Worth the Tassel: Burlesque at Duane Park

On Friday nights, the restaurant formerly known as Duane Park Cafe, now simply Duane Park, transforms into a 1920's-style Parisian salon. One can enjoy a late night dinner, live jazz and burlesque. Acts have included Darlinda, Legs Malone, Gal Friday, Perie Noire and the Brian Newman Jazz Trio has become the house band. Saturday and Sunday night shows will be offered soon, but only Friday night will remain free of charge.

The menu, executed by New Orleans native and Five Points alum, Beau Houch, blends classic bistro dishes (i.e. steak with caramelized onions) with provocative touches like Creole-spiced fries to dip into a garlicky aioli. The tightly edited wine list, courtesy of partner Frank Locker--the proprietor of East Village shop Is Wine--offers deep bargains; most bottles run $30 to $60.

Book early, tables fill up fast. (Duane Park, 157 Duane Street 212 732 5555)

Rosanjin

One of our readers was kind enough to alert us to an exciting new menu at Rosanjin. It is called Ju Bako and it is "for when one doesn't have time for a two hour dinner but still feels like giving oneself a refreshing gift." The Ju Baku experience offers a tempting array of items such as Temari Sushi, Grilled Yellow Tail, and Steamed Gabocha (Japanese Pumpkin) among others. This is from our good friend:

I love this place. I have had one of the most extravagant dinners of my life here and have also had an event catered and am amazed by the quality of the food and the presentation. I just received an e-mail alert about a new offering at Rosanjin and cannot wait to try it out. Check out this special offer:

The name of this special menu is Ju Bako : ten boxes, because only ten of them are offered a day.

*Ju Bako requires a reservation and a full payment at least a day in advance.

*Ju Bako is $28 per order, not including beverage, gratuity and tax.

*Reservation for Ju Bako is available only from 6pm to 7pm

For further information or to make a reservation, call 212-346-0664.

More Three Star Bouley...

The following post is from The Forklifter, an exuberant restaurant goer whose single mission is to visit every Taste of Tribeca restaurant with her 8 year old daughter:

Ding! Ding! Ding! Another 3* restaurant for Tribeca. What's in the water in this little triangle below Canal? This time it's Chef David Bouley pulling in a rave review from the New York Times for his renewed flagship Bouley, now in the Mohawk building. What's a foodie to do but make a reservation? Stepping in out of the drizzle and into his apple-stacked foyer, we tried to shake off the cold. What a treat to walk into main dining room and find an open hearth with a crackling fire and suddenly we were transported to an elegant inn in the French countryside. The decor is exuberant and sensual--this is a restaurant that won't take a pass on anything. My personal vote for the ideal line-up: the Porcini flan with crabmeat and truffled dashi--the flavor explodes, then duck crusted with Balinese pepper that was both exotic and familiar, finishing with the astonishing meringue "snowball". My companions at the table might offer their own ideas, but let them get their own blog entry.

Three Stars for Bouley

The new Bouley is better than ever. Frank Bruni says "3 stars". We love David Bouley's food. Read this review from the New York Post, then run, don't walk, to your next fantastic dining experience!

Tribeca Neighborhood Faves

MUG - Manhattan User's Guide - is one of my favorite online NYC websites. Two of their favorites in Tribeca are The Harrison, and Walker's, both long time Taste of Tribeca participants.

Brunch and Harry Potter Screenings

Sunday Brunch at The Church Lounge in the Tribeca Grand is about to get even more exciting. In April and May (see schedule below), the screening room will be showing all 5 Harry Potter films in anticipation of the sixth installment's summer release! Brunch is 10 AM- 3 PM and features a buffet-a-plenty, lots of space to hang out on couches, the Sunday Times separated by sections in big piles, and kids' movies playing downstairs in their screening room at 10 am, noon, and 2 pm. The Harry Potter films are scheduled for the 2 PM screening on the Sundays noted below. The cost of brunch is $34.95 for adults and $12.95 for kids and the tall iced lattes are yummy and the bloody marys are totally spicy and olive-icious.

April 26: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
May 3: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
May 10: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
May 17: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
(No Potter films playing Memorial Day Weekend)
May 31: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Call to make reservations at 212-965-3565.

Indian Express

One of our readers tried a new restaurant using Taste of Tribeca as her guide. We are delighted to hear that the experience was such a success!

Based on your recent article, a friend and I dined at Indian Express last night. We couldn't have been more pleased. She's not happy unless smoke is coming out of her ears; I like mild, mild, mild. The chef adjusted the ingredients in a dish to meet my special request, and it was delicious - mild but full of flavor. My friend's palate was happily aflame. The service was exceptional, and the room was warm in ambiance. It's great to have another terrific alternative to running up to the Indian restaurant row on 28th and Lex! Thanks for bringing Indian Express to my attention. It has become my new "fave" venue