A new beach bar appropriately called Beer Island has opened  in Coney Island. It's not exactly on the beach, but there is sand, so who cares. Set in the space that was once the mini golf course, a long list of beers can be enjoyed while lounging on white patio furniture. No food yet, but Nathan's is only a hop, skip and jump away. Whoever would rather a menu of substandard dogs and fried whatever is just lazy. It's run by the guy who does the "Shoot the Freak" attraction, so if you can't find the place, just ask him.  See you at the beach!

So, this is what is being called "Sex in the City Week" in New York. Yes, it is, I heard it on the news.

To cash in on this clever bit of HBO marketing, Chop Suey - the contemporary Asian restaurant  Zak Pelaccio consulted on - is having a bit of a celebration. A special character menu and trivia contest is in effect. The special menu will ofer four meals reflecting each of the Sex in the City starts including an appetizer, entree, dessert and cocktail. For instance, the Samantha menu includes lobster slow poached egg foo-young and ginger buerre blanc with a double dirty martini. And the Charlotte includes watercress and asian pear salad and a bellini. And Miranda includes beef short ribs sliced marinated and grilled  and a Brooklyn Lager. Of course the Carrie includes NYs new favorite food the slider and you know what the cocktail is. If you don't, then this whole week will be lost on you.

All options are $30 or $38 with the appropriate cocktail (which is acutally a really good price for a cocktail in Times Square) and are finished with the Mr. Big Chocolate Cake Dessert. 

 Times Square isn't the only place you can get your sex fix.  A slew of restaurants have added updated versions of the cosmo in honor of the movie.

Islero (247 E. 50th St.) has created a Cosmolero  - a Spanish version of the cosmo, and Lima's Taste (122 Christopher St. )  has done a Peruivan version called the Cholopolitan. ROC Restaurant at 190 Duane Street is doing an Italian version called the Cosmolitaliano made with limoncello from Sorrento. - Fabiana Santana

Last night, I made a bold statement. Maybe even the bold statement to end all bold statements. “This is the best cocktail I’ve ever had.”

To clarify, I’ve been on a bit of a hunt for a new drink, a new taste. There’s only so much vodka and soda one can drink, and only so many occasions suited to ordering a glass of Shiraz at a bar.

Yesterday, after work, I found myself at the stunning and spot-on representation of classic New York The Campbell Apartment at Grand Central. Not wanting vodka, beer or wine, I checked out the full cocktail menu. I thought about trying the Prohibition Punch, but  felt a little odd about having my date spend $16 on a drink, so I ordered a Grape Smash instead (when it comes to thriftiness, $13.50 is so much better…), as the ingredients looked downright  bewitching. As an aside, I’ve always been into drinks that manage to incorporate grapes.

The older, tuxedoed bartender impressively mixed it up in under ten seconds and there, in the midst of commuters, tourists and suited-up Masters of the Universe, I took my first sip of perfection. Otherwise known as muddled grapes, Angostura Bitters, Orange Bitters, Rhum Clement Premiere Canne, club soda and the kicker: Absinthe.

“Try not to hallucinate,” my date said, and though the effects of the absinthe were minimal , the illusive, almost spicy taste was ever-present, as was the muted sweetness of fresh grapes. In fact, I heard myself using words to describe the drink that, if I’d heard others use, I would have laughed them out of the bar: layered, textured, complex, refreshing. Well, it was.

I was sad when I drained the last sip from my small snifter, but happy because I could now answer with authority should someone inquire as to what my drink of choice might be.  

Ah, but like many pleasures in life, a downside does exist. Try to picture me strolling into my local dive, sidling up to the bar and saying something like, “Yes, I’d like muddled grapes, Angostura Bitters, Orange Bitters, Rhum Clement Premiere Canne, soda and a dash of absinthe, please” Talk about getting laughed out of the bar.

So, until the next time I visit the lovely Campbell Apartment, it appears that vodka and soda is here to stay. As is the memory of my first Grape Smash.  - Perrie Samotin

Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit (5 W. 19th St. 212-929-2323) is adding free food and wine events to its roster of programming. This coming Wednesday, May 21st, Rebecca Gray, author of American Artisanal: Finding the Country's Best Real Food, from Cheese to Chocolate, will be on hand to discuss her book. What better way to discuss the country's best real food than to sample some! So a tasting of food and drinks from some of the featured craftsmen in her book will be offered. Among the tastings will be a goat cheese from Vermont Butter & Cheese, hard cider from Poverty Lane Orchards  in New Hampshire, and olives from Santa Barbera Olive Company. 

NYC will be the debut location for the Nobu Hotel and Residences. Located at 45 Broad Street, the all glass tower will rise to almost 650 feet above street level and will include 120 hotel rooms, 77 super luxury codos, a fitness center, retail space, and of course, a Nobu Restaurant on the 3rd floor. David Rockwell is designing the thing, so it's going to look good and will boast panoramic views of the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty. Now, we all know what a meal costs at Nobu. Imaging living in a condo inspired by it?

The Observer breaks news that the Real World is coming to Brooklyn! Uh. Here’s our odds for where the house will be located—MTV has been tight lipped thus far.

2 to 1: Williamsburg. Undoubtedly Brooklyn’s coolest neighborhood, at least if your’re 14, live in Pensacola and listen to Armor For Sleep.

5 to 1: Ft. Green. If you haven’t read a number of real estate trend stories, FG is an ethnically diverse nabe that is BLOWING THE EF UP. One downside is the lack of public transportation, but when has that ever inhibited the roommates from driving to the club.   

10 to1: Carroll Gardens. Please. God. No! (Multiple staffers may or may not live there).

20 to 1: Park Slope. If there was ever going to be a way to transform this hood’s rep from stroller city it could be to plop the seven strangers on the corner of 9th Street and 7th Avenue. Never gonna happen.

50 to 1: East New York. SoHo was sorta rag tag when the series started filming in 1991. But not East New York rag tag. —Matt Rodbard

The nominees for the 62nd annual Tony Awards were announced this morning by previous winners David Hyde pierce ("Curtains") and Sara Ramierez ("Spamalot"). While there weren't a ton of shockers, there were a couple of the requisite surprise snubs (not even one nomination for Debbie Allen's all-black revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" or the star-studded "The Country Girl") and it looks like June 15th's ceremony will be one hell of a show, with tight races in several of the categories (leading actress in a musical, perhaps?).

While we're not playing favorites, we're pulling for LuPone and the rest of the "Gypsy" gang to take home the seven awards they were nominated for. Especially director Arthur Laurents, who happens to be in his 90s...probably not so many nominations lingering in his future. For a full list of nominees and all the Tony news, vids and info you could ever want, click here.

My favorite record as a kid was the Elvis "Golden Hits" eight track. Every click to the next program produced another hit: "Don't be Cruel," "Jail House Rock," "Hound Dog." That funky hillbilly rhythm backing that velvety croon and swagger made me sing along and bounce all afternoon. It's said that you're either an Elvis person or a Beatles person. I can't say it's an easy decision, but I can say that Elvis was my first love.

And I think John Reis might be an Elvis man, too. While his previous sonic forays with his longtime collaborator/conspirator Rick Froberg (Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu, Pitchfork) have tended to maintain a breakneck pace while manipulating the listener's sense of right-side-up and upside-down, his Rocket from the Crypt outfit always wanted to swagger. And this is more of what is happening with his new act, the Night Marchers—sexual come-ons, call-and-response backing vocals, churning rhythms and the sense that matches and gasoline go together to make a real rock band.

We were treated to a steady stream of angular garage burners for most of Wednesday night's set at the Mercury Lounge. Reis's drawn-out howl and high-energy guitar velocity continues with this new quartet. And even if his crooning isn't quite velvety-smooth, his tan face and unbuttoned shirt certainly have a little of that hillbilly sex appeal. While a straight rockabilly set is painful at worst and rehashed at best, the Night Marchers stay out of this realm entirely, weaving that signature post-punk sound through a garage-rock rave-up with elements of surf and punk peppered throughout.

What sets this formula apart from others using this blueprint is the dramatic twists and turns within the song structures. The off-kilter timing and alternate-tuned rhythm and lead guitar interplay are sustained with a heavily accented beat that's written to let it ride out for manic—and often melodic—fun. While songs like "Closed for Inventory" oozed sweat and spit, the band pulled a bitter dance card with "You've Got Nerve," a restrained and slower-paced number to let you catch your breath. There was no slow dancing in the packed crowd, but I think a lot of folks can get behind the flaming torch of the Night Marchers. —Carl Gambrell

 
Neil Diamond’s secret show at the Bitter End last night was not about showmanship.  There was nary a sequin to be found, in the crowd or on the stage.  It was hardly even about the music, three old tunes and three new tunes and 40 minutes of Neil were up without a single “TODAY!” shouted from the audience, and while  he did sound as good as ever, he may have lost a step from 40 years earlier, the last time he took that stage.

Tonight was about the whole, not the parts.  Tonight was about four young ladies experiencing the thrill of an older man, one actually crying when he played “Cherry, Cherry” while another shouted from her tattooed mid-20s hipster cuteness, “I love you Neil!” at the top of her lungs and you just knew, if she had them handy, panties would have followed her voice onto the stage.  Tonight was about the thrill of the woman in her 60s, who may have seen Neil play this very stage the last time, as she stared at his junk for 40 minutes and sang along to “Sweet Caroline” while I noted to the tattooed beauty, “Now that is the look of lust.”

No, tonight was not about the music, or the new album, or MySpace promoting it or the awesome poster they gave me as a parting gift for my 4 ½ hours of waiting for 40 minutes of music.  No,  tonight was about being with Neil, intimately, just once, just for a moment, just to see how it feels.  —R.J. Wafer

Dave Martin deserves a drink. And now he can have one at his restaurant. Crave on 42nd is moving beyond the wine and beer only options they have been offering and are now serving a full bar. This comes at a time when community boards are cracking down on the number of full licenses being granted, so this is a score for the American style bistro.

The new cocktail menu includes creations like the "Crave" Martini made with grapefruit, ruby red vodka, OJ and sprite and sip on Dave's Prickly Pear Margarita for  a tequila fix. Happy Hour specials on their outdoor patio includes $4 tap beers, $5 house martinis and the happy hour super special - buy 2 get one free.

Cheers! 

When Marc Meyer and Vicki Freeman took over Provence on Macdougal Street, it was score one for romance. The restaurant is where the pair got engaged and couldn't see it go. But maybe they should have. After trying their hand at the sweet bistro that saw its fair share of bridal showers, Meyer and Freeman have decided to close Provence after all. But in its wake will come Hundred Acres, a seasonal bar and restaurant  the pair are readying for opening the week of May 19th. Word is that Meyer will run the kitchen with Joel Hough, currently the Cehf de Cuisine of Cookshop and together they will craft a rustic American menu based on market selections.  Let's see how inventive they can be with the farmhouse table concept du jour. - FS

 

photo of what was Provence by Kalina for eater.

The big boys of travel are jumping on the gastromonic band wagon. Continental Airlines is sponsoring an International Restaurant Week in New York City from May 2 thru May 11. The celebration and promotion  (partnered with Zagat) highlights 12 cuisines from destinations the airline services.  So instead of one standard price for a hit or miss meal, each restaurant has a specific offering to highlight their region's cuisine. Japan is rep'ed by Megu and the sake tasting menu being offered. Churasciara Plataforma is doing the honors for Brazil. Alto for the Alto Adige region in Italy. Wakiya is offering complimentary hors dorves and desserts to show off China's golden spoon. Vouchers for all the goodies are available at www.continentalrestaurantweek.com.

 

Tomorrow, LES record store/venue Cake Shop turns 3. I’m not the biggest fan of the venue—the sloped floor and spotty booking rings more annoying than endearing (spotty booking meaning the club gave a couple friend’s bands their first NYC dates, so, really, nothing but love for that).

But three years is a serious accomplishment in that hood, if any in NYC. Arguably better clubs like Sin-e, Rothko and Tonic couldn’t survive the rising rents and general economic crappyness the nabe is now famous for. But Cake Shop lives.

They are celebrating with a ton of bands, including Oakley Hall, New Bloods and our new favorite band, Virgin Forest. Full lineup. —Matt Rodbard

Melvin Van Peebles might be the only artist who can claim the French Legion of Honor, Hollywood, Broadway and the Hood on his resume, and in his latest film, “Confessions of an Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha” he gives us an idiosyncratic tour through his own life.

 Still best known for “Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song,” Van Peebles talked about his latest film on Thursday night at the Director’s Guild of America theater. The eminently quotable Van Peebles was on last night, offering the following words of wisdom:

“A courageous person is never without arms."

“Mama told me, praise the bridge that carries you across.”

"I am pretty much a loner and a maverick. What I wanted to do was not just black cinema. I wanted to open the doors for all independent film."

"I must be honest, and say when I made 'Sweetback' I caught the clap, but who’s perfect?"

"Bitter about what? I won. I made a profit."
 

 

As an Irish film, "Eden" carries with it some baggage. Yes, a few of the characters are alcoholics. Yes, the film is a family melodrama, set in a place where everyone knows everyone else.

But "Eden," which had its international premiere at Tribeca, is more than just another little Irish film. It tells a story that is universal, but sets it in a time and place that is unmistakably Irish. Eileen Walsh plays Breda, a woman in her early thirties who has been married to Billy (played by Aidan Walsh) for ten years. On the eve of their anniversary, she realizes that he's lost interest in her, and is jealous of his bachelor friends who still go to the nightclubs every week.

What makes the film compelling is that both Billy and Breda, who in Eugene O'Brien's play delivered monologues that narrated the entire story, are reluctant to give into the roles expected of them, whether it's the happily married couple or the unhappily married one. Instead, they fight the expectations others have of them. This is especially true in one scene, where Breda prepares to go out for her tenth anniversary by putting on a dress she has purchased for the occasion.

"It was really important to play her as true as possible," Walsh said a press conference this week. "She does feel fantastic in the dress. What's so awful, then, is that she could never compete with the dancing girl. She has a huge fear of being a whiner."

"Eden" plays on Thursday at 7:15 p.m., and then again on Saturday at 4:45 p.m.