Up & Coming

Just a few things on tap for this week:

Waltz Astoria hosts their weekly open mic night tonight at 8pm.

Friday is Poem in Your Pocket Day at The Bryant Park Reading Reading Room from 11-2pm. It’s the only decent activity I’ve found for National Poetry Month, and it’s almost over! Participants who show up with a poem can receive a free book while supplies last.

This Saturday Nosh Walks does Astoria (again). They seem to be hitting up Dutch Kills. Website has all the registration info.

And now, for my favorite: the first street fair is on Sunday! Whoo hoo! Finally, falafel sammiches! Chocolate covered strawberries, kitchy stands, nifty jewelry, random music. It’s great!! I can’t wait. Starts at 11 and runs down Steinway from 34th ave(so they claim but since I live 2 blocks away from that intersection I have yet to see it) to 28th. Who’s with me?

Cavo

So this weekend was kind of an Earth Day activity bust, but events are rescheduled for next week when the sun reappears (hopefully). Despite the cold and wet I had a fantastic dinner on Friday night that I just had to tell you about.
Jamie was recently offered a job at Cavo (42-18 31st ave) and she wanted some company to check out the place. John and I, always eager to eat happily obliged. I wasn’t sure what to expect at Cavo. With the ridiculous amount of Greek cafés and lounges we could have been in for more of the same gaudy décor, smoke filled rooms and the usual tired Greek fare. Oh boy, was I wrong!
Luckily we were spared the velvet rope scene that I used to pass by when I lived on 30th ave. Upon entering you’re right in the bar/lounge area where you can just relax with drinks for the eve or enjoy a cocktail while waiting for a seat in the dining area.
We were all quite impressed when we saw the dining area. It was huge, and simply beautiful. The lighting definitely set a romantic mood. The music wasn’t all Greek, but what was being played wasn’t exactly my fare (eh, I’m a rock n roll gal). The music was at an acceptable level, but as the night progressed so did the volume and it made it a little hard to hear Jamie across the table. Back, to the huge space. They are able to accommodate a large number of tables with out patrons knocking into each other as they get up and move (I love Brick but it’s quite a maneuvering game around all the tables).
The fixtures added an elegant touch and the high ceilings lent to that spacious feel. I wish I had been able to see the outdoor garden, but next time I’ll be sure to eat there (provided it’s not 50 degrees). Our waiter was courteous and friendly and prompt and available too, which we liked.
The menu is chock full of unpronounceable Greek delights divided into 3 categories, Cold appetizers, Hot appetizers and Entrees. Although the names of all the dishes are in Greek, the details of each dish are in English and the waitstaff must take a course in pronunciation. So rest assured, if you can’t pronounce it, your server can.
We started off with an appetizer to share amongst the three of us (good thing too, because the portion was quite much for one). We chose the Astako Salata which was poached Maine lobster, marinated octopus, calamari, mussels & diver sea scallops with orange and ginger vinaigrette over greens and cous cous. It was so flavorful; it left our mouths watering for more.
Luckily for us we have no problems eating off each other’s plates and neither did Cavo, so we were all able to sample each other’s meals. John (big surprise here folks) had a steak. The Moscharisia Brizola, a pepper crusted bone in NY sirloin steak with red wine reduction and parmesean mashed potatoes. John said it was the best steak he had ever had. When Jamie tried it, she wished she had followed her gut and went with red meat. I tried the potatoes, which even I had to admit were better than mine. Even though Jamie wished she went the steak route that didn’t mean that she didn’t enjoy her Xteni, rosemary skewered charcoal grilled diver scallops over winter cous cous with lemon and parsley oil. She just ate it so fast she wished there was more. Luckily for her I had plenty of my Thalasomakoronada which was hand made spaghetti with fresh shrimp, diver scallops, baby octopus, calamari and tomatoes; a sea food lover’s delight. John and I both learned we quite like octopus. I thought it was incredibly flavorful, it seemed a bit spicy to me though. Jamie thought I was on crack or something because she couldn’t detect it. I did have to keep drinking water after every few bites. But I am the whitest Latina girl you will ever meet so I find spicy where others don’t. This doesn't mean I didn't like it though. I thought it was grand. I got quite full from my meal before I finished so Jamie was able to satisfy her hunger by working her way through my plate. As we finished up our bottle of wine and digested, we contemplated dessert and said to heck with it, we’re getting some. We decided to get 2 and share. The warm chocolate cake was divine! It was moist and almost mousse like in the middle and the vanilla gelato added a nice touch. The Napoleon of raspberries and strawberries with cream between layer of flakey filo dough was a nice, light compliment to the rich chocolate cake.
I had to practically roll home after this meal it was so good.
A wonderfully prepared and presented meal is always followed up by an equally prepared check. Expect a dinner for two with one appetizer and wine to go over $100. But, it is sooooo worth it. Guys, if you really want to wine and dine your gal, this is the place.
It’s not an all the time dining experience but it is quite a divine experience and should not be passed up due to any preconceptions based on other Greek establishments.
And if you happen to get a cute waitress named Jamie, say hi and tip her well…that’s rent money.

Earth Day Celebration on the Waterfront

Earth Day Celebration on the Waterfront
Rainey Park: (34th Ave & Vernon Blvd)
11am-1pm: The Little Park That Can...
Plant flowers, paint benches and clean up our sanctuary by the river with Rainey Park Group. Call 646-322-9200 to help.
1pm-5pm: Good Green Fun!
*Learn to compost and meet the worms of the Queens Botanical Garden
*See an Environmental Circus with Green Circus and City as School
*Performance and songs by the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens

Socrates Sculpture Park: (Beach at Hallets Cove at Vernon Blvd near 31st Avenue)
10am-2pm: Free Canoe Rides and Bio-Blitz
Long Island City Community Boathouse Waterfront-wide:
11am-1pm: Waterfront Parks Walking Tour Greater Astoria Historical Society
Sign up at info@astoriawaterfront.org or meet at Ditmars Blvd & Shore Blvd at 11am sharp! (This tour ends at Rainey Park so you may enjoy the performances and activities that begin there at 1 pm.)
When: Saturday, April 22.
Raindate: Saturday, April 29.
Where: Rainey Park, the beach at Socrates Sculpture Park, and along the waterfont.
Who: Everyone is welcome to these free events!
More info: Download the Earth Day postcard here.
Please contact Emily.Maxwell@parks.nyc.gov or 718-706-8044 for more information, and check back at this website for updates.

(Swiped off their website)

Up & Coming

Here are a few things happening this week I wanted to write about before time escapes me (b/c it always does).

This Thursday join the Astoria and Long Island City Waterfront Group for their Waterfront Parks community service meeting at 6:30 pm at the Greater Astoria Historical Society (4th fl of the Quinn Memorial building-Broadway @ 36th st). Join with friends and neighbors to discuss improving our waterfront parks and hear about pending and proposed development from a representative of the Department of City Planning.


***editor's note 4/19***
I did have a whole bunch of other things posted for this week, hence the above stated "a few things." Mostly they were about all the goings on at Waltz, but for some reason blogspot decided to erase it all after I posted it, and I have no back up of the original post.
My apologies to the 10 of you who read this and missed out on some fun.

The Weekender

I sure hope the weather gets better than this. I was looking forward to walking around the neighborhood, and exploring some new spots. This weather makes me just want to be lazy.
Good thing there's some stuff to do.

Go Green!
Although Earth Day isn't until next Friday, Grand Central Terminal kicks off its celebration this weekend, starting today,now...go! Vanderbilt Hall is chock full of great exhibits and interactive hands on activities to help us all be a little greener.

Waltz-Astoria welcomes back its Talk Wine series this Saturday at 9. $20 gets you tastings of various wines, as well as munchies like cheese, fruit, chocolate etc. After a week like this past one and the fact it's rent day, this makes the perfect treat.

PS1's exhibit Coloring Book makes for an interactive afternoon of coloring in and creativity. The exhibit features reinterpretations of works by Edvard Munch(Friez of Life) and Tracey Emin(collective works). Come in and indulge your inner artist and fill in, reinvent and contribute to the artist's book of images.

While you can...
If you haven't yet, Sunday is the last day you can go to the Noguchi Museum and see the The Imagery of Chess Revisited exhibition. The Museum recreates and expands the groundbreaking 1944 exhibition organized by Marcel Duchamp and Max Ernst at the Julien Levy Gallery.

Oh, bollocks. It just started raining again. I was about to go to Pathmark, which has been hiding Flux Factory around the corner from me all this time, but I just don't really have it in me to make that trek in the wet. Makes me just want to put my feet up and catch this episode of Star Trek:The Next Generation (I'm just losing readers the more I profess my nerdiness, sigh).

Angel Salon & Spa-The Pedicure Results

So, over the weekend I had my first pedicure ever. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew Jamie and Antonella’s gift certificate was going to get me better than an average pedicure (see previous post for description). Angel Salon and Spa has middle eastern décor and music. It also has a somewhat elaborate entrance, which seems bigger than the area in the back where the treatments are done. But it’s very nice and relaxing. One is instantly at ease (ok I was a little nervous, I hate feet and the idea of someone willingly doing stuff to them is a little weird to me). So here’s what happened. I go to the back and there’s one of those foot spa things to soak your feet in. But you don’t dive right in. First she files the nails (which she did back and forth and for nail strength that is a big no-no. that leads to easier splitting and weakens the nail). Then you get to soak your feet for a bit before she takes out the tools to manicure the toes. Following this is a green scrub rubbed into your feet followed by another soaking. Next is a cocoa butter lotion applied to the feet and calves that dries up a bit and is removed with a warm towel. Finally, before the polish, a lotion is applied to the feet. My biggest gripe is that the woman was really quiet (not that I wanted a chatty cathy, I had my latest issue of Glamour to amuse me) and was not very specific about what she needed you to do. Every movement was “up.” Up where?? And she would be annoyed if I didn’t get it. Of course I wouldn’t if when you said up the second time and I did what I did the first time and you now mean something else! I also didn’t like, and noticed all too late, that the instruments didn’t look disinfected. They were lying on the table to the side, and may have been previously but usually when I have seen nail tools they are in some sort of disinfectant. I didn’t ask though. Finally, after the polish of your choice, you’re placed into thong sandals (which I could’ve done myself but she did it) and moved from your nice comfy chair (without that spa basin thing being removed so I almost tripped over everything) and seated at this horribly uncomfortable chair so that a mini fan can be placed at your feet to hasten the drying. Well, that caused air bubbles in the polish, and my butt to go numb. The tops of my toes aren’t as dry as they were before (thanks to that foot tweezer thing) but my soles sure still are. All in all I really didn’t feel very hydrated or rejuvenated, as the description says. BUT, I’ve never had a pedicure and really don’t know if Jamie and Ella got their money’s worth. Maybe I am expecting more than I should, I dunno. But I surely won’t be going back for a pedicure there anytime soon. Jamie actually has been there before and she had quite a pleasant experience for her facial (which is a different person) so maybe it’s a combo of my technician person and the fact that the foot thing makes me uncomfortable. I’d still give them a shot, just not at my feet.

Play Review

This weekend I saw the 2nd act of Liz Dembrowsky’s play An Irish Wake: a play in two acts three times at the Beckman Theatre in Manhattan. It’s a little hard to write about act 2 when I failed to see act 1. So I attribute my feelings of unevenness to that. In my previous post about the show I was going to venture a description about the “two acts three times” part of the title. But I wanted to see it in action first. The act literally happens 3 times. First from Mara’s point of view, followed by Andrew’s and finally Elizabeth’s. I don’t know if it was Liz’s decision in the writing of if it was the director’s, but I found the choice to physically move the set pieces around as a visual and cue to the audience that we were entering another character’s point of view a bit distracting. I found myself checking to see if they did it all the same. I also found that the lighting going all the way to blackout at the end of each monologue a bit much as well, when a simple dimming would have sufficed. I wound up paying more attention to the production end because the acting was just plain awful. The only exception was Jennifer Ankenbrand playing Mara. She seemed at ease in her role and played it off effortlessly. The other main characters just weren’t there. I found them to be trying too hard, and not really “feeling” (if you will allow me to use that expression) their roles. I had the impression that Daniel Cardona and Cara Maltz (Andrew and Elizabeth respectively) were rushing through their monologues, just trying to finish them instead of trying to be in their roles. I didn’t find them very good at all. With such bad acting it’s really hard to get a feel for the play itself. I do think that the characters and their monologues could be developed further. I didn’t really come away feeling like I got what Liz was going for. I know what she was going for, but I didn’t really think it came across through what the characters had to say. Then again, I missed Act 1, the details could have been there. I would like to see Act 1 and Act 2 performed together to see how I come away after having seen the full length. But my impression of Act 2 is that it is a good play, that needs better actors in roles that need to be developed just a little bit more.

The Weekender

Ugh!
How could the weather go from fabulous, back to bleak and gloomy?
I’m going to have to add some color to my weekend myself.

I’m starting it off by going to Angel Salon & Spa (32-70 Steinway St) to finally redeem by birthday gift certificate for one of their Rejuvenating and Hydrating Pedicures. This place has been open a few years now and I haven’t heard much about it. But I figure that they’re still there so they should be doing a good business. I think I am the guinea pig for Jamie. From the description on the website it sounds quite good. ---A peeling cream with granules is applied to exfoliate dead skin cells. Next a dry foot cream rich in vitamin A & Shea butter is massaged into the feet. Excellent for cracked or hardened soles.
(The polish of your choice)---
I’ve never had a pedicure before, mostly because I hate feet, but this could be fun.

Saturday at 1:30 Waltz-Astoria is hosting an In Style Jewelry Party. Beads and materials will be provided and all levels of experience are welcome. Stop by and create your own unique piece of jewelry. I’m in the mood for a shiny new pair of earrings!

Flux Factory has some interesting things going on.
Benoit Maubrey, director of Berlin’s Die Audio Gruppe, will Rock the Box. What is the Box? It’s a giant walk through musicbox. I can’t quite describe it, because they do it so well. I found their website since last I posted an event there, so check that out for all the details.

PS1’s new season opens on Sunday and the celebration happens from noon-6pm, free with admission. There’s a new group show, Reprocessing Reality, that works with documentary media. starting at 2 p.m. music and homemade cookies by the Brooklyn-based cooking DJ duo Scratch N’ Sniff, Serena "Swiss Miss" Jost and Marilyn "Jelly Roll" Carino, with more traditional musicians Jim Campilongo (guitar), Chuck MacKinnon (trumpet), and Martina Struck (alphorn).

Now I am off to get my pedicure!

The Irish Wake, a play by Liz Dembrowsky, Astorian

Astoria resident, Liz Dembrowsky, is having her play, The (Irish) Wake: A Play in Two Acts, Three Times produced at the Beckman Theatre in Manhattan (314 West 54th Street, 2nd floor) this weekend.

The piece focuses on the 5 minutes before and the 5 minutes after the wake of Katherine and viewers are invited to listen to the inner monologues of those closest to her, Mara-the best friend, Andrew-the boyfriend and Elizabeth-the younger sister, as they deal with her death. I very much like the way Liz describes her work, so rather than paraphrase her, I will quote her directly, “It tells the story of how a premature death of a young woman affects those closest to her and unearths the feelings of ambivalence that some of the characters hold. As the story unfolds, things become more complicated as it is revealed that, along with sadness, some characters feel a sense of relief at the death of this very complicated young woman…And, finally, it looks at how the same event can mean very different things for those living through it.”


I’m really intrigued by the plot and the way she has set up the progression, using the thoughts of three different characters to move it along.
This is actually Act 2, as Act 1 went up in January (which I very much unfortunately missed). Act 1 was accepted for production in the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival. The full play will be produced in early June.
The play runs from April 7th -9th (April 7th @ 8PM, April 8th @ 2PM 9PM, April 9th @ 3PM).
Ttickets can be purchased in advance by calling 212.769.7973 #2. Cost $15. Knowing that you are supporting someone from the ‘hood, priceless.

What's really under there?

Ever wonder about whether or not Scotsmen go commando under their kilts? Well, this is the week to find out. Tartan Week hits NY as of this weekend. Grand Central transforms into a Scottish Village again this year. Head over to check out history, food, music, dance, sword play, tracing your roots, planning a vacation and some shopping. Or you could just snag yourself a Scottish person. Check the site for all the info.