(The) Harrison is a town but it is also a restaurant

2 Nov

I used to think of Tribeca as “cold”—is that weird? Not sure if it was the staid architecture (brand-new apartment buildings) or lack of personality (meh bars and restaurants), but it always seemed a little off-putting. Well, I might be finally changing my mind. Last week I visited another great Tribeca spot—not new—that managed to make me feel warm and fuzzy.

The Harrison may be where locals eat, but the rest of us won’t be spit on for living above Canal. The yellow lighting practically beckons you from the street—I wanted to be inside! This place somehow manages to be comfy and lively at the same time, where solidly creative food and really great service round out the experience. (Owner Jimmy Bradley has been perfecting this mix for years at The Red Cat in Chelsea.)

So as you head into the holidays when friends and family just looove to visit, consider catching up in a classy, non-pretentious environment that is totally NYC (and anything but chilly).

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Thai Me Up, Thai Me Down

24 Oct

Maybe it’s the proximity to the Theater District and Lincoln Center but friends are always asking me for quick, cheap-eat suggestions near Ninth Ave in the low-50s. After all, a person can only eat at Empanada Mama so many times. The other night I found a new fave in the area: Pure Thai Shophouse. It basically blew every other mediocre, forgettable Thai place in the city out of the water. And while it is a bit cramped (not great for dates), the food was served quickly and was soooo good. How good? I almost rubbed my face in the peanut sauce accompanying the chicken skewers. My friend also raved about his Ratchaburi crab & pork dry noodle dish. I stuck with tofu and vegetables but asked for it extra spicy, then spent much of my meal crying into my Chang beer. Just kidding—it was awesome. (But this place is serious about heat, so don’t fool around if you’re not a pro.) Along with authentic flavors and decor, the funky soundtrack added a nice touch. That, and the fact that I spent about $23.

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Every Person in New York

20 Oct

 Jason Polan has many art projects, but this one especially is brilliant and ridiculous and a little cramazing.  It’s called Every Person in New York. He draws people he sees all over the city—on streets, corners and trains, in parks, museums and fast food joints. In fact, his goal is to draw as many people as he can—maybe someday, every single one.

Drawing by Jason Polan

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Dine like an adult in the East Village

17 Oct

Say you have visitors in town and you’re walking around the EV. Time for dinner, but you’d rather not bring your aunt to a noodle shop swarming with college kids. Apiary is your answer. Conveniently located on Third Ave at 11th, Apiary serves upscale food in a sleek and modern atmosphere. Though his menu is somewhat limited, Chef Scott Bryan (from Veritas) has chosen dishes that show off a variety of seasonal ingredients. Even simple plates like the beet salad, shrimp and potato gnocchi or chicken (often boring), are created with care. There’s a $35 prix fixe menu Sunday, Tues, Weds and Thurs, but even better is Monday’s no corkage fee. (That’s tonight, btw.)  You can eat well without spending too much, and they take reservations—always a plus when out-of-towners are involved.

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Frank Langella on Broadway in Man and Boy

12 Oct

Man and Boy: What a show! First, Frank Langella is amazing. It is such a treat to see this guy’s complex intensity live. And the story is strikingly relevant to today’s times, despite being written by Terence Rattigan in 1963. Set during the Depression, the play features Langella as a finance mogul dad who heads to his estranged son’s apartment for refuge when word gets out that he’s at the center of a Ponzi scheme that will cause economic collapse. Can you say Bernie Madoff? Yet I still managed to feel bad for the guy (only a little). For his son, though, I cried.

Photo: Roundabout Theatre Company

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A safe haven from all that is Turtle Bay

30 Sep

La Cava wine bar (Second Ave. at E. 50th)

Unless you’re 24 and douche-y, you probably hate Turtle Bay. But I’m happy to report there is finally one place of redemption (and it’s not the bar Redemption).

Open less than a year, La Cava is an inviting wine bar that provides a respite from everything else in that area. Cozy enough for solo sipping, it also offers high-top tables for small groups of friends/coworkers.  In front, floor-to-ceiling glass windows open to the sidewalk; a handful of tables spill over. The menu is your basic cheese, charcuterie and small plates, but it’s the happy hour ’til 7 that draws people in. Plus, the owner selects all the wines himself. This is a much-needed addition to Turtle Bay—and a solid after-work spot for the many offices around Third Ave in the low-50s.

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I fell in love with Bill Cunningham

26 Sep

This weekend I watched Bill Cunningham New York and it is quite possibly one of my favorite documentaries about a single subject.  I think I am in love with this slightly bizarre and immensely talented and very funny 80-something-year-old man who still rides a bike around the city streets. (If you don’t know, Bill has been a photographer for the New York Times for the last 30 years, chronicling fashion both high and low.) This movie is not just a love letter to him and to syle but also to life in NYC. I couldn’t stop smiling.

Photo: First Thought Films / Zeitgeist Films

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This Sunday: Dine Out Irene

23 Sep

On Sunday, September 25, many great NY restaurants will donate up to 10% of sales to aid local farmers affected by Hurricane Irene.

Some of my personal faves that are participating:

-Gramercy Tavern

-al di la

-Fatty Crab

-Corsino

-Tipsy Parson

-Hill Country

-Telepan

Learn more at dineoutirene.com

Eat, drink, be merry, help people.

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Sip a Baby Eveline

15 Sep

Finally made it to Ward III, a classic cocktail bar/lounge  in Tribeca. I dug this place—its cozy feel, stellar bartenders and a menu of rules including, “Don’t be creepy.” Low-lighting and exposed brick keeps you comfy; jars of bitters lined the bar like an apothecary shop. My Baby Eveline was made with Tito’s Vodka, champagne, lemon and muddled strawberries, while the namesake Ward III featured bourbon, nutmeg, lime, bitters and an egg white. Our, choose your own Bespoke Cocktail by picking the spirit, texture, spice, flavor and fruit of your choice. Because life is all about options.

P.S. Didn’t snack here but the menu of upscale bar food looked promising.

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100 Faces of War

12 Sep

Jeffrey Michael Lucey, Marine, Lance Corporal Convoy Driver in Iraq, 1/03 - 7/03

This is an incredible art project by Massachusetts-based artist Matthew Mitchell. He tells the stories of men and women—military personnel and civilians—who have been to war in Iraq and Afghanistan by painting their portraits. Alongside the portraits hang placards in which the subjects describe their experiences in their own words. Mitchell’s vision is a work in progress; 50 of the 100 portraits (some posthumous) have been completed at this time. It is an important and affecting idea and really worth a look.

See the Portrait Gallery.

Watch the artist explain his project in this short video.

Painting: © Matthew Mitchell 2008

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