Friday November 13
Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Event: Hip Hop Karaoke Championship Regionals
Show time: 9 PM
Venue: Southpaw
Food: Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen
Drink: The Gate
Miscellaneous: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co.
Ever dreamed of being an MC and had the moves to rock a crowd, but knew the rest of your skills were lacking or really were just great at singing along to your favorite hip hop hits? Check out twenty people compete to move on to the finals in the Hip Hop Karaoke Championship Regionals. Sign up to do your own karaoke between 9 PM-10 PM and judges will select the 10 best to compete that night for a $1000 prize and a shot at the Championships. Ever have Oaxacan food? Chiles & Chocolate Oaxacan Kitchen serves up some fantastic, not exactly Mexican food. Try the smoky flavored Mole Negro, one of the best mole sauces I’ve had in NYC. Before leaving, you must try one of the hot chocolates like the Chiles Y Chocolate. A hint of chipotle without too much heat is a nice kick start for the night. The Gate is a great Park Slope bar with excellent beers on tap and a outdoor courtyard to chill. If time permits, you must, and I mean MUST go to the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co., a non-profit organization that helps kids with their writing, that’s fronted by a store selling super powers.
Friday November 13
Location: Noho, NYC
Theater: Idiot Savant
Show time: See website for details; Through December 20
Venue: Public Theater
Food: Babbo
Drink: The Dove
Miscellaneous: Café Reggio
In Richard Foreman’s new play Idiot Savant, Willem Dafoe stars in his philosophical comedy which dives head first into the existential, the metaphysical, and the ridiculous. One of the six Italian eateries of celebrity chef Mario Battali, Babbo takes Italian American cooking to another level. While the food can be expensive and reservations would be the best way to get a table, this place is highly regarded among food connoisseurs is is nothing short of amazing. Disguised as a lounge The Dove is really a neighborhood bar dressed up in red, white, and gold décor with a nice selection of beers on tap and a very good mixed drink menu featuring delicious martini’s. One of my favorite coffee houses, Café Reggio has the most literate and West Village atmosphere I have been to. A real slice of New York, it was also in the movie Superfly. Go there or be square!
Saturday November 14
Location: Chelsea, NYC
Bands: Metallica Get Tickets Here
Show time: 7:30 PM
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Food GoGo Curry
Drink Stitch
Miscellaneous Leisure Time Bowl
The mighty Metallica are still going strong and are as loud as ever, especially on their return-to-form album Death Magnetic. Bring your ear plugs cause this one is gonna get loud. Joining them are Lamb of God and Volbeat. The owner of GoGo Curry is obsessed with the Yankees Hideki Matsui and his Jersey (55). The menu’s theme is baseball and katsu, a fried meat, chicken, or shrimp cutlet served in a curry sauce is the specialty here. Portion sizes are Walk (small), Single (Med.), Double (L), and Triple (XL) and are inexpensive. The mascot, a gorilla for some reason, is plastered everywhere, making this place even quirkier. In the heart of the garment district, Stitch, a cozy after-work bar/lounge, stocks a cocktail menu with a design theme. If you still have energy and are in the mood to bowl, check out Leisure Time Bowl. Located in the Port Authority, this place is stylish and fun.
Saturday November 14
Location: Gowanus, Brooklyn
Bands: Slumberland Records 20th Anniversary show Get Tickets Here
Show time: 6 PM
Venue: Bell House
Food: El Viejo Yayo
Drink: Buttermilk Bar
Miscellaneous: The Chocolate Room
DC based Slumberland Records celebrates their 20th anniversary with some great acts they’ve helped introduce to the masses. Bands performing include The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Crystal Stilts, Brown Recluse, Pants
Yell!, Frankie Rose, The Ropers, Nord Express, and Lorelei. Keeping the night going, try El Viejo Yayo for dinner. This gorgeous and warm restaurant has an elegant dining room and an affordable menu offering Dominican/Latin cuisine. The outside of Buttermilk Bar may look non-descript, but looks are deceiving . . . just not in this case, as this low-key watering hole is where you can grab a cheap drink in a friendly atmosphere, while playing a board game or two. With a near insane menu of chocolates from coffee and tea to delectable dessert, and even beer, The The Chocolate Room is a great way to end the night on a high note.
Sunday November 15
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Bands: Band of Skulls Get Tickets Here
Show time: 7:30 PM
Venue: Music Hall of Williamsburg
Food: Relish
Drink: Radegast Hall & Biergarten
Miscellaneous: Zebulon
British rockers Band of Skulls seem to be picking up steam, having landed on the soundtrack of New Moon and they deserve it for putting out some great catchy and hard rocking music. Though Relish looks like a 50s diner, this restaurant offers up some gourmet treats for dinner. With influences from all over the globe, Relish features diner classics like burgers and onion rings, and step it up with the likes of Blackened Yellow Fin Tuna ($21). Williamsburg’s first beer garden, Radegast Hall & Biergarten, has a beautiful all-wood interior, an enclosed outdoor backyard, and 12 German/Austrian beers on tap and more than 30 bottles. Another great bar in the area, Zebulon offers free live jazz and afrobeat. The drinks here are inexpensive, and I’ve never seen a bad show here.
