I am continually surprised by how many places I have yet to try in my own neighborhood. Like everyone else, I get stuck in a rut and only want to eat and drink at my old favorites instead of venturing out somewhere new. In an effort to combat this habit, my hubby and I made a pact to try only new places for a short time. This led us to discover a lovely little gem in our hood.
Xai Xai is a South African Wine Bar. I am a huge wine fan, but I have never thought of South Africa as being a big producer of wine. This may have been what kept me away in the past, but we were being adventurous and we ended up here and we had a lovely time! The wines were extremely reasonably priced, there was even a glass on the menu for only $5. Additionally, during happy hour the bar offers $1 oysters which were extremely fresh.
After our first glass, my hubby ordered a second of the same kind. The bartender offered up samples of several of his favorites and I found a delish new wine that tasted of dark chocolate and coffee (two of my favorite things)! While we didn’t get to taste any food other than the oysters, I have no doubt that we will be back soon to try out the rest of the menu.
A few weeks ago I attended a truly unique theater experience. Sleep No More is a wild and crazy production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth set in an Alfred Hitchcock hotel in the 1930s. It was amazing.
I went at the suggestion of a friend who refused to give me too many details and said simply, “Just go.”
At Sleep No More you and other audience members wear masks and wander a warehouse/hotel. As you wander you are allowed to touch everything including extremely detailed props. One thing you are not allowed to do is talk. The action takes place in various rooms around the hotel and you can choose to follow one character throughout the entire night or sit in a single room for the night, or meander around, occasionally catching action, like I happened to do. The actors communicate more through movement and dancing than through words. The experience is indescribable until you try it out for yourself.
I don’t want to give too much more away, but I will offer one piece of advice: either go by yourself or make plans to meet your friends at the end of the evening. It was distracting to try and keep track of my companion all evening when it is mostly dark and everyone is wearing the same mask. Instead, split up and agree to meet afterwards and discuss what will surely be a unique and shared experience for everyone.
One of my favorite things about New York City is it’s ability to transform into almost any place at almost any time. La Bonne Soupe is a little restaurant in midtown that transports me to Paris without the red-eye flight.
We discovered La Bonne Soupe many years ago, on the recommendation of a friend who has since left the city. It is a small spot on 55th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. It’s location off the main avenue drag means that unless you know to look for it, you will likely pass it by. The waiters and waitresses all speak accented English and seem ready to break into French at any time. The menu has grown over time, but the delicious staples like French Onion Soup and Croque Monsieur have not changed. There is always delicious house wine to match any meal.
Midtown is so full of delis and flashy, ritzy restaurants. La Bonne Soupe is a great contrast to that scene and I highly recommend stopping by when you want to experience the real Manhattan.
Halloween has come and gone again. New York City always has some amazing shows celebrating the great costumed holiday and this year was no exception. Although I had to miss Joe Iconis’ festivities this year, I did get to see the talented Lady Rizo and the Assettes on October 30 at Highline Ballroom.
I think this was the second year that Highline Ballroom invited Lady Rizo and her dancing troupe back for Halloween. I have seen Lady Rizo with the Assettes open for The Little Death and I have seen her perform solo at Joe’s Pub, where she is an artist in residence, but neither show compared to this fun romp through sexy songs and dances.
Lady Rizo and the Assettes is a safe, fun burlesque show. Lady Rizo sings throughout the evening and talented dancers, contortionists and acrobats perform on stage in barely there underwear. This year there was a fantastic number performed on a swing toward the back of the room and a great song that ended with an Assette wearing a glow-in-the-dark skeleton. The night was emceed by Lady Rizo herself, who also sang some great versions of classic spooky songs like “Ghostbusters” and “I Put a Spell on You.”
All in all, the show was a great way to celebrate one of my favorite holidays. I only hope she will throw candy out into the audience along with the confetti next year!
A few weeks ago my husband and I were walking around the West Village when we noticed a small seafood joint with two stools sitting outside. From those stools you could see inside the restaurant to the bar, and more importantly to the oyster bar. Since we had somewhere to be that night, we made a mental note to head back to that spot.
Last weekend, we finally made it back to Fish, a great spot in the West Village for seafood lovers. We decided we wanted to sit at the bar because we weren’t starving, but also because we saw a sign advertising a special that we thought might be too good to be true… a half dozen Blue Points (or clams) and a glass of wine or Pabst Blue Ribbon for $8. We were so shocked we had to try it… at our favorite spot on the Upper West Blue Points can often run us over $2 an oyster, so this deal was amazing.
We each ordered the special (which appears to run all the time, not just during happy hour or on certain days of the week). The bartender gave us our drinks right away. The white wine was a nice table wine and while I sipped I watched the nice men shuck the oysters. A few minutes later we were devouring our Blue Points and ordering up another round.
Fish is a tiny, loud place, but this just makes it feel more like New York City. We had a great time there and we can’t wait to go back again. In fact, I am sort of reluctant to post about it because I am afraid there won’t be any seats at the bar when I return.
It’s time for a new batch of plays and musicals at The Roundabout Company and I am ready to see all of them! I love the HipTix program The Roundabout has, that means that I get $20 tickets to all of their performances. Last week I went to a preview performance of Mrs. Warren’s Profession because HipTix had a party afterward.
Mrs. Warren’s Profession is a straight play (not a musical) with a small but competent cast. I loved Sally Hawkins in the indie film Happy-Go-Lucky so I was excited to see her on stage. She didn’t disappoint and neither did Tony winner Cherry Jones. The two fine ladies were definitely the highlight of the show. Unfortunately, even their acting couldn’t move the show to more interesting levels.
I was slightly concerned when I was reading the program before the show and saw that Cherry Jones said she walked out of the first performance of Mrs. Warren’s Profession that she saw many years ago because she was so bored. The script is dated and it showed in this current performance. I understand that Roundabout wants to do revivals of long-forgotten plays, but I go hoping that they will bring fresh life to the production. In this case, while the actors tried to breathe life into the words, I thought the rest of the production fell flat.
The party afterward was fun, free drinks and snacks and a bunch of twenty-somethings mingling with a few of the actors from the show (although Sally didn’t show before I left). I think the HipTix program is such a fabulous idea and the shows at Roundabout’s smallest theater, Underground, are often daring and appealing to a younger set. I have been disappointed by the last few plays at American Airlines, and sadly, Mrs. Warren’s Profession also belongs in this category. The lovely actors are reason enough to go, however, and I may return just to see what changed from the preview to the final production.
I am continually surprised by how many places I have yet to try in my own neighborhood. Like everyone else, I get stuck in a rut and only want to eat and drink at my old favorites instead of venturing out somewhere new. In an effort to combat this habit, my hubby and I made a pact to try only new places for a short time. This led us to discover a lovely little gem in our hood.
