Terrific Teas

The next time you end up at a café paying $3.50 for leaves and warm water, think about going to McNulty's and having that tea at home instead. This West Village institution has been around since 1895, providing the good tea-drinking citizens of this city with affordable loose teas from all over the planet, many for only $4 per quarter pound. Just to provide a few examples, they have deliciously strong Russian and Kenyan black teas, an aromatic China Rose black tea, jasmine pearl and rosebud teas, an array of refreshing green and red teas, all your old favorites like English Breakfast and Orange Pekoe, excellent pre-packaged brands like Kusmi, and even bricks of tea. The employees know their subject well and can help with recommendations, plus it's just pleasant to browse, exploring the world by scent. If you're purely a coffee drinker who associates tea with stale chamomile and having the flu, perhaps this place will change your mind, and if it doesn't, they also sell coffee.

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Coffee • West Village

Hidden in Plain View

As we were walking down Dominick Street at 10:30 on a Monday night and turning the corner onto Hudson Street, my wife said to me "where is this gig again?" Then we saw four hepcats standing outside a narrow 6-story structure on an otherwise completely deserted Hudson Street. Bingo! The Jazz Gallery, a not-for-profit performance space that's been around since 1995. About thirty seats and an informal setting for such cats at Taylor Ho Bynum (one of our favorite NY trumpet players), the Roy Hargrove Big Band, and, the night we were there, for Myron Walden's trio Apex. Catching Myron, and especially his cohorts Dwayne Burno on bass and Eric McPherson on drums, at 11 pm on a sleepy Monday night in New York made me smile...only here, little pilgrims, only here...

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Nightlife • West Village

See or Be Seen

Supposedly The Standard is getting a bit of a rap (good or bad; you decide) for people having visible sex through its windows, which all face out to the quiet, unpretentious, brilliant High Line Park, as well as the loud, super-pretentious, ass-reaming Meatpacking District. As I have never been nor will ever be cool enough to witness or participate in such a pastime as voyeur-based sex, I'm reduced, as any other nerd would be, to talking about the architecture, by Todd Schliemann of Polshek Partnership Architects. Essentially: it's a wonderful post-modern homage to modernism, straddling the High Line and providing amazing views of the Hudson River, the West Village, Chelsea, and the rest of Manhattan (if you're high enough). Several restaurants you can't afford have either opened up or are about to open up, but the best way to experience The Standard is by far the cheapest: by walking under it while strolling the High Line. And hey; maybe you'll happen to glance up at just the right time...SOMEBODY eventually wins Lotto, right?

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Hotels • West Village

Beautiful Food...and People

You know that chef dude, Jean-Georges Vongeraddflvldeirfsn? He's pretty good. And so is Spice Market, as long as you go at, like, 2 pm on a Saturday. The restaurant will only be .25 full of disgustingly rich and fashionable people, as opposed to 1.25 full every other time. At such a time, you can then enjoy the Spring Rolls, Chicken Samosas, Mussels, Crab Dumplings, Squid Salad, Soup, Crispy Salt and Pepper Skate, Pork Vindaloo, Snap Peas, Sticky Rice, etc. etc. etc. Clearly, you should go with a minimum of four people, as all this goodness is served as soon as it comes out of the kitchen, and you'll want to eat at least a dozen things on the menu. Trust me.

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Restaurants • West Village

Garden Party 26, Pier 54, Tonight!

What do you know about garden parties, friend? Croquet and tennis whites? Cocktails that rhyme with "tulip"? Well rid thyself of preconceptions, because The Center is throwing their annual Garden Party and it's breaking some rules. Think: smorgasbord elevated to classy heights, with an open bar to boot. Chaired by the mighty Ruth Reichl, attendees will feast on offerings from the likes of Alto, Esca, Gotham, Rosa Mexicano and (personal fave) Pearl Oyster Bar. Mingle with chefs! Flex those "summer pantaloons"! And help a worthy cause! Because, friend, on top of everything this is a fundraiser. All proceeds go to help The Center, an agency that has helped to meet the changing needs of New York's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities since 1984. Think of it as a far less annoying WNYC pledge with a much higher return: boozing + gorging = supporting others. If only life were always this simple!

Hudson River Trust, Pier 54 (West 14th Street and the Westside Highway)
$125 admission
Click here for more info.

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Landmarks • West Village

Techno-Coffee Deluxe

Computerized coffee? Not my cup of tea. Well that's what I thought before I literally drank my words. And I do it nearly every day, with a blend of Ethiopian and Papua New Guinean beans (that's my pick). Roasting Plant is a modern coffee bar where 'freshness' is their key, you can choose your beans from the more traditional growing regions areas the amateur would not think of, such as from Southeast Asia. The baristas roast, grind, and brew for you on the spot all through the touch of a computer screen. I don't how the coffee connoisseurs of Italy would feel about this technological turn coffee has taken to the West Village, but with the cult following they formed, does it really matter?

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Coffee • West Village

Al Gore-Approved Caffeine

After stumbling across what I now refer to as coffee and breakfast heaven, it makes getting lost around the West Village streets much less frustrating. Mojo is the local cafe of choice with families, young couples, and not a Lonely Planet book in sight (or an NFT unfortunately). Consider yourself lucky if you are able to nab a table, there aren't many and with free Wi-Fi people tend to settle in for the long haul. The interior reminds me of the giant redwood trees in California you can drive through. Chunky wood furniture, exposed brick walls, and eco-friendly packaging create a cosy retreat from the strip shops on Bleecker Street. Carrying over with their eco-trend, the menu employs fresh local produce, seasonal fruits, and winter soups. It's well worth the trip. Just bring your NFT so you don't get lost!

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Coffee • West Village

Sweet Taste of Animal Flesh

When hunting down 'authentic' Mexican food, the European and Veg-friendly West Village probably doesn't come to mind. Nor should it. So why go to Cabrito? The namesake pink goat hovering over the doorway and Frida Kahlo-colored tiles may seem yuppy-friendly fake, but fantastic food more than makes up for gringo posturing. The meat-laden menu made even the most reluctant carnivore at the table (me) salivate for a bit of flesh. The lengua y tomatillo taco--that's beef tongue, people--was deliciously similar to guac-slathered pot roast in a corn tortilla. The pork belly tacos were even better, extremely tender and a little sweet to balance the spice. We concentrated on the small plates, but the specialty dishes are impressive: bones poked out of the next table's order of short ribs, a Mexican-translation of a Fred Flintstone's bronto-dinners, and those bent on authenticity should wave bye-bye to the goat outside and belly up to a warm bowl of cabrito. Go for happy hour and enjoy one or four of their fresh-juice margaritas and the creamy guac with warm homemade tortilla chips. Before long the aroma of marinated meats will have you debating which farm animals to smear in salsa verde.

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Restaurants • West Village

French Crime Wave

While you'd never want anyone to steal your wallet or shoot your boyfriend in real life, it's somehow consistently thrilling to watch gangsters prevail on the big screen. Film Forum's French Crime Wave series (which runs through September 11th) lets you indulge your secret desire to be part of something a little sordid without, well, any of the actual repercussions. Luckily there are good-looking, trench-coat-sporting, hard-talking petty criminals to live it all out for you. Cigarette-dangling lips spew witty dialogue and double-crossing lies; money, guns, revenge and greed mingle in plot-twists and long chases. Film Forum draws from each end of the spectrum of 20th century masters: from Godard's cut-and-paste New Wave tracking of arbitrary acts to the slow unraveling of Clouzot's logically graphed murder mysteries. The black-and-white aesthetic compounded by the beauty of the French language is what really makes the combo lethal.

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Movie Theaters • West Village

That Funky Monkey

So, despite better judgment I ended up at a party in the Meatpacking District. I hate this neighborhood. Its full of expensive restaurants and fancy bars with velvet ropes and quite honestly, that’s not how I roll. Yet, people insist on throwing parties here so at one point or another you’ll find yourself getting lost trying to find Little West 12th Street (wedged between Hudson Street and the Hudson River below 14th and 5 blocks north of West 12th. Go fig) and trapped in the nabe after things end. That’s why you have to be on the lookout for this character. He’s your ticket out of this cobblestone hellhole. He’ll help you find a cab, hail it, open the door and send you on your way. Sweet. Just toss him a few bucks for the effort. However, if you’re not done partying yet, sashay over to the Brass Monkey at the end of the earth for a brewski and you’ll be the first to grab a taxi coming off the West Side Highway when you’re finally ready to cut and run.

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Nightlife • West Village

A Book For Every Cook

In the half hour I was at Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, several people came through the small and crowded but very orderly used book shop to ask for some guidance on cookbooks. Do you carry any books on Jell-O? one man asked. Why of course! Bonnie whipped out a box of vintage cooking pamphlets and let him go at it. Someone else came in asking about books from local and iconic restaurants. Bonnie directed the woman to an impressive selection of appropriately themed texts. Old copies of The Joy of Cooking? Yup. Sephardic cuisine? Sure! Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Marion Cunningham? Yes, yes, and yes. Hours vary from week to week so be sure to call first or be left out on the sidewalk, high and dry with no Jell-O book to call your own.

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Bookstores • West Village

Trattoria Spaghetto

I’m going with a Zagat-style review for Trattoria Spaghetto, because food and service are diametrically opposed here. Food: Trattoria Spaghetto offers classic Italian. My order, as well as my friend’s, was very good, and I’d definitely go back. Décor: Informal, family style. Tablecloths are checked. The seating is close together, so that patrons feel like they’re dining with extended family. Service: The wait staff was really uncouth, so uncouth that I thought I was at a teenage pizza joint. For example, the table next to me needed oil and vinegar, so the waiter, without asking, grabbed the set off my table. The waiters also like to play shuffleboard when serving. Instead of gently placing the meal in front of you from the left, they slide the plate toward you from any direction, displacing all flatware and bread plates. It reminded me of a multiple car crash. Cost: Entrees average about $12, instead of $22. These are good prices anywhere in the city, but especially for the Village. So go. Have a nice meal. Enjoy the heated outdoor seating. And be entertained by the haphazard wait staff.

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Restaurants • West Village

SDNYC's 2nd Annual Women’s Awards

Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City proudly presents its 2nd Annual Women’s Awards. This event will be held at Henrietta Hudson on Tuesday, September 25, 6-10 pm. Come join us as we celebrate with our 2007 honorees Liz Abzug, Kate Bornstein, and the Las Buenas Amigas. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Ticket includes complimentary hor d’oeuvres, glass of champagne, entertainment, a hot audience, and a 2007 membership in the Stonewall Democratic Club of New York City. RSVP to: kurland@kurlandassociates.com or buy your ticket in advance via Paypal at: www.sdnyc.org.

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Nightlife • West Village

Fringe Culture

In theory, New York City has a lot to do (museums, parks, concerts, historical tours, crack whores). But between thinking about doing something and getting a beer to watch TV, I don’t have much time. Still, it’s good to aim high and mix things up. Even get some cultcha. And on that front, you might check out…the theater. No joke, Mark Jay Mirsky’s offbeat, critically-acclaimed Mother Hubbard's Cupboard is running until August 25 at the SoHo Playhouse, as part of the Fringe Festival. So if this absurdist comedy about a family that, well, might even make yours look sane looks worth your $15, head on down before it’s too late. More info: www.geocities.com/mhcupboard

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Theaters-Performing Arts Centers • West Village

House of Oldies

Wake up. Do your jumping jacks. Throw that copy of Welcome to Asbury Park, NJ on your record player. Oh, you don't have that record? Ok, well, put your copy of Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys on. You don't have that either? What do you work out to? Your i-pod? Loser. Get ye to the House Of Oldies in the West Village on 35 Carmine Street. They're a bit pricey but going into one of the most respected diamond stores in NYC and complaining about the price would make you look just as stupid as complaining about the price of records here. This little store has been open since 1968 by little mister Bob Abramson and has everything, and I mean everything, in all pressings. Truly: if you don't already know about The House of Oldies you probably don't have a record player, but now is the best time to grow a huge beard and start listening to ZZ Top on vinyl, regardless of your gender.

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Shopping • West Village

Spain: The Anti-Gastropub

Want to experience what dining was like in the Village when it was actually a...village? Ignore the trendy, new gastropubs popping up like rats at the local KFC/Taco Bell. They’re loaded with limo-arriving celebrities (see Spotted Pig, Waverly Inn) guaranteeing you or I won’t get in anyway. Instead head to Spain, where the classy old gents dressed in their finest ‘70s duds will treat you right even if you’re not Bono, a Clinton, or Jagger’s date. Grab a seat at the bar and let the free tapas flow (think tasty meatballs and fried potatoes). Or hit the dining room where they’ll bring you gratis tapas such as chilled mussels, pan fried chorizo, and ribs with a mystery brown sauce straight out of a Time-Life cookbook. If you haven’t noticed by now, this place is old-school (including the prices). If you're eating with a special friend, get one seafood paella to split. Now I'm not claiming this is gourmet food, but they make up for it in quantity. Think 17 shrimp, 12 clams, and 10 mussels mixed up with heaps of yellow rice and hundreds of canned peas. Spain is good food.

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Restaurants • West Village

Burger Time at the Ear

Yeah, we know it’s one of the oldest bars in the city, and you can experience a slice of ye olde New Yorke here. You can even gaze upon the original Hudson River shoreline that used to abut the bar in something like 1754. But forget history. I come here for the decidedly unpretentious vibe, the chummy bartenders, and more importantly—the burgers. These are not assembly line versions ready to go out at a moment’s notice. Here they take their time and do it right. Big patties of ground beef cooked to your liking come with a side of some tasty homefries (a nice change from the standard French concoction) and all the fixings. Now if only I could buy one of the modernist luxury residences in the Urban Glass House right next door, I could become a loyal regular. Anyone have an extra $12.5 million I could borrow? I promise to buy you a burger at the Ear.

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Landmarks , Nightlife • West Village

Margaret Cross in “I’ve Got To Be There”

No, you don’t have to drop $125 for the cover charge and sell your children into indentured servitude to pay for the mandatory dinner purchase in order to enjoy terrific cabaret in New York. For 10 bucks and the cost of a couple of drinks, you can hear the singer Peter Haas of Cabaret Scenes calls, “A young lady with striking beauty, charm, a delightful sense of fun, and one of the absolutely loveliest voices in all of cabaret.” (And that includes Tony Danza and Elaine Stritch!) Margaret Cross is that rare combination of elegant chanteuse and dorky super hero comic book fanatic. In the show Stu Hamstra of Cabaret Hotline calls, “a quick hour of splendid songs performed to near perfection,” she volleys between supple renditions of ballads by Cole Porter, Noel Coward, and Stephen Sondheim and geeky moments like playing the ukulele and singing a love song to Superman. Hamstra also says, “Ms. Cross promised on her fliers an ‘elegant, absurd and intoxicating soiree’ and her promises were more then fulfilled.” He’s a perceptive guy. Yeah, I directed the show. No, I’m not biased. You wanna make something of it?!

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Nightlife • West Village

Noodle Bar

There’s no way every dish on the uber-eclectic menu at Noodle Bar is authentic. Not unless the kitchen is crammed with at least one Thai, one Vietnamese, one Malaysian, one Cantonese, one Indian, one Indonesian, one Singaporian (?), and one Japanese chef. But the kitchen is within plain sight at this tiny shop, and there are only two or three guys in there. So it’s a safe bet that the wok-man flipping noodles isn’t necessarily cooking up a recipe passed down from his great grandmother. They even do a “Hunan Pork Bolognese,” fusing classic Chinese and Italian noodle dishes. The lack of focus does hurt them on certain options like their pan-fried pork and chive dumplings with black vinegar and soy which are tasteless at best. But I’ve got a feeling there is at least one Thai chef back there, because the coconut shrimp and spicy rice noodle soup with egg, sprouts, and scallion is absolutely delicious. Also, their Thai iced tea is serves without the condensed milk mixed in just the way it is in Bangkok. It’s hit or miss at Noodle Bar, so maybe it’s best to sit at the bar and ask the chef what he suggests.

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Restaurants • West Village

Lobster Place

The Lower East Side is home to some of the finest smoked white fish on the planet. It was there in front of Russ and Daughters that Tepper, the hero of Calvin Trillin’s Tepper Isn’t Going Out, first counseled the counterman who could no longer bear the old Jewish women in the neighborhood, nagging him to pick out “a niiiiiice whitefish” from the array of superior specimens on display. So it might seem strange that Lobster Place, a world or two away in the West Village, is On Our Radar for smoked fish today. But Lobster Place stocks a smoked fish that would fit right in on the LES. Their bluefish doesn’t pack as hearty of a smoky taste, but the meat itself has a stronger taste than its whitefish cousin. Plus, Lobster Place peppers their offering, so the intense flavor just keeps on coming. Although it’s no substitute for “a niiiiice whitefish,” it is a piece of fish even Tepper could appreciate.

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Restaurants • West Village