"What's going on tonight?"

Q: How many times have Mindy and myself gotten the question, "What's going on tonight?"
The answer is countless.

Why do you think we made a blog with information, reviews and CALENDAR WITH EVENTS COMING OUT OF ITS BEHIND?!

Now, no one I know can use, "I didn't know about that show/event?" as an excuse. It's on the calendar!

So let me now share some tips on how to stay connected to the NYC To-Do List. Firstly, sign up for a Google calendar! It's quick simple and kicks Outlook's ass. You can have email reminders for events sent to yourself, handy right?

Secondly, there is the crazy invention since the dawning of the blogosphere called RSS feeds? If you use Google Reader, Bloglines, My Yahoo!, any feed reader or have a bookmark tab on your web browser (they all have that right?) you can subscribe to the NYC To-Do List blog posts. It will provide you with the most up to date information and rants Mindy and myself have blogged. Just go to the bottom of this page and select "Subscribe: Posts (atom)". But don't get to addicted to RSS feeds or else you may not be able to enjoy all the amazing shit going on in the outerwebs (a.k.a. the place beyond your computer screen or "reality").

Speaking of which, here are some ways to spend your weekend and feed yourself at the same time!

Friday July 10th, TODAY!
The charming and talented Jason Anthony Harris will be playing a FREE show at Goodbye Blue Monday this evening at 9pm. Hungry too? Order some of the sandwiches and cafe eatery Goodbye Blue Monday provides and enjoy the show!

Saturday July 11th, Tomorrow.
Afuche, who we know and love (and not just because we know them) is playing with Rimsky and Hungry Hands in Ryan's Basement. To enter this show you'll need to know someone else who is attending, if you know Mindy or myself personally give us a ring! The show is FREE but donations are always accepted (donations in the form of cash or beer are especially appreciated). Cheap eats right around the corner at Fresco Tortillas, I'm sure members of Afuche will join me in giving Fresco their stamp of approval.

You don't know us personally?
Check out Huggabroomstock at Goodbye Blue Monday, there is a huge BBQ and music festival from 2pm to late night! Bring something to throw on the grill.

Sunday July 12th, The Day After Tomorrow (is a horrible movie).
Moviehouse @ 3rd Ward is BACK! And they are doing a FREE screening of two raunchy sketch comedies; Titsburg and Who Died? - The Frank Zip Story. Before the screening grab some more than "just a slice" of pizza at Roberta's (it's a little pricey but so delicious) and right near the Morgan L stop.

You are a broke hipster?
Your solution is at the Bushwick Country Club, from 2pm to 4pm FREE Ice Cream.Net and Bushwick Country Club have teamed up to provide you with FREE BBQ and FREE Maker's Mark Milkshakes while it lasts. Shoot some putt putt after stuffing yourself with some grilling and milkshakes. You'll still have time to make it over to the Moviehouse Screening, too!

And we would like to thank Heidi for her lovely posting about us on Skirts and Tights! This a shout out in response to a shout out. Hell yes! Even old school MTV didn't have that many shout outs at once!

-Alyssa

Union Pool will let you do BBQ Parties?

Blog from July of last year on Union Pool's Myspace:

Birthday BBQs @ Union Pool!!!

Hey all,

All summer long Union Pool is offering up our hot grill for your party needs. All you have to do is contact us via unionpoolbooking@yahoo.com with the details of the party you'd like to hold, and we'll let you know the availability. We supply the grill and sell the booze from 3pm-7pm. You supply the people and the food. Weekend dates only, now through September.

Love, UP

I wonder if they are still doing this again in 2008? Afternoon BBQ, anyone?

Big Apple BBQ!

Ahhh! Big Apple BBQ is back in a big way on June 7th-8th in Madison Square Park. It all goes down between 12-6pm each day and it's 8 bucks a plate.

Once again, 17th Street Bar & Grill of Murphysboro, IL will be in attendance, showing the rest of them how BBQ is done. I am totally bringing my SIUC student ID with me when I go to their booth. And yes, I have still held onto my ID after all this time, thank you very much.

I <3 BBQ

First there was Hill Country on 26th Street (which I have been to with my work crew) and now there is Wildwood Barbeque on Park Ave @ 18th. Both are from the BBQ brain of "Big Lou" Elrose.

Details from UrbanDaddy:

You might be familiar with Texas-style barbecue from Hill Country, Big Lou's previous gig, but Wildwood casts a wider net. To prepare the menu, Lou went on a pilgrimage to the best barbecue joints in the country, stockpiling 500 jars of sauce and visiting pits from Raleigh to St. Louis. The result is a menu chock full of the best regional American barbecue, with pulled pork courtesy of North Carolina, baby back ribs from Memphis, pork ribs from Kansas City and lamb spare ribs from...his imagination.

Naturally, you'll want something to wash all that down, so they've stockpiled 30 different bourbons for your sipping pleasure, along with suitably refined cocktails like a spot-on Mint Julep (fortified with "Kentucky Colonel" mint).

Wildwood Barbecue, 225 Park Ave S. (at 18th), 212-533-2500

And so did Heidi's.

Heidi knows what this girl likes!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Heidi Vanderlee '**************@gmail.com'
Date: Tue, Apr 22, 2008 at 10:39 PM
Subject: please tell me you love both of these things
To: Arminda Klier '************@gmail.com'


http://nymag.com/nyxny
--
Heidi Vanderlee(/slice)
Tiny Mix Tapes
www.tinymixtapes.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is the gist of the link Heidi sent, if you are too lazy to hover your mouse and click:
New York mag brings to you this summer,

• Indie Rock Trivia Night (with host Zach Galifianakis and musical guest Les Savy Fav, Highline Ballroom on May 21st @ 8pm, tix on sale now)
• Best Rooftop Party Ever (tix on sale June 2008)
  
• Highbrow Backyard Barbeque (tix on sale July 2008)
  
• Bad Art Auction (tix on sale November 2008)
  
• Indie Rock Karaoke Returns Again (tix on sale January 2009)
  

BBQ, Bourbon, Brews, & Blues in Brooklyn

Those are arguably the five best possible "B" words ever, and they all come together at one spot in Brooklyn (obviously). The Daily Specials information below is pulled directly from the Bar BQ homepage:

Daily Specials
Monday Nights: Blue Monday. Live Blues. Free bourbon of the week fron 7-9:00 and $2 Blue Point pints. Music starts around 7:00.
Tuesday: $2 Yuengling Kegger and live music. Starts at 8:00
Wednesday: Brooklyn Fire Eaters meet for a hot sauce hootenanny. Live Bluegrass starts around 9:00.
Thursday: Kids eat free from the kid menu
Friday: $3 Happy Hour Drafts
Saturday/Sunday: All day happy hour 12:00-6:00

Any day but Thursday (kids? they don't drink bourbon!) sounds like a sure-fire good time.

Nitty Gritty Details:
Kitchen open: M-F 3-11PM. Sat/Sun Noon-11PM. Bar stays open later.
Weekday Happy Hour 3:00-8:00.
689 6th Avenue (Corner of 20th St.)
The location might seem a little daunting to get to, but HopStop seems to think the R train from Atlantic would do just fine.

Vegetarian-Friendly Food at Broadway East

Because I want to eat with my herbivore friends more!

Regurgitated from an Urban Daddy newsletter:

This mostly vegetarian, semi-speakeasy just opened on the very-Lower East Side, the perfect spot for the organic-leaning woman in your life. Fulfill your shellfish desires with the Nantucket Bay Oyster Gratin, or go with the Peking-Style Snow-Dried Tofu if you're feeling a little more zen.

Plus they are eco-friendly!

Former Angelica Kitchen chef Peter Berley brings his plant-based, meat-as-a-garnish philosophy to this eco-friendly restaurant, which will compost its waste and filter and carbonate its own water. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld of NYMag.com

Broadway East: 171 East Broadway (near Canal Street)

Burger Shoppe opening in Financial District

I don't go near the Financial District all that often, but it is still important to have a burger spot handy within different parts of the city, just in case. Burger Shoppe just opened on Water Street and they are serving their patties super old-school style.

Born from the grill-crazed mind of Pop Burger's Kevin O'Connell, Burger Shoppe takes its retro décor seriously—the display was salvaged from an abandoned diner in Philly—and proves it by serving up 1925-style patties. That means tiny 4-oz nuggets of beef, served fast enough that you'll have no problem managing the crowds. Add in a few boardwalk-style onion rings or some skin-on shoestring fries—bundled with a pair of burgers and a soda for a sawbuck—and you should have more than enough to keep you busy.

And if you stick around for happy hour, you can check out the meatier barroom menu in the more subdued digs upstairs. The real prize here is a trio of items you don't usually see at the local diner: Roasted Marrow Bones, Hot Short Rib "Pudding," and the house filet with goose-fat hash browns and creamed spinach.
-- Urban Daddy Newsletter

Here is their All Day Menu
Here is their bitchin' Bar Menu
Here is where to find the place:
30 Water Street (between Broad St and Coenties Slip)

Elettaria in the West Village

The new West Village restaurant Elettaria may not have a good grasp on the importance of Search Engine Optimization (search for them organically on Google and you will see what I mean), but as long as they have a firm grasp on good food, I will forgive them.

Here is what Daily Candy had to say:

The first-generation Americans are doing riffs on the flavors and spices of their homelands, India (Nawab) and the Philippines (Cruz). Wild boar with cumin. Saag paneer gnocchi with cloves. Fried coconut cream with ginger mousse and tamarind sorbet.
Elettaria (Latin for “green cardamom”) was once home to 8th Wonder, a venue where Jimi Hendrix performed. It still has a clubby feeling with velvet curtains, exposed brick, and an open kitchen where the cooks are very much on stage.

Could be interesting and NYMag didn't make it sound too excessive as far as cost is concerned.

Elettaria, 33 West 8th Street, at Macdougal Street

Moto, a sweet spot in Bushwick

I haven't been giving Brooklyn enough love - so here is a love note to Moto, a teeny, tiny Nuevo American cafe underneath the JM train in South Williamsburg. I have ate there a few times and have always enjoyed myself. It is small, dark, and mysterious - filled with good food, chocolatey beer, and sometimes even live music (though it is quite the feat to squeeze in the entertainers). Someone take me on a date. I'll split my mac-n-cheese with youuuu.

349 Broadway, Brooklyn NY 11211 (Corner of Hooper)

Back Forty is in my Top Forty

I have already ate at Back Forty, but I enjoyed it so much that I have been craving a return visit! They specialize in local/seasonal fare and do a good job of it. Anna and I had dinner there last year not long after its grand opening. The food left me smiling (burgers and apple-cider doughnuts - need I say more?) and their beer selection is rather impressive. They don't take reservations, but it is ten steps away from B-Side, so a PBR while waiting would help to kill the time.

190 Ave B and 12th Street

Hidden Sushi in East Village

I have an itching to find the unmarked entrance to Kyo Ya, a relatively undiscovered, but apparently de-li-cious Japanese eatery.

Even if you're looking for it, it's easy to miss. On the south side of East 7th street, look for a little wooden sign on a wrought-iron gate reading simply "Open." Head down the short flight of stairs, and you'll find a cozy underground sliver of a posh Japanese izakaya*.
-- Urban Daddy

* An izakaya (居酒屋, izakaya) is a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks. The food is usually more substantial than that offered in other types of drinking establishments in Japan such as bars or snack bars.

Thanks Wikipedia.


94 E. 7th St (between 1st Ave and Avenue A)

Commerce Opens Today; 20% off meals for a week!

I can't find an official website for Commerce, but from what I have read, it is opening tonight in the West Village, filling the shoes of the former Grange Hall (and before that, Blue Mill). It may be new, but apparently the appearance is a restoration of Grange Hall, complete with "intricate tile work, original murals by artist David Joel, restored booths originally made from English Chestnut and a stunning art deco Brunswick bar circa 1941."

My favorite quote comes from the Daily Candy newsletter:

"June, a nice lady who's lived upstairs for almost 50 years, says it reminds her of the old old Blue Mill."

Cheers to June. Let's go get food and drink, and then knock on her door to say hello.

50 Commerce Street, between Bedford and Barrow Streets (212-524-2301). Opening Thursday with a 20 percent discount for the first week.

26 Seats on Ave B

I am going on an Ave B binge right now, so just bear with me.

I don't particularly care for the 26 Seats' official website, but I do like the review on NYMag.com:

None of the 26 chairs match in this satisfying sliver of a restaurant near Tompkins Square Park. But that seems to suit the young, happy regulars just fine, because the owner has made quite a show of putting a hallway to good use as a restaurant. The French are famously eclectic, and this exceptional little place is no exception to the rule. Framed mirrors, tiny yellow lights, the hinged, empty panels of a wooden diptych occupy the wine-dark walls. Expect little to no elbow room, but in exchange you get an exceedingly good meal at an exceedingly good price. Service is friendly and professional. Tables are small, but the southern French food has a big personality. The chef elevates bistro food to the hilt by adding smart, zingy touches: cherry juice to offset a hearty duck breast, and a sweet corn cake and champagne vinaigrette makes an unpretentious striped bass bucolic. Wine is priced to sell.
— Natalie Danford

168 Ave B and 11th Street (hel-lo B-Side)

Max Restaurant in East Village

Max appears to be affordable, yummy, and in my favorite area to have libations. Sounds good for a cheap-eat night. Plus they have an outdoor garden area (once it is warm enough again for such things). It's cash only, so don't let me forget to make the needed ATM pit stop.

51 Ave B between 3rd and 4th St

Etiquette at Velseka

U.S. Premiere of Etiquette
What: Take a seat at a 24-hour Polish diner, put on headphones, listen, and follow directions to pre-recorded live theater.
Why: The chance to be the audience and the actor? It’s your pierogi-tive.
When: Thru Jan. 20. Daily, every half hour, noon-midnight.
Where: Veselka, 144 Second Ave., at 9th St. (212-228-9682). Tickets can be purchased (pairs only) at 866-811-4111; online at thefoundrytheatre.org.
--- taken from Daily Candy newsletter

Also covered on NYTimes.com in this video. Looking for someone to partner up with me so that we can eat Ukrainian food and put on our acting hats!

Mason Dixon on the LES

"Named for the line, not the Rocky Balboa character, this LES spot from the folks behind Spitzer's Corner dishes southern classics (food starts next week) and brings you Manhattan's second mechanical bull. In case you've already mastered the first one." -- Content from Urban Daddy newsletter

I WANT TO RIDE A MECHANICAL BULL. Don't lie - it is your lifelong dream, too.

More news on the matter.

411: 133 Essex St (between Rivington and Stanton)

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

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