City Bites

The best City Bites from New York

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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Treehaus, Hell’s Kitchen (The Whirligig), NYC

The menu at Signature Cafe inside The Pershing Square Signature Center where we were seeing Hamish Linklater’s new play “The Whirligig,” was more limited than it had been when I reviewed it. We ended up next door at Treehaus for a pre-theatre bite. (Click here for review on Theater Pizzazz) Their menu was also limited but offered much more than a salad, sandwich or soup. We started with a glass of their happy hour ($5) rose  (Hecht and Bannier) and their fried clam strips with their housemade "haus" tartar sauce ($9); we never received the menu offered cole slaw and the strips were a bit overcooked. The scallops with roasted [...]

By |2017-10-23T17:17:08-04:00July 21st, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|1 Comment
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Sammy’s House of BBQ, Theatre District (Anastasia), NYC

The best things about Sammy's House of BBQ are the extra-friendly staff and its location in the heart of the theatre district — almost right across from the Broadhurst Theatre where I was seeing "Anastasia," the delightful fairy-tale of a musical about the Czar Nicholas's youngest daughter with amnesia. I decided to order Sammy's slider trio, wanting a little something before the show. That app consisted of three buns each chockfull of a BBQ'd meat  — one with Texas brisket, another with Carolina pulled pork and the third filled with Alabama smoked chicken ($12.95). A hearty snack for sure! My friend arrived... having just finished his dinner and said he [...]

By |2017-09-04T18:33:42-04:00July 9th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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High Street on the Hudson, West Village, NYC + The End of Longing

We stopped into the cozy High Street on the Hudson restaurant before heading to the Lucille Lortel to see The End of Longing, the dark comedy about substance abuse starring and written by Matthew Perry. I'm not sure why F&W 2014 Best New Chef 2014 Eli Kulp would use so many menu terms in need of explanation to most consumers other than to have them dialogue with the servers.  (For example: volkornbrot, shishito, chermoula, verano, espelette...)  When a customer asks a question, I heard the servers commence into their script. "Is this your first time here?" Following the third time I heard those words at nearby tables, I could recite [...]

By |2018-02-05T11:25:19-05:00July 7th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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TBar Restaurant, Upper East Side, NYC + Dolls House 2

TBar offers sidewalk dining under their bright orange awnings, weather permitting. Although it was a balmy night, we opted for an inside table after seeing Dolls House 2, an unexpected 90 minutes of laughter or giggles even with the serious subject. That phenomenal cast includes Laurie Metcalf, Chris Cooper, Jayne Houdyshell and Condola Rashad. From the cocktail menu, the Tanteo margarita ($14) with tequila, triple sec, lime juice and jalapeno pepper is the one with a little spice kick. We started by sharing a lightly dressed Caesar salad with slivers of Parmesan and with crisped melted cheese on their housemade crouton ($14). If you're a reader of my reviews, you [...]

By |2018-02-18T10:09:02-05:00July 3rd, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Room Service, Theatre District (Little Foxes), NYC

Before heading to the Samuel J Friedman Theatre for the second time seeing Lillian Hellman's Little Foxes with the powerful performances of Laura Linney and Cynthia Nixon switching rolls, we headed to Ninth Avenue to get a bite. My friend had just been to and raved about the Thai restaurant Room Service. We started with the four crispy corn spring rolls stuffed with noodles and veggies ($6), followed by the eponymous mild-flavored Pad Thai ($16.90) with sauteed glass vermicelli mixed with shrimp, mussels, squid and scallops wrapped in an egg-white pancake. Great for those who don't like spicy food. My friend finished with a bowl with two scoops of coconut [...]

By |2017-09-04T18:34:20-04:00July 1st, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Raffles Bistro, Midtown East, (Marry Harry) NYC

Walking south on Lexington Avenue after seeing the York Theatre Company's fun new musical Marry Harry, directed by Bill Castellino (who also directed Off-Broadway musical Cagney), we walked into Raffles Bistro for a bite to eat and lots of conversation. We decided to share both a small pepperoni pizza ($20) and a burger ($19). Both were edible -- but nothing I'd suggest. The pepperoni pizza is reminiscent of frozen pie; the overcooked cheeseburger wasn't much better. At least the fries were large steak-cut and freshly fried, and the service friendly. Not a place I'd recommend. - bonnie BonnieBOTB Follow @BonnieBOTB   Raffles Bistro 511 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10017 [...]

By |2017-09-04T19:06:33-04:00June 20th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Kings of Kobe, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC (The Hairy Ape)

After seeing the talented Bobby Cannavale in Eugene O'Neill 's "The Hairy Ape" at the Armory (also with David Costabile), we walked over to Hell's Kitchen to sample the fare at King of Kobe, known as the "The Burger & Hot Dog Monarchy." As their guests, we tried lots of the offerings beginning with Manhattanite ($8.75) hot dog topped with caramelized apples, frisee, shaved cheddar and a wasabi aioli. Neither I nor my dining partner generally eat hot dogs but agreed this one could change our minds. The fried balls of Mac & Cheese ($7.25) come creamy on the inside, crisp outside. The four rounds are a meal in themselves [...]

By |2017-09-07T15:40:22-04:00May 1st, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Hourglass Tavern, Theatre District (When it Was You), NYC

Eating after theatre worked best as the one-woman show "When it Was You" at the Clurman Theatre was about 70 minutes. Meaning we could relax and not rush off to catch the curtain. Ana Reeder's performance about a women who had once dated in high school a man who became a mass shooter was riviting. We headed to Hourglass Tavern, the tiny 3-story renovated nineteenth-century brownstone (build in 1894) on theatre row. From what I read, each table originally sported a working hourglass (now there are a couple as art on the walls). Their motto was you wouldn't miss the curtain of your show, as the service would take only the [...]

By |2017-09-04T18:34:39-04:00April 27th, 2017|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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Signature Café and Bar, Hell’s Kitchen, NYC

What a find! Conveniently located in the lobby adjacent to Signature's three small theaters at the corner of Tenth Avenue and 42nd Street, the Signature Café and Bar offers light, flavorful and healthful fare from Great Performances. There's also a full bar including a glass of champagne or Prosecco and live music on performance nights. All this comes to you at reasonable prices with the organic produce they served grown at GP’s Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, NY. You'll need to go to the counter to order from the limited but tasty menu. Much of their food is already packaged — like deliciously dressed chopped Tuscan kale, roasted butternut squash, caramelized apples, [...]

By |2017-09-07T15:25:41-04:00December 23rd, 2016|NYC Restaurant Reviews, Theatre|0 Comments
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