Restaurant of the Week: David Burke Kitchen

Photo via http://www.davidburkekitchennyc.com

Every time there is someone visiting me from out of town, the one place I will take them is David Burke Kitchen. From beginning to end your meal will be spectacular. The menu is different but not different enough that you’re wondering why they are serving you Nutella with your salmon. Atmosphere is simple farm chic and during the summer they have an outdoor garden and bar. You can even make reservations specifically for an outdoor table (those who live in New York know this is a small miracle). To top it all off they have a drink menu that will have you leaving there…happy, yes, let’s say happy. Check out some of the great dishes they are serving up!

How did I never think of this? Peanut Butter and Maple Bacon Dates

First time I tried this dish, actually saw it on the menu I was convinced that the night was surely going to go downhill if this is the first item on their menu. Instead, just the opposite happen. It is the first thing listed on the menu for a reason! The peanut butter is a nice play off of the dates with a bit of sweetness from the maple and then the crispy bacon. Order this first and you will realize what a culinary experience you are in for.

Always a solid. David Burke’s Pretzel Crusted Crab Cake

Those who aren’t ready to dive into the deep sea of strange concoctions like peanut butter and dates, this one is for you. This simple yet smart dish has thin stick pretzels lining a crab cake. A great starter that will leave you content but with plenty of room for your main.

This dish that keeps you coming back. Pork Chop

My hands down favorite is the Pork Chop. The plate is layered, yes layered with goodness. Your dish is covered in a mango chutney, which makes you forget you ever ate apple sauce with your pork chop. On top of the warm chutney sits your juicy pork chop, which is cooked to perfection so it doesn’t need anything super fancy to be drizzled on it. On top of your pork chop you’ll find two large cilantro turmeric onion rings which actually pair up very nicely with a little bit of the mango chutney. Finally coming out of the onion rings you’ll find thick maple bacon. Now, I love bacon, I have tried it far and wide, from steak house to hole in the wall, this is something special. I for one would propose they just include it on every dish.

You better have saved room for dessert. Toffee Monkey Bread

I am not going to be able to put this dessert into words. I will never nearly do it justice and for that I apologize. The Toffee Monkey Bread (which they say is for two but your waitress will be honest with you and tell you it could feed four) is the grand finale on an ideal meal. Baked in an old school metal tin, it is prepared table side as your waitress take the monkey bread loaded with bananas, pecans and caramel and mixes it with maple pecan ice cream and some extra banana caramel and whip cream. Hail the Toffee Monkey Bread.

David Burke Kitchen can be found in Soho at 23 Grand Street, New York, NY 10013.

 

Blast Off With the ‘Intrepid Space & Science Festival’ This Weekend!

 

The Intrepid Space & Science Festival is under way and it’s time to plan your weekend so it’s ‘out of this world’! This festival is on its third year and the celebration just keeps on growing. It is the 45^th anniversary of the moon landing so you can expect some extra special events throughout the festival.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Who wanted to be an astronaut when they were growing up? The truth of the matter is we aren’t all that lucky so how about meeting one instead? At 11:00 am and throughout the day you could meet Mario Runco, Jr., Ellen Baker, Joe Edwards (Commander, USN, Retired) and Karol Bobko (Colonel, USAF, Retired). After you get yourself some super-cool autographs, head over to the Space Shuttle Pavilion where you can watch a demonstration of what happens to the human body when exposed to the vacuum of space.

Friday night brings a special event on the Intrepid at 7:30 pm. Astronomy Night will feature local astronomers helping you guide high-powered telescopes then a special screening of CNN’s The Sixties. Space is limited for these night time events so make sure you RSVP.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Saturday has events throughout the day but one of the highlights is a 12:30 pm Tour Guide Talk about the 45^th Anniversary of Apollo 11. Learn about how NASA got through the tragedy of Apollo 1 to reaching their goal of landing a man on the moon. If you’re not signed up for the space-themed Operation Slumber you need to give them a call immediately (1-646-381-5010)! This is a once in a lifetime experience as you enjoy a night of activities and a sleepover under the Enterprise.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Sunday closes out the final day of the Space & Science Festival with a great inside look at Sally Ride. This Tour Guide Talk will celebrate her legacy she left for young people interested in science and technology. Finish your afternoon off and build a scale model of the Solar System with one of their Tour Guides.

 For all events and information head blast off to the official festival page.

Sleep In A Museum Under A 94-Foot Whale!

Spending the night in an empty museum under a giant blue whale and a T. Rex just a few floors above you? Sign us up! The American Museum of Natural History has always offered this for kids but now the adults are getting their turn.

AMNH Sleepover for Kids

About once a month the museum opens their doors after dark for kids 6-13 years old. The night consist of everything a 10 year old could dream of. After exploring the Age of the Dinosaurs you’ll head over to encounter some of the museums live animals. After exploring the museum with a small group of fellow campers you’ll get to sleep under the 94-foot-long blue wall or under a herd of African zebras.

Price is $145 per person includes an evening snack, light breakfast, cot and the experience of a lifetime.

AMNH Sleepover for Adults

Now onto the greatest news ever! Just this week the American Museum of Natural History announced their very first sleepover for grown-ups. August 1^st a limited amount of guests will be able to enjoy a night of sophistication and exploration in the closed museum. If you thought this would just be the basics, think again. After you’re greeted with a champagne reception and jazz music, you’ll be served a three-course dinner. Spend the rest of the evening roaming the empty halls and view special presentations of certain exhibits. Bring your sleeping bag as you lay your head under the big blue whale! This first class experience will cost you $375 a person and we could basically guarantee it will be worth every dime.

 

Diamond Ruff Screening With the Harlem Book Fair Thursday

 

Next Thursday, July 10, Diamond Ruff will be screening at a red carpet event at the National Black Theatre in partnership with the Harlem Book Fair, and you’re invited!

Come on out to see the film about redemption, forgiveness, the power of the human spirit and second chances. Starring Fredro Starr as Diamond and Felicia Pearson as KK, the event screening will begin at 6 p.m. Be sure to stick around after the show when executive producer Joe Young along with the cast and special guest celebrities for a post-film panel. The discussion will be open to a Q&A for the audience!

Shoot on up to Harlem next Thursday to catch the red carpet event, and don’t forget to check out the trailer below:

You can purchase tickets to the event online now.

Top 5 Pools to Beat NYC’s Summer Heat

Top 5 Pools to Beat NY’s Summer Heat

A good way to know that the summer is officially here is when the outdoor pools open up! Starting June 27^th, New York residents can enjoy free access to over 50 pools throughout the boroughs. Whether you want to learn how to swim, swim for exercise, or maybe just cool off—there’s a pool near you to cater to your needs this summer! For more information on pools in your area, visit nycgovparks.org.

1. Lasker Pool – The Olympic sized pool doubles as an ice skating rink in the winter, and is conveniently located in Upper Westside Manhattan on 110^th Street & Lenox.

photo: nycgo.com

2. Astoria Pool – You can spot both the Hell Gates and Robert F. Kennedy bridges from this pool, and enjoy lots of shaded lounge area. 19 Street and 23^rd Drive

photo: nycgovparks.org

 

 

3. McCarren Park Pool – This newly renovated, Olympic-sized pool in Northern Brooklyn should provide just the right amount of water to cool you off! McCarren Park, 776 Lorimer Street

photo: nycgovparks.org

4. Hamilton Fish Pool – One of the biggest pools in the city, this pool attracts swimmers from the lower Manhattan region.  Pitt & Houston Street (128 Pitt St.)

photo: nycgovparks.org

5. Crotona Pool – This is the only Olympic-sized pool in the Bronx (and fourth largest in the city), located in Crotona Park, which is praised for its tree lines and beautiful lake. 173^rd Street and Fulton Avenue

Photo: elizabethjazz.com

Theatre Thursday: The Nederlander

The Nederlander Theatre – 208 W 41^st Street

The Nederlander wasn’t always called that, it had several different names including the Nation, the Billy Rose and the Trafalgar up until 1980 when James and Joseph Nederlander bought the theatre and named it their namesake.  In May of the next year, the theatre had one of its most distinguished shows to date, Lena Horne in Lena Horn: The Lady and Her Music.

Over the next few years the Nederlander housed many shows including Raggedy Ann in 1986 and Our Country’s Good in 1989. On April 29, 1996 the show that called the Nederlander its home for 12 years opened, Rent. Rent was a rock opera that dealt with strong subject matters and this theatre couldn’t be more perfect. The Nederlander at the time sat away from the rest of the big Broadway shows, creating this grungy off-beat area for what would soon be the hottest ticket in town.

On September 8, 2008 the cast of Rent closed the curtain one more time and the Nederlander started looking for another play to call them home. They started to vamp up the appearance of the theatre around this time with plush seats and carved wood panels to make way for Guys and Dolls.

After a few plays opening and closing their doors at the theatre, Newsies found their home there in 2012. Originally only opening for limited engagement, that spark that found its way between the Nederlander and Rent was now lit up again five years later.

Not your average Broadway theatre but much more.

Rent took the Nederlander stage for 12 years.

Today, Newsies called the Nederlander their home.

8 Wonderful NYC Travel Quotes

Quotes about New York City by famous (and not so famous) people:

“When I’m in New York, I just want to walk down the street and feel this thing like I’m in a movie.” – Ryan Adams

“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” – G.K. Chesterton

“There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless” – Simone Beauvoir

“New York is the biggest collection of villages in the world.” – Alistair Cooke

“More than anything else, New York is a city of superlatives, a place where the best, the brightest, the biggest is the norm.” Marilyn J. Appleberg

“New York walking isn’t exercise; it’s a continually showing make-your-own movie.” – Roy Blount Jr.

“I get out of the taxi and it’s probably the only city which in reality looks better than on the postcards, New York.” – Milos Forman

“The Glamour of it all! New York! America!” – Charlie Chaplin