Entertainment in North America
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A
Imperial Palace
The blue-roofed pagoda facade and faux–Far East theme are hokey, but the zany atmosphere at what was once the Flamingo Capri is quite alright. The always-packed casino is decked out in bamboo and rattan under a dragon-motif ceiling. If you liked the indie movie The Cooler, you’ll love it here. There are lots of low-minimum table games to be found here, but avoid the bad-odds blackjack in the pit. Time your visit to coincide with the evening shift change of the ‘dealertainers’, celebrity impersonators who do double duty as dealers, or catch the sham stars performing in Legends in Concert at Harrah’s.
reviewed
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B
Sala Nezahualcóyotl
This impressive concert hall with the impossible-to-pronounce name is located at the heart of the University’s Cultural Center. The design emulates Amsterdam’s late-19th-century Concertgebouw theater, with the seats extending to the sides and rear of the orchestra platform, creating the ultimate surround-sound experience. This is further accentuated by the ‘canopy’ over the stage. The university has its own UNAM Philharmonic Orchestra, which regularly stages concerts here. The Nezahualcóyotl is also a respected venue for world-renowned musicians, along with the Palacio. The concert season runs from September to June.
reviewed
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C
Cafe Saint-Ex
Amid framed drawings of Le Petit Price and wooden propellers (the place is named after French flyer and children's book author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry), this comfy classic serves up hearty bistro fare, a fine beer selection at the bar and DJs spinning fine grooves in the downstairs lounge, Gate 54. Head for the outdoor tables on warm nights.
reviewed
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D
Abbey
The riffraff congregating in this atmospheric Decatur St dive tend to dress in black. The place has a faded and jaded port-of-call feel to it, with blasé bartenders, transient hipsters and shifty-looking characters. You needn’t be pierced or tattooed to fit in, but a little Joe Strummer swagger won’t hurt. The jukebox reflects these sensibilities, but also includes rocking sides by the original Man in Black. And if you’re seeking Lee Hazelwood’s brand of trouble, the juke here has that covered, too. At least stop by for a shot of Jack if you’re prowling the Lower Quarter.
reviewed
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E
Steppenwolf Theatre
Drama club of Malkovich, Sinise and other Hollywood stars; 2 miles north of the Loop in Lincoln Park.
reviewed
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F
K-Doe’s Mother-in-Law Lounge
Ernie K-Doe was famous for writing the song ‘Mother-in-Law’ and frequently proclaiming his ‘Emperorship of ‘he Universe.’ The Mother-in-Law lounge carries on his surreal legacy, filled with life-sized statutes of the Emperor of the Universe, touching pictures of his empress (dearly departed wife, Antoinette) and lots of loyal customers. Note the hearse out front: Antoinette bought it before Katrina (because, hey, a hearse has storage space, right?) and staff apparently used the car to sneak back into the flooded city several times (because who’s going to stop a hearse?).
reviewed
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G
Moto
The Next Williamsburg is East Williamsburg – a great mix of hipsters and Latin American locals and roomy bars offering free pizza and ’70s arcade games: perfect for a bar-hopping night out. A good place to start is under the rattling J/M/Z subway tracks at Moto, a low-lit corner spot with creaky wood floors and live accordion music that feels like something straight out of 1920s Paris. Food’s not bad – snacks and starters like panini beat the mains – but it’s perfect for a glass of wine or mug of Australia’s Coopers lager to kick-start the night.
reviewed
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H
Beatrice & Woodsley
The menu of small plates is whimsical (like the corn-fed scallop – a scallop served with toasted cornbread and spicy slaw) and brunch here is the fanciest on S Broadway, but it’s the cocktails that kill us. The Europa ’51 exemplifies their artistry, combining gin, cynar, apple juice, citrus pepper tincture (whatever that is) and orange.
Beatrice and Woodsley is also the most artfully designed dining room in Denver. Chainsaws are buried into the wall to support shelves, there's an aspen growing through the back of the dining room and the feel is that of a mountain cabin being elegantly reclaimed by nature.
reviewed
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I
Palace of Wonders
The Palace was one of the leaders of the charge that turned H St NE into one of the coolest parts of the capital. It is, frankly, what DC has always needed: a semipermanent freak show. Upstairs is a circus of oddities, local genius James Taylor’s museum of the odd, twisted and awesome. Downstairs is a kickin’ bar that attracts a pretty punk-ish crowd; on weekends, a cover charge (usually around $20) gets you in for all-night performances of sword-swallowing, flea circuses, fire eating and magic tricks. It’s extremely fun, and what DC needed to offset its admittedly large preppie population.
reviewed
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J
Cultch (Vancouver East Cultural Centre)
This once-abandoned 1909 church near Commercial Dr has been a gathering place for performers and audiences since being officially designated as a cultural space in 1973. But following a comprehensive $14 million renovation that was completed in 2009, the Cultch (as everyone calls it) has become one of the city's best performance spaces and the performance jewel of the Eastside. Appearing on the charming Historic Theatre main stage is an ever- eclectic roster of local and visiting drama plus music and dance troupes. After the show, hang around in the lobby wine bar to mull over the show and chat with the locals.
reviewed
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K
Dixon Place
An intimate showcase for experimental theater that began as a reading space in 1985, Dixon Place recently moved from its longtime home – a cramped, apartment-like space with mismatched chairs and couches – to a sleek, brand-new space. It’s fronted by a lovely bar and lounge area for post-show discussions that has performers and audience members breathing a sigh of relief.
Luckily, the move hasn’t at all altered the constant flow of exciting shows: brand-new dramas, comedy and readings, often with a queer bent. Its summer HOT! series is a great time to catch the newest works.
reviewed
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L
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
This is the largest performing-arts center south of the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. It hosts major concerts, touring Broadway productions, plays, the Tampa Ballet and special events. The complex has five theaters: Festival Hall (a 2500-seat venue where touring Broadway shows and headliners perform), Ferguson Hall (with 1000 seats), the Jaeb (a three-floor cabaret), the Teco (with 200 seats) and the 100-seat Shimberg Playhouse, a ‘black box’ venue for cutting-edge performances by local and national artists and groups. Free backstage guided tours are offered Wednesday and Saturday at 10am, by reservation.
reviewed
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Celluloid Social Club
Visiting movie nuts with a penchant for making their own flicks – or just chewing the fat with those who do – should unspool their film over at one of Vancouver’s coolest underground hangouts. Held every month at the community hall ANZA Club, the Celluloid Social Club is a drop-in for local filmmakers and video artists who want to show their shorts to anyone who happens to turn up. The results – seven mini-epics are shown over the course of a couple of hours – are always interesting, and the screenings are followed by a few beers and a chance to rub shoulders and chat with the local auteurs.
reviewed
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M
Cubby Bear
To enter the eye of the hurricane in Wrigleyville, elbow into the famous Cubby Bear, where the can beer is expensive and the whooping fraternity boys can get downright unruly. This is a good place to try some cornhole, as in small corn-filled bags (aka beanbags) that participants toss into a sloped box with a hole in it. It started as a bar game but vaulted into the big time in 2007, when the First Annual Windy City Cornhole Classic took over Soldier Field (yes, the football stadium). Cubby Bear has leagues and tournaments. Check www.chicagocornhole.com for other locations.
reviewed
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Apple Jack's Inn
Inland of Pescadero, large stretches of the hills are protected in a patchwork of parks that, just like the coast, remain remarkably untouched despite the huge urban populations only a short drive to the north and east. Heading east toward Palo Alto, Hwy 84 winds through thick stands of redwood trees. Along the way is the tiny township of La Honda, 9 miles east of San Gregorio State Beach, and several local parks with hiking and mountain-biking opportunities. La Honda's Apple Jack's Inn, housed in an old blacksmith's shop, is a rustic, down-home bar offering live music on weekends and lots of local color.
reviewed
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N
New York Theater Workshop
Recently celebrating its 25th year, this innovative production house is a treasure to those seeking cutting-edge, contemporary plays with purpose. It was the originator of two big Broadway hits, Rent and Urinetown, and offers a constant supply of high-quality drama.
It has staged works from Rebecca Gilman (The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter), Geoffrey Cowan and Leroy Aarons (Top Secret) – and even Samuel Beckett, whose quartet of one-act plays was adapted here by director JoAnne Akalaitis and composer Phillip Glass in Beckett Shorts, starring Mikhail Baryshnikov.
reviewed
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O
Seattle Symphony
A major regional ensemble. It plays at the Benaroya Concert Hall, which you'll find downtown at 2nd Ave and University St.
reviewed
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San Gregorio General Store
For a flashback to the Old West, turn inland on Rte 84, and go 1 mile to the San Gregorio General Store on Stage Rd – watch carefully or you’ll miss it. It’s a classic old emporium catering to local farmers and ranchers, who drink booze at the counter. They’ll stare when you walk in, but endure their glances to peruse cowboy hats, flannel shirts, crockery, woodstoves, odd books and sewing notions. It’s also the local post office. The best reason to come is for local bluegrass and folk; call ahead for the schedule. (For food, head to Pescadero, below.)
reviewed
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P
Binion’s
Opened in 1951 by the notorious Texan gambler, Benny Binion, who sported gold coins for buttons on his cowboy shirts, this casino became famous for its ‘zero limit’ betting policy, and as the place where the World Series of Poker was born. Now that Benny has gone ‘all in’ in the sky, the ex-Horseshoe casino is struggling to live up to its legacy. But it’s worth swinging by the poker room to witness nail-biting, around-the-clock Texas Hold’em action. On the main casino floor is Binion’s Cafe with fresh, never-frozen beef burgers piled high with crackling onions, iceberg lettuce and huge tomato slices.
reviewed
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Q
Ninth & Main Street
About a mile north of downtown, Jacksonville's historic district of Springfield (www.thenewspringfield.com) is budding as a hip center for the arts.
A former disused automotive repair shop, the 'place of no particular style', Ninth & Main Street, now houses an outstanding Caribbean restaurant, Henrietta's, a theater, an art gallery, and a live-music venue (Thursday and Friday). It also hosts the annual Springfield Film Festival, showcasing independent filmmakers from Florida and beyond. The festival kicks off in spring, with a rolling series of screenings (usually Thursdays) until the fall.
reviewed
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R
Jean Lafitte’s Old Absinthe House
The Old Absinthe House is rightfully a place you should come to check out the historic bar, rather than drink at it, as the customer base is of the bottom-shelf Bourbon St sort. Here’s the skinny: this historic spot was opened in 1807. A number of bars in New Orleans, including this one, served absinthe before it was outlawed in 1914. The mysterious beverage had a psychotropic allure – wormwood was the active ingredient – but it allegedly sent enthusiasts to the loony bin. Today, Herbsaint, a locally produced anisette, is a relatively safe stand-in for old absinthe-based drinks.
reviewed
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S
Apotheke Bar
It takes a little effort to track down this former opium-den-turned-apothecary bar located on Doyers St (known as the Bloody Triangle back when this was gang territory). Look for a Golden Flower sign – that's the clue you've arrived. The sleek red interior, with marble bar and apothecary-type mortars, pestles and cylinders, gives the Apotheke Bar a cool vibe, enhanced when the owner passes around his homemade absinthe. The cocktails are intense and flavorful: try the Five Points (hibiscus, Italian bitters, grape juice and sugar-cane-infused rum) or the Saffron Sazerac (with saffron-infused bourbon).
reviewed
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T
Plaza
Built on the site of the old Union Pacific Railroad Depot, Jackie Gaughan’s Plaza is a 1970s time capsule. Like most downtown joints, the down-at-heel Plaza is made for low-rollin’ gamblers. Its tacky decor doesn’t correspond to any known theme, unless the theme is cheap. And that’s just fine with the Plaza’s patrons, who are hypnotized by the penny slots, nickel video-poker machines and $1 blackjack tables with sarcastic dealers. Feisty blue-haired ladies play for keeps upstairs in the 400-seat bingo room. Also upstairs is Firefly, a tapas bar with cockpit views of the Fremont Street Experience.
reviewed
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U
Second City
It's the cream of the crop, where Bill Murray, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey and many more honed their sharp, biting wit. Bargain: turn up after the evening's last show (Friday excluded), and watch the comics improv a performance for free.
reviewed
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Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto's Major League Baseball team plays at the Rogers Centre. Buy tickets through Ticketmaster or at the Rogers Centre box office near Gate 9. The cheapest seats are way up above the field. Instead, try for seats along the lower level baselines where you have a better chance of catching a fly-ball (or wearing one in the side of the head). The Jays haven't won the World Series since 1993, but who knows, this could be their year.
reviewed