Stuff to Do

AllNY.com's look at things to do in NYC written by New Yorkers for New Yorkers and serious New York tourists.

Summer and Spring Cruises around Manhattan Return via Classic Harbor Line

You may not afford a yacht in NYC but Classic Harbor Line can let you spend this spring and summer cruising around the islands of NYC on gorgeous, wooden Gatsby-era motor and sailing yachts, built in Albany, New York  with 100% all made-in-America materials. Classic Harbor Line — designer, builder and operator of classically inspired yachts — offers year-round tours, sails and cruises in New York Harbor. You can make a full day of it, too, starting your evening experience with a day visit to the High Line, a bite at Chelsea Market, or some time at the new Whitney Museum. http://www.sail-nyc.com/

One of my favorites of their cruises is the annual Architecture Tour, a natural in a city with a skyline like New York City’s. This year’s tour will include sneak previews of Staten Island’s Freshkills Park, the world’s largest sustainable park project and the city’s most exciting land reclamation project. Vegetation, wildlife and pristine wandering waterways now fill this once-active landfill area. http://www.nycgovparks.org/park-features/freshkills-park
A foodie lover cruise, Chef Morimoto’s Sushi and Sake Cruise happens on Monday nights.  Eat and drink with a fantastic menu from the master chef, all with a beautiful backdrop of the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, and New Jersey (yes, New Jersey is growing up!).  http://www.morimotonyc.com
For families, the “Around Manhattan” brunch cruises run every Saturday and Sunday morning on the luxury yacht Manhattan. Food options happily include gluten-free choices, complimentary brunch cocktails, and selections for even the youngest guests.
Full-day cruises to Bear Mountain are a great way to escape the city and get physical as well. The program combines a stunning cruise up the Hudson River with hiking and exploring (or relaxing) in beautiful Bear Mountain Park and a cruise back to the city on a luxury yacht.  Breakfast is included on the outbound trip, with a picnic lunch on the return.
Specific dates for all cruises are listed online at  http://www.sail-nyc.com/
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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Food Truck Rally at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park Kicks off Spring and Summer Season

You know it’s truly spring (and almost summer) when food truck events kick into high gear.  This weekend marks the start of the beloved Brooklyn Food Truck Rally in Prospect Park.

Food Truck RallyOn Sunday April 14, head to Grand Army Plaza for some of the best outdoor eats in New York. Brought to you by the NYC Food Truck Association in conjunction with Prospect Park, the Food Truck Rally will be held from 11am-5pm, with dishes representing the diversity of the city’s cuisine and population. (Other food truck events are scheduled through the fall on 4/26, 5/3, 5/17, 6/7, 6/28, 7/12, 7/19, 8/2, 8/16, 8/30, 9/20, 10/4, 10/18).

Twelve to sixteen trucks will participate per event including Andy’s Italian Ices, Brooklyn Organic, Carl’s Steaks, Carpe Donut NYC, Coolhaus, DUB Pies  - The Pie Truck, Gorilla Cheese NYC, Kelvin Natural Slush Co., Kimchi Taco Truck, Milk Truck, Neapolitan Express, Nuchas, Papaya King, Phil’s Steaks, Ponti Rossi, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Snowday, Taïm Mobile, Toum and more.

Some of my favorites:

Coolhaus

Cool HausHailing from LA, the Coolhaus ice cream-sandwich truck has entrenched itself into New York City foodie culture. Coolhaus has an “out there” menu of all-natural handmade ice creams of classic and seasonal varieties with flavors like horchata (vegan), dirty mint chip, and lychee martini, packed between two cookies that are equally as creative (think gluten-free peanut butter miso or red velvet, for example).  All this comes wrapped in an edible paper made of potato with soy ink.  How cool is that!  http://www.eatcoolhaus.com

Red Hook Lobster Pound

Red HookAnother truck shaking up the food truck world again, Red Hook Lobster Pound brings its Big Red truck to Prospect Park.  With lobster bought fresh from Maine every week, the Pound’s lobster rolls are sweet and delicious and served correctly, IMHO, on a J.J. Nissen roll from Portland, Maine. You can add a sweet finale with another Maine delicacy, homemade whoopee pies.

Kelvin Natural Slush

Kevin SlushThis continues to be one of my absolute favorites and one with some of the longest lines of all (a hint: head there first).  With their distinctive slush flavors including Spicy Ginger, Tangy Citrus or Green & Black Tea, combined with your choice of real puréed fruit, fresh chopped mint and basil, pomegranate seeds and other natural mix-ins, Kelvin’s all-natural slushies are the perfect accompaniment to the day.  If they’re offering their “special” of the day, definitely go for it.  And, happily, it’s another blue truck!  http://www.kelvinslush.com/

Milk Truck

Milk TruckIf you’re hungering for a taste of your childhood, or if you brought kids with you, the Milk Truck is the place for you. Serving up delicious, fresh grilled cheese sandwiches, the Milk Truck has a varying menu of sandwiches, some purely cheese and others with ham and other goodies thrown in.  http://www.milktruckgrilledcheese.com

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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Pippin’s Circus Troupe Performs at City Center: April 16-26

Sequence 8If you loved the amazing acrobats and circus acts in Tony-award winner Pippin, you won’t want to miss Séquence 8, a stunning nouveau cirque performance by Les 7 Doigts de la Main from Montreal. Canada seems to be the homeland of death-defying, creative and gorgeous acrobatics.  Think Cirque du Soleil but with hip hop, theater, skateboarding, dynamic music and the acrobatics and humor that we’ve come to love.

It’s exciting that this show is finally coming to New York, after playing to audiences in 15 countries since 2012.

Sequence 8Les 7 Doigts de la Main (The 7 Fingers) was founded in 2002 by seven Montreal-based artists. The company’s name is a twist on the French idiom “the five fingers of the hand,” used to describe distinct parts united tightly, moving in coordination towards one common goal. In addition to having performed their own shows for the past 12 years, the company developed circus choreography for the hit Broadway revival of Pippin. For the 2014 Sochi Olympics Opening Ceremony, Les 7 Doigts de la Main staged a 600-person spectacle that was broadcast to approximately four million viewers.

NY City CenterNew York City Center has again taken a premier stance in putting forth creative programs for the city, including the acclaimed Encores! musical theater series which mounts “forgotten” musicals with full orchestration, top Broadway stars, and minimal staging. City Center is also home to many distinguished companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, City Center’s Principal Dance Company, and Manhattan Theatre Club.  Their newest offering, the Encores! Off-Center series features landmark Off Broadway musicals filtered through the lens of today’s most innovative artists.  When you visit, be sure to look up at the ceiling – the restoration of a few years ago has made this theater an architectural landmark in its own right.

Séquence 8 will run for 12 performances, from April 16–26: Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 and 8 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $25-$110. More information at www.NYCityCenter.org.

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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Food Events around NYC This Weekend (and more)

Lately I’ve been bombarded with news of special food days.  It reminds me of those made-up Hallmark holidays, the ones used to sell cards, like Grandparents’ Day, Remember Your Teacher Day, and such nonsense.  Well, now it seems to be all about food.

So you won’t feel so bad that you’ve missed Pancake Day, Margarita Day and Decaffeinated Coffee Day, here are a few holidays and food events that you might want to mark on your calendar right away:

Macaron DayMarch 20 – A sweet one for sure, it’s Macaron Day. Note that the spelling is the French version, so that you won’t be expecting any of those Passover gems. This is the day that a slew of French bakeries and restaurants in the city give away free macarons a la Parisienne.  Places to check out in NYC for your freebie include Macaron Parlour, Sugar and Plumm, Epicerie Boulud and, of course, Francois Payard who modeled this event on Paris’s Jour du Macaron which falls on the first day of spring.  The full list is here and tell them you’re there for Macaron Day.  http://macarondaynyc.com/what_is-mac.html. This event happily has a charity component to it, as a portion of the day’s proceeds are donated to City Harvest.

DavosMarch 20 – Another one to celebrate the first day of spring (but I honestly don’t get the connection), is Ravioli Day.  Various Italian restaurants around New York City and the country are sprucing up their ravioli offerings, highlighting the new and different among the tried and true red-sauce versions. For example, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse has whipped up a lemon ricotta ravioli that sounds more like dessert to me than pasta, along with a prosciutto ravioli that’s served as part of a special tasting menu just for the day. www.davios.com/nyc. If you happen to be in LA, STK LA is offering half-off its famous lobster ravioli if you order an entrée as well.

Seventh Annual Sunday Supper Event at Chelsea Market in ManhattanMarch 22 – Another charity event, James Beard House is organizing the Seventh Annual Sunday Supper Event at Chelsea Market in Manhattan.  Hosted by Jamestown and the James Beard Foundation, this is a benefit to raise money for not-for-profit organizations including the James Beard Foundation focusing on culinary education, Wellness in the School, and other charitable initiatives of the Jamestown Foundation. The seated dinner is a multi-course event, prepared by 20 well-known chefs and served family-style to 300 people in the middle of the market’s block-long concourse. For details and tickets, www.jamesbeard.org/chelseamarket. Cocktails begin at 5pm, with dinner at 6:15. 75 Ninth Avenue, between 15th and 16th sts.

OystersMarch 31 – The end of the month means it’s National Oyster on the Half Shell Day. Oh no! Did I miss Cooked Oyster Day? Regardless, restaurants like STK LA are upgrading you from a half-dozen of these pearls to a full dozen, gratis. That’s not bad at all.  And if you speak the magic words, “STK Loves Oysters,” you’ll get a side of Chef Robert Liberato’s “one night only mignonette.”  It’s a good excuse to check out Grand Central Oyster Bar no matter what. http://www.oysterbarny.com/, 89 East 42nd Street.

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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Bach in the Subways: Free Classical Music Concerts in New York on March 21

Celebrate the birthday of one of the world’s great composers with a program of free concerts happening all over the city. Bach in the Subways happens internationally on March 21, with a program of 13 concerts throughout New York City.  This wonderful gift to straphangers was created by cellist Dale Henderson in 2011 in celebration of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s birthday and is presented free in subways and public spaces around the world.

Tips are not expected, as this is a gift from the creator to encourage more people to access classical music.  Henderson notes that the subway is a perfect place to reach all types of people and has applauded the MTA’s receptiveness to his program.

Dale Henderson

Dale, himself, will be playing at Columbus Circle (59th Street subway station) from midnight (when the program kicks off) until 1am and at Washington Place and 6th Avenue from 8pm-9pm.

Other New York City performances include:

Brian L. Thompson (viola) – 8:30am-11:30am, Park Place and Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn

Jude Ziliak (Baroque violin) – 9am-10am, West 181st Street at Fort Washington; 4:30pm-5:30pm, West 59th Street at Broadway

Kay Lugh/Goldberg Variations (piano) – 10am-3pm, 5 Metro Tech Center, Bern Dibner Library, Ground floor lobby

Emily Trask (cello) – 10:30am-11:30am, 125th Street Subway, A/B/C/D

Lorenzo Sandi (double bass) – 10:30am-11:30am, Times Square

Robert Duncan and Mayumi Miyaoka (accordion duet) – 11am-5pm, Fulton Street

David de la Nuez (oboe) – 3-4pm, West 175th Street and Fort Washington Avenue

Sylvain Leroux (flute, chromatic tambin) – 11am-1:30pm, First Avenue and 14th Street

“Young Musicians’ Open Mic” (violin, cello) – 1pm-4pm, Grand Central Terminal

John Mark Rozendaal (violoncello) – 5:30pm-6:30pm, Dyckman and Broadway

For more information, visit http://bachinthesubways.com

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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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Mad Men Drinking Guide

It’s less than a month to the return of the final season of Mad Men. New York City is celebrating with a “Mad Man” Dining Week (March 23-29) that makes some sense, I guess, because of its pricing, if not the selection of participating restaurants.  However, it’s really the bars that feature more prominently in the show and have been the site of significant rendez-vous over Mad Men’s run. http://www.nycgo.com/mad-men-dining-week

I now present a tour of some of the best places to go drinking like a Mad Man (or woman).

Bills Food & DrinkBill’s Food & Drink: It’s not exactly the original Bill’s Gay Nineties, but it’s pretty close.  Set in a 19th-century townhouse, Bill’s was once the site of a Prohibition Era speakeasy.  Listen to the pianist in the downstairs bar while you knock back a Scotch, just steps away from many of the original Madison Avenue ad agencies.  You can finish the evening upstairs with a Delmonico steak for two and an aptly named Hanky Panky gin cocktail, a clubby setting for consummating a business deal (or other kind of tryst).  www.bills54.com.  57 East 54th Street, 212-538-2727.

Monkey BarMonkey Bar: Across the street, the landmark Hotel Elysée (once known as the “easy lay”) has welcomed guests like Joe DiMaggio and Marlon Brandon.  Step inside the great piano bar just off the lobby with its iconic monkey mural.  You can just picture Roger downing a Manhattan or two before heading for a room upstairs.  Hotel Elysée, www.monkeybarnewyork.com, 60 East 54th Street, 212-753-1066.

Madison Club LoungeMadison Club Lounge: The historic lounge in the Roosevelt Hotel is classic Mad Men with its mahogany walls, stained glass windows, and leather bar seats.  It’s likely Don began and ended his day here during the time he lived at the hotel, pouring vodka into his orange juice.  45 East 45th Street, 212-661-9600.  www.theroosevelthotel.com.

Bemelmens BarBemelman’s Bar: Some things never go out of style.  Live piano music, enchanting murals of animals by Ludwig Bemelmans of Madeline fame, plus formally dressed waiters make this an Upper East Side landmark.  The perfectly chilled and poured martini comes in a shaker with enough liquor for a potent drink and a half, and the banquettes are perfect for cuddling.  The Carlyle Hotel, http://www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/the-carlyle-new-york/dining/bemelmans-bar , 35 East 76th Street, 212-744-1600.

Temple BarTemple Bar: The glamorous oak bar in NoHo is known for its extensive drink list peppered with all the classics.  Imagine yourself sitting with Don among the beautiful velvet curtains, sipping an Old Fashioned, or with Joan indulging in a creamy Brandy Alexander. http://www.templebarnyc.com/ 322 Lafayette Street, 212-925-4242.

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Posted by Meryl Pearlstein
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