Friday December 21
Location: Gowanus, Brooklyn
Comedy: John Hodgman
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Bell House
Food: El Viejo Yayo
Drink: Buttermilk Bar
Miscellaneous: The Chocolate Room
Today is the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar! So why not spend your final hours laughing your ass off with John Hodgman as he performs comedy. Is there a better last night on earth? 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.
Friday December 21
Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Music: Brooklyn Night Bazaar
Show time: 7 PM
Venue: House of Vans
Food: SEA
Drink: Zablozki’s
Miscellaneous: Verb Cafe
With the holidays just a few days away, why not pick up those last minute gifts and see some great bands while you’re doing it at the Brooklyn Night Bazaar, with performances from JD Samson & MEN, Laura Stevenson & The Cans, and Silent Drape Runners (DJ Set). Just as much fun as any show, SEA is one BIG Thai restaurant. Big enough to have a pool surrounded by tables as a giant Buddha stands above it. Luckily, the food is really great. Offering traditional Pad Thai ($7) to more involved dishes like the Mummy Fish ($14). On N6th, a street full of bars and restaurants, Zablozki’s is the local bar of the bunch, with a pool table and a friendly atmosphere and 12 beers on tap. One of the oldest and best hipster hangout coffee shops, The Verb Cafe offers up excellent coffee and baked goods, a boho vibe, and big windows to watch the days pass while collecting unemployment!
Saturday December 22
Location: Lower East Side, NYC
Music: The Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long
Show time: 8 PM
Venue: Bowery Ballroom
Food: Social
Drink: 151
Miscellaneous: Bereket
If you’re in the mood for some holiday music, you’ll probably want to check out The Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long. With the release of Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas, Volumes 6-10, Sufjan offers up 5 EPs worth of holiday cheer including special guest appearances. Where to go afterwards? Go straight to the bar, and that bar would be 151, where happy hour is 7 days a week from 6pm till 10pm and includes 2 for 1 drinks. For those that don’t want a liquid dinner first, check Social for comfort food including the Mac and Cheese (Macaroni covered in Three Cheese Truffled Mornay Sauce and topped w/Seasoned Bread Crumbs). For a late night eat, a favorite spot of mine is Bereket for falafels and to watch drunks succeed at spilling their food all over themselves and failing at picking up chicks. Not for the faint of heart!
Saturday December 22
Location: Soho, NYC
Art: Miami Makeover: Almost Anything for Beauty
Show time: See website for schedule
Venue: The Museum of Comics and Cartoon Art
Food: Nha Trang
Drink: Naked Lunch
Miscellaneous: La Esquina
Miami Makeover: Almost Anything for Beauty is a collaborative exhibit featuring the work of Aline Kominsky-Crumb and Dominique Sapel. Enthralled by the cultural standards of accepted beauty and what some women are willing to do to achieve it, Kominsky-Crumb and Sapel set out to entirely re-imagine their body image. Donning new outfits, wigs, jewelry, nails, makeup and padding in just the right places, the two artists remade themselves in the image of a modern Miami woman. One of the best affordable Vietnamese restaurants in the city, Nha Trang is right near the downtown courthouse, making it a high volume place. Despite that, the food is great and the Pho (rice noodle soup) dishes are $5 and under. Named after William S. Burroughs novel, Naked Lunch is a cool and comfortable bar where local artists usually gather. No shooting up though! One of the best taqueria’s in the city, the Mexican food at La Esquina is authentic and to die for. While tacos will set you back $3, plates are in the $6 to $7.25 range.
Sunday December 23
Location: East Village, NYC
Art: Come Closer: Art Around the Bowery, 1969–1989
Show time: See website for schedule; Through January 6, 2013
Venue: New Museum of Contemporary Art
Food: Momofuku
Drink: The Village Pourhouse
Miscellaneous: Sundaes and Cones
The exhibition Come Closer: Art Around the Bowery, 1969–1989 features original artwork, ephemera, and performance documentation by over fifteen artists who lived and worked on or near the Bowery in New York. Artists include Barbara Ess, Coleen Fitzgibbon, Keith Haring, John Holmstrom, Curt Hoppe, Colette Lumiere, Marc H. Miller, Adrian Piper, Adam Purple, Dee Dee Ramone, Joey Ramone, Marcia Resnick, Bettie Ringma, Christy Rupp, Arleen Schloss, Charles Simonds, Eve Sonneman, Billy Sullivan, Paul Tschinkel, Anton van Dalen, Arturo Vega, Robin Winters, and Martin Wong. If you like ramen noodles and pork, then Momofuku is your spot for food. The Berkshire pork is the best I’ve had and it’s the only place I’ll eat pork period, which should tell you just how good Momofuku really is! What looks like a neighborhood bar to watch sports, The Village Pourhouse actually has three more rooms, where you can order food or find a quiet place to smooch! For dessert a little left of the dial, Sundaes and Cones offers eclectic flavors like wasabi and corn and many more flavors that are familiar.
