Theatre

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

Brooklyn Diner, Theater District, NYC + Cardinal

Knowing that diners are generally a good option for breakfast/brunch, we decided to try the theater location of the Brooklyn Diner as it was down the street from the Second Stage theatre. That's where we were seeing a matinee of the Cardinal, a 90-minute play where Anna Chlumsky and Adam Pally— as the characters in Greg Pierce’s new play — literally paint their town red. We sat at a booth in this nostalgic diner-style space. In an ice tea mode, I tried Brooklyn Diner’s version of the Long Island ice tea! Quite good. We both ordered the hearty New Yorker Breakfast ($25) of eggs over easy with crispy bacon, a toasted everything [...]

By |2018-02-01T11:22:54-05:00March 10th, 2018|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Amali, Upper East Side, NYC + Balls in the Air

Balls, at 59E59 theatre, takes place beginning in 1973 at Houston's Astrodome where Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs face-off in The Battle of the Sexes tennis match. Interesting concept and execution, with a number of side stories some of which didn't seem to belong. For a full review on Theater Pizzazz click here, although that reviewer liked it much more than I did. After the 85-minute performance —  long enough for us —  we headed to Amali,  an Italian restaurant on 60th near the theater. We started with two interesting apps. One, a spicy tirokafteri dip made of whipped feta, roasted red pepper and chili served with grilled pita ($12). I'm planning [...]

By |2018-03-08T08:49:13-05:00March 6th, 2018|NYC Best Bites, Theatre|0 Comments
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Afghan Kebab House, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC + Bulldozer: The Ballad of Robert Moses

First we saw “Bulldozer: The Ballad of Robert Moses,” the rock musical at the Theater at St. Clement’s. Interesting musical about master builder Robert Moses, how he reshaped New York City in the 20th century and all the controversy around him. After the show, we decided to try what I was told was cheap eats at the Afghan Kebab House. The service was friendly, the setting quite basic and the food merely okay. Seasoned lamb kebab came with a pile of brown rice topped with sliced almonds, carrot strips and raisins served with a hunk of white bread and a tossed undressed iceberg salad ($22). I found the lamb a [...]

By |2018-03-02T12:09:15-05:00February 28th, 2018|Theatre|0 Comments
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Lodge at Gallow Green, Chelsea, NYC + Flight

The McKittrick Hotel isn't a hotel at all, but the home of the immersive theatre Sleep No More and their latest offering Flight, which just got a rave review from The NYTimes.  This unusual place is located way west in Chelsea between 10th and 11th Avenues on 27th street nestled among the art galleries. This winter, the McKittrick Hotel added brunch to their offerings at the rooftop restaurant. I didn't make it for brunch but did go for dinner one evening. I also experienced Flight, a story of two young orphaned brothers who embark on a desperate odyssey to freedom and safety done in a multi-level rotating minutely detailed diorama that you watch while seated in your [...]

By |2018-03-02T08:35:49-05:00February 24th, 2018|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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The Children: Theater Pizzazz

An apocalyptic vision, infused with hope? Hard to imagine – that is, until you see The Children, Lucy Kirkwood’s astonishing new play at the Manhattan Theatre Club. From the moment the play opens – with the ominous image of a woman standing in a kitchen, blood pouring from her nose– you are held in the play’s relentless grip. Though the wound turns out to be harmless, the circumstances are not. From Theater Pizzazz review by Carol Rocamora. Click here for the complete review.

By |2019-05-05T10:33:36-04:00February 1st, 2018|Theatre|0 Comments
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How to Get Discount Theatre Tickets

Before I became a full-time New Yorker, I would purchase theatre tickets ahead paying full price or come into the city and roll the dice, hoping I could get what I wanted from the TKTS discount ticket booth. Most out-of-towners are also aware of that Times Square booth that sells same-day matinee and evening tickets. TKTS also has outposts at Lincoln Center, at South Street Seaport and in Downtown Brooklyn that sell same-day evening and next-day matinee ones. You can select your seats when you buy them. When I moved to Gotham, I learned of many other ways to get show tickets — both on and off Broadway — without paying full [...]

By |2018-01-22T10:06:09-05:00January 23rd, 2018|Big Apple Life, Other happenings, Theatre|0 Comments
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A Baker’s Dozen Pre-Theatre Eats in West Village

Our third round up of restaurants near theatre, this time in the West Village near the Lucille Lortel, Cherry Lane and Barrow Street. This post offers a baker’s dozen sampling of West Village restaurant reviews from BiteoftheBest.com 33 Greenwich 33 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY 10014 www.33greenwich.nyc; 646-609-3615 A take on Southern foods; don't miss the fried or roasted chicken. AOC 314 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014 www.aoclaileoulacuisse.com;  212-675-9463 A French bistro with a garden open when the weather permits. Bar Bolonot 611 Hudson St, New York, NY 10014 barbolonatny.com; 212-390-1545 One of chef/owner Einat Admony's Middle Eastern restaurant. Buvette 42 Grove St, New York, NY 10014 www.ilovebuvette.com; 212-255-3590 No reservations at this [...]

By |2017-12-26T09:53:40-05:00December 25th, 2017|NYC Best Bites, Theatre|1 Comment
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The Warren, West Village, NYC + Enrico IV

We had an early dinner at The Warren before heading to Cherry Lane to see Enrico IV, one of the three new plays at Cherry Lane theatre, an hour monologue about (as the publicist wrote) "a man who is mad enough to think he’s a King (any similarities to Donald J. Trump are purely coincidental)." Dinner was much better than the play! We shared their perfectly cooked Asian-style steelhead salmon ($25) over tender sauteed soy-marinated eggplant with three sticky rice tots doused and decorated with sweet chili sauce. We also shared their signature burger, topped with Cabot cheddar and onion jam, served with wonderfully seasoned fries. I'd recommend stopping in at the [...]

By |2017-11-19T08:47:13-05:00December 23rd, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|1 Comment
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Ivan Ramen, Lower East Side, NYC + (The Band’s Visit)

I headed downtown to a press event at Ivan Ramen after seeing The Band's Visit on Broadway — the musical about the Egyptian Police Band mistakenly ending up in a remote Israeli village with no bus until morning and no hotel nearby. In this based on a true story, the musicians are taken in by the locals. (Click here for review on Theater Pizzazz.) The event at Ivan Ramen was to celebrate the November Anime NYC’s Ramen Summit, a dedicated celebration of Japanese animation and culture. Ivan Orkin, a Long Island Jewish guy who's the man behind Ivan Ramen, sat with us and shared his story of living in Japan and opening [...]

By |2017-11-19T17:41:49-05:00December 17th, 2017|Rambling, Theatre|0 Comments
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Bluebell Cafe, Gramercy, NYC + The Box

We went for a bite to eat at the Bluebell Cafe after seeing The Box Show — one woman (Dominique Salerno) hilariously performing over 25 characters from inside a small  3' x 3'x 2' box — at the People's Improv Theatre on 24th Street. We found Bluebell Cafe, a warm friendly restaurant that's so accommodating. We were four and each wanted to share, as women often do. They were so eager to please, giving each of us a half an order of their creamy cauliflower soup  ($10 a bowl) from the special of the day. If offered,  I'd recommend that! For entrees, we tried the salmon ($23), cooked medium-rare as requested, with [...]

By |2017-11-06T08:36:37-05:00December 13th, 2017|Rambling, Theatre|0 Comments
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A Baker’s Dozen Pre-Theatre Eats: Near The Public

Our second post answering the question “Where should I eat?” when heading to theatre offers places not too far — by New York City standards — from The Public at 425 Lafayette Street. Acme  9 Great Jones St, New York, NY 10012 acmenyc.com; 212-203-2121 Good food in a noisy environment. Atla  372 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012 atlanyc.com;  646-837-6464 A modern neighborhood Mexican restaurant from chef Enrique Olvera (Cosme). Bleecker Kitchen & Co. 643 Broadway, New York, NY 10012 www.bleeckerkitchen.com; 1 212-253-7467 A neighborhood American restaurant with good simple food.   Cafe Standard 25 Cooper Sq, New York, NY 10003 www.standardhotels.com; 1 212-475-5700 The cafe at the Standard Hotel when [...]

By |2018-04-07T08:21:23-04:00December 7th, 2017|NYC Best Bites, Theatre|0 Comments
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The Portuguese Kid: Theater Pizzazz

It’s a battle of the sexes in John Patrick Shanley’s (Pulitzer Prize Doubt/Oscar Moonstruck) latest comedy about love, which he also directed at Manhattan Theater Club. The comedy is based somewhere on the Greek story of the Princess Atalanta who promises she’ll marry anyone who can outrun her, but no one can until goddess Aphrodite plays a trick on her. What makes it most intriguing is the line up of star power on that small stage. It’s silly, wacky but you gotta laugh even if you don’t want to! This is really far reaching for the likes of Shanley. The play takes place in Providence, R.I. as the spicy, larger than life [...]

By |2017-11-06T15:45:17-05:00November 22nd, 2017|Theatre|0 Comments
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Junk: Theater Pizzazz

“This is a story of kings, or what passes for kings these days…” So goes the opening line of Junk, Ayad Akhtar’s riveting morality tale of money and greed and American values in the 1980s. And who might these royals be, you ask? Why, none other than kings of finance, of course. It’s a troubling sign to see so many of these questionable kings on stage and screen today (not to mention in the White House).  Madoff and his family have shown up in a number of recent plays and films (Richard Dreyfuss and Robert De Niro both have played him).   You’ll find Rupert Murdoch (played by Bertie Carvel) today on the [...]

By |2017-11-06T15:47:04-05:00November 14th, 2017|Theatre|0 Comments
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The Leopard at des Artistes, Upper West Side, NYC + Time and The Conways

After seeing J. B. Priestley's Time and the Conways, with Elizabeth McGovern about a well-to-do family and their fluctuating fortunes that offers food for thought (Click here for a review on Theater Pizzazz.), we headed to The Leopard at des Artistes on the Upper West Side. As their guests, we sampled lots of wonderfully prepared and expertly served food, sharing each dish. Their amuse was an arancini, a fried rice ball filled with mozzarella, veal and peas. We asked that our skilled server paired wines with our food. With our appetizers — the antipasti — we sipped the Pinot Bianco "Plotzner" 2015, St. Pauls ($13). We began with an artichoke salad [...]

By |2017-11-19T11:18:35-05:00November 11th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Jesus Hoped the A Train: Theater Pizzazz

Stephen Adly Guirgis, Pulitzer Prize winning playwright in 2000 – Between Riverside and Crazy, writes with guts and blood and not for the faint of heart. If you saw that or The Motherf…ker with the Hat, you know just what I mean. If you’re a little uncertain about hearing the on-going profanity of the imprisoned at Rikers Island, you might reconsider as well. The play is awash with minor and major monologues like pop ups that arise in empty spaces with it’s own humor and one-liners and a symphony of themes that encompass social justice, imprisonment, religious belief as the inmates and the guards battle their own ... From Theater [...]

By |2017-10-28T13:20:07-04:00November 9th, 2017|Theatre|0 Comments
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M. Butterfly: Theater Pizzazz

Almost thirty years since it first fluttered onto the stage, M. Butterfly is back on Broadway, in a stunning production directed by Julie Taymor. Playwright David Henry Hwang has made some minor revisions, but the play still packs the dramatic wallop it did in 1988, when it won the Tony Award for Best Play. Loosely based on a true story, Butterfly spans twenty-odd years as French diplomat Rene Gallimard (Clive Owen) looks back from his Parisian prison cell in 1986 to the time he was stationed in China. His memories are dominated by his affair with Peking Opera star Song Liling (Jin Ha), also known ... From Theater Pizzazz review by Michael Bracken. Click [...]

By |2017-10-28T13:13:52-04:00November 6th, 2017|Theatre|0 Comments
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Torch Song: Theater Pizzazz

Who’da thunk it? A relic from a time when AIDS meant HELPS and nostalgic even then, Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy in revival would surely reek of reminiscence and easy sentiment. How could it not? Yet Moisés Kaufman’s breezy production of Torch Song – the three plays have been slimmed down to one – at Second Stage Tony Kiser Theater, plays as if it were written yesterday (all right, the day before yesterday). It pulses with the vitality of Fierstein’s script and a virtuoso performance by Michael Urie as Arnold, bolstered by the rest of the excellent cast, especially Mercedes Ruehl in a brief but unforgettable ... From Theater Pizzazz [...]

By |2017-11-08T12:37:58-05:00November 2nd, 2017|Theatre|0 Comments
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Introducing Sandi Durell’s Theater Pizzazz

About two years ago when my theatre buddy Tom met Sandi Durell at a holiday party, he decided to introduce us as he had a feeling we'd become friends. He was right. Sandi Durell is Publisher/Editor of the fabulous TheaterPizzazz.com — an entertainment website covering theater and cabaret, with a staff of over 15 contributing writers.  Her site offers interviews, openings and reviews of both on and off broadway shows and music.  Sandi's been writing, reviewing, producing, with a voice in theater, cabaret and entertainment for over 25+ years. We decided to sort of cross-pollinate — me sharing her contributors' theatre reviews here on Bite of the Best, she sharing my [...]

By |2017-11-06T09:13:18-05:00October 31st, 2017|Big Apple Life, Theatre|0 Comments
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Bombay Sandwich Co., Hell’s Kitchen, NYC (“F**king A”)

On my way to Signature Theatre to see one of Suzan-Lori Parks' play "F**king A," that is her sort of take on The Scarlet Letter, I stopped in at a press tasting at the 35th Street location of Bombay Sandwich Co. The play is about a local abortionist (Christine Lahti), branded with an "A", trying to buy her jailed son’s freedom. (Click here for review on Theater Pizzazz ) I learned that Bombay Sandwich Co. started as a booth at NYC's Smorgasburg where the success of its kale & sweet potato wrap ($8.27) led to the opening of the Manhattan stores. The first one opened in 2014 at 48 East 27th [...]

By |2017-11-06T09:07:49-05:00October 20th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|1 Comment
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A Baker’s Dozen Cheap Pre-Theatre Eats: Theatre District

"Where should I eat?" I'm always asked, especially when friends are heading to theatre. To help respond to that query,  I've decided to create a few posts listing suggested places to grab a bite, divided by cost and time. This first post contains a baker's dozen offerings where you can get a quick meal — of course, depending on what you order — for about $25 (not including tax, tip and drinks!) located not far from the theatre district.   Bareburger 366 W 46th St, (212) 673-2273. For a quick burger and fries. Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., 1501 Broadway (at 43rd) (212) 391-7100 A down-home atmosphere reminiscent of the “Forrest [...]

By |2018-04-07T08:21:10-04:00September 9th, 2017|NYC Best Bites, Rambling, Theatre|2 Comments
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