Naming your bakery “The Best Chocolate Cake in the World” gives the cake itself a lot to live up to. But “The Best Chocolate Cake in the World,” with locations in SoHo and DUMBO, makes a scrumptious (though pricey) chocolate cake that might just meet all the hype.

Courtesy of www.thebestchocolatecake.com

The legend of the cake begins in chef Carlos Braz Lopes’ Lisbon-based restaurant. According to the bakery’s website, customers loved the cake so much they would go to the restaurant just for a slice, prompting Lopes to open a bakery spotlighting his marvel of culinary invention. The SoHo outpost is sophisticated without being too formal; the bakery is bright and cozy with spindly chairs, low booths, and a pink tiger lily atop each of four mirrored tables. Though I stopped by with the intention of making a quick exit after indulging my curiosity, I changed my mind after stepping inside. The welcoming atmosphere invites patrons to sit and savor their slice rather than wolf it down on the go. Read the complete post »

No Comments | Posted on March 29, 2011 | Categories: Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights & Dumbo, Dining, From the Blog, Manhattan, Neighborhoods, SoHo

tags: Cake, chocolate, Claire Heyison, Superlatives

Begin with water, malt, hops and yeast.  Add space and equipment and you have the beginnings of a brewery. But add the passions of founders Steve Hindy and Tom Potter, and the talents of brewmaster Garrett Oliver and you have The Brooklyn Brewery (79 N. 11th St.). The Brewery was founded in 1987 and moved to Williamsburg in 1996. The company started small, an idea sprung between two neighbors, Hindy– a former middle east correspondent for the Associated Press– and Potter, a former loan officer.  Today the Brooklyn Brewery is recognized as being one of the top forty breweries in America and currently in the process of expanding its facilities.

Behold the Vats

The brewery’s history is rich, colorful and accessible via free-guided tours that take place every Saturday and Sunday.  Visitors can wrangle beers, bought with wooden beer tokens, all while tasting varied brews, like Pennant Ale ’55 or a Brewmaster’s Reserve such as the unfiltered Main Engine Start. An enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide leads visitors into the actual brewing rooms.  Learn about the brewing process, Brooklyn style, from concept to consumption, including where the brewery gets its ingredients and how brewers go about inventing new flavors, inspired by various foods.  Catch a free beer token if you answer a tour guide’s questions correctly and keep a sharp eye out for brewers, working “in their natural habitat”.  “Don’t startle him!  Please, no pictures,” my tour guide yelled from atop his chair, holding a poster board that outlined the basic brewing process, after he spotted one such brewer sneaking through a side door. Read the complete post »

No Comments | Posted on March 29, 2011 | Categories: Attractions, Brooklyn, From the Blog, Neighborhoods, Uncategorized, Williamsburg

tags: beer, Brewery, brooklyn, free, Katie Kolombatovich, NY Essential, Tour

Is there a place for 25,000 word articles or hour-long news programs in a world where texts and tweets dominate our conversations? Though the topic isn’t new for those who have been following the rapidly changi ng field of journalism, it was tackled afresh by some of today’s most high-profile storytellers in front of a packed auditorium.

The panel of Wednesday’s event, “Long-Form Storytelling in a Short-Attention-Span World,” included David Remnick (editor of The New Yorker) Ira Glass, (host and producer of NPR’s This American Life), Raney Aronson-Rath (senior producer of Frontline), and Stephen Engelberg (managing editor of Pro Publica), and was moderated by Alison Stewart (co-anchor of PBS’s Need to Know). The discussion was as entertaining as it was informative, mostly due to a nearly constant stream of good-natured banter from Ira Glass, World’s Most Adorable Human. Never before have I attended a lecture where the audience seemed so energized—as thrilled during the stretches of contemplative silence as when punctuated by gut-busting laughter.

The panelists’ diverse areas of expertise added fuel to the debate and kept the discussion lively. Even straightforward questions, like “Should we be thinking about the reader?” produced different responses when considered from the perspective of filmmaking, investigative reporting, print, or radio. According to Engelberg, “The answer is yes, of course.” His reasoning? Pro Publica is an online news source, and because the Internet can support an infinite amount of material, Read the complete post »

No Comments | Posted on March 20, 2011 | Categories: Event-Related, From the Blog, Union Square

tags: Claire Heyison, David Remnick, Frontline, Ira Glass, Journalism, NPR, Panel, Pro Publica, Raney Aronson-Rath, Stephen Engelberg, Talk, The New School, The New Yorker

It is almost show time at the Neil Simon Theatre. Everywhere, the flash of fresh Playbill’s are seen with the words, Catch Me if You Can, printed proudly in white on the glossy cover of simple memorabilia. Meanwhile, members of the boisterous crowd mingle in the aisles, or sit in red velvet chairs staring at the prepped stage and the curtain—a living screen across which clouds drift silently.  A chime rings out above the noise of chatter and the audience and I settle in.  Like the winged creatures that adorn the theatre’s walls, we all prepare for take off.  Many know the story they are about to see preformed, but few have seen it like this.  The unexpected voice of a flight attendant reminds the play’s passengers to “make sure their seats are in their upright position,” and as the roar of a jet plane fills the ears of all in attendance, the curtain rises and federal agents flood the stage and aisles in hot pursuit of the play’s protagonist, Frank Abagnale, Jr.

From the creators of Hairspray, Catch Me if You Can is the new Broadway musical— formerly a book and film of the same name—based on the real life story of Abagnale, Jr..  In his years as a clever criminal, Abagnale Jr. posed (among other things) as a pilot, a doctor, and an attorney, forging checks worth millions of dollars and leading the FBI on a wild manhunt throughout the world along the way.  With a little luck and a lot of cunning, he escapes the close calls of custody several times before he’s finally apprehended, accomplishing it all before the age of twenty-one.

Read the complete post »

No Comments | Posted on March 19, 2011 | Categories: Attractions, Event-Related, From the Blog, Manhattan, Midtown West

tags: Broadway, Catch me if you can, Gossip Girl, Katie Kolombatovich, Musical, sequins, theater

Silly, snappy, witty repartee finds its groove in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s rendition of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.  Both company and audience alike join in on the fun of this famous farce, where everything ends up exactly how it seems.  Through the unparalleled wordplay of this master playwright and the realization of the company’s talents, the stage becomes a magical world of play, where lies reveal themselves as truths, chaotic inversions reinsert the very order they seek to disrupt, and everyone—from the most crafty to the most innocent—ends up happy.  From the music, to the stage, to the personalities, to the script, every detail adds to the frivolous pleasures of this smart social comedy—one that has kept audiences laughing for over a century.

The play itself is series of ongoing delights for the eyes and ears.  Rather than the traditional red curtain, this production begins with a thirty second interlude of pomp music and a gaudy backdrop championing mother England riding triumphantly in a horse-drawn chariot.  The point is clear—out come societies finest! Read the complete post »

No Comments | Posted on March 18, 2011 | Categories: Attractions, Event-Related, From the Blog, Manhattan, Nightlife

tags: brian bedford, roundabout theatre company, Sasha Levine, the importance of being earnest, theater, times square

For those of us who are addicted to bling, it seems as though our craving for glitz and glamour can never be satisfied.  The new exhibit at the Cooper-Hewitt National design museum will appeal to any believer in the necessity of sparkle. “Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef and Arpels” features sensational pieces created by legendary Parisian designers and brothers-in-law, Alfred van Cleef and Salomon Arpels.

Cooper-Hewitt is a gorgeous historic mansion, previously owned by Andrew Carnegie in the early twentieth century, which now functions as an exquisite and intimate museum.  The architecture is an experience in itself—but the jewelry in set in style set up quite the competition.  Far better than raiding my mother’s jewelry box, long wooden tables bursting with arrangements of glimmering stones and beautiful medal pieces are laid out triumphantly, fully visible and open for admiration.  Unfortunately, the glass case over each table prevents the museum-goer from getting too close, but a girl can dream, right?
Read the complete post »

2 Comments | Posted on March 16, 2011 | Categories: Attractions, Event-Related, From the Blog, Manhattan, Upper East Side

tags: bling at the cooper-hewitt, cooper hewitt, east side, inside new york, jewelry, Melissa Kravitz, Museum, Upper East Side

In 1968, “The Boys in the Band”, a play penned by writer Mart Crowley, premiered at New York City’s Theatre Four.  The plot’s premise was exceedingly simple: a group of guys gather at an Upper East Side apartment to celebrate their friend Harold’s birthday, and surprise him with a male prostitute by the name of “Cowboy” as a present.  Following in a vein similar to Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”, which Crowley cites as an influence, the birthday party evolves into a dialogue about relationships, life and homosexuality.  A breakthrough work for Crowley, the play was a pivotal milestone in a time of sexual revolution, and now the subject of the documentary Making the Boys, showing at the Quad Cinema (34 West 13th St.) until March 17th.

“If I hadn’t wrote it somebody would,” Crowley said regarding the play, standing before an attentive audience at Friday night’s premiere. “But they didn’t, you did,” replied the documentary’s director, Crayton Robey (When Ocean Meets Sky) who was presented with a copy of “The Boys in the Band” when he was in high school.

Inspired by the play and how Crowley’s words helped make homosexuality visible in the 1960’s when it was anything but, Robey’s film is the intertwining of two stories: that of Crowley, his push for success and his dealings with bitter failure, and also the gay right’s movement raging in the streets of New York City.  Read the complete post »

2 Comments | Posted on March 15, 2011 | Categories: Event-Related, From the Blog, Manhattan, Union Square

tags: cinema, Crayton Robey, Documentary, Gay Pride, Gay Rights, Katie Kolombatovich, Mart Crowley, Movie

An opportunity to experience an often-misrepresented culture through a refreshing, original, informative and, above all, unique lens: this is the Iranian Theater Festival at the Brick. Running for a little over three weeks, the festival consists of ten plays and two films. The plays themselves are fresh creations, with some translated into and performed in English for the first time. The artists behind them are young and of Iranian descent, offering a unique insider’s perspective on a culture that often falls victim to generalizations and assumptions. The festival not only attempts to correct mistaken notions of Iran and its culture, but also to forge a new cultural identity for Iranians that balances tradition and Westernization. It also gives a voice to young, new playwrights who offer their own perspective on their heritage, using their plays as a medium to explore and rediscover it.

Silken Veils, the play we saw, was indicative of these general themes. By combining Rumi poetry with puppeteering, video, shadows, and more traditional acting, creator Leila Ghaznavi tells the story of her heroine’s desire to understand true love by looking into her own family and national past. Darya is getting married, an act she cannot bring herself to complete given the heartbreak and pain that was the end of her parents’ passionate marriage. At the risk of losing her fiancé, Darya is forced to look into her own family’s story, which is indivisible from the history of Iran. Ghaznavi’s was a tale of history Read the complete post »

No Comments | Posted on March 14, 2011 | Categories: Brooklyn, Event-Related, From the Blog, Uncategorized, Williamsburg

tags: brooklyn, Culture, Festival, Iran, Myrsini Manney-Kalogera, theater, Williamsburg

Two sets of oak double doors are split wide open at the corner between Varick and Vandam. Every Sunday morning, they draw New Yorkers in using only three special ingredients: live music, lox bagels, and a sparkling house collection of rosé and white wines. At the City Winery, band lovers and vinophiles arrive early in the morning and stay ‘til two (sometimes even three), to peck at their Jewish-inspired breakfast and sip away happily, stopping mid-bite only to clap for the rustic and folksy sweet Klezmer jazz.

When I arrive in the foyer at eleven am, a green t-shirt totting Howard Leshaw and his orchestra are already on stage serving up a dreamy combination of flute, drums, and sax. Everyone in the restaurant is musically transfixed: a birthday group is leaned forward at their center wood table, a handful of college students are nodding on the chairs lined to the right. One particular gentleman (older) has pitched his Sauvignon Blanc forward in a spontaneous and feverish toast; his wife pays no attention, though it is bound to topple down on her any moment from the air. Even the wait staff (younger) is absorbed. The manager rests against the bar, tapping his fingers lightly on a clipboard. A waitress stands next to him, eyes glued on Leshaw, a black serving tray perched at her side. Before I’m even at my seat, I gather the City Winery’s early morning attraction. Read the complete post »

2 Comments | Posted on March 10, 2011 | Categories: Dining, Event-Related, From the Blog, SoHo

tags: booze, brunch, Klezmer, Lox and Bagels, music, Pizza, Shruti Sehgal, wine

Queens Theatre in the Park is a small, unpretentious, family-oriented theatre that boasts great performances for a fraction of the Manhattan price. Hidden in Flushing Meadow Corona park (as its name suggests), the Queens Theatre in the Park seats about 300 people and hosts a wide range of events. On Saturday, March 5^th, 2011, it hosted the St. Petersburg Ballet for two impressive shows.

For more than 40 years, the St. Petersburg Classic Ballet Theatre of Marina Medvetskaya has brought Russian ballet to international audiences, continuing St. Petersburg’s best traditions and impressing spectators with impeccable classical techniques. This particular event consisted of a gala showcasing group works, solos and pas de deux from classic ballets such as Swan Lake and Le Corsair. The performance gained momentum as the night went on, and by the second act, the dancers’ exuberance and passion were contagious. The performance culminated with, “Passione”: An Italian Romance. This short piece showcased enthusiastic dancing and a comical storyline, leaving the audience laughing and cheering. Read the complete post »

No Comments | Posted on March 8, 2011 | Categories: Attractions, Event-Related, Flushing, From the Blog, Queens

tags: inside new york, Myrsini Manney-Kalogera, queens, queens theatre in the park, st. petersburg ballet, theater