Broadway and Bites

Broadway is a feast of shining stars in great plays. I recently saw Al Pacino in Merchant of Venice. He was superb in the light and airy production. Last week, I saw Driving Miss Daisy. The stellar cast of Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones were almost too good to be true in the re-production of the famous movie. Go see it. Colin Firth (from The Kings Speech) had us laughing throughout in the one man show, Long Story Short, a comical view of the planet as seen by Jerry Seinfeld. Two great musicals are Memphis and Scarborough Boys. Both are set in the deep south during the 60s, but with quite different twists and fabulous music. There is lots to choose from if you are in the mood for Broadway.

The East Village has new restaurants popping up daily - I can't keep up! We tried the hot and trendy Peels on Bowery. It delivered a great vibe with excellent Southern style cuisine. We had the steak, shrimp and grits, sides of creamy collard greens and french fries. It was yummy but it is expensive and noisy. Reservations are recommended unless you are going really early or really late. Hecco en Dumbo is a nouvelle Mexican restuarant with a swinging bar scene that recently opened near us. The food is authentic Mexico City. The little tapas were really good as were the margaritas. The oxaacan chocolate flan was dreamy. Definitely worth a try. We had a late, after theatre bite at the famous DB Bistro last night- excellent food but very expensive and a vibe so different from my East Village, I was ready to jump in a cab and come back to my familiar home ground. Why? I guess I'm over the overdressed semi corporate scene in NY and totally prefer the vitality of our unique neighborhood.