Good Things Come on Small Plates

We gave you the heads up on El Quinto Pino way back in September but it appears that the NYT has jumped on the Pino bandwagon.

Save your appetite for candy and just have a snack at El Quinto Pino, which Peter Meehan calls “New York’s best, and maybe only, true tapas bar.” The tiny new spot — which shares a chef with another Spanish favorite, Tía Pol — has no tables, just a bar, a counter and 16 seats. But seafood dishes like the “perfect boquerones” (white anchovies) and “the sandwich of the year” — sea urchin with Korean mustard oil on a toasted ficelle — are worth standing, and waiting for, Mr. Meehan writes. The cocktails and the wine list are both excellent, so the only thing you’ll need to worry about after your visit is where to go for dinner.

“For Barhoppers, a True Tapas Bar,” by Peter Meehan

Photo Credit (Rebecca McAlpin for The New York Times)

CELEBRATE CUBAN MUSIC DURING "HABANA/HARLEM"

Source: TONY

The weather may be getting colder, but Harlem is just heating up.

Experience “Habana/Harlem,” two days of Cuban culture at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse (150 Convent Ave at W135th St) on November 2 and 3, with film screenings of La Fabri-K: The Cuban Hip Hop Factory at 4:30pm and 7:30pm performances, featuring well-known musicians like Grammy Award nominee and internationally acclaimed drummer Ignacio Berroa, vocal sensation Bobi Cespedes, master percussionist Roman Diaz, LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs, Habana Hip-Hop artist Miky Flow, GIF, arranger/pianist Oriente Lopez, improvisational string quartet Sweet Plantain and Orquesta Broadway led by founder/musical director Eddie Zervigon.

Click here to get tickets to the event.

Bella

A must see film! Simply must see.

Ah, Italian Soul Food

Yes. We love our Latin food. We love all variations of Latin cuisine but cannot deny the deliciousness of:

Source: Rare Daily

Dell'Anima Opens

Does Manhattan really need another little trattoria serving Italian food?

Who cares?

It’s already here. And it’s really good. Introducing Dell’Anima, the next hot Italian eatery from Joe Campanale, the former Babbo sommelier, and Chef Gabriel Thompson, formerly of Del Posto and Le Bernardin. The name’s Italian for “of the soul” which means Dell’Anima will be serving all kinds of goodness.

Mangia this:
NIGHTLY APERITIVO HOUR. Order one of the infused grappas or the house-made limoncello and you get to pair it with one of the complimentary (yes, free) snacks that are served during the nightly aperitivo hours from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Or take the edge off with one of the Dale DeGroff-designed cocktails, like the Fragoli Sogno, a crisp and refreshing mix of Hendrick’s Gin, Fragoli liqueur, limoncello, and mint.

100 DIFFERENT VINOS. Swirl your hand blown Bormioli wineglass with one of Joe Campanale’s cherry-picked Italian wine labels. Every bottle was selected to complement and highlight the Italian comfort food menu.

SEASONALLY-INSPIRED ITALIAN. The open kitchen is cinematic but it’s the food that stars (view the menu). Try the bruschetta samplers, like Chickpeas with Preserved Lemon, Roasted Fennel with Olives and Parsley or for the adventurous… the Bone Marrow Custard with Gremolata Salad (bone marrow is definitely the new black). Primi pastas are handmade daily. And the signatures, like the not-too-spicy Chicken al Diavolo and the hearty Braised Lamb Shank are excellent.

Plus, they’re open until 2 a.m.

Buon appetito, indeed.

Dell’Anima

38 Eighth Avenue (at Jane Street)

Tel: (212) 366-6633

dellanima.com

Alternative to online dating, dining at Los Dados

Source: Bottomless Dish/Citysearch

The communal table at Los Dados is supposedly a hot singles scene.

73 Gansevoort St.,

New York, NY 10014

nr. Washington St.

646-810-7290
(Photo courtesy of Los Dados)

Free Absolute Beginner Class in Argentine Tango

What do I love more than a dance class? A free dance class! For those of you not dressing up and boozing tonight check out a free absolute beginner workshop in Argentine tango. "Featured in Vogue, the National Herald Tribune, and The Economist, TriANGulO specializes in Argentine tango, the original, more intimate predecessor to international ballroom-style tango. Founder Carina Moeller is a professional dancer with training in modern dance and ballet who has worked and studied with such tango greats as Fabian Salas, Pablo Veron, and Mingo Pugliese. Known for her engaging and precise teaching style, Carina creates a stress-free atmosphere that is particularly appealing to novice dancers."

Date: Friday, October 26th
Time: 8:30pm - 9:30pm
Location:Triangulo (35 West 20th, #301 btw 6th and 7th Ave)
Cost: Free

Junot Díaz Live - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Watch Junot live as he discusses the voices in the novel, his own familial influences, fukú's, among other raw segments.

His novel pulses with the language of the Dominican ghetto and a curse ("fukú) that's no urban legend

A decade ago, Dominican-born author Junot Díaz published Drown, a remarkable short story collection that met with critical and popular acclaim. Diaz's first novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, is worth the wait, showing the author is equally adept at longer form. Telling the story of Oscar, an overweight, oversexed, Dominican sci-fi nerd living in New Jersey, the book is a heady mixture of high and low, sex, street slang, Tolkien references, and political history.