Rooftop Films: This is a non-profit whose “mission is to engage diverse communities by showing independent movies in outdoor locations, producing new films, coordinating youth media education, and renting equipment at low cost to artists.”  Admission is around $13 for most films–but some are free. Included in the lineup this year? The Central Park Five doc, and Noah Baumbach’s latest, Frances Ha. Screenings are scheduled now through August.

Bryant Park Summer Film Festival:  Totally gratis, every Monday evening from 5 to 11:30 p.m. The full schedule doesn’t come out for a few days, as the screenings begin mid-June, but usually it’s a mix of classics, cult films, musicals, with a kid-friendly movie thrown in here and there. And if you don’t have time to pick up snacks, there’s a ‘wichcraft kiosk on the premises. (Yummy sandwiches by Tom Colicchio, Top Chef guy!)

Hudson River Park’s Riverflicks for Grownups: Movies begin at dusk, around 8:30 p.m. at Pier 63 in Chelsea. Screenings are gratis and will run in July and August. They’ve got some heavy hitters planned this year: Silver Linings Playbook (7/10),  Argo (7/24) and The Avengers (8/7). And get this–free popcorn!

The Intrepid Museum has some free family-friendly screenings planned in their “Friday Nights on the Flight Deck” series. This Friday, they’ll show Top Gun, featuring a young (and presumably less creepy) Tom Cruise. Jaws will run on 6/28 and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone will be screened on 8/2.

Happy viewing!

Those chess players that inhabit the southwest corner of Washington Square have been there a very long time. Apparently, enthusiasts of the game have been capturing rooks and pawns in city parks since the 1940s. World-champion Bobby Fischer played here in WS in the 70s, as did Heath Ledger and Stanley Kubrick (though presumably not against each other.)

Speaking of famous folks, it’s said that in1887, while Robert Louis Stevenson was visiting the U.S. for medical treatment for tuberculosis, he met Mark Twain in the park for a visit. The two had a nice, five-hour sit-down before Stevenson headed upstate to a sanitorium. (Oh, to be a fly on the bench…)

Beware of zombies!  In 1797, Washington Square was converted from farmland to a Potter’s Field–a place to bury the homeless, convicts and unclaimed John Does. An early 19th century epidemic of yellow fever increased the number of non-living inhabitants drastically; patients who succumbed to the deadly disease were buried downtown as a hygienic measure to keep them segregated as much as possible from the general population. (In fact, during the recent park renovations, archaeologists discovered the skeletal remains of four people.) If it ever feels a little crowded around here, remember that an estimated 20,000 people are buried beneath the stones and fountains of Washington Square.

Have a great weekend, everyone. And remember–watch out for the zombies and hold onto that Queen!

I

To celebrate, here’s a lovely poem, “The Wild Flower’s Song,” penned by William Blake (1757-1827):

As I wander’d the forest,
The green leaves among,
I heard a wild flower Singing a song.

I slept in the Earth In the silent night,
I murmur’d my fears
And I felt delight.

In the morning I went
As rosy as morn,
To seek for new joy;
But O! met with scorn.

So to celebrate this week, be sure to bring some flowers to someone you love.

When: May 29th to June 2nd

Where: At various venues throughout the city, like the American Museum of Natural History and the New York Botanical Garden. But many of the events are taking place in NYU buildings right here in the Village.

Why: Science, people, science!  Don’t we all need to learn more about climate change, technology, astronomy and biology? Of course we do.

Who: Produced by people way smarter than we are (if only in scientific matters).

Apparently I’ve been living under a rock, since this festival has been going on for six years and I had no idea. Everyone from Brian Greene (physicist) to Wylie Dufresne (futuristic gastronomy dude) to Alan Alda (Hawkeye!) is participating in the 2013 event.

A few highlights:

The Dance of the Planets: An Evening Under the Stars: In which you can join professional and amateur astronomers for a free evening of urban stargazing. Saturday the 1st from 8 – 10 pm. at Pier 1 at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

The Taste of Science: This is right up my alley. It’s described as “part science lab, part cocktail dinatoire.”  I’m not exactly sure what “dinatoire” means but the “cocktail” part of the phrase sold me. Read on: “This multi-course tasting program will showcase the potential for scientific discovery via gastronomic experimentation. It will be an extraordinary exploration of biology, chemistry, neuroscience, physics and more, illuminated by experimental cocktails and cutting-edge cuisine. Expect scintillating science, stimulating company, and a few surprises.”  Sounds fun/scary. This will take place in the Astor Center on Thursday the 30th from 7 – 10 pm. Oh–but beware–it ain’t cheap. $200 a head.

The Joy of Six Legged Sex: An Evening of Insect Courtship and Cocktails. In which scientists answer that age-old question: How do both insects and humans attract their mates?  If the title alone doesn’t grab you, remember that included is a ride on the Staten Island Ferry to the Staten Island Museum. Once there you can tour the museum’s cicada collection (every 17 years!) and sip insect-inspired cocktails. Oh–and a DJ will be spinning tunes around Brandon Ballengee’s new light sculpture and insect observatory, “Love Motel For Insects.” All this for only 25 bucks. Friday the 31st from 7:25 (hey–they’re scientists) to 10 pm.

And on Saturday the 2nd from 10 am – 6 pm, our own Washington Square Park will host the Ultimate Science Street Fair!  Interactive exhibits, games, shows and performances for kids and adults. Nobel laureates will rub shoulders with sports and entertainment stars all in the name of science!

If you’re interested, now is the time to get tickets, as a few events are already sold out and everything looks like fun.

As my pal said, “It looks kinda cool and not just for propeller heads.”

I’ve got a hundred dollars smoking in my billfold
I know I ought to save it but it’s burning a whole
Right through my pocket and into my skin
Come Monday morning I’ll be broke again

It’s finally Friday
I’m free again
I got my motor running for a wild weekend
It’s finally Friday I’m out of control
Forget the working blues and let the good times roll

I got a little sugar baby down the road
She is sitting on ready and rocking on go
We’ll dance up a storm and later on tonight
We’ll be working on doing all the wrong things right

It’s finally Friday
I’m free again I got my motor running for a wild weekend
It’s finally Friday
I’m out of control
Forget the working blues and let the good times roll

Monday I’ll be hurting with my head in a vise
Tuesday I’ll be wandering if I’ll ever survive
Wednesday and Thursday I’ll be slowly tuning in
Friday I’ll be reving up my motor again

It’s finally Friday
I’m free again
I got my motor running for a wild weekend
It’s finally Friday
I’m out of control
Forget the working blues and let the good times roll

Finally Friday
I got my motor running for a wild weekend
It’s finally Friday
Forget the working blues and let the good times roll

Get your country on with George Jones (RIP)….and enjoy the weekend everyone!

Chef Yoel has created a special brunch and a three course $42 prix-fixe dinner menu specially designed for mamas this Sunday.

Click on the links above to see all the offerings. I have to say that I’m intrigued by the evening selection of pan roasted elk with crispy shallot mashed potatoes, asparagus, with an aged balsamic and bacon reduction. (There’s nothing like a little game meat to show mom just how much you love her.)

Click here to reserve a table for you and the main woman in your life.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful moms out there!!!

Here are a few quick facts:

Concerts are generally free (except for a few benefit ones), so seating is on a first-come, first serve basis. Which we all know means: get there early!  Gates open 90 minutes before showtime on weekends and an hour on weekdays. If it’s a popular show, I’d arrive at least an hour before the gates open. Bring a picnic blanket, snacks, water, a good book–and good company. (But no glasses, cans or coolers.)  Beer, wine and food can be purchased inside.

Concerts go on rain or shine. (Unless there’s lightening because, you know, there’s lightening and we’re not that crazy.)

Highlights this year include a benefit on June 11th for New York city parks: a Sinatra tribute with John Pizzarelli, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Joan Osborne, Andrew Bird, Marc Cohn, Bettye LaVette, Allen Toussaint, Suzanne Vega and Loudon Wainwright III. (Tickets start at $65.)

The Metropolitan Opera Summer Rehearsal Series, a weekly event in which favorite opera arias and duets are performed by rising Metropolitan Opera stars such as Erin Morley (soprano), Isabel Leonard (mezzo-soprano), and Stephen Costello (tenor), accompanied by pianist Bradley Moore.

The Martha Graham Dance Company performs on July 23rd.

Hip-hop artists Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth are featured on July 28th.

Gospel is also represented with Shirley Caesar on 8/3.

And remember Bobby McFerrin? He’ll be there on 8/20.

You get the picture…just like the city, a little something for every one. And–hey–if by chance the line’s too long and you don’t get in, hang outside on the grass–you can still hear the music.

As legend would have it, the margarita was invented in 1941 in Ensenada, Mexico by a bartender named Don Carlos Orozco. Orozco was experimenting with mixing new drinks when a prestigious visitor arrived: Margarita Henkel, the daughter of a German ambassador. Don Carlos offered the drink to Margarita and named it after her for being the first person to taste it. So if you can believe Wikipedia (I know…I know…), the margarita was named after a German.

In any event, here are a few recipes for you to try out at home!

First, a classic margarita from the Epicurious website:

• 2 ounces tequila made from 100 percent agave, preferably reposado or blanco
• 1 ounce Cointreau
• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
• Salt for garnish

Combine tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice in cocktail shaker filled with ice. Moisten rim of Margarita or other cocktail glass with lime juice or water. Holding glass upside down, dip rim into salt. Shake and strain drink into glass and serve.

Here’s a frozen margarita courtesy of drinksmixer.com:

Bobby Flay has a cool frozen watermelon margarita that serves eight:

• 5 cups cubed watermelon, seeds removed
• 1/2 cup simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water, heated until sugar melts), cooled
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 cups silver tequila
• 4 ounces orange liqueur
• 2 ounces melon liqueur
• Watermelon wedges, for garnish

Place watermelon in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour the pureed watermelon into two empty ice cube trays and freeze until firm, at least four hours. Place martini glasses in the freezer to chill.

Place two cups of the watermelon ice cubes and the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into four glasses and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Garnish each glass with a watermelon wedge.

A low-cal version comes from Cooking Light magazine. (To be honest, it looks like it’s just a really small drink, but you can always have two and still feel good about yourself.)

• 1 ounce premium or silver tequila
• 1/2 ounce Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur
• 1.5 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice

Combine ingredients. Shake with 3/4 cup ice; garnish with lime.

And for folks who don’t drink alcohol, here’s a Virgin Margarita recipe for four from lovetoknow.com.

• 1 6-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/2 lime, cut into 4 equal size wedges
• 4 cups ice cubes

Moisten the rim of the serving glasses with a little lime juice. Put the salt in a huge saucer or shallow pie pan. Invert each glass in the salt, and gently twist to coat the rim with salt. Invert each glass in the salt, and gently twist to coat the rim. Place the limeade concentrate, orange juice and ice cubes in a blender. Pour into glasses and be careful not to disturb the salt on the rims. Garnish the drinks with lime wedges and serve.

And finally, if you love both mojitos and margaritas and are waffling over which one to have, try a Mojarita for four, courtesy of iVillage:

• 20 fresh mint leaves, more for garnish
• 8 oz. tequila
• 2 oz. fresh lime juice
• 2 oz. agave nectar
• 4 oz. soda water to top
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

In a cocktail shaker, add torn mint leaves, lime wedges, lime juice, and muddle together allowing the flavors to marry and the aromas to release. Add two cups crushed ice and tequila. Shake well. Pour evenly into four glasses, adding additional crushed ice on top and mixing well. Top with soda water. Garnish with mint sprigs.

But if you’re lazy, like me, come to the North Square lounge and have the bartender mix you up a strawberry basil margarita with jimador tequila, lime juice, strawberries and basil. Estaba delicioso!

Cheers!  And enjoy the weekend, everyone!

So here are the basics:

The races take place this Saturday from 4-7 pm ET. The post time for the actual Kentucky Derby is 6:25. This year’s favorite is Verrazano, a horse named after they NYC bridge that connects Staten Island and Brooklyn. (Yes!)

Here are a few local places to take it all in:

mad46: Their annual rooftop Kentucky Derby Bash at the Roosevelt Hotel on 46th street takes place from 3 to 10 pm. A giant flat screen TV will broadcast the race and guests will be awarded prizes for the most stylish derby attire and hats. And yep, mint juleps will be served. (FYI this should be a good choice as the weather forecast is sunny with a high of 68 degrees.)

Boulton And Watt: (Avenue A at 1st St.) This gastropub has a whopping seven televisions that will broadcast the race, so clearly you won’t miss a thing. A hat competition will follow. The party begins at 2 pm.

Brickyard Gastropub: (9th Ave. between 52nd and 53rd) The race will be screened on nine ginormous TVs. $5 mint juleps can be sipped while you chow down on derby-themed appetizers. Plus the best-dressed party goer will win a $50 gift certificate.

21 Club: (West 52nd between 5th and 6th) You can truly feel fancy here. From 3:30-5:30 pm, $45 gets you two Woodford Reserve mint juleps (apparently WR provides the official derby MJ’s), assorted bar bites like cornmeal fried oysters with remoulade and Kentucky ham on a biscuit, with tax and tip incuded. Pick a winner throughout the broadcast and you can score Woodford Reserve prizes (which I assume means more mint juleps which is not a bad thing). Dinner for two at “21″ will go the best dressed in Derby attire.

Enjoy!

Let’s sing my favorite birthday song in his honor: Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday To Ya”:

You know it doesn’t
make much sense
There ought to be a law against
Anyone who takes offense
At a day in your celebration
‘Cause we all know in our minds
That there ought to be a time
That we can set aside
To show just how much we love you
And I’m sure you will agree
It couldn’t fit more perfectly
Than to have a world
party on the day you
came to be

Chorus:
Happy birthday to ya
Happy birthday to ya
Happy birthday to ya
Repeat

I just never understood
How a man who died for good
Could not have a day that would
Be set aside for his recognition
Because it should never be
Just because some cannot see
The dream as clear as he
That they should make it
become an illusion
And we all know everything
That he stood for time will bring
For in peace our hearts will sing
Thanks to Martin Luther King Jr.

Chorus:
Happy birthday to ya
Happy birthday to ya
Happy birthday to ya
(Repeat)

Why has there never been a holiday
Where peace is celebrated
all throughout the world

The time is overdue
For people like me and you know the way to truth
Is love and unity to
all God’s children
It should be a great event
And the whole day should be spent
In full remembrance
Of those who lived and
died for the oneness
of
all people
So let us all begin
We know that love can win
Let it out don’t hold it in
Sing it loud as you can

Chorus x4:
Happy birthday to ya
Happy birthday to ya
Happy birthday to ya ooohh

Background Stevie
Happy birthday Ooh yeah
Happy birthday,
To you yea

We know the key to unity of all
People
Is in the dream that you had so
Long ago
That lives in all of the hearts
Of people
That believe in unity
We’ll make the dream become
A reality
I know we will
Because our hearts tell us so….

Better yet….listen to Stevie himself sing it here.

Here’s to 54 more, Ronnie!

Check out these appetizers:

Grilled marinated shrimp with lemon orzo, roasted tomato and saffron broth.

Shrimp!

A spring barley risotto with pearl barley (not Bailey–sorry, couldn’t resist), carrots, fresh green peas, fennel and spring onions, ricotta and parmesan cheeses and fresh basil.

New dinner apps feature the additions of an organic kale salad with organic gala apples, roasted baby carrots and manchego cheese, toasted almond and buttermilk dressing.  Plus a seafood salad with shrimp, scallops, grilled calamari, New Zealand mussels, Boston lettuce, radishes, red onion, meyer lemon vinaigrette.

There are a few new entrees at dinner:

Roasted lobster with creamed corn, shiitake mushrooms, escarole and shellfish chili broth.  Another dish from the sea is pan-seared halibut with roasted tomato and eggplant, amaranth (a super-healthy, gluten-free grain) and a mustard cream sauce.

Meat eaters like me are looking forward to the braised short ribs with wild rice, ancho chili sauce and a spring vegetable timbale.

Finally, there’s a grilled pork ribeye with fingerling potatoes with ladrons, morels, fresh peas and spring onions with a shallot au jus.

Pork and Peas, please!

Welcome to spring, everyone. I’ll update you on what’s happening with the rooftop garden shortly!

Have a great weekend!

Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair: Tied in with the film festival, this fair runs 10 am to 6 pm next Saturday (4/27) on Greenwich between Chambers and Hubert. Kite flying, live chef demonstrations, life-size bubbles in a Bubble Garden, dancing, live music and noshes. Lots of noshes.

Brooklyn Flea: Lafayette Ave. between Clermont and Vanderbilt in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on Saturdays and on East River State Park at N. 7 St. in Williamsburg on Sundays (10 am to 5 pm). Vendors sell everything from Indian crafts to bicycle paintings to birdhouse jewelry. The food alone is worth heading down to the BK: Dough Donuts, Handsome Hank’s Fish Hut and Maria’s Tacos are ready and waiting for you to chow down.

Hester Street Fair: Every Sunday from 10-6 throughout the summer on the corner of Hester and Essex. Vendors include handmade soaps by Filthy Farmgirl (I need them. Now.) to beautiful ceramics and jewelry. And yes…good food (s’mores!)

Crafts on Columbus: Columbus Ave. from 77th to 81st streets. Operates the next few weekends (4/27-28, 5/4-5, 5/11-12). Fantastic jewelry, blown glass, sculpture, clothing, quilts and children’s toys. A block away from the American Museum of Natural History.

Spring has definitely sprung.

“The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”
― Gaylord Nelson

“I had assumed that the Earth, the spirit of the Earth, noticed exceptions — those who wantonly damage it and those who do not. But the Earth is wise. It has given itself into the keeping of all, and all are therefore accountable.”
― Alice Walker

“It’s Earth day I wonder if we can plant more trees than people for a change?”
― Stanley Victor Paskavich

Let’s take care of the planet today and every day. Happy Earth Day, everyone!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with her, Lisa Podell settles herself on a bench next to her “Free Advice” sign for a few hours every other day and lends an ear–and non-judgmental wisdom when requested. And from the looks of her Facebook page, this Dear Abby in a tank top and flip flops seems to help an awful lot of people. (Sometimes just having an impartial ear listen helps a ton, doesn’t it?)

On Lisa’s website, she describes her services as such:

“What if there were an opportunity to offer and/or receive free advice in public spaces throughout New York City, or even better, in a neighborhood near you? Imagine the possibilities when people break down their barriers to hold authentic, positive conversations with other people they would have otherwise passed by.

The second component is to help people see an additional point of view. Many of us fixate on a personal issue and continue to look at it from the same vantage point. Then we wonder why we’re not seeing improvement or change. This can lead to frustration and stress, which can then affect the way we connect or disconnect with others in our daily lives. To verbally explore a topic with someone whom you have no history and may never see again is quite liberating. There is no past between Free Advice Girl and the participant so it allows for a clear conversation. This is why a typical conversation often lasts just 5-10 minutes. It’s easy to see a new point of view when you’re ready to receive it and there’s no history or baggage standing in the way.”

Leave it to the good citizens of NYC to offer free therapy at no cost. Welcome back, Lisa!

To celebrate, I’m meeting a girlfriend for a cocktail in the neighborhood. Here are a few choices for an outdoor drink and perhaps a nosh:

Bar Six: (6th Avenue near 13th St.)  Laid back, great for people watching while noshing on French-Moroccan food.

Gottino: (Greenwich between Charles and Perry)  Wines by the glass, carafe or bottle. Yummy Italian snacks–crostini, formaggio, salumi, olive mista…all of the major food groups at your fingertips.

Wogie’s Bar & Grill: (Greenwich St. by Charles) Cheap drinks, Philly cheesesteaks and hot wings. Seriously unhealthy grub, but sometimes that’s what the doctor ordered.

Madame X: (West Houston by Thompson) Head to the garden outside to sip a chardonnay or down a “Born Yesterday” (Bombay gin, mango nectar, splash of sour and soda).

Sante!

It’s much better: The 12th Tribeca Film Festival starts next week (4/17) and runs for eleven days.

53 features from 37 countries will be premiered and judged by 42 jurors in all, including luminaries such as Whoopi Goldberg, Paul Haggis, Bryce Dallas Howard (love her) and Evan Rachel Wood.

Highlights of the festival include Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight the follow-up to Before Sunrise and Before Sunset, featuring on-screen lovers Ethan Hawke and Jule Delpy. (Yikes! They’re now middle-aged!) And hot shot directors Neil LaBute (Death at a Funeral, Nurse Betty), Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) and David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express) are also contributing films to the competition.

Panel discussions will take place featuring Hawke, Delpy, Darren Aronofsky and Clint Eastwood (minus the chair, we can only hope).

Here’s a quick overview on tickets: There are various early sale dates for American Express members and downtown residents, but the general public can get single tickets on Monday starting at 11 a.m. online, by phone and through three designated outlets.

During the festival, tickets, if still available, will be on sale at all festival venue box offices. Prices are $8 for matinee and late-night screenings, $16 for evening and weekends and $25 for special talks. There are also special passes for a bunch of screenings and a $25,000 VIP pass which I can only assume means that Robert DeNiro will not only spring for dinner, but clean your apartment and buy you something pretty to boot. But that’s just me.

Because these two were registered marathon runners.

Because this photo was titled “Crazy racist naked guy on the 6 train.” (Almost) naked = obvious, crazy = probable, but where did they get racist from?

Because, Robert De Niro, Jon Stewart, Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Christopher Walken, Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Joan Didion, Philip Seymour Hoffman and David Bowie all live here.

Because Nora Ephron, George Gershwin, The Marx Brothers, Dorothy Parker, Maria Callas, Humphrey Bogart, Duke Ellington and Arthur Miller once did.

Because we have a street named after one of the Ramones.

Because there are around 8,000 restaurants, the majority of which are not fast food.

Because anyone can get married to whomever they love.

Because for a city, we’re awfully green. New York City has more than 1,700 parks, playgrounds, and recreation facilities across the five boroughs.

Just because…

A little family history: the hawks have been around for three years. The initial coupling was Bobby and Violet. They produced Pip, who has moved on to points unknown. After Violet fell ill and passed away in year two, Bobby was consoled by Rosie and they produced Boo and Scout, who have also left the family Village home.

You can watch the birds’ progress and if you’re lucky, witness the blessed event on the NYU Hawk Cam.

The fight starts tomorrow at 3 p.m. and lasts three hours. The ground rules:

+ Soft, feather-free pillows only!
+ Swing lightly, many people will be swinging at once.
+ Do not swing at people without pillows or with cameras.
+ Remove glasses beforehand! (I learned that one the hard way.)
+ Deposit pillows in donation boxes or take them with you.*
+ Jammies are welcome.

* Preferably the former, as the event collected over 1500 pillows for homeless shelters last year.

Lastly, don’t forget the ultimate pillow fight rule that still stands from when you were a kid: play nice!

Have a great weekend, everyone!