni’s character Snàporaz tries to escape the all-woman event, but ends up getting pulled deeper in a battle of the sexes with comical twists and turns, which in the end hint at the notion that it just may have all been a bad dream. Jazz singer Caterina Zapponi, daughter of screenwriter Bernardino Zapponi, who co-wrote the screenplay, introduces the film.” (Observer)

+ Friday’s FREE events
Friday is museum day in NYCity.
These museums are FREE for at least part of the day:
American Folk Art Museum – FREE all day
Morgan Library and Museum – FREE 7-9 PM
Rubin Museum – FREE 7-10 PM
Whitney Museum – FREE 7-9:30 PM
Neue Gallery – FREE 6-8 PM
MOMA – FREE 4-8 PM
Tell the truth MOMA is my fave museum, but not so much on Friday night.
It’s just too popular, and often too crowded to enable you to appreciate the art.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
==================================================================================

Museum of Modern Art:

Whitney Museum of American Art:

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right sidebar dated 02/17 and 02/15.
=======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged “City of Women”, Blue Note, Chaka Khan, City Bakery Hot Chocolate Festival, Film Forum, King's Theater, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo: Cinderella, New York City Beer Week, New York City Center, Seu Jorge | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/18) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 02/18/2016 by GregD

Today’s Fab 5+ > THURSDAY / FEB. 18, 2016

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Valda Setterfield and John Scott (through Feb. 20)
New York Live Arts, 219 W19th St./ 7:30PM, $
“Valda Setterfield has been a groundbreaker and a muse for more than half a century, notably as an early member of Merce Cunningham’s company. Now the Irish choreographer John Scott has tapped Ms. Setterfield to portray Shakespeare’s mad monarch in their collaborative production, “Lear.” Created in response to his father’s death, Mr. Scott has called the work “a meditation on loss of memory and physical failings.” To continue the gender flip, King Lear’s children are portrayed by men.” (Schaefer-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Penny Jolly, “Dressing Renaissance Bodies”
Graduate Center, CUNY, 365 Fifth Ave./6PM, FREE
“Penny Jolly teaches Skidmore’s courses on medieval art from the early Christian period through the Gothic, as well as on Renaissance Italy and northern Europe; additionally, she offers a course on the history of European dress and hair from the Renaissance through the present. Her research focuses particularly on the 15th century, especially the work of Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden, and involves topics such as hair and dress, including a study of earrings and the meaning of body hair in art; imagery involving gender, especially as related to breastfeeding, birthing and childhood; Adam and Eve narratives; and the iconography of Mary Magdalene in northern Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries.”

+ Thursday’s FREE events
These events did not quite make the cut for today’s FAB 5
but they are worthy, and they are FREE

>Museum Arts & Design (PayWhatYouWish), 6-9PM
>Concert / The Piano Is A Drum: Randy Weston and Senegalese Master Drummers in a Tribute to Doudou N’Diaye Rose; New School, 8PM
>Opening Receptions – Chelsea Galleries, most 6-8PM
for details see NY Art Beat, a fine site for art event listings and reviews.

Bonus – Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South, villagevanguard.com, 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. bluenotejazz.com, 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. 55bar.com, 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. jazz.org/dizzys, 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave), birdlandjazz.com, 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. smokejazz.com, 212-864-6662
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. caffevivaldi.com, 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

A PremierPub / Tribeca

B-Flat / 277 Church St. (btw Franklin/White St))

There are some places that are tough to find, then add a layer of mystery when you do find them. B-Flat has a nondescript, almost unmarked door at street level – today’s speakeasy vibe. Open this door and you face a dimly lit stairway down to their basement location. It almost takes a leap of faith to follow the stairs down to their interior door.

But open that door and a pleasant surprise awaits you.

It’s a basement jazz spot all right, but not like any traditional jazz joint you may have been to before. This place looks as fresh as today, probably because it’s only been open for 6 years. Even though it hasn’t had a chance to age gracefully, the cherry wood accents and low lighting make this small space very inviting.

There is always jazz, often progressive jazz, playing over their very discrete, stylish bose speakers, setting just the right tone as you find a seat at the bar, or one of the small tables. There is wine and beer available, but this place has some expert mixologists making some very creative cocktails, which I’m told change seasonally, a nice touch.

Come at happy hour and tasty cocktails like the el Diablo or the lychee martini are $8 – not bad. I am a sucker for any drink made with lychee and how can you not try a tequila drink named el Diablo. There is also nice selection of small bites available at happy hour and a food menu that is as innovative as the cocktail menu, so this does not have to be a happy hour only stop.

It wasn’t surprising to find a tasty prosciutto and arugula salad with yuzu dressing, but I did not expect to find such a good version of fried chicken breast on the apps menu. Here it’s called “Tatsuta.” Best bet is to sample happy hour, then dinner on a Monday or Wednesday night, when you can finish with no cover live jazz that starts around 8.

This place is tough to find (look for a small slate sandwich board on the sidewalk out front advertising happy hour) and on some nights when there is no live music iot may be a little too quiet for some. But I think it’s worth searching out if you want a place with good music, food, and especially drinks, away from the maddening crowd.

Website: http://http://www.bflat.info/index.html
Phone #: 212-219-2970
Hours: Mo-Wed 5pm-2am; Th-Sat 5pm-3am; no Sun
Happy Hour: 5-7pm every day; $8 cocktails + special prices on apps
Music: Mon/Wed 8pm
Subway: #1 to Franklin; walk E 1 blk to Church; N 1 blk to bFlat

==================================================================================
“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.

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

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS:
Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.
OpenTable
Instantly locate restaurants near you with open reservations and then place a reservation right from your iOS device. A great interface and the ability to see a menu from the restaurant you’re interested in makes this my go to restaurant reservation app.
Subway Time
Need to catch your #1,2,3 subway to attend an event? Use the Subway Time app from the MTA to find out when the next train arrives at your station. The MTA also has Bus Time info available on their mobile website.
========================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged “Dressing Renaissance Bodies”, City Bakery Hot Chocolate Festival, Dave Holland, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo: Cinderella, Penny Jolly, Seu Jorge, Valda Setterfield and John Scott | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/17) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 02/17/2016 by GregD

Today’s Sweet 6+ > WEDNESDAY / FEB. 17, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Dave Holland (through Feb. 21)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South / 8:30 +10:30PM, $30
“During the early and mid-1990s, the bassist Dave Holland had an inspired younger partner in Kevin Eubanks, a guitar virtuoso with fluency in myriad styles. They parted ways for a while — Mr. Eubanks to “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” and Mr. Holland to a series of acclaimed bands and albums — but reunited a few years ago, to strong effect. Next week they’ll be working in a trio with Obed Calvaire, a smartly assertive drummer.” (Chinen-NYT)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
William Blake: Echoes of Etta
Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St./ 7PM, $30
“William Blake—not the visionary 18th-century English poet and artist, silly, but the high-flying local tenor—returns to Joe’s Pub to celebrate a live recording of his high-energy salute to the late Etta James. If any white man can pull this off, the gifted Blake might just be the one. He’s got an uncanny sound that won’t quit.” (TONY)

Ecstatic Music Festival: Yo La Tengo with Alvin Lucier
Kaufman Center/Merkin Concert Hall,/ 7:30PM, $25 (as of this AM is now standby only)
“In their thirty years as a band, Yo La Tengo have played their music (and the music of others) in almost every way imaginable: the feedback-addled indie grooves they built their sound upon; masquerading as gnarled garage punks Condo Fucks; and, with last year’s stripped-down Stuff Like That There, reimagining their own deep cuts in an acoustic vein.

They collaborate often with others, which makes them a great fit for the Ecstatic Music Festival’s tradition of counterintuitive musician pairings creating new work. Such is the case the night they make ecstatic music with American composer Alvin Lucier, whose groundbreaking sound installations uncover auditory phenomena. Lucier and YLT wrote a piece together for the show, and the band will also perform some of Lucier’s previous works.” (Lindsey Rhoades, VillageVoice)

Taj Mahal Trio
City Winery, 155 Varick St. betw Spring/Vandam St./ 8PM, $55-$65
“More than 40 years into his storied career, this bluesman brings his Grammy-winning alchemy of gruff wails, searching harmonica and nontraditional tropicalia beats to this serene hall. He is overdue for a studio release, as his last album, “Maestro,” was in 2008; it featured great bandying with Angélique Kidjo and Ziggy Marley.” (Anderson-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Exploring Gramercy Park and Union Square, with Alfred Pommer, a licensed New York City Guide and Joyce Pommer, a former art gallery owner in New York City.
Mid-Manhattan Library, 5th Ave & 40th St./ 6:30PM, FREE
“This illustrated lecture features the stories and history of two of Manhattan’s most desirable neighborhoods for more than 150 years.”

Elsewhere, but this looks interesting:
(subway: easy #2,3 express to Clark St., 1st stop after Wall Street)
Brooklyn’s Business Boon
Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St. near Clinton St., Bklyn Heights, 7PM, $10
“This panel discussion, which includes the “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer, takes a look at Brooklyn’s recent history through an economic lens. Other speakers are Chad Dickerson, chief executive of Etsy; Jesse Hertzberg, chief executive of Livestream; Robin Ottaway, president of Brooklyn Brewery; and Douglas Steiner, chairman of Steiner Studios.”

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance, even if it’s just on the day of performance.
==============================================================================

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Two exhibitions the NewYorkTimes likes:
‘Concrete Cuba’ (through Feb. 20)
“The history of postwar abstraction expands with this riveting exhibition of nearly 40 works. All were made in Cuba during the 1950s by a group called Los Diez Pintores Concretos — the 10 Concrete Painters. Working small, they fruitfully extended the geometric vocabularies of Constructivism, Mondrian and late Kandinsky with local colors and repurposed materials. David Zwirner, 537 West 20th Street, Chelsea, 212-517-8677, davidzwirner.com.” (Smith)

*Now plan your own gallery crawl, but plan your visits for Tuesday through Saturday; most galleries are closed Sunday and Monday.

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see recent posts in right sidebar dated 02/15 and 02/13.
=======================================================

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Brooklyn Historical Society, Brooklyn’s Business Boon, City Winery, Dave Holland, Ecstatic Music Festival: Yo La Tengo with Alvin Lucier, Exploring Gramercy Park and Union Square, Merkin Concert Hall, Mid-Manhattan Library, Taj Mahal Trio, Village Vanguard, William Blake: Echoes of Etta | Leave a comment

Selected Events (02/16) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper WestSide)

Posted on 02/16/2016 by GregD

Today’s Fab 5+ > TUESDAY / FEB. 16, 2016

Have time for only one event today? Do this:
Seu Jorge (most nights thru Feb 28)
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St./8 +10:30PM, $50-$75, (2nd show always an easier ticket)
“This Brazilian singer, guitarist, and actor grew up as Jorge Mário da Silva in Belford Roxo, a favela outside Rio. After his brother was killed, in 1990, in a battle between favelados and the police, Jorge decided to become a musician, a choice that prompted his uncle to kick him out of the house. Despite the hardship of living on the street, Jorge persisted in honing his nascent talents, especially his supple baritone voice and lyrical nylon-string-guitar playing.

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
Taj Mahal Trio (also Wednesday)
City Winery, 155 Varick St. betw Spring/Vandam St./ 8PM, $
“More than 40 years into his storied career, this bluesman brings his Grammy-winning alchemy of gruff wails, searching harmonica and nontraditional tropicalia beats to this serene hall. He is overdue for a studio release, as his last album, “Maestro,” was in 2008; it featured great bandying with Angélique Kidjo and Ziggy Marley.” (Anderson-NYT)

Dance on Camera (LAST DAY)
Lincoln Center theaters, West 65th St./ At various times, $11-$14
“The 44th edition of the Dance on Camera Festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Dance Films Association, comprises 36 short films, 20 feature films and four retrospective screenings, along with panels and events featuring appearances by, among others, the illustrious dancers Natalia Makarova and Merrill Ashley. The opening and closing night films represent the festival’s range: First is “The Flight Fantastic,” celebrating the art of trapeze; last is “Feelings Are Facts: The Life of Yvonne Rainer,” which pays homage to a postmodern pioneer. In between is ballet, jazz, flamenco and more.” (Schaefer-NYT)

Carol Woods
Iridium, 1650 Broadway / 8PM, $30
“Carol Woods has the kind of massive blues voice that can move audiences to their feet or to their knees, and has deployed it often on Broadway (including in multiple stints as Mama Morton in Chicago). Tonight she invites the crowd at Iridium to get lost in the Woods.” (TONY)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
Kind of Blue: A Magnet for the Imagination
National Jazz Museum in Harlem, 58 W129th St./ 7PM, $10 suggested donation
Loren Schoenberg, a musician and jazz historian, hosts a listening party of Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue”
“Considered by many to be the most classic jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue by Miles Davis defined the essence of jazz to several generations of jazz lovers. Its cool fire ignited improvisational flames of deep feeling, with master musicians including Bill Evans, John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley riffing on mere sketches of music.”

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

Bonus – Jazz Venues:
Many consider NYCity the Jazz capital of the world. Here are my favorite Jazz clubs, all on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who is playing tonight:
Greenwich Village:
Village Vanguard – 178 7th Ave. South — villagevanguard.com / 212-255-4037
Blue Note – 131 W3rd St. nr 6th ave. — bluenotejazz.com / 212-475-8592
55 Bar – 55 Christopher St. nr 7th ave.S. — 55bar.com / 212-929-9883
Outside Greenwich Village:
Dizzy’s Club – Broadway @ 60th St. — jazz.org/dizzys / 212-258-9595
Birdland – 315 W44th St.(btw 8/9ave) — birdlandjazz.com / 212-581-3080
Smoke Jazz Club – 2751 Broadway nr.106th St. — smokejazz.com / 212-864-6662
Special Mention:
Caffe Vivaldi – 32 Jones St. nr Bleecker St. — caffevivaldi.com / 212-691-7538
a classic, old jazz club in the Village, Caffe V often surprises with a wonderfully eclectic lineup. It’s my favorite spot for an evening of listening enjoyment and discovery.

==================================================================================
♦ Before making final plans, we suggest you call the venue to confirm ticket availability, dates and times, as schedules are subject to change.
♦ NYCity, with a population of 8.5 million, had a record 58 million visitors last year and was TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Top U.S. Destination for 2015. Quality shows draw crowds.
Try to reserve seats in advance, even if just on day of performance.
================================================================================

This week’s fave and FREE NYCity AppS:

Trip Advisor
An enormous base of NYCity user reviews (2.1 million) provides the widest coverage of hotels (468), restaurants (12,645) and things to do (yes, 3,246). Have a specific question? Then try one of Trip Advisor’s forums. Just remember that with all those reviews you have to try to find the consistency among the comments, and ignore the outliers.

A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

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

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

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

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

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

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

A seat at the bar, a small table in the bar area, or in the summer, an outside table underneath what’s left of the elevated West Side Highway, all may open before a table inside the main dining room. Otherwise, try Dinosaur for lunch, or come very late for dinner, maybe after a show at the nearby Cotton Club nightclub.

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

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

NEW Feature!
The 100 Books Every New Yorker Should Read
by Kristin Iversen, Brooklyn Magazine
today’s picks:

44. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
First: Don’t watch the movie! I don’t care how great Audrey Hepburn is in it (which, very), because the atrocity that is Mickey Rooney renders the film unforgivable. But… read the book. Capote does an amazing job of capturing the ultimate new-to-New York experience of whole-sale recreating yourself in an effort to totally shed your less-than-stellar past life. Oh, and also: prostituting yourself. That is very New York.

45. The Inferno (A Poet’s Novel) by Eileen Myles
This roving, roaming book is Myles at her finest (though, really, when is she ever not?) and takes readers on a deep dive into the raucous mess that New York was for Myles, certainly, when she was young (and, no, this isn’t technically autobiography, but also, don’t be blind), but which also holds true for all of us, pretty much, who are in New York when we’re young.

46. The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll
Who doesn’t love a good coming-of-age story? Especially one set in New York. Especially one that isn’t “good” exactly, but is also, kind of, bad, and therefore the best. Anyway, that’s what The Basketball Diaries is; it’s raw and drug-fueled and teeters on the edge of insanity, tempting you to fall off that edge, clutching this narrative on your way down, knowing as you’re falling that it’ll be a long climb back up.

If your interests lead you to Brooklyn, then be sure to peruse Brooklyn Magazine. It’s a high quality, high info, smart monthly.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Blue Note, Carol Woods, City Bakery Hot Chocolate Festival, City Winery, Dance on Camera, Iridium, Kind of Blue: A Magnet for the Imagination, Lincoln Center, National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Seu Jorge, Taj Mahal Trio | Leave a comment

	Darin on October NYC Events + NYC Weeke…
	Darin on Selected Events (10/13) + Toda…

Today’s Fab 5+ > THURSDAY / FEB. 25, 2016

Today’s Sweet 6+ > WEDNESDAY / FEB. 24, 2016

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

A PremierPub / Midtown West.

Russian Vodka Room / 265 W 52nd St (btw 7th/8th ave)

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

Today’s Sweet 6+ > TUESDAY / FEB. 23, 2016

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Sweet 6+ > MONDAY / FEB. 22, 2016

A PremierPub + 3 Good Eating places

Jimmy’s Corner / 140 W 44th St (btw B’way & 7th ave)

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

Today’s Sweet 6+ > SUNDAY / FEB. 21, 2016

Today’s Fab 5+ > SATURDAY / FEB. 20, 2016

A PremierPub and 3 Good Eating Places – Greenwich Village

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

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

Today’s Fab 5+ > FRIDAY / FEB. 19, 2016

Today’s Fab 5+ > THURSDAY / FEB. 18, 2016

+ Thursday’s FREE events These events did not quite make the cut for today’s FAB 5 but they are worthy, and they are FREE

A PremierPub / Tribeca

B-Flat / 277 Church St. (btw Franklin/White St))

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

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

Today’s Sweet 6+ > WEDNESDAY / FEB. 17, 2016

Chelsea Art Gallery District*

Today’s Fab 5+ > TUESDAY / FEB. 16, 2016

A PremierPub / Upper West Side

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que / 700 W125th St. @ 12th ave.

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

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

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

+ Thursday’s FREE events
These events did not quite make the cut for today’s FAB 5
but they are worthy, and they are FREE