Page 123 - Off The Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 2 of 2)

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CITIES

Chinatown chef hard at work
World Food

If America is a melting pot, then New York’s diversity
of cuisine is one of its finest manifestations. In the
foodie capital of the USA, it’s not so much a question
of finding a cuisine, as trying to choose between
them. The numbers say it all: over 180 nationalities
– and counting – live in New York. You could find
your way through the neighborhoods by scent
alone, from the smoky tang of caramel-skinned
duck in Chinatown (Peking Duck House is one of
its best restaurants) to the chunky tomato sauces
that hark back to grandma’s kitchen in Naples, ladled
out at many of Little Italy’s trattorias. And of course,
TOP Exterior of the Bowery Poetry Club ABOVE Rapper Nas performing at the Bowery Poetry Club New York-style pizza is a city obsession and the
ultimate urban fuel, often wolfed down while on the
Off-Broadway heralded as the progenitor of spoken word in New run – try the thin-crust slices at Lombardi’s. The city’s
Jewish heritage introduced such favorites as bagels
Theater and York, serves up a nightly mix of memorable acts. with cream cheese, which have become synonymous
with New York cuisine. You’ll find old-world delis
The Bowery Poetry Club also presents an eclectic
Performances range of performances, from poetry recitals to across town, particularly on the Lower East Side,
performance art. For a sassy night out, come by for
where one of the best is Katz’s Delicatessen. And if
a “Badass Burlesque” night. The club also puts on you’re in the mood for spicy food, try some fiery
From leotard-clad dancers writhing on stage to wine- lively events for the neighborhood, including salsa at the Mexican and Latin American taquerías
fueled audience-participation nights to political puppet performances and bingo nights hosted by (taco stalls) of Spanish Harlem, or head to Koreatown
poetry slams, New York abounds with avant-garde a popular local drag queen. Finally, for avant-garde – or K-town – for kimchi (a spicy vegetable dish) and
theater and performances. Downtown is home to improvizational comedy, check out the Upright karaoke on and around West 32nd Street. Farther
many of the off-off-Broadway theaters, including Citizens Brigade (UCB). Keep your eyes peeled: amid afield, munch on grape leaves and tangy feta at the
the Public Theater, which showcases emerging all the emerging comics, big names will occasionally lively Greek restaurant Agnanti in Astoria, Queens,
playwrights, and also hosts the splendid Shakespeare stop by, including Robin Williams and Tina Fey. and for a vodka-fueled Russian feast, make your way
in Central Park event every summer. The student- to the restaurants of Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach,
thronged Astor Place is a breeding ground for where nothing’s done in moderation, from the velvet
Practical Information
independent theaters, including Under St. Marks, a paintings to the bubbling vats of beef stroganoff.
Bowery Poetry Club 308 Bowery, East Village; tel. +1 212 614 0505;
black-box-and-folding-chairs performance space.
www.bowerypoetry.com
As its name suggests, the theater space is under
Nuyorican Poets Cafe 236 East Third Street, East Village; tel. +1 212 505 Practical Information
St. Marks Place, a street that has long been known 8183; www.nuyorican.org Agnanti 19–06 Ditmars Boulevard, Astoria, Queens; tel. +1 718 545 4554;
for its incense and zany performance art. www.agnantimeze.com
Public Theater 425 Lafayette Street, East Village; tel. +1 212 539 8500;
Poetry Slams (sometimes called spoken word) www.publictheater.org Katz’s Delicatessen 205 East Houston Street, Lower East Side; tel. +1 212
are recitals of free-form poems, rap, and storytelling Under St. Marks 94 St Marks Place, East Village; tel. +1 212 868 4444; 254 2246; www.katzdeli.com
that are usually entertaining, unpredictable, and http://horsetrade.info/ Lombardi’s 32 Spring Street, SoHo; tel. +1 212 941 7994; www.firstpizza.com
raucous, but never boring. The Nuyorican Poets Upright Citizens Brigade 307 West 26th Street, Chelsea; tel. +1 212 366 Peking Duck House 28 Mott Street, Lower East Side; tel. +1 212 227 1810;
Cafe, located in Alphabet City and generally 9176; www.ucbtheatre.com www.pekingduckhousenyc.com

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