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It’s Time to Indulge in Cider during New York City Cider Week, November 5-11

It’s that time of the year when the leaves are changing, apple picking becomes your go-to weekend activity, and cider donuts are all the rage.

New York City isn’t left out of the apple action, though, so don’t worry if you don’t have a car to get to those trees upstate or in New England.  And, in fact, New York City gives the apple event a spirited kick!

New York City Cider Week returns for the eighth time from November 5 through 11, showcasing New York State’s booming hard cider industry, which late last year saw the opening of Brooklyn Cider House – NYC’s first cidery, bar and restaurant under one roof.

Cider Week kicks off even before the actual week on Friday November 2 at The Bad Seed Brooklyn Taproom. Highlights of this year’s festival, spanning neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn, include The Lower East Cider Fest, a one-night-only takeover of the Essex Street Market, the city’s most historic public market and perfect setting to show off cider’s ability to elevate every culinary experience, on Thursday November 8.  Another high-profile event is Adventures in Heritage Cider: Unexpected Tastings with Cider in Love, focusing on the craftsmanship and quality of ciders made primarily from heirloom, wild, or cider-specific bittersweet and bittersharp apples, on Tuesday, November 6.

This year, Brooklyn Cider House has partnered with Cider Week to host two official closing events on November 11.  If you haven’t tried their raw cider, half sour cider, dry cider or kinda dry cider, this is a chance to enjoy them all, and admission is free.  1100 Flushing Avenue, 347.295.0308. https://www.brooklynciderhouse.com/

The day kicks off with the Bushwick Cider Festival and Market from 11 am – 4 pm. Brooklyn Cider House’s 12,000-sqare-foot venue will transform into a cider and food market where you’ll enjoy free cider tastings from a dozen different producers. There will also be delicious snacks to feast on from local food purveyors with craft cider available for purchase directly from many of the best producers in the state. Additionally, you can tour Brooklyn Cider House’s cidery and barrel room and sample (if you dare) some raw cider from 80-year old chestnut barrels. Try one of their mixable cider drinks, too, like the Ciderosa, a libation of fresh squeezed orange juice with bone dry cider.

The true finale to New York City Cider Week happens at  6pm, when Brooklyn Cider House hosts Meet the Makers – a five-course cider pairing dinner featuring an exciting array of hard ciders including Eve’s Cidery, Descendant Cider, Blackduck, Treasury Cider and Brooklyn Cider House, served to you by the producers themselves along with Executive Chef and Cider Maker Peter Yi. Tickets are $125 and can be bought in advance online. Seating is limited.

Participating cider makers throughout the week include Participating cider makers include: Angry Orchard (Walden), Bad Seed Cider (Highlands), Big Apple Hard Cider (New York City,) Black Diamond Cider (Trumansburg), Brooklyn Cider House (New Paltz), Descendant Cider (New York City), Diner Brew Co. (Mount Vernon), Doc’s Draft Hard Cider (Warwick), East Hollow Cider (Petersburgh), Embark Craft Cider (Williamson), Eve’s Cidery (Van Etten), Graft Cider (Newburgh), Hardscrabble Cider (North Salem), Hudson Valley Farmhouse Cider (Staatsburg) Kings Highway Fine Cider (Millerton), Kite & String Cider (Interlaken,) Metal House Cider (Esopus), Naked Flock (Warwick,) New York Cider Company (Ithaca), Nine Pin Cider (Albany), Orchard Hill Cider Mill (New Hampton), Original Sin Cider (New York City), Pennings Farm Cidery (Warwick), Rootstock Ciderworks (Williamson), Scrumpy Ewe Cider (Charlotteville), Slyboro Cider (Granville,) South Hill Cider (Ithaca), Steampunk Cider (Medina,) Treasury Cider (Hopewell Junction), Wayside Cider (Delhi), and Wölffer Estate Vineyard (Sagaponack).

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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Enjoy the Last Weeks of Patio Dining and Drinks in Brooklyn and Manhattan

Now that Hurricane Florence has finally passed and glorious weather is upon us, it’s time to dine outdoors again while the temperatures are still lovely. Here are some wonderful restaurants and bars with patios perfect for people-watching and soaking up the rays in these last few months before fall hits.

Brooklyn

Pig Beach, 480 Union St. Gowanus; www.pigbeachnyc.com

Pig Beach is the critically acclaimed outdoor barbecue restaurant located in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn from Chef Matt Abdoo (Del Posto) and award-winning barbecue teams, Salty Rinse and Ribdiculous Bar-B-Krewe. The all-star team here brings an eclectic barbecue-focused menu to the Gowanus waterfront showcasing barbecue varieties from around the United States. If you’re chilly, there’s also a large indoor space, now open year-round. Come here, first, for a canoe trip on the Gowanus – it’s an experience you’re unlikely to forget.

Gran Electrica, 5 Front St. DUMBO; http://granelectrica.com

Another Brooklyn favorite, Gran Electrica is the Bib Gourmand Mexican restaurant located underneath the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO. Gran Electric offers an authentic and market-driven Mexican menu inspired by traditional Mexican street fare. From hand-pressed heirloom corn tortillas made daily stuffed with lengua, cilantro, onion and radish, to day boat scallops marinated in aguachile, the cooking shows diversity of the many regions of Mexico. The beverage program incorporates Mexican flavors with seasonal ingredients and also features an expansive agave list with more than 50 types of tequila, mezcal, racilla and sotol. The large outdoor area has a breathtaking view of the Brooklyn Bridge. To get here, rent a Citi Bike from Chinatown and bike over the Manhattan Bridge.

Sauvage, 905 Lorimer St, Greenpoint; www.sauvageny.com

Sauvage, meaning wild in French, is a neighborhood restaurant in Greenpoint, founded by the team behind James Beard Award-winning oyster bar and cocktail den Maison Premiere. The decor, cocktails, and wine all add to the restaurant’s distinct dining experience, creating an outdoor “natural” environment with a lush profusion of planted herbs and botanicals filling the restaurant. Facing nearby McCarren Park, the sun-filled restaurant has a lovely outdoor seating

Manhattan

The Smith Restaurant & Bar, Lincoln Square, Upper West Side; https://thesmithrestaurant.com

The Smith offers a wonderful choice for patio dining after an evening at any of the ballet, music and theater venues at Lincoln Center or Jazz at Lincoln Center on Columbus Circle. Under the direction of Executive Chef Brian Ellis, The Smith’s menu features bistro classics and seasonal fare from local farmers and purveyors. The restaurant has a popular craft cocktail program with house-made ingredients featured and an extensive wine selection which includes more than 20 wines by the glass or carafe.

Bowery Road & Library of Distilled Spirits, Union Square;

www.boweryroad.com; www.libraryofdistilledspirits.com

Taking its inspiration as well as ingredients from the nearby Union Square Greenmarket, Bowery Road is an all-day restaurant serving market-driven fare from Chef Ron Rosselli.  Some of the seasonal appetizers include pinto bean hummus with mole spice, seeds and flatbread; roasted carrots with pine nut cream and garlic-honey vinaigrette; marinated beet salad with avocado cream, pomelo, hearts of palm, and almond dukkah. Main courses mix vegetarian with meat-centric choices such as the Union Square Market grain bowl with farro, quinoa, lentils, avocado, broccoli, mushrooms, and sunflower; or Niman pork adobo with mango, radish, onion and corn crepes.

Together with adjacent craft-cocktail destination Library of Distilled Spirits, where more than 1200 different spirits are offered, Bowery Road gives a Manhattan sidewalk-patio dining experience that’s unusual in its spaciousness. Happy hour is popular here as a stop en route to the nearby subway hub, serving up a menu of well-priced cocktails, wines , beer and a shareable bucket and beer filled with fried chicken, two draught beers and snacks.

Vinatería, 2211 Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem; www.vinaterianyc.com

At this beloved Harlem neighborhood restaurant, market-driven and vibrant dishes celebrate the rich culinary traditions of Italy and Spain. Cult favorites like spicy veal meatballs with creamy parmigiano polenta, or fresh rosemary pappardelle with lamb ragu attract a clientele of both locals and visitors. Vinateria’s expansive wine list is chosen from small producers and is full of surprising yet accessible finds, while the artisan cocktail program uses house-made tinctures, seasonal produce and fresh-grown herbs from the restaurant’s own garden. A large outside patio wraps around the restaurant (a corner building), seating 40.

Tavern on the Green, Outdoor Courtyard, Upper West Side; www.tavernonthegreen.com

Tavern on the Green’s outdoor courtyard is the perfect Central Park location for brunch, lunch, and dinner under the soft glow of string lights. Seasonal dishes from Chef Bill Peet include seared yellowfin tuna nicoise salad, miso marinated glazed marrow bone, wild mushroom toast on brioche, and smoked salmon tartine, with trout caviar. The bar at the top of the courtyard offers a separate setting for beer, wine, and cocktails such as white peach sangria, and the refreshing Hot as a Cucumber craft cocktail made with vodka, jalapeño, fennel, and cucumber. Enjoy a wonderful walk in the park to get here – the restaurant is located off Central Park West at West 67th Street or via the interior roadway encircling the park.

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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Off-Broadway Week: 2-for-1 Tickets Starting September 24 on Sale Now

Off-Broadway fans will love NYC & Company’s 10th Off-Broadway Week, from September 24 through October 7.  Tickets are now on sale at 2-for -1 pricing for 38 productions. If you’ve never seen an Off-Broadway show, this is the time to try out something new. Theater in NYC is much more than blockbuster musicals and long-running plays on Broadway – there’s much to love about the creative productions often set in much smaller, more intimate theaters. And the values are terrific.

Some of the shows offered include critically acclaimed musical Avenue Q, formerly on Broadway, Drunk Shakespeare, revivals of Jersey Boys and Smokey Joe’s Café, and fan favorites Gazillion Bubble Show, Puffs and STOMP.

All tickets are subject to availability, so hurry to purchase yours now. Tickets for the 10th NYC Off-Broadway Week can be purchased now at nycgo.com/off-broadway-week.

The 38 shows participating in NYC Off-Broadway Week Fall 2018 are:

  • Apologia
  • Avenue Q
  • Because I Could Not Stop: An Encounter with Emily Dickinson
  • Blue Man Group
  • The Book of Merman
  • Desperate Measures
  • Drunk Shakespeare
  • El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba
  • Final Follies
  • Gazillion Bubble Show
  • Gloria: A Life
  • I Was Most Alive with You
  • The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking
  • India Pale Ale
  • Jersey Boys
  • The Marvelous Wonderettes
  • Midnight at The Never Get
  • Monday Night Magic
  • Naked Boys Singing
  • NEWSical The Musical
  • Neurosis: A Musical That Gets in Your Head
  • On Beckett
  • Perfect Crime
  • Popcorn Falls
  • Puffs, Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic
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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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The Weather Is Great: Let’s Dine Outdoors in NYC

They’re promising that the temperature will drop in the next day or two. So? It’s time to score a seat at some of the best outdoor dining options in New York City. These seats are notoriously the hardest to book, so don’t delay. We can still enjoy dining al fresco at least until early November.

Akrotiri (29-20 30th Avenue, Astoria, NY, (718) 726-2447, www.akrotiritaverna.com)

Escape the chaos of Manhattan and take the N or W train to Astoria’s hottest Greek restaurant, Akrotiri. The 45-seat outdoor area in front of the Queens restaurant is the perfect place for serious people-watching while enjoying dishes by Chef Nicholas Poulmentis, a Greek native who studied at Le Cordon Bleu. I suggest his modern take on traditional Greek taramosalata, which he infuses here with herring roe, truffles and squid ink; or the popular goggizes, goat cheese pasta in aji amarillo beurre blanc topped with Brazilian lobster and Mangalitsa bacon. Take in the warm temperatures while sipping on a glass of Greek wine from their extensive list of organic and natural wines.

The Cannibal (113 East 29th Street, NYC, (212) 685-5585, cannibalnyc.com)

For those scorching “Indian summer” days when it’s just too hot to sit outside, spend your time in The Cannibal’s enclosed beer garden instead. The space is decorated with communal-style tables and backyard greenery so you’ll feel like you’re sitting outdoors even though you’re staying cool inside. Dine in the hidden backyard and indulge in meat-centric dishes like The Royalton Burger with dry-aged Wagyu beef, beef heart, malted bacon jam, smoked tomato, Vermont cheddar and frisee. Don’t worry, though, the name belies the restaurant’s farm and veggie orientation as well.

DaDong (3 Bryant Park, NYC, (212) 355-9600, dadongny.com)

Relax under DaDong’s second-floor wooden pergolas and take in the views of the Bryant Park and Theater District while drinking and dining on the Garden Terrace. The expansive 150-seat terrace features an outdoor bar, dining and lounge space, serving as a veritable oasis in midtown Manhattan. You can cool down with a frosé cocktail and chilled oysters on the half shell from the Raw Bar. A tranquil reflecting pool is at the center of the terrace, surrounded by potted plants and water sculptures by Chinese artist Zheng Lu. If you’re looking for a quieter evening, head to the Chef’s Tasting Floor on the third level, where you can dine al fresco in DaDong’s intimate balcony while enjoying a special multi-course Chinese feast with distinctive wine and tea pairings.

Merakia (5 West 21st Street, NYC, 212 380-1950, merakia.com)

Newly re-opened, Flatiron’s Greek Steakhouse, Merakia is a destination for superb wining, dining and people watching. The doors that line the front of the restaurant open out into the street so you can enjoy an indoor-outdoor dining experience. Be sure to try Merakia’s signature keftedes and spit-roasted lamb. If you’re not familiar with Greek wines, this is the place to experiment – the wine list is expansive.

Zen Taco (522 Columbus Avenue, NYC, (212) 787-3473, zentacousa.com)

It’s always summer where Latin meets Asian fare at Zen Taco. Sit outdoors and pretend you’re on the Riviera Maya while you sample fusion dishes including signature tacos, noodles and bowls. Popsicle-inspired Poptail cocktails keep the summer momentum going like the Strawberry Fressada, a strawberry lemonade Popsicle in a glass of tequila and strawberry liqueur. Or have a Peach Sangria, a sangria popsicle in a glass of peach liqueur.

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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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It’s Broadway Week! Time for Two-for-one Broadway Tickets and Great Eats

Broadway Week, from September 3-16, lets you buy two-for-one tickets to 24 of Broadway’s hottest shows. Several of the shows are already sold out, but some of the hottest ones available include SpongeBob SquarePants (catch it before it closes this month), My Fair Lady (at Lincoln Center), The Play That Goes Wrong (hilarious British farce), Tony-award winner Once on This Island, Waitress and family-fave Wicked. https://www.nycgo.com/broadway-week

There are many places where you can dine near the theaters, but here are some of my favorites for both family and date-night dining.

Sen Sakana (28 West 44th Street, 212-221-9560)

New York City’s first modern Nikkei restaurant is set in an expansive two-level restaurant closer to the Sixth Avenue theaters. Offering a four-course prix-fixe menu from 5pm-6:30pm Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday, Sen Sakana invites you to start with either chicken or miso soup; select an appetizer from a list including house-crafted tofu, Japanese chicken curry empanadas, spicy tuna maki and Black Feather chicken wings (my personal favorite). For the main course, Chicken Nanban is a must-order as well as the sushi combination plate or ton katsu. The restaurant has an extensive craft cocktail menu including a variety of sakes and piscos, complementing the mix of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine served, along with a global list of wines. The perfect ending? Sen Sakana’s unusual ice creams.

Green Fig (570 Tenth Avenue, 646-449-7790)

A short walk from the Broadway theaters, Green Fig in the Yotel has a beautiful outdoor rooftop and indoor space for dining on Mediterranean fare. The menu features dishes such as fried cauliflower, flatbreads, kebabs and salads. The terrace also has a new grill where you can order grilled watermelon steak (it’s amazing), burgers, hot dogs and more. Refreshing cocktails like The Purple Bee, a gin, lemon juice and honey-lavender syrup potion; and the Watermelon Moonlight made with watermelon, ruby red moonshine and lemon juice are popular choices. Take a few minutes to check out the cabaret entertainment line-up at Green Room 42 on the same floor as the main dining room.

Carmine’s (200 West 44th Street, 212-221-3800)

Legendary Carmine’s Italian Restaurant is the go-to for family dining. Known for their large portions, Carmine’s serves all dishes family-style including meatballs, chicken parmigiana, and gluten-free and regular pastas, and veal dishes. Just as huge and every bit as popular is their enormous Titanic ice cream sundae for dessert. Plan to bring your appetites and enjoy! Carmine’s is close to most of the Broadway theaters as well – perfect for kids!

Virgil’s (152 West 44th Street, 212-921-9494)

Sister restaurant to Carmine’s and also set in the center of Times Square, Virgil’s specializes in real BBQ with Southern (and Midwest) flavors. All Virgil’s meats are slow cooked over indirect heat for maximum tenderness and flavor. Around-the-country favorites include Memphis-style pork spare ribs, Texas beef brisket, Carolina pulled pork and Kansas City fried chicken. For the kids, place mats for coloring and a special menu will keep them satisfied before their Broadway experience.

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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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SummerStage Brings Free Concerts to New York City

SummerStage is a largely free outdoor concert and performing arts series scheduled in 18 parks throughout New York City during the five summer months (through September).

The end of August shows are particularly exciting and will have you on your feet with rhythms, dance, and music befitting the hot “dog days” of summer.

The week of August 21 scheduling includes a screening of “Mr. Gaga,” the story of choreographer Ohad Naharin and his signature movement language developed during his tenure as artistic director of contemporary dance powerhouse Batsheva Dance Company. Starting this film-oriented evening on August 22 will be a performance by GALLIM, whose artistic director, Andrea Miller, was a Batsheva company member and is now forging her own path with her Brooklyn-based company. The program begins at 6pm and is free. Central Park, Rumsey Playfield, enter at 72nd Street.  For more information, visit https://cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage/.

Eddie Palmieri

On Sunday night, August 26, the tempo kicks up salsa-style with a free concert from salsero Tony Vega and Grammy Award-winning Latin jazz band leader Eddie Palmieri, who will be performing with his band La Perfecta. While bleacher seating is available at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park (enter on 72nd Street, off Fifth Avenue), you’ll want to be on your feet closer to the stage to dance to the rhythms of this amazing musical group. The show starts at 6pm. Refreshments are available.

One of the most anticipated events in New York City also happens this week, the 26th edition of the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, which runs from August 24 through August 26, with free concerts, panel discussions and workshops. There will be live performances in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park, near where Parker worked, and in Tompkins Square Park, near where Parker lived. (Note the house near East 10th Street with the Charlie Parker plaque on it). This year’s highlights include a celebration of Charles Tolliver’s Paper Man with Jack DeJohnette, Gary Bartz, Buster Williams; Monty Alexander and the Harlem Kingston Express; and a special commission with trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, Immanuel Wilkins, and Joel Ross.  Shows in Marcus Garvey Park are scheduled for Friday August 24 at 7pm, Saturday August 25 at 3pm, and Sunday August 26 at 3pm.  All concerts are free.

Many of the shows are benefits and the City Parks Foundation depends on contributions to keep this wonderful free series alive for all to enjoy.

https://cityparksfoundation.org/summerstage/

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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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