Restaurant Week – Hitting the Streets for Good Eats
Let’s face it, New York—we’re in for a scorcher this week. With temperatures expected to be in the 90s through the weekend, those of us stuck in the city will be miserable, sweaty and tempted to do nothing but camp out in front of our window AC units, dreaming of cooler, autumnal days to come. Why be a homebody when this city is home to a plethora of exciting places that crank the air like crazy when the mercury rises about 80 degrees? Besides, you can’t let the heat stop you from indulging in this summer’s Restaurant Week, a New York City institution that’s celebrating 20 years of dining at the finest restaurants for just a fraction of the cost. With over 320 restaurants (a record high!) participating through Sunday, July 24th, it’d be crazy to let this heat wave get in your way of snazzy dining! Keep reading for some yummy, creative suggestions on how to beat the heat!
If You’d Rather Be On A (Snowy) Beach Believe it or not, some people actually go to the beach to get away from people, not to hobnob with the rich and famous. Sound like your kind of a guy? Meet Charlie, the main character of Zach Braff’s new play All New People (now playing at 2econd Stage Theatre), who’s a bit down on his luck and unsuccessfully trying to seek solace in a seemingly deserted beach house. If your growling belly won’t let you separate the idea of “beach” from “seafood,” head over to City Lobster and Steak (121 W. 49th Street) for some budget-friendly but uber-tasty surf ‘n turf – lobster bake, grilled salmon, Maryland lump cakes and filet mignon all make an appearance on their Restaurant Week menu. If you don’t like being confined to prix fixe, bring your ticket stub to any Mermaid Inn or Mermaid Oyster Bar location (568 Amsterdam Avenue; 96 Second Avenue or 79 MacDougal Street) and receive a free drink when you order an entrée off their extensive menu.
If You Consider Yourself Far From Typical More interested in the underground music scene than in musicals? Not only has Baba Brinkman found a way to bring hip-hop— a genre of music that’s often neglected by the theatrical community— to the legit stage down at the Soho Playhouse, he’s also using it to explain Darwin’s multifaceted theories in The Rap Guide to Evolution! It’s been acclaimed by critics— Time Out New York gives it 4 stars and the New York Times calls it “astonishing and brilliant!” If you want to turn the evening into a themed night of unexpected combinations, head over to the nearby (and totally posh) Meatpacking District for a visit to Ajna Bar (25 Little West 12th Street), where exotic Far East cuisine meets delicate and refined French influences. The Mushroom Meatloaf with Japanese BBQ sauce and Passion Fruit Mousse Cake are stand-outs!
If You’re A Chelsea Boy or Chelsea Girl Chances are, you’ve probably seen and done it all and are looking for an experience that pushes the boundaries a little bit. Lucky for you, PTP/NYChas landed in this hip nabe with its 25th anniversary repertory of three provocative plays—Territories, Spatter Pattern andVictory. Take it from the critics— “put these shows and PTP/NYC on your radar! You’d be a fool to miss it!” All three plays adhere to the theater company’s mission, which is to present theater that makes its audience members think and feel in a way that is passionate and deeply human. Sounds pretty intense, right? Unwind at neighboring Colicchio and Sons Tap Room (85 Tenth Avenue), which hosts an array of artisanal beers alongside their diverse menu of contemporary American dishes crafted from only micro-produced or family-farmed ingredients.
If You’re An Absolute Aesthete There’s no denying it—you love all things beautiful. Your nose is buried in Vogue for hours the day it is stuffed in your mailbox and you scoff at those who find a trip to the Whitney or the Guggenheim boring. Escape the dog days of summer inside the cavernous walls of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, now home to the acclaimed Alexander McQueen exhibit, “Savage Beauty.” On display through August 7th only, the exhibit celebrates the always over-the-top accouterments of the late and great fashion god. Go from one museum great to the next by dining at The Modern Bar Room,adjacent to MoMA, offering up such daring delicacies as braised tripe with chickpeas and aioli, beer-braised pork belly and a dessert of citrus carpaccio!