Bacaro in Chinatown

"Bacaro is set to bring authentic Venetian atmosphere and cuisine to a tucked away block south of Canal.

Inspired by chef/owner Frank DeCarlo (Peasant) and his wife Dulci's last trip to Venice, Bacaro is a tale of two bars. Upstairs, sunny and bright from the breezy front picture windows, is a charming wine bar with dark wood rafters, a stately marble bar, and a series of small tables perfect for lounging with a carafe of wine and some bar snacks (try the marinated sardines or the spicy fried meatballs).

The real draw of Bacaro, however, is its engrossing, catacumbal downstairs, all exposed brick, slate floors and rough wood accents. The lighting is dark, sexy. The main room, with another large bar and a few scattered tables, gives way to two wine cellars, a salami room (yes it needs its own room) and two darkly lit vault rooms. It's here where larger parties will get lost in a languorous meal of braised duck, smoked mozzarella lasagna and endless bottles of Valpolicella and Amarone (the wine list has 75 bottles from regions surrounding Venice)." -- Content from Urban Daddy Newsletter, and was also featured in a DailyCandy Newsletter.

Sounds like a better fit for a date, but would be nice to check out! Plus, it is off the E Broadway stop on the F train so it would be an easy trip from the BK.

Bacaro, 136 Division St (between Orchard St and Ludlow St), 212-941-5060

Jane Jacobs and The Future of New York

The Municipal Art Society of New York is hosting an exhibit on Jane Jacobs. Looks really interesting and is close to where I work.

Thanks, Jerry!

MAS Urban Center Galleries, 457 Madison Avenue, at East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022, through Saturday, January 5, 2008.

And if you are reading this, for fun, go ahead and watch this bird dance and sing to Backstreet Boys. Bird's got mad rhythm, yo.

La Vita-Williams Guitar Duo

Something no one will probably respond to - La Vita-Williams Guitar Duo for free at BAM (10pm) tomorrow. I know, it is the Friday of Halloween weekend... I must be mad to not want to get wasted in a lingerie costume!

Anyway, if anyone actually wants to go to this, I would put my sexytime-drinking on hold for a night.

If not, there is always April 1st or 13th when they are back in NYC again....

Sixth Ward

Irish beer hall in the LES.

"The owner flew in a specialist from the Emerald Isle to make sure their CO2 and nitrogen settings for Guinness were the same as the typical pub in Ireland."

Definitely sounds worthwhile.

191 Orchard St (between E Houston and Stanton), 212-228-9888

The Valerie Project at the MoMA

Any takers? My co-worker says these things are always really fun, super cheap, and for goodness sake - it is at the MoMA! Read up more on PopRally and the The Valerie Project. Sounds like a good time, plus it is only $10 (advance; $12 at door). This Sunday. Holler.

Cafe Katja

Austrian Beer and Brats on the LES

"A cozy gem of a 25-seat, exposed-brick-laden bar, Cafe Katja is a Governator's paradise of authentic Austrian beer, brats and heavy consonants. Co-opened by two chefs, one a native New Yorker, the other a native Austrian (with the surname to prove it: Schrottner), Katja fills its modest-sized menu with strudel-icious offerings like landjaeger smoked sausage and homemade pickles, weisswurst plates with sweet mustard and pretzels, homemade bratwurst with sauerkraut and beef goulash with spaetzle.... Katja has hard-to-find German and Austrian bottled lagers, pilsners, Hefeweizens and malts (including the 14%-alcohol Samichlaus) and drafts like Gosser, Hofbrau and Schneider. Plus, nearly all the beers, both bottled and draft alike, are served in their own brewery-specific glassware—a bartending feat that requires discipline and precision." -- Content from Urban Daddy newsletter Cafe Katja Menu 79 Orchard St (between Broome and Grand), 212-219-9545

Tokyo Bar

Japanese Comfort Food in Tribeca



"At Tokyo Bar—the first Japanese comfort-food café to hit Manhattan—you'll feel like you've stepped inside a Japanese comic strip (sort of like that A-ha "Take On Me" video, plus Speed Racer).
Once you've savored the initial rush, you'll want to settle into a leather booth near the back, pull your head away from the big, Sailor Moon-esque comics decorating the walls and ceiling and focus your attention on the menu, which offers Tokyo's equivalent of mashed potatoes and mac & cheese—home-cooked favorites like omelets stuffed with seasoned rice and covered with homemade gravy, spaghetti with berkshire pork and ketchup, and fried chicken with hot chile sauce....
And the comfort food becomes significantly more comfortable with cocktails like One-Cup Ozeki (a popular vending-machine sake) [and] the off-the-menu Shochu and Orange Juice (Japanese screwdriver)." -- Content from Urban Daddy newsletter

Tokyo Bar Menu

Tokyo Bar, 277 Church (between White and Franklin), 212-966-2787

"To-Do List" goes Digital: Ping that, biatch.

Anna may be away in Europe right now, but I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we are rather often caught exclaiming, "Put it on our To-Do list!" Now, if you have heard this escape our mouths before, you know what this means. If you have not, it might seem a bit strange. Perhaps you just think it is just some Midwest thing that Midwest people do to irritate those of the East Coast persuasion.

Let me clarify for those misinformed souls out there: This is an ongoing To-Do list that we have been adding to since our arrival in New York City back in January of this year. New bar in the East Village? "To-Do List" it. Interesting photo exhibit that is ending in one week? "To-Do List" it. One-man band parading the streets in his underwear with a top hat on? "To-Do List" it.

I think you get the idea.

However, we were literally holding this amazing To-Do List together with imaginary thread - nothing was there to keep things in order. Amazing one-time events were forgotten. New bars mourned the absence of two cute, young, lady patrons during happy hour. Rare city wonders went missing on scraps of notebook paper in our bedrooms, purses, and office desks.

To fix this, I am creating this blog. Together, we now have a place to collectively save our "To-Do List" finds, and satiate our compulsive tendencies. And maybe we will actually attend an event or two in the process!

Prepare for many events to appear in rapid-fire succession as I work to post the few events and places that have somehow managed to stay on my mental "To-Do List."

Cheers,
Mindy