Theatre

Theatre and dining — commentary about shows, and some restaurants near theatre

Brunch at Electric Lemon, Hudson Yards, NYC + Here We Are

I've been recommending Electric Lemon on the 24th floor of the Equinox Hotel since my first visit, tasting their chilled deviled crab in creamy ginger dressing with crunchy celery sprinkled with ginger crumbs. Yes, that good. We stopped for brunch before heading to The Shed to see Steven Sondheim's — the legendary composer and lyricist — Here We Are,  his final musical. He died while writing it. The first act is a musical, the second more of a play. We commended our brunch with cocktails. Three of us tried the Bloody Mary, and one a "from the garden ($20) with herb-infused Hendricks gin, snow pea, celery, cucumber and shiso. We [...]

By |2024-03-19T14:22:09-04:00January 14th, 2024|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|2 Comments
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Happy Hour *½ at Dock’s Oyster Bar, Midtown East, NYC + Gutenbert, the Musical

We laughed our way through Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad in the hilarious and unusual “Gutenberg! The Musical!" These two reunited on stage for the first time since 2011 when they performed in “The Book of Mormon." I do recommend seeing it before it closes in January. Afterward, we walked across and downtown to Docks Oyster Bar on Third and 40th to sample their happy hour. We were lucky to get one of the few tables by the bar where we could take part in their HH offerings. The best parts were they had a live trio, and we could converse without straining. I started with their Old Fashioned ($18), [...]

By |2023-12-17T09:38:09-05:00December 11th, 2023|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Rosie’s *** Happy Hour, East Village, NYC + Solo

I love New York! Where else can you see a show and have dinner for about $50? We headed downtown to the East Village to the Connelly Theatre to see Gabe Mollica in Solo, his acclaimed one-man play about friendship, following sold-out runs at the Soho Playhouse and Edinburgh Fringe. We purchased the tickets for $4.95 from Theater Extras. We stopped at the Lower East Side Mexican restaurant Rosie's from the owners of Cookshop, Shukette and Vics. Lucky us, it was during their happy hour. We started with their margaritas. I had the chile-infused tequila picante one, my dining partner the "classic." Whenever a server stopped at our table wearing [...]

By |2023-11-07T12:41:14-05:00November 25th, 2023|Big Apple Life, Happy Hours, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Seamore’s, Chelsea & Brookfield Place, NYC + Philobulus at The Joyce

Odd, I know,  to dine at a Seamore's twice in two days, but I did. The first time was downtown in Brookfield Place after the Les Dames d'Escoffier scholarship event at the Institute for Culinary Education. It's our annual event to honor our recipients. Since 1977, we — Les Dames d'Escoffier New York — have awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to help advance female professionals in our industry. A few of us grabbed a bite afterward, with Seamore's being the only place able to accommodate our group at their flagship largest location. Their oysters ($18 for 6) and the lobster roll are fresh ($34). You can get the roll [...]

By |2023-08-24T08:32:11-04:00August 24th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Lamano, Chelsea, NYC + Sw!ng Out at the Joyce

We quickly ordered some drinks when we learned it was still happy hour. We decided to try one glass of each of the two sangria offerings—one Cava based, the other a more traditional red ($8). We were two-fisted drinkers. I chose Lamano for its proximity to The Joyce, where we were heading to see their SW!NG OUT performance with audience participation. It was six years ago that I first visited Lamano when it opened. I enjoyed the food then and found it's still just as good. We started with everything on the happy hour menu. That included the pan con tomato ($8 for three pieces) of the tomato bread, their [...]

By |2023-07-29T11:57:10-04:00July 27th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Jupiter, Rockefeller Center, NYC + Grey House

I had to try Jupiter as my friend couldn't stop raving about it. She'd been multiple times.  I reserved a table on the rinkside terrace at Rockefeller Center, as recommended. This unusual dining underground is much quieter than inside. Cocktails ($19) first. My dining partner with a House Sprintz (Red aperitivo, sea buckthorn, natty rosé), which I'll order my next time over their version of their Manhattan 1801. We began with their fried artichokes ($17) that melted in our mouths. Not to be missed. Next, we split their house salad ($24) with asparagus spears, wild arugula, fennel, warm lentils and Castelrosso cheese. Also, delicious. Once the "Pane" ($15) basket with [...]

By |2023-07-16T07:36:10-04:00July 7th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Service Extraordinaire at Indochine + Joe’s Pub Loser’s Lounge

The location of Indochine, right across the street from The Public, was a perfect place to dine before heading to Joe's Pub's Loser's Lounge for a tribute to Hall and Oats. We sat outside as the night's weather was perfect. One dining partner and I sipped their Passion Pomegranate Margarita ($18, tequila, triple sec, passionfruit, pomegranate and lime), another the cucumber and chili martini ($18, made with vodka infused with pineapple and ginger and lime juice) and another the white Negroni ($18, made with gin, Lillet blanc and Suze). While waiting for our apps, two of us were getting "eaten alive" by bitting flying bugs; our server gave us extra [...]

By |2023-07-01T15:59:29-04:00July 1st, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Serafina In the Sky / Pod Hotel, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Wet Brain

I'm always looking for rooftop spaces for grabbing a bite before theatre. Serafina in the Sky/Pod Hotel is perfect before heading further west on 42nd Street to shows at Playwrights Horizon, Signature Theatre or Theatre Row. I sipped an Aperol Spritz ($15) while perusing the many Italian specialties on their menu. I had read that the owners — Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato — had been lost at sea when they promised to open a restaurant together if they survived. Today, Serafina has locations across three continents with dozens of restaurants in the U.S. I decided on their eggplant parmigiana — baked eggplant with fior di latte mozzarella, tomato sauce [...]

By |2024-07-21T11:12:11-04:00July 1st, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rooftop, Theatre|0 Comments
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Aria Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Summer 1976

It was my first night out since my rotator cuff surgery. We met for a bite at Aria's wine bar in Hell's Kitchen before heading to the Samuel Friedman Theatre to see Summer 1976, a new play by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Auburn (Proof). The show starred Laura Linney and Tony nominee Jessica Hect in an insightful story about two women who befriended one summer. Summer 1976. Worth seeing. Telka, our server, handed us a wine chalkboard, told us the night's specials and pointed to the paper menu at each place. We chose a bottle of Montepulciano from their generic list of grape varieties. The Montepulciano  2017, Podere Castorani d'Abruzzo [...]

By |2023-06-19T21:30:01-04:00June 12th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Brunch at Lillie’s Victorian Establishment + Bob Fosse’s Dancin’

I love getting discounts for theatres and restaurants. When I saw the pulsd offer for a $45 cocktail brunch in the theatre district at Lillie's Victorian Establishment, I decided to buy and finally try their service. For that price, we'd get two entrees plus either four bloody Marys or a bottle of La Gioiosa Prosecco Bottle with a carafe of orange juice for making mimosas. Sadly, the first time I booked the reservation, it didn't work out. When we arrived, there was a sign that the restaurant was closed to repair something. I tried again only because I had purchased the brunch and tried it another Sunday when we were [...]

By |2023-06-19T21:22:34-04:00June 6th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Barking Dog, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + The Thanksgiving Play

The restaurant where we were supposed to have brunch had a hastily written note saying "closed" for repairs, so I needed to scurry to find another place to eat before heading to the Helen Hayes Theatre to see "The Thanksgiving Play." That's how we ended up at the Barking Dog in the plaza between 49th and 50th Street between Eighth and Ninth. This informal, fun canine-themed restaurant serves typical brunch fare with a special menu for 4-legged friends on the heated patio. We started with their doggy-named cocktails. My dining partner chose the dog bubbles ($14) of sparkling wine, St. Germaine elderflower and pear, while I indulged in the ugly [...]

By |2023-05-12T06:45:11-04:00May 14th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Best Bites, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Enoteca Maria, Staten Island, NYC + Dionne Warwick, St. George Theatre

Not knowing how long it would take to get there, we took an early ferry to Staten Island for our 5:30 dinner at Enoteca Maria, next to the historic St. George Theatre, where we were seeing Dionne Warwick. We arrived before the restaurant even opened, yet were welcomed and seated at the front window table to chat and people watch out the window. Instead of chefs, rotating Nonnes cook with Italian grandmother Maria the constant. Our night's menus include foods from both an Egyptian Nonna and a Japanese one. We asked Safa, our informative server, to course our selections as we had the time before their latter 7:30 seating, which [...]

By |2023-05-07T07:31:49-04:00April 27th, 2023|Big Apple Life, NYC Restaurant Reviews, Other happenings, Theatre|1 Comment
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Thai at Wan Waan, Chelsea, NYC + The Joyce

I love discovering new places with good food close to a theatre! That's Wan Waan Thai restaurant on Eighth Avenue near The Joyce. We stopped in for lunch before a matinee performance of what we thought was hip-hop dance. That Joyce's production was more tale than dance. The story was of love, fear and triumph that's rooted in the traditions of Hip-Hop, not as much dance. The London Times called it "The Basquiat of the U.S. contemporary dance scene."   Wan Waan's weekend special offered a choice of an appetizer (we both chose the small spring rolls) and an entree. We chose their coconut green curry ($16) with bell peppers, bamboo shoots, [...]

By |2023-03-18T09:17:44-04:00March 22nd, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Ideal Brunch Location: Sesamo + “Wolf” at Theatre at MCC

As seasoned ticket holders to MCC's relatively new location on West 52 between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, we always look for restaurants to sample before theatre. We decided to try Sesamo, an ideally located restaurant on Tenth and 52, before heading to see Hansol Jung's "Wolf Play," about a South Korean boy being re-homed with new LBGTQ parents. A puppet represents the boy on stage. Sesamo is the Asian-Italian eatery I recently sampled as their guest and so enjoyed. We started with their $32 bottomless brunch. I tried their bloody Mary, my dining partner their red sangria. I'd recommend their chef's selection of crispy (6) dumplings filled with garam masala seasoned [...]

By |2023-03-23T23:27:51-04:00March 20th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|1 Comment
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A Quick Bite at Aperitivo, Midtown, NYC + “Untitled”

Aperitivo, located just east of Avra Madison on 60th Street, is a quiet, small Italian-style restaurant with a perfect location for a lite meal before heading to 59E59 Theater. Service is a bit off, but friendly. Our arugula salad ($17) arrived before our cocktails. I'd recommend that salad with its shaved fennel, slivered red onions, toasted pine nuts and shaved parmesan in a charred tomato vinaigrette. Delicious. Those drinks that arrived after our salad included their Cucumber Breeze, made with Grey Goose, mint, cucumber, lemon and elderflower (18) and their Tivo's Old Fashioned, made with Casamigos mezcal, reposado and sweetener ($20). Neither was what we expected. Their pizza is more [...]

By |2023-03-23T23:40:55-04:00March 14th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Cucina 8 1/2, Midtown West, NYC + Pictures from Home

In the space that housed Brasserie 8 1/2, you'll now find the elegant Cucina 8 1/2. We decided to sample it one night before heading to the theatre to see Pictures from Home, starring the all-star cast of Nathan Lane, Danny Burstein, and Zoe Wanamaker. We descended the grand stairway into the sleek, softly lit dining room. Service was attentive; the food plentiful. Since it was Restaurant Week, we each indulged in the three courses for $45, nibbling on their parmesan crisps as we perused the menu. Their insalata verde came with gem lettuce in a creamy dressing with lots of aged ricotta and Marcona almonds. The three large meatballs sit [...]

By |2023-03-11T09:46:37-05:00March 4th, 2023|NYC Best Bites, Theatre|0 Comments
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Hold Fast Kitchen & Spirits, Theatre Row, NYC + The Collaboration

Wished I had seen The Collaboration with Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope before I attended a Jean-Michel Basquiat show. The show centers around the partnership between the two artists —Andy Warhol and Basquiat—and their work. I'd recommend you see it, but it closed recently. Before seeing it, we grabbed some lunch at Hold Fast Kitchen & Spirits, a friendly pub on Restaurant Row, 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. The small, dimly lit pub has friendly service and adequate pre-theater food.  My dining partner enjoyed their hearty portion of garlicky shrimp with jalapeno grits ($18); I tried their Westside chicken sandwich ($13), with marinated thigh pieces, a tomato slice [...]

By |2023-03-11T09:48:14-05:00March 2nd, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Kimberly Akimbo + A Return to Saar, Midtown West, NYC

If you see only one thing on Broadway, see Kimberly Akimbo, the musical about a 15-year-old with a fictionalized rare disease that ages her four times the normal. The show is Tony-worthy, especially two of the performances. Victoria Clark makes you believe Kimberly is 15 instead of ready for Medicare. Aunt Debra (Bonnie Milligan) stops the show each time she belts her songs. After the show, we walked north a few blocks to Saar Indian Bistro.  The last I'd been was when we welcomed Les Dames d'Escoffier Legacy winner Chef Helen Vass almost five years ago. [Nominations for this year's 2023 LDEI Legacy Awards are open until March 17, 2023. [...]

By |2023-02-24T17:17:31-05:00February 18th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Rambling, Theatre|0 Comments
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Patti Lupone at 54 Below, Theatre District, NYC

A friend invited another friend and me to see Patti Lupone's sold-out final performance of her gig at 54 Below. We couldn't resist. Patti has three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and two Grammy Awards and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fame. She's best known as a singer and actress in stage musicals. Most recently, I saw her performances in London and New York in Company.  (Michael Allan Galvez, photographer) As good New Yorkers, we didn't bother the famous folks we noticed in the small theatre. At one table was Kristin Chenoweth; at another were Jessica Lange, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Chelsea Clinton. We tried not to stare. [...]

By |2023-02-24T17:10:11-05:00February 14th, 2023|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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