Selected Events (06/09) + Today’s Featured Pub (Tribeca)

Posted on 06/09/2015 by GregD

Today’s TOP 10 – TUESDAY, JUNE 09, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
> Blue Note Jazz Festival 
> Buddy Guy
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 42nd St. (btw 7/8ave) / 8PM, $75-$110
“one of the world’s leading bluesmen, he’s a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.”

> Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano in “Shoulder Season”
Metropolitan Room, 34 W22nd St. / 7PM, $25
“a swinging summer cocktail of lazy days, blue skies, & exotic lands.”

> Fifth Annual Hudson Square Music Series + wine festival
with female bluegrass combo Della Mae and Taylor Ashton
City Winery, 155 Varick St. / 5:30PM, FREE
free concerts in city winery’s courtyard all summer (Tuesday’s thru Aug 25)

> “Summer Sessions’ with singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy
Waterfront Plaza at Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey St. / 6:30PM, FREE

> “The Tempest” (thru July 5) / Shakespeare in the Park
Central Park, Delacorte Theater / 8PM, FREE
actor Sam Waterston, makes his 13th Shakespearean production.
FREE tickets are available via a lottery system. check The Public Theater website.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
> Museum Mile Festival
Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 105th St. / 6PM, FREE.
“Fine-art block party! Ten esteemed institutions shut down Fifth Avenue and open their doors for a three-hour free-for-all, featuring live music and DJs.” (TONY)

> Colin Quinn: “The Coloring Book”
Barnes & Noble, Union Square / 7PM, books must be purchased at this Barnes & Noble location for attendance and priority seating.
Meet the SNL alum as he signs copies of his new book on race relations in America following a live conversation about the book’s themes.

> Elizabeth Alexander in Conversation
New York Public Library, Main Building, 42nd St & 5th Ave / 7PM, $25
The poet, renowned for reading an original poem at President Obama’s inauguration, celebrates her poignant new memoir, The Light of the World, alongside The New Yorker’s Hilton Als.

> The Sound and the Fury
Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., / 8PM, $45–$70.
“with its inimitable balance of whimsy and rigor, Elevator Repair Service transmutes William Faulkner into a mesmerizing literary performance.” (TONY)

> Inaugural Exhibition: AMERICA IS HARD TO SEE
Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort St. / 10:30AM-6PM, $22.
“it’s finally here! The new improved Whitney home in MePa that’s supposed to finally put to rest the museum’s rep as the also-ran of New York’s major art institutions. As designed by international starchitect Renzo Piano, the building is certainly big, with 63,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibition space.” (TONY)

Bonus – Jazz Picks:
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 56 million visitors last year and is 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))

b_flat4There 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 it 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

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“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.
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Selected Events (06/08) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 06/08/2015 by GregD

Today’s TOP 10 – MONDAY, JUNE 08, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
> Blue Note Jazz Festival 
Igmar Thomas ft. Special Guest Marc Cary
w/ Marcus Strickland, Rashaan Carter & Justin Brown
Blue Note Jazz Club, 131 W3rd St. / 8PM, $15+ $20
“Trumpeter Igmar Thomas and pianist Marc Cary have been at the forefront of today’s flourishing live music forum.”

> “The Tempest” (thru July 5) / Shakespeare in the Park
Central Park, Delacorte Theater / 8PM, FREE
actor Sam Waterston, makes his 13th Shakespearean production.
FREE tickets are available via a lottery system. check The Public Theater website.

> Captain Black Big Band – Conducted by Orrin Evans
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway (btw 105/106 St.) / 7PM, + 9PM, $9
a big band (a very big band) with attitude. plays funky blues, avant-garde, even swing.

> Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (Cabaret)
Birdland, 315 West 44th St. (btw 8/9 ave) / 9:30PM, $25
the witty host attracts broadway stars on their night off, along with up and comers.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
> Poetry Walk Across the Brooklyn Bridge – A Benefit for Poet’s House
Brooklyn Bridge (Manhattan side) / 6:30PM, FREE to walk
20th anniversary. Bill Murray leads poets and poetry lovers across the Brooklyn Bridge,
reading classic NYC-inspired poems.
$250 supports Poet’s House programs and gets you a delicious dinner, wine, and more words on the Bklyn side.

> The Sound and the Fury
Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St., / 8PM, $45–$70.
“with its inimitable balance of whimsy and rigor, Elevator Repair Service transmutes William Faulkner into a mesmerizing literary performance.” (TONY)

> Frontiers Lecture: One Second After the Big Bang
American Museum of Natural History, Hayden Planetarium Space Theater / 7:30PM, $15
“hear from a Princeton scientist whose hunt for the Big Bang relics hidden around us could change our understanding of the universe.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

> Hilary Mantel, “Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies: The Stage Adaptation”
Union Square, 33 East 17th St. / 7PM, FREE (yeah, with book purchase)
“this edition contains a substantial set of notes by Hilary Mantel on each of the principal characters, offering a unique insight into the plays.”

> Inaugural Exhibition: AMERICA IS HARD TO SEE
Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort St. / 10:30AM-6PM, $22.
“it’s finally here! The new improved Whitney home in MePa that’s supposed to finally put to rest the museum’s rep as the also-ran of New York’s major art institutions. As designed by international starchitect Renzo Piano, the building is certainly big, with 63,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibition space.” (TONY)

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
> “The Art of Forgery” Noah Charney and art critic Blake Gopnik
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave./ 7PM, $30
“Artist Han van Meegeren cribbed Johannes Vermeer well enough to sell six knockoffs for what would be $60 million today (and fool Hermann Göring in the process). Hear the story along with those of other masters of “the art of forgery.” (ThoughtGallery.org)

Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St. / citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. / joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34 W22nd St. / metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. / lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St. / beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237 W42nd St. / bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 56 million visitors last year and is 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)

Metropolitan Museum of Art:
‘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)

Uklanski_DIGITAL_Poster‘Fatal Attraction: Piotr Uklanski Selects From The Met Collection’ (through June 14) Complementing the survey of his photographs, the artist has orchestrated 80 works from the museum’s holdings — along with a few of his own — into a mesmerizing display meditating on sex and death. Consisting mostly of photographs, it is bolstered by paintings by Dali and Cranach sculptures from several cultures and several surprises. Scratch any artist of note, even a post-modern one, and you often find a connoisseur. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Smith)

‘Fatal Attraction: Piotr Uklanski Photographs’ (through Aug. 16)
A small but succinct survey of the multimedia bad-boy artist’s polymorphous relationship to photography shows him constantly changing scale, film and printing methods while exploring the medium’s ability to startle, seduce and become generic. He appropriates, imitates and pays homage as he goes, regularly invoking his Polish roots. Don’t miss the large photo-banners in the museum’s Great Hall or the massive fiber-sculpture monument to the eye and to insatiable looking. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Smith)

Neue Galerie:
‘Egon Schiele: Portraits’ (through Sept. 07)
zakovsek_1“Of the approximately 125 items in this terrific show, there are only 11 oil paintings, which is a good thing. Except for a large picture of his wife, Edith, in a colorful striped dress, Schiele’s works on canvas are dark and turgid. But his drawings are nimble and nuanced. Working on paper with pencil, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor and crayons, he portrayed himself and others with infectious avidity. There’s hardly a single sheet here that doesn’t warrant close looking for its virtuoso draftsmanship and psychological acuity. 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th Street, 212-628-6200, neuegalerie.org. “(Johnson)

Guggenheim Museum:
Kandinsky Before Abstraction, 1901–1911 (through spring 2015)
ex_Kandinsky_Landscape-near-Murnau-with-Locomotive_490Early in his career Vasily Kandinsky experimented with printmaking, produced brightly-colored landscapes of the German countryside, and explored recognizable and recurrent motifs. This intimate exhibition drawn from the Guggenheim collection explores the artist’s representational origins.

El Museo del Barrio:
‘Under the Mexican Sky: Gabriel Figueroa, Art and Film’ (through June 27)
Painting with light is one way to define the cinematographer’s task, and it describes the art of Gabriel Figueroa (1907-1997), who worked with some of the leading international film directors of his time and was a national hero in his native Mexico, the supreme painter-in-light of Mexicanidad. How do you put this particular kind of art across in a museum — art that is as much about time as it is about material, as much about flux as it is about fixity? This show, which mixes Figueroa film clips with paintings and prints by some of Mexico’s greatest artists and in the process utterly transforms El Museo’s interior spaces, gives an enthralling answer. 1230 Fifth Avenue, at 104th Street, East Harlem, 212-831-7272, elmuseo.org. (Cotter)

Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum (continuing):
rendering-3The stately doors of the 1902 Andrew Carnegie mansion, home to the Cooper Hewitt, are open again after an overhaul and expansion of the premises. Historic house and modern museum have always made an awkward fit, a standoff between preservation and innovation, and the problem remains, but the renovation has brought a wide-open new gallery space, a cafe and a raft of be-your-own-designer digital enhancements. Best of all, more of the museum’s vast permanent collection is now on view, including an Op Art weaving, miniature spiral staircases, ballistic face masks and a dainty enameled 18th-century version of a Swiss knife. Like design itself, this institution is built on tumult and friction, and you feel it. 2 East 91st Street, at Fifth Avenue, 212-849-8400, cooperhewitt.org. (Cotter)

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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 06/06 and 06/04.
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Selected Events (06/07) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 06/07/2015 by GregD

Today’s TOP 10 – SUNDAY, JUNE 07, 2015

“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
> Blue Note Jazz Festival 
> Candido’s 94th Birthday Celebration, with Bobby Sanabria Quarteto Ache
Subrosa, 63 Gansevoort St., nr Little W12th St./ 7PM + 9PM, $20
“this Cuban-born percussionist (mainly conga and bongo) is the most recorded conga drummer in the history of jazz.”

> Governors Ball Music Festival (also Sunday)
Randall’s Island Park / 12:15PM, tough ticket – you may have to stub hub it.
this is our Coachella. all star lineup makes this NYCity’s best music festival all summer.

> ASSSSCAT 3000
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, 307 W 26th St. (btw 8/9 ave) / 7:30PM+9:30PM, $10
“the best improvisers and special guests from comedy monoliths (like SNL, 30 Rock) team up to create a show that is completely different every time.” (TONY)

> Tootie Heath 80th Birthday Celebration (also Sunday)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway / 7:30PM +9:30PM, $
“a drummer whose cadence and bearing were forged during bebop’s second wave, roughly 60 years ago.” (NYT-Chinen).

> Terell Stafford Quintet (also Sunday)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. South / 8:30PM +10:30PM, $30
“Stafford’s new album, “Brotherlee Love,” is a tribute to Lee Morgan, the feistiest trumpeter of the hard-bop era, and it reveals a virile edge to his playing.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
> New York Audubon Eco-Tour aboard New York Water Taxi
Meet at Pier 16, South Street Seaport / 7PM-9PM, $35
This eco-tour will take you close enough to get great views of such birds as the Black-Crowned Night-Heron, Glossy Ibis, Double-Crested Cormorant, Egret, and many more, heading through the New York Harbor and sailing around Hoffman and Swinburne islands, which are only home to animals.

> Figment NYC Weekend
Governors Island, 10AM – 6PM, FREE
annual figment art festival takes over governors island with 300 creative indie projects, including an artist-designed minigolf course, an interactive sculpture garden, a treehouse, live performances, and much more.

> 39th Annual American Crafts Festival
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts , 64th St at Columbus Ave. / 10AM – 7PM, FREE
nearly 300 craftspeople have been chosen from the thousands who entered, so this fair gives you an opportunity to pick wares from the cream of the artisan crop.

> Summer on the Hudson: Let’s Dance!
Pier 1, Riverside Park South / 6PM-9:30PM, FREE
Learn to dance like a pro at these Salsa, Cha-Cha and Bachata lessons and group social dances led by master teachers from the Piel Canela Dance and Music School.

> Outdoor Fest (May 29 – Jun 07)
various locations and times.
ten-day lineup of activities, classes and a range of outdoor activities
“outdoor yoga, fishing, walks, nature-film screenings, trivia, bouldering, surfing and, naturally, beer drinking—can’t miss that.” (TONY)

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’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 56 million visitors last year and is 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’. ”

maxresdefaultEach 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.

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“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.
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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.

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

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, with expanded descriptions, maps with contact info, 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” ($3.99, available Summer 2015).
◊ Order before Aug. 31, 2015 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places on Manhattan’s WestSide with free Wi-Fi.

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Selected Events (06/06) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 06/06/2015 by GregD

Today’s TOP 10 – SATURDAY, JUNE 06, 2015
“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
> Blue Note Jazz Festival 
> Kenny G
Town Hall, 123 W43rd St. / 8PM, $45-$87
over 30 years this saxophonist has grafted elements of R&B, pop, and Latin music to a jazz foundation to become the biggest-selling instrumental musician of the modern era.

> Governors Ball Music Festival (also Sunday)
Randall’s Island Park / 12:15PM, tough ticket – you may have to stub hub it.
this is our Coachella. all star lineup makes this NYCity’s best music festival all summer.

> Tootie Heath 80th Birthday Celebration (also Sunday)
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway / 7:30PM +9:30PM, $
“a drummer whose cadence and bearing were forged during bebop’s second wave, roughly 60 years ago.” (NYT-Chinen)

> A Midsummer Night’s Dream – New York City Ballet Spring 2015
DHK Theater (at Lincoln Center) / 7:30PM, $59-$164
Music by Felix Mendelssohn / Choreography by George Balanchine
catch the final performance of the spring season.
try the discount ticket window at the David Rubenstein Atrium.

> Tyondai Braxton: ‘Hive’
The Kitchen, 512 W19th St. / 8PM, $20
this bold, avant-garde composer was a Guggenheim rotunda sensation in 2013.

> Marquis Hill Blacktet
Ginny’s Supper Club, 310 Lenox Ave. (nr 125th St.) / 7:30PM + 9:30PM,
Marquis is good – he won the 2014 Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition.

> Maria Schneider Orchestra 
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St. / 8:30PM +11PM, $45
a very fine large ensemble celebrates the release of their latest album, first in eight years.

> Terell Stafford Quintet (also Sunday)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. South / 8:30PM +10:30PM, $30
“Stafford’s new album, “Brotherlee Love,” is a tribute to Lee Morgan, the feistiest trumpeter of the hard-bop era, and it reveals a virile edge to his playing.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
> Outdoor Fest (May 29 – Jun 07)
various locations and times.
ten-day lineup of activities, classes and a range of outdoor activities
“outdoor yoga, fishing, walks, nature-film screenings, trivia, bouldering, surfing and, naturally, beer drinking—can’t miss that.” (TONY)

Elsewhere, but a real treat for bridge lovers and worth a ferry ride to Staten Island:
> ‘Bascove / Bridges: Transporting the Metropolis’
Noble Maritime Collection, Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Livingston, Staten Island, / 1-5PM, admission by donation.
celebrates the magnificent bridges of New York City with 32 paintings & drawings.

Bonus – Music Picks:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd dSt. bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 56 million visitors last year and is 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 the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Museum of Modern Art:
‘One-Way Ticket: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series and Other Visions of the Great Movement North’ (through Sept. 7)
imgres“In the early 20th century, tens of thousands of African Americans left the rural South for the industrial North in search of jobs, homes and respect. Officially, this MoMA show is meant to mark the centennial of that immense population shift, though it also marks another anniversary: the first time in two decades that all 60 paintings in Jacob Lawrence’s great “Migration Series,” now divided between New York and Washington, D.C., have been shown together at the museum. Here they are surrounded by period photographs, books and fabulous music in a display as stimulating to the mind and the ear as it is to the eye. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Cotter)

American Folk Art Museum:
‘When the Curtain Never Comes Down’ (through July 5)
EVB_caro“A sprawling, cacophony of objects, audiotapes, photographs and films is here orchestrated into a curatorial marvel. Strange and wonderful in numerous ways, the show sheds new light on the performance aspects of much outsider art while reminding us how eccentricity is not only basic to creativity but to personal liberty and democracy itself. 2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue at 66th Street, 212-595-9533, folkartmuseum.org.” (Roberta Smith)

Museum of Arts and Design:
‘Richard Estes: Painting New York City’ (through Sept. 20)
images-1“The core of this show is a selection of vivid, Photorealist paintings of urban subjects like glass and chrome storefronts, movie theater marquees, cars and trucks, subways, the Brooklyn Bridge, views from the Staten Island Ferry and idyllic images of Central Park made between 1965 and 2015. The exhibition also includes didactic sections about the craft and technique that go into Mr. Estes painting and prints, but that aspect doesn’t fully deliver what it promises. 2 Columbus Circle, Manhattan, 212-299-7777,madmuseum.org.”(Johnson).
I LOVE THIS ONE.

Museum of Biblical Art:
timthumb‘Sculpture in the Age of Donatello: Renaissance Masterpieces From Florence Cathedral’ (through June 14) “This terrific 23-piece show features three major works by the early Renaissance sculptor Donatello (1386-1466), including the life-size statue of a bald prophet known as “lo Zuccone” or “Pumpkin Head,” which is widely considered the sculptor’s greatest work. Along with a half-dozen other works by or attributed to Donatello are sculptures by Nanni di Banco (circa 1386-1421), Donatello’s main competitor, including his monumental representation in marble of St. Luke. With the addition of a series of octagonal marble reliefs by Luca della Robbia and wooden models of the Florence Cathedral’s enormous dome attributed to its designer, Filippo Brunelleschi, the exhibition amounts to a tightly cropped snapshot of the birth of the Renaissance. 1865 Broadway, at 61st Street, 212-408-1500, mobia.org.”(Johnson)

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 06/04 and 06/02.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (06/05) + Today’s Featured Pub (Upper WestSide)

Posted on 06/05/2015 by GregD

Today’s TOP 10 – FRIDAY, JUNE 05, 2015
“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
> Blue Note Jazz Festival 
> Al Kooper 71st Birthday Celebration (& Annual Birthday Show w/ Special Guest)
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 42nd St. (btw 7/8Ave) / 7:30PM, $28-$65
rock-keyboard legend Al Kooper’s performance bio is simply unbelievable.

> Governors Ball Music Festival, (Friday-Sunday)
Randall’s Island Park / 12:15PM, tough ticket – you may have to stub hub it.
this is our Coachella. all star lineup makes this NYCity’s best music festival all summer.

> Tootie Heath 80th Birthday Celebration
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway / 7:30PM +9:30PM, $
“a drummer whose cadence and bearing were forged during bebop’s second wave, roughly 60 years ago.” (NYT-Chinen)

> A Midsummer Night’s Dream – New York City Ballet Spring 2015
DHK Theater (at Lincoln Center) / 7:30PM, $59-$164
Music by Felix Mendelssohn / Choreography by George Balanchine
catch the final performances of the spring season (closes June 6).
try the discount ticket window at the David Rubenstein Atrium.

> Tyondai Braxton: ‘Hive’ (also Saturday)
The Kitchen, 512 W19th St. / 8PM, $20
this bold, avant-garde composer was a Guggenheim rotunda sensation in 2013.

> Marquis Hill Blacktet (also Saturday)
Ginny’s Supper Club, 310 Lenox Ave. (nr 125th St.) / 7:30PM + 9:30PM,
Marquis is good. he won the 2014 Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition.

> Maria Schneider Orchestra (June 2-6)
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St. / 8:30PM +11PM, $45
a very fine large ensemble celebrates the release of their latest album, first in eight years.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
> Yoko Ono + Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series
Museum of Modern Art, 11 W 53rd St. / FREE today 4-8PM
All 60 panels of Lawrence’s famed works about the mid 1900’s African-American move from rural to urban communities are being shown together for the first time in decades.

> Outdoor Fest (May 29 – Jun 07)
various locations and times.
ten-day lineup of activities, classes and a range of outdoor activities
“outdoor yoga, fishing, walks, nature-film screenings, trivia, bouldering, surfing and, naturally, beer drinking—can’t miss that.” (TONY)

Somewhere / Elsewhere, but looks worth the detour:
> Lost Lectures NY: Number Two
a night of fascinating talks and unique performances in a secret former ship-building warehouse somewhere in the Brooklyn Navy Yard / 7PM, $50
+ FREE beer by Brooklyn Brewery, cider by Rekorderlig, and ZICO Coconut Water.

Bonus – Jazz Picks:
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 56 million visitors last year and is 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 / 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.

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

Selected Events (06/04) + GallerySpecialExhibits: Chelsea

Posted on 06/04/2015 by GregD

Today’s TOP 10 – THURSDAY, JUNE 04, 2015
“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
> Blue Note Jazz Festival 
The Dizzy Gillespie™ Afro Cuban Experience feat. Machito Jr.
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St. / 8PM + 10:30PM, $20 + $35
Afro-Cuban jazz always a treat with its unique rhythms.

> Jason Derulo, Top 40 Hitmaker
Hard Rock Cafe, 1501 Broadway / 9PM, FREE
live performance and autograph session to promote his new record “Everything Is 4.”

> Maria Schneider Orchestra (June 2-6)
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St. / 8:30PM +11PM, $45
a very fine large ensemble celebrates the release of their latest album, first in eight years.

> Aula Harmoniae
Renaissance and Baroque Music from the Iberian Peninsula
St. Bartholomew’s Church, 325 Park Ave / 1:15 pm, $10 suggested donation
written for flauto traverso, viola da gamba, and harpsichord.

> New York City Ballet Spring 2015 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
DHK Theater (at Lincoln Center) / 7:30PM, $59-$164
Music by Felix Mendelssohn / Choreography by George Balanchine
catch the final performances of the spring season (closes June 6).
try the discount ticket window at the David Rubenstein Atrium.

> Terell Stafford Quintet (June 2-7)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. South / 8:30PM +10:30PM, $30
“Stafford’s new album, “Brotherlee Love,” is a tribute to Lee Morgan, the feistiest trumpeter of the hard-bop era, and it reveals a virile edge to his playing.” (NewYorker)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
> “Crack of the Bat: A History of Baseball on the Radio”
Bergino Baseball Clubhouse, 67 E11St. / 7PM, FREE, RSVP required.
who needs streaming MLB.com, when you have the radio.

> Outdoor Fest (May 29 – Jun 07)
various locations and times.
ten-day lineup of activities, classes and a range of outdoor activities
“outdoor yoga, fishing, walks, nature-film screenings, trivia, bouldering, surfing and, naturally, beer drinking—can’t miss that.” (TONY)

> Tasting Table’s Lobster Rumble
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125W18th St. / 6PM $165,
lobster lover heaven!
sample 25 versions of the crustacean-crammed sandwiches. plus, a ticket gets you an open bar, desserts from Ovenly and Sullivan Street Bakery.

Elsewhere, but looks worth the detour:
> Sundance Shorts / Rooftop Films
Metrotech Commons, 5 MetroTech Center / 9PM, FREE
highlights from Sundance 2015 include wild, weird and wonderful short films.

Bonus – Music Picks:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd dSt. bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 56 million visitors last year and is 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.
====================================================================================

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.

Here is a current exhibitions that TimeOutNY recommends:

Keith Edmier, “Regeneratrix” (through June 20)

KE_13_009L9Edmier worked in Hollywood doing model effects and it shows in his hyperrealistic plumbing of the uncanny valley. Cast in silicone copies of plants, animals, objects and people (including icons like Jackie Kennedy) is his eerie métier. Similarly, his strange relationship/collaboration with former Charlie’s Angel Farrah Fawcett yielded a pair of Greco-Roman nudes: one of artist by the star and vice versa. This show includes another off-center take on classicism with a monumental replica of one of the metal arches that supported the roof of the old Penn Station, which was itself modeled on Roman architecture. It’s exemplary of Edmier’s interest in exploring the overlap between histories, especially when it involves his own.
Petzel Gallery, 456 W 18th St. (btw 9/10 ave)
Tuesday – Saturday // 10AM – 6PM

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 06/02 and 05/31.

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

Selected Events (06/03) + Today’s Featured Pub (WestVillage)

Posted on 06/03/2015 by GregD

Today’s TOP 10 – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 03, 2015
“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
> Blue Note Jazz Festival – Savion Glover
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St. / 8PM + 10:30PM, $30 + $45
one of the last great tap dancers. his dazzling work keeps the art alive.

> Maria Schneider Orchestra (June 2-6)
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St. / 8:30PM +11PM, $45
this fine large ensemble celebrates the release of their latest album, first in eight years.

> New York City Ballet Spring 2015 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream
DHK Theater (at Lincoln Center)
Catch the final performances of the spring season (closes June 6).
Music by Felix Mendelssohn / Choreography by George Balanchine

> Terell Stafford Quintet (June 2-7)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. South / 8:30PM +10:30PM, $30
“Stafford’s new album, “Brotherlee Love,” is a tribute to Lee Morgan, the feistiest trumpeter of the hard-bop era, and it reveals a virile edge to his playing.” (NewYorker)

> Noah Preminger Group
55 Bar, 55 Christopher St. / 10PM,
“tenor saxophonist Preminger recording here for a future live album.” (NYT-Chinen)

Elsewhere, but this sure looks worth the detour:
> Chaka Khan / Celebrate Brooklyn! 2015
Prospect Park Bandshell, 9th Street / Prospect Park West
who better to open the festival and celebrate Bklyn with, than this soul/funk diva.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
> SciCafe | Flipping the Genetic Switch:
Discovering the “Rules” of Human Variation
American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St. / 7PM, FREE
How and why do the same genes work differently in different people? Let’s find out.

> Outdoor Fest (May 29 – Jun 07)
various locations and times.
ten-day lineup of activities, classes and a range of outdoor activities
“outdoor yoga, fishing, walks, nature-film screenings, trivia, bouldering, surfing and, naturally, beer drinking—can’t miss that.” (TONY)

> Word for Word: Family Drama Novelists
Bryant Park, Avenue of the Americas, at 40th St. / 12:30PM, FREE
Robin Kall, host of the radio program “Reading With Robin,” moderates a talk about family novels as part of Bryant Park’s Word for Word series.

> Oscar-Winning Composer Alan Menken in Conversation
David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center / 7:30PM, FREE
Menken discusses the artistic process with emerging playwright and songwriter Mitnick.

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’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.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 56 million visitors last year and is 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 / West Village

Corner Bistro / 331 W. 4th St.

Sometimes you just need a beer and a burger. If so, Corner Bistro is the place you want. Located just outside the hip Meatpacking district, this corner bar and grill is decidedly unhip, but it’s not uncrowded, especially at night. Seems that everyone knows this place has one of the better burgers in town.

kac_120405_phude_corner_bistro_bar_1000-600x450In the maze of streets known as the West Village, where West 4th intersects with West 12th (and West 11th, and West 10th, go figure), you will eventually find Corner Bistro on the corner of West 4th and Jane Street. An unassuming neighborhood tavern, it looks just like dozens of other taverns around town.

The bartender tells me that the Corner Bistro celebrated it’s 50th anniversary last year. The well worn interior tells me that the place itself is much older.

Corner Bistro has outlasted many of those other taverns around town because they know how to keep it simple — just good burgers and beer, fairly priced. The classic bistro Burger is only $6.75, and should be ordered medium rare, which will be plenty rare for most folks. Actually, it will be a juicy, messy delight – make sure you have extra napkins. I like to pull up a stool and sit by the large front window in the afternoon, where I can rest my burger and beer on the shelf, and watch the Villagers walk by.

Corner Bistro seems to attract very different groups of patrons depending on time of day. While it’s crowded with locals in the evening, in the afternoon you hear different foreign languages, and watch groups of euro tourists wander in, led by their guidebooks and smartphones.

For the classic Bistro experience, order your burger with a McSorley’s draft, the dark preferably. This is the same beer that you can get over at the original McSorley’s in the East Village, the pub that claims to be the oldest continually operating bar in NYCity. The only difference is that this McSorley’s ale is served with a smile by the bartenders here. Or you can get a Sierra Nevada, Stella, or Hoegaarden on tap if you want to go upscale a bit. Either way this is a simple, but quality burger and beer experience that is just too rare these days (sorry for the pun).
=========================================================
Website: cornerbistrony.com
Phone #: 212-242-9502
Hours: 11:30am-4am Mon-Sat; 12pm-4am Sun
Happy Hour: NO
Music: Juke Box
Subway: #1/2/3 to 14th St. (S end of platform)
Walk 2 blk W. on 13th St. to 8th Ave.; 1 blk S. on 8th Ave. to Jane St.
Update:

===========================================================================================
“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.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Selected Events (06/02) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s 5th Avenue

Posted on 06/02/2015 by GregD

Today’s TOP 10 – TUESDAY, JUNE 02, 2015
“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
> Blue Note Jazz Festival – Robert Cray Band
B.B. King’s Blues Club, 237 W42nd St. / 8PM, $55
this 5 time Grammy winner is one of the best blues guitarists around.

> Maria Schneider Orchestra (June 2-6)
Birdland, 315 W. 44th St. / 8:30PM +11PM,
this fine large ensemble celebrates the release of their latest album, first in eight years.

> Terell Stafford Quintet (June 2-7)
Village Vanguard, 178 Seventh Ave. South / 8:30PM +10:30PM,
“Stafford’s new album, “Brotherlee Love,” is a tribute to Lee Morgan, the feistiest trumpeter of the hard-bop era, and it reveals a virile edge to his playing.” (NewYorker)

> 7th Annual Hudson Square Music and Wine Festival (Tuesdays until Aug 25)
Pete Molinari (Full Band) w/ Julia Haltigan
City Winery on Varick St.

> Museum of Modern Art’s After-Party in the Garden, With the Weeknd
Museum of Modern Art, ccc / 9PM,
Canadian R&B singer was on the “Fifty Shades of Grey” soundtrack.

> Aaron Goldberg Trio
Dizzy’s Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th St. and Broadway / 7:30PM +9:30PM,
“The pianist Aaron Goldberg has a strong recent album, “The Now,” that captures his balance of modern-jazz refinement and sophisticated-pop lyricism.’ (Chinen-NYT)

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
> John Palfrey: Bibliotech: Why Libraries Matter More than Ever in the Age of Google
Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 5th ave (btw 40/39 St.) / 6:30PM, FREE
how do we find info online and what is the role of libraries to teach us theses skills.

> Outdoor Fest (May 29 – Jun 07)
various locations and times. better get this in before the rains come.
ten-day lineup of activities, classes and a range of outdoor activities
“outdoor yoga, fishing, walks, nature-film screenings, trivia, bouldering, surfing and, naturally, beer drinking—can’t miss that.” (TONY)

> Dick Cavett: “Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments and Assorted Hijinks.”
Irish Arts Center, 553 W51st St. / 7:30PM, $12
reflecting on Hollywood, culture and the absurdities of everyday life.

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
> The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos – Secret Science Club.
Bell House, 149 7th St. (Bklyn. of all places)

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

> The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos – Secret Science Club.
Bell House, 149 7th St., nr 2nd Ave. Gowanus, Bklyn.
subway: F train to 9th St./ walk E 1 blk to 2nd Ave.; N 2 blks to 7th St.

17-atmd1Theoretical physicist, best-selling author and Star Trek writer Leonard Mlodinow takes us on a spin through the history of science and human progress—from the invention of stone tools to theories of quantum physics. It’s going to be epic! (ThoughtGallery.org)
Here’s what Stephen Hawking has to say about this: “Mlodinow never fails to make science both accessible and entertaining.”

Leonard Mlodinow’s previous books include Subliminal (winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Award), The Grand Design (with Stephen Hawking), The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, War of the Worldviews (with Deepak Chopra) and Feynman’s Rainbow. (Did we mention that he wrote for MacGyver and Star Trek: The Next Generation?) Dr. Mlodinow received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the UC Berkeley, was an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow at the Max Planck Institute, and was on the faculty of the California Institute of Technology. His latest book is The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos.

Before & After
–Sip our improbable cocktail of the night, the Quantum Theory
–Groove to out-of-this-world tunes
–Snag a signed copy of Leonard Mlodinow’s new book, The Upright Thinkers
–Stick around for the cosmic Q&A!
all this info from ThoughtGallery a really fine site for NYCity event info. Check It Out.

Bonus – Music Venues:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St. / citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. / joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34 W22nd St. / metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. / lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St. / beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237 W42nd St. / bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 56 million visitors last year and is 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)

Metropolitan Museum of Art:
‘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)

Uklanski_DIGITAL_Poster‘Fatal Attraction: Piotr Uklanski Selects From The Met Collection’ (through June 14) Complementing the survey of his photographs, the artist has orchestrated 80 works from the museum’s holdings — along with a few of his own — into a mesmerizing display meditating on sex and death. Consisting mostly of photographs, it is bolstered by paintings by Dali and Cranach sculptures from several cultures and several surprises. Scratch any artist of note, even a post-modern one, and you often find a connoisseur. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Smith)

‘Fatal Attraction: Piotr Uklanski Photographs’ (through Aug. 16)
A small but succinct survey of the multimedia bad-boy artist’s polymorphous relationship to photography shows him constantly changing scale, film and printing methods while exploring the medium’s ability to startle, seduce and become generic. He appropriates, imitates and pays homage as he goes, regularly invoking his Polish roots. Don’t miss the large photo-banners in the museum’s Great Hall or the massive fiber-sculpture monument to the eye and to insatiable looking. 212-535-7710, metmuseum.org. (Smith)

Neue Galerie:
‘Egon Schiele: Portraits’ (through Sept. 07)
zakovsek_1“Of the approximately 125 items in this terrific show, there are only 11 oil paintings, which is a good thing. Except for a large picture of his wife, Edith, in a colorful striped dress, Schiele’s works on canvas are dark and turgid. But his drawings are nimble and nuanced. Working on paper with pencil, charcoal, ink, gouache, watercolor and crayons, he portrayed himself and others with infectious avidity. There’s hardly a single sheet here that doesn’t warrant close looking for its virtuoso draftsmanship and psychological acuity. 1048 Fifth Avenue, at 86th Street, 212-628-6200, neuegalerie.org. “(Johnson)

Guggenheim Museum:
Kandinsky Before Abstraction, 1901–1911 (through spring 2015)
ex_Kandinsky_Landscape-near-Murnau-with-Locomotive_490Early in his career Vasily Kandinsky experimented with printmaking, produced brightly-colored landscapes of the German countryside, and explored recognizable and recurrent motifs. This intimate exhibition drawn from the Guggenheim collection explores the artist’s representational origins.

El Museo del Barrio:
‘Under the Mexican Sky: Gabriel Figueroa, Art and Film’ (through June 27)
Painting with light is one way to define the cinematographer’s task, and it describes the art of Gabriel Figueroa (1907-1997), who worked with some of the leading international film directors of his time and was a national hero in his native Mexico, the supreme painter-in-light of Mexicanidad. How do you put this particular kind of art across in a museum — art that is as much about time as it is about material, as much about flux as it is about fixity? This show, which mixes Figueroa film clips with paintings and prints by some of Mexico’s greatest artists and in the process utterly transforms El Museo’s interior spaces, gives an enthralling answer. 1230 Fifth Avenue, at 104th Street, East Harlem, 212-831-7272, elmuseo.org. (Cotter)

Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum (continuing):
rendering-3The stately doors of the 1902 Andrew Carnegie mansion, home to the Cooper Hewitt, are open again after an overhaul and expansion of the premises. Historic house and modern museum have always made an awkward fit, a standoff between preservation and innovation, and the problem remains, but the renovation has brought a wide-open new gallery space, a cafe and a raft of be-your-own-designer digital enhancements. Best of all, more of the museum’s vast permanent collection is now on view, including an Op Art weaving, miniature spiral staircases, ballistic face masks and a dainty enameled 18th-century version of a Swiss knife. Like design itself, this institution is built on tumult and friction, and you feel it. 2 East 91st Street, at Fifth Avenue, 212-849-8400, cooperhewitt.org. (Cotter)

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

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 05/31 and 05/29.
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Selected Events (06/01) + Today’s Featured Pub (Greenwich Village)

Posted on 06/01/2015 by GregD

Today’s TOP 10 – MONDAY, JUNE 01, 2015
“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
> Blue Note Jazz Festival – Lee Konitz Quartet
Blue Note, 131 W3rd St. / 8PM + 10:30PM, $20 + $30
alto saxophonist icon Lee Konitz starts the festival off tonight on the right note.

> Night of a Thousand Judys
Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, 129 W67th St. / 8PM, $30+$60
cast of singers from the worlds of Broadway and cabaret in a birthday salute.

> Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
Highline Ballroom, 431 W16th St. / 7:30PM, $30+$50
this old and influential folk singer is still going strong.
Bob Dylan called him the king of the folk singers.

> Rebirth Brass Band, a true New Orleans institution
The Cutting Room, 44 E32nd St. / 7:30PM, $75
a special benefit concert featuring a performance by Grammy-winning artist Rebirth Brass Band. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Roots of Music’s after school music education programs for underserved youth in New Orleans. The price of admission includes access to an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, and more.

> “The Tempest” (thru July 5) / Shakespeare in the Park
Central Park, Delacorte Theater / 8PM, FREE
actor Sam Waterston, makes his 13th Shakespearean production.
FREE tickets are available via a lottery system. check The Public Theater website.

Elsewhere, but this looks worth the detour:
> Ride
Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 N. 6th St., Bklyn / 8:30PM, may need to stub hub this one.
melodic psychedelic rockers reunited, on first tour in 20 years.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
> Taste of Times Square
W46th St. (btw Broadway / 9th ave) / 5-9PM, (dishes from $2-$6)
over 50 restaurants offer a taste of their best. this is my fave food fest of the year.
event is rain or shine, now if only the rain will hold off.

> Outdoor Fest (May 29 – Jun 07)
various locations and times. better get this in before the rains come.
ten-day lineup of activities, classes and a range of outdoor activities
“outdoor yoga, fishing, walks, nature-film screenings, trivia, bouldering, surfing and, naturally, beer drinking—can’t miss that.” (TONY)

> Ralph Nader
Book Culture, 450 Columbus Ave./ 6PM, FREE
Ralph keeps plugging along. double book talk: “Return to Sender“and “Unstoppable”

> “Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly: Two Masters of Song and Dance”
with Mel Haber
Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 5th ave (btw 40/39 St.)
an illustrated lecture, with many videos of both of them performing in films.

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

> Taste of Times Square
W46th St. (btw Broadway / 9th ave) / 5-9PM, (dishes from $2-$6)

there is an upside to the probable wet weather – smaller crowds and lines.
Taste of Times Square 2014

“More than fifty Times Square restaurants will be represented, including BB King Blues Club & Grill, Buffalo Wild Wings, Junior’s, Havana Central Restaurant & Bar, Le Rivage, John’s of Times Square, Hard Rock Café, The House of Brews, Bourbon Street Bar & Grille, E&E Grill House, Da Rosina, Paramount Bar & Grill, Bareburger, Applebee’s, Barbetta , Crossroads American Kitchen & Bar, The View Restaurant & Lounge, Virgil’s Real BBQ, Carmine’s Restaurant, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Bubba Gump Shrimp, The Palm Restaurant, Guy’s American Kitchen & Bar, Becco, Doubletree Suites, Blue Fin, La Pulperia, O’Lunney’s, Patzeria Perfect Pizza, Hourglass Tavern, Sangria 46, Ruby Foo’s,  Planet Hollywood, Brasserie 1605, Orso, Joe Allen’s, Playwright Celtic Pub & Restaurant, Paul’s on Times Square, Dos Caminos, URBO, The Rum House, Meson Sevilla, Schnipper’s, Shake Shack, and Toloache.

While the dishes are the main draw, Taste of Times Square features street musicians provided by the Hard Rock Cafe Times Square, including Baby Soda Jazz Band, classical guitarist Don Witter Jr., Drum Café, The Ebony Hillbillies performing bluegrass, Paul Mueller with a hammered dulcimer, Sean Grissom on the Cello, and StreetMule.” (cityguideny.com)

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’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 56 million visitors last year and is 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’. ”

maxresdefaultEach 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. ================================================================================

◊ For all my picks of 54 Good Eating places, with expanded descriptions, maps with contact info, 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” ($3.99, available Summer 2015).
◊ Order before Aug. 31, 2015 and receive a bonus – 27 of my favorite casual dining places on Manhattan’s WestSide with free Wi-Fi.
========================================================

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Selected Events (05/31) + Museum Special Exhibitions: Manhattan’s WestSide

Posted on 05/31/2015 by GregD

Today’s TOP 10 – SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2015
“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 complete event info)

Music, Dance, Performing Arts
> Hidden Treasures: Songs of Larry Kerchner
Birdland, 315 W44th St. (btw 8/9 ave.) / 6PM, $25
a wide range of performers join in celebrating the Kirchner songbook.

> Mary Stallings
Smoke Jazz Club, 2751 Broadway, at 106th St. / 7PM, 9PM, 10:30PM, $45
“A jazz singer of soulful instinct and deep experience, Ms. Stallings’ fine new album “Feelin’ Good,” frames her voice against seasoned accompanists.” (Chinen – NYT)

> Wendy Whelan: Restless Creature 
Joyce Theater, Chelsea, / 2pm. $10–$100.
described by The New York Times as “America’s greatest contemporary ballerina.”

> Arturo O’Farrill Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Birdland, 315 W44th St. (btw 8/9 ave.) / 9PM + 11PM, $30
Arturo is dedicated to preserving the music and heritage of big band Latin jazz.

> Betty Buckley:Dark Blue-Eyed Blues
Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St. / 7PM + 9PM, $25-$75
has been called “The Voice of Broadway,” and sold out her engagement last fall.

Smart Stuff / Other
(Lectures, Discussions, Book Talks, Literary Readings, Classes, Food & Drink, Other)
> World Science Festival (May 27–31)
various locations and times, check the website: worldsciencefestival.com.
more than 50 events, spread over five days and the city’s five boroughs.

> Vulture Festival (a New York Magazine event)
various times & locations, but most events are at Milk Studios, 450 W15th St.
talks, screenings, performances. the full lineup is at vulturefestival.com

> Outdoor Fest (May 29 – Jun 07)
various locations and times. better get this in before the rains come.
ten-day lineup of activities, classes and a range of outdoor activities.
“outdoor yoga, fishing, walks, nature-film screenings, trivia, bouldering, surfing and, naturally, beer drinking—can’t miss that.” (TONY)

> Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit
University Place, from East 13th Street to West Third Street, / 12-6PM, FREE
oil paintings, watercolors, crafts and jewelry. once Pollock and de Kooning were here.

> Book Con
Javits Center, 655 W. 34th St., / 11AM-5PM, $30
this is comic con for book nerds. an oxymoron? “fuses storytelling and pop culture.”

Have time for only one event today? Do this:

T/B/A

Bonus – Music Picks:
So much fine live music every night in this town. These are a few of my favorite music venues on Manhattan’s WestSide. Check out who’s playing tonight:
City Winery – 155 Varick St., citywinery.com, 212-608-0555
Joe’s Pub @ Public Theater – 425 Lafayette St. joespub.com, 212-967-7555
Metropolitan Room – 34W22ndSt., metropolitan room.com, 212-206-0440
Le Poisson Rouge – 158 Bleecker St. lepoissonrouge.com, 212-505-3474
Beacon Theatre – 2124 Broadway @ 74th St., beacontheatre.com, 212-465-6500
B.B. King’s Blues Bar – 237W42nd dSt. bbkingblues.com, 212-997-2144
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 56 million visitors last year and is 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 the expanded reviews of these exhibitions)

Museum of Modern Art:
‘One-Way Ticket: Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series and Other Visions of the Great Movement North’ (through Sept. 7)
imgres“In the early 20th century, tens of thousands of African Americans left the rural South for the industrial North in search of jobs, homes and respect. Officially, this MoMA show is meant to mark the centennial of that immense population shift, though it also marks another anniversary: the first time in two decades that all 60 paintings in Jacob Lawrence’s great “Migration Series,” now divided between New York and Washington, D.C., have been shown together at the museum. Here they are surrounded by period photographs, books and fabulous music in a display as stimulating to the mind and the ear as it is to the eye. 212-708-9400, moma.org.” (Cotter)

American Folk Art Museum:
‘When the Curtain Never Comes Down’ (through July 5)
EVB_caro“A sprawling, cacophony of objects, audiotapes, photographs and films is here orchestrated into a curatorial marvel. Strange and wonderful in numerous ways, the show sheds new light on the performance aspects of much outsider art while reminding us how eccentricity is not only basic to creativity but to personal liberty and democracy itself. 2 Lincoln Square, Columbus Avenue at 66th Street, 212-595-9533, folkartmuseum.org.” (Roberta Smith)

Museum of Arts and Design:
‘Richard Estes: Painting New York City’ (through Sept. 20)
images-1“The core of this show is a selection of vivid, Photorealist paintings of urban subjects like glass and chrome storefronts, movie theater marquees, cars and trucks, subways, the Brooklyn Bridge, views from the Staten Island Ferry and idyllic images of Central Park made between 1965 and 2015. The exhibition also includes didactic sections about the craft and technique that go into Mr. Estes painting and prints, but that aspect doesn’t fully deliver what it promises. 2 Columbus Circle, Manhattan, 212-299-7777,madmuseum.org.”(Johnson).
I LOVE THIS ONE.

Museum of Biblical Art:
timthumb‘Sculpture in the Age of Donatello: Renaissance Masterpieces From Florence Cathedral’ (through June 14) “This terrific 23-piece show features three major works by the early Renaissance sculptor Donatello (1386-1466), including the life-size statue of a bald prophet known as “lo Zuccone” or “Pumpkin Head,” which is widely considered the sculptor’s greatest work. Along with a half-dozen other works by or attributed to Donatello are sculptures by Nanni di Banco (circa 1386-1421), Donatello’s main competitor, including his monumental representation in marble of St. Luke. With the addition of a series of octagonal marble reliefs by Luca della Robbia and wooden models of the Florence Cathedral’s enormous dome attributed to its designer, Filippo Brunelleschi, the exhibition amounts to a tightly cropped snapshot of the birth of the Renaissance. 1865 Broadway, at 61st Street, 212-408-1500, mobia.org.”(Johnson)

=======================================================
For other selected Museum and Gallery Special Exhibitions see Recent Posts in right Sidebar dated 05/29 and 05/27.

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