The New York City Traveler

My courtship with Nobu was quick.  It was as soon as I tasted the wasabi that I realized that I would be a fan.  The green paste was unlike any other I had tasted before.  It was fresher, with a cleaner taste.  If a condiment can be that good, I knew I was in for a treat… and I was.    
Like all good things, Nobu’s popularity as grown.  Just open up the society pages to see who has dined there recently.  It’s the Japanese restaurant for most of Hollywood.  In recent years, reservations have become impossible to procure but after …read more

Comments Off

Children’s Day in Japan is fast approaching and New York City’s own Japan Society is inviting children and adults to celebrate this historic Japanese national holiday. 
Festivities include performances of Japan’s classic stories for children: Peach Boy (Momotaro), Golden Boy (Kintaro), Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Blossom (Hanasaka jiisan), and The Monkey and the Crab (Saru-kani gassen). 
Following performance, visitors can enjoy traditional snacks (kashiwa mochi) and create their own samurai helmets (kabuto) and carp streamers (koinobori), traditional Children’s Day decorations. 
Location: Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street (map)
Subway:  6 to 51st Street; 4, …read more

Comments Off

The 2008 Tribeca Film Festival debuted Wednesday night with the lukewarm reception of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s comedy, Baby Mama.  This weekend, marking the first full weekend of festivities, more independent, foreign films will make their New York, North American, and World Debuts. 
As I sit here in a Tribeca coffee shop, cinemaphiles to my left and right are are pouring over the 2008 TFF Official Guide, trying to decide which films they want to put on their list.  Here is a short list of films that the feel are noteworthy:    
Friday, April 25th

Eden (Ireland)   Adapted from an award-winning …read more

4 Comments

Somebody must be smiling on New York City because New York’s own resident weatherman Sam Champion says we can expect clear skies and temperatures in the 60s for the Tribeca Drive-In, the Tribeca Film Festival’s classic outdoor screening series.  The three day event will screen three movies: a 25th anniversary celebration of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” the family-friendly Meerkat Manor, and the winning film of the Fans’ Favorite Football Flick. 
Thursday, April 24th

Thriller  Filmmaker and “Thriller” video director John Landis will be on hand for a special 25th anniversary screening of Michael Jackson’s 1984 music video, plus the classic Making …read more

2 Comments

The Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) kicks off next week, Wednesday, April 23rd and individual tickets will be available to the general public starting tomorrow, Saturday April 18th.  This is your chance to be part of the downtown event that Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro made famous. 
There is something for everybody at this year’s TFF.  The festival will feature films from Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, as well as from New York.  Such special interests as Women’s Issues, Environmental Issues, Political lssues, Health Issues, and Social Issues will be covered in films.  There will be films for …read more

Comments Off

Located just a stones throw away from the posh and trendy Tribeca Grand Hotel, the Tribeca Tavern couldn’t be more different.  This neighborhood bar hasn’t lost its charm and accessibility, even after the neighborhood went trendy.
The menu is well-rounded featuring all of the normal bar appetizers (onion rings $4.50, chicken fingers $7.25, buffalo wings $7.25), a selection of burgers from $7.75-$10, and 12″ bar pies (a.k.a. pizza) for $10 and up.  My menu favorite is “The Cowboy Burger,” a sirloin burger topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, jalapeños, and BBQ sauce.  Yes, it sounds like a bit much in …read more

Comments Off

If you ever find yourself walking around the neighborhoods of Tribeca, you may notice an unmarked brick building on the triangular plot of land where Sixth Avenue meets Church Street. There will be a friendly door man stationed outside the entrance, but you will see nothing more. Who would think that the understated building is considered the home-away-from-home to half of Hollywood and Wall Street moguls alike… it is the Tribeca Grand Hotel.
The eight-floor, 203 room Tribeca Grand Hotel is one of the most exclusive hotels in Lower Manhattan. Superior king rooms start at $399 per …read more

1 Comment