Bingo at Le Poussin Rouge-Bleeker and Thompson

Saturday night I spent a fab evening with girlfriends at Le Pouissin Rouge at Thompson and Bleeker; it was hilarious and I cannot recommend this more for the sheer comedy and strange sweetness of the show.
Best of all drinks are cheap (sodas $2, well drinks $4), there is no cover charge, and Bingo cards are only $2!
This would be tops on my lists fro most of my relatives under 80. And maybe some of those over!!

Good Mom-Is-Coming to NYC Restaurants-59th Street area

Carnegie Deli 5th and 7th


Sarabeth's Restraurant: 59th and Central Park South--this is good food in a nearby location

Palm Court at the Plaza - 59th and CPS --offers breakfast lunch and afternoon tea-a la carte brunch on Sunday - spectacular open room in the Plaza Atrium --tea on Sunday would be 31- 50...honestly this is well worth it as I think your mom would love this if she likes hotels and old New York

Oak Room and Oak Room Bar at the Plaza Hotel ) entrees around $32--Oak Room Bar looks out on Central Park

The Algonquin Hotel brunch (one of my fave old hotels--where Dorothy Parker's Roundtable was held). This is also pricey for Brunch --25-35 or so


Brunch at Carlyle Hotel - 76th and Madison -$59 prix fixe brunch

New York City Pass

I always rely on out-of-towners to introduce me to new things in NYC; my friend Pam is not exception. She unearthed the New York City Pass, which offers free admittance to over 50 attractions in NYC including the costly museums such as Met. Museum and the Guggenheim, and very worthwhile attractions such ac the Circle Line, Top of the Rock, Empire State Building, Madam Tussaud's etc. It definitely is only worth it if you plan to do a lot on one day. But I think the freedom-factor also helps tremendously. Not having to think about how much something costs tends to free you up to try new things without worrying if they are "worth it"--and for that factor alone this sounds like a good deal for a couple of days in NYC.

Reviews of the pass are good also.

10 Things NOT to Do in NYC

I ran across this interesting post on Concierge.com --10 Things NOT to DO in NYC--and what to do instead. Some of their "not to do's" I agree with --especially the Empire State Building, though it is hard to talk visiting friends out of this one, and I have an odd fondness and sweet memory of the whole process with my niece and her friend, once was enough!--but they say Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty are worth it and unless you are in town for 2 weeks, I beg to differ. I find the boat trip to these locations to be onerous , as is the process for getting tickets.  I still think the best way to see the Statue of Liberty is from afar--by boat, preferably one of the Adirondack/ Imagine sailing tours, but the Staten Island Ferry can also suffice if you are on a budget. The views are spectacular, and you are not waiting in line forever (or regretting that you didn't get one of the limited tickets to actually enter the statue).
And I think everyone should get a hot dog from a cart. The chances of food poisoning are not THAT high....
Anyway, it made me wonder what MY "10 Must Do's" and "10 Never Do's" would be. I'll be working on that but in the meantime--suggestions welcome!

The Doughnut Plant

For years I have been reading about The Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side and wanting to visit. As someone who considers doughnuts a practically-perfect food ("perfect" it would be if it had any nutritional value whatsoever, and we all know the answer to that), this seems like the mecca for my kind; you can actually see the doughnuts being made! These award winning sweets are available at Zabars and Bloomingdales (and, it seems, they have opened or are opening a location at the Chelsea Hotel of all places!) among other places, but one of these days I want to make it down to the plant at 379 Grand (about three blocks east of Ludlow, 2 blocks above Canal...).
HOURS
Tuesday - Sun. 6:30 til donuts are sold out (5-7PM)

Summer Events in NYC-River to River, Midsummer Night's Swing, Bastille Day, LC Festival

Midsummer Night's Swing --through July 17th, Tues-Sat July 5-10; Mon, Wed-Sat July 12th-17th.

Lincoln Center Festival: through July 25th

Bastille Day on 60th St. from Fifth Ave. to Lexington: July 11th

River to River Festival: Free events all summer long

Tomorrow, July 8th--the Restaurant Week Showcase, 11-1PM at the World Financial Center

Summer Outdoor Films

Bryant Park (42nd St and 6th Ave) starts this week its series of outdoor films every Monday at sunset, through Aug. 23rd, 2010. Here's the list of films:
July 12- My Man Godfrey July 19th: The China Syndrome July 26th Monty Python & The Holy Grail; Aug. 2nd Rosemary's Baby Aug. 9th The Goodbye Girl Aug 16th 12 Angry Men Aug. 23 Bonnie and Clyde.
An eclectic mix, to say the least, but most people don't attend for the film, but more for the only-in-New-York spirit of the event.

Neue Galerie -and its wonderful cafes

The Neue Galerie is an elegant, small, museum in a gorgeous building across and up from the Metropolitan Museum, at 86th and Fifth Avenue. The museum is devoted to early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design. Exhibitions can be small but worth a visit, especially if you have a chance to stop at the cafe/ restaurants on the first floor: Cafe Sabarskay (Mon and Wed 9-6; Thurs-Sun 9-9; Tues. closed) and Cafe Fledermaus (Fri-Sun, 12-6). Here's a link to there Teutonic-centric menu. Even if you go just for coffee and breakfast, its a divine atmosphere; as close as you'll get to Vienna in NYC.

Hours and Admission:
Museum Hours
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
(closed Tuesday and Wednesday)

Admission
General $15
Students and seniors $10
FREE the First Friday 6-8 every month

Museum of Arts & Design

I've just discovered that the American Craft Museum--which I visited a few times with great pleasure--has been renamed The Museum of Arts & Design, and relocated since 2008 to Columbus Circle! It is now the Museum of Arts and Design. Hello! I look forward to visiting this weekend and seeing the "new" facility.

HOURS
Museum
Tue. - Sun. 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Thurs. 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Closed Mon. and Major Holidays

Happily revisiting Cloister Cafe-- and other East Village institutions

The Cloister Cafe at 9th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues is one of those few East Village institutions (like Gem Spa and Cafe Orlin) that has survived the past couple of decades intact and carries a lot of memories for those (like me) who arrived in the early 80's to a post-Lou Reed, pre-Madonna St. Mark's Place. When I revisited it about 13 years ago I had a nostalgically pleasant experience, but at one point it turned into an expensive restaurant and had lost is appeal as a place to hang and feel a part of the East Village crowd. Luckily we revisited it this weekend and I'm happy to announce it has an extremely affordable menu (eggplant parmigiana 6.99, salads around 5.99, pastas at around 9.99, fish and meat more expensive) and its outdoor charm is intact. It's a great place to take the family if they are in town and you want to impress them with an East Village experience without the craziness. They do offer hookah pipes also, for what it's worth.

Also recommended for that "East Village" vibe:

Cafe 7A --&th Street and A...budget prices, always cool vibe

Cafe Orlin - 41 St. Marks (bet. 1st and 2nd)-outdoor and indoor cafe...cool vibe also
Veselka Second Avenue and 9th Street -Ukranian, usually packed, slightly more expensive

Yaffa Cafe bet. 1st and Ave A --97 St. Marks Place

Cozy Cafe (middle eastern hookah lounge)- $$$ 43 E. 1st St. Haven't been here but looks interesting for an "event" type dinner
Ferrara Bakery and Cafe (more old Italian, for desserts-- not really funky but still an institution)

ChickALicious- dessert bar, highly rated-10th between 2nd and 1st

Khyber Pass- 34 St. Marks. Another EV institution. Afghan food.

Lucky Chengs - First Ave. bet. 1st and 2nd St. Drag queens and Chinese food! What more could you ask for??

Momofuku Milk Bar 2nd Ave and 13th St. - famously crazy goodies... like "Crack Pie" and "Cereal Milk" soft serve

Moustache- 10th bet, 1st and Ave A- Middle Eastern pizza and other dishes, inexpensive

Odessa -Ave. A between 7th and 8th - famous diner with pirogies and other Ukrainian specialites, where you can chose between the 1950s lounge or the the more modern diner next to it. I've had Thanksgiving dinner here in the ancient lounge--which was truly frightening. In a good way.

Phebe's Tavern and Grill-Bowery and 4th. yes, Phebe's is still here!

Pommes Frites- 2nd bet 7th and 8th. That's what they serve--deliciously greasy Belgian french fires.

Two Boots- Ave A and 3rt St. Still, I think, the best pizza ever. Can be noisy when kids are here.

Free Stuff: How to get tickets to TV shows taped in NYC

I have to admit I never think of going to talk shows because I live here. Which really makes no sense! But it's tops on the tourist to-do list, so herewith some how-to-get-tickets links to various shows shot in New York (I will update this post throughout the week):

NYTIX.com: Comprehensive listing of TV shows taped in NYC

Regis and Kelly (studio is at 67th and Columbus): Stand-by line at 7AM is worth a try if you don't have tickets. As per website: "Up to a 12 month wait for tickets because there is very limited seating in the studio. To help assure the dates you request will be available, please submit your ticket request at least 6-8 weeks in advance and be sure to include multiple back-up dates to work with in order to help us fulfill your request."

The David Letterman Show: (Studio is the Ed Sullivan Theater at 53rd and Broadway) Call the Stand-by PHONE line the day of starting at 11AM --(212) 247-6497. To get tickets you must 1.) Submit your request using their Online Ticket Form OR 2.) Visit the theater during specified hours and submit an In-Person Request

TDF-your portal to cheap tickets to fabulous events

The Theater Development Fund--aka TDF --is a fantastic organization for up to 70 percent discounts to tickets to Broadway, Off and Off-Off Broadway shows, as well as dance and music, events, including ABT, NYC Ballet, NYC Opera and Met, and more. In the past month I've paid $35 or less for tickets to "The Miracle Worker" with Abigail Breslin and the magnetic Alison Pill; the Ethan Hawke directed "A Lie of the Mind" with David Carradine, Laurie Metcalfe; and Venus in Fur w/Wes Bentley and the thoroughly remarkable Nina Arianda (surely a star-is-born).

The one caveat, as per their website:

To qualify for TDF membership, you must belong to one of the following groups: full-time students, full-time teachers, union members, retirees, civil service employees, staff members of not-for-profit organizations, performing arts professionals, members of the armed forces or clergy. When you join, you will be asked to supply TDF with proof of your eligibility.

It is a wide net--so if you are not eligible, find someone who is.