There’s dining in NYC, and then there’s–add a little bit of *spice*–unique, quirky dining in NYC!

To be honest, the city’s restaurant scene is unmatched, unrivaled, endless–okay we’ll stop there–but why constantly head to all the typical run-of-the-mill spots when you can dine somewhere that steps outside the box?!

Step inside a Tim Burton-themed spot where every day is Halloween or dig into chocolate ham croquettes and a chocolate chicken sandwich–either way we can guarantee you one thing: it won’t be your ordinary dining experience! There are endless unique restaurants in NYC, and these are some of our favorite ones:

1. Bad Roman, Columbus Circle

We had to give a shout out to Bad Roman on this list for one main reason–the statue of a wild boar that stands as the restaurant’s main focal point. Beyond the interest-piquing maximalist design choices, newly opened Bad Roman is an Italian restaurant that’s also not an Italian restaurant–at least not in the strict sense of the word. Opulence meets whimsical vibes here, and it’s just one spot you need to dine at at least once. Read more about it here.

10 Columbus Circle – 3rd floor of the Time Warner Center

2. Ellen’s Stardust Diner, Theater District

“Home of the Original World-Famous Singing Waitstaff, The Stardusters,” Ellen’s Stardust Diner is a retro 1950s-themed restaurant that transports you to a star-studded atmosphere. It’s definitely a great place to go for dinner and entertainment, and the best part is that the singing waitstaff is actually good–many have gone on to have successful careers on Broadway and American Idol!

1650 Broadway

3. Beetle House, East Village

If you’ve ever dreamed of living inside a Tim Burton movie () now’s your chance at the Tim Burton-themed Beetle House. As one of our favorite quirky restaurants in NYC, where else can you dig into dishes like The Edward Burger Hands, Killer Coq Au Vin, or Poison Berry Lemon Bars while getting harassed by Beetlejuice himself?! Answer: nowhere. Every day is Halloween here, and we’re definitely not mad about it!

308 E 6th St.

4. Ichiran, Multiple Locations

One of our favorite places to go for a delicious bowl of ramen also doubles as the best place to go if you’re dining solo–their individual booths make for the perfect place to enjoy a meal sans company, and you don’t even have to talk to the waiter! Quirky in the sense that it’s not every day you find a quiet place to dine in NYC, Ichiran is definitely a go-to.

Multiple Locations

5. Leuca, Greenpoint

We’re sure there’s not many times you can say you’ve eaten your meal blindfolded, but at Leuca you can! ‘Dining in the Dark: A Unique Blindfolded Dining Experience at Leuca’ is a night out where the flavors and textures of your meal are intensified by your remaining senses–and being 80% of people eat with their eyes, this unique dining experience is definitely a fun one to try for yourself! Grab your tickets here.

111 N 12th St.

6. Alice’s Tea Cup, Multiple Locations

Fall down the rabbit hole at Alice’s Tea Cup, NYC’s most whimsical tea house! While not exactly a restaurant, this Alice in Wonderland-inspired tea house still deserves a spot on our list. Visitors can enjoy afternoon tea with unlimited tea, finger sandwiches, scones, and cookies. Keep an eye out for the Cheshire Cat during this unparalleled, magical experience!

Multiple Locations

7. Dinner Party, Fort Greene

Founded in 2021 by six young women with no professional cooking experience–most of whom were strangers when they started but grew to become lifelong friends by the end of the first month open–this restaurant makes you feel like you’ve arrived at a dinner party in a friend’s cozy home! Take a seat next to some strangers and enjoy the cuisine which falls somewhere between French, Italian, and, according to the chef, “Californian.”

86 South Portland Ave.

8. Grand Banks, Tribeca

This Tribeca waterfront restaurant surprised us New Yorkers this season opening 2 weeks earlier than usual, and if you’re looking to dig into fresh oysters while floating in the water, this is the place to go. This spot finds itself on our list of quirky restaurants in NYC as it’s modeled after the oyster barges found on the waterfront in the 19th century, so you’re literally dining on a boat! Head here for all things seafood and unbeatable summer vibes. Learn more about Grand Banks here.

Pier 25 – West St.

9. Chocobar Cortés, South Bronx

If all things chocolate is your vibe, Chocobar Cortés is a must-visit. Giving Willy Wonka a run for his money, chocolate is the star ingredient on this restaurant’s menu where you can find everything from ham croquettes with a dark chocolate dipping sauce and a chicken sandwich with chocolate balsamic vinaigrette, to a bloody mary with, you guessed it, chocolate bitters. Read more about this sweet spot here.

141 Alexander Ave.

10. Enoteca Maria, Staten Island

What’s better than grandma’s cooking? Answer: nothing. And Enoteca Maria is proving this–literally! This restaurant celebrates cultural diversity by serving cuisines from around the world, but the best part: the chefs are real grandmothers from every country across the globe that are invited to cook the recipes handed down to them from their families. You can find out what cuisine will be served up on their calendar here.

27 Hyatt St.

The post 10 Unique Restaurants In NYC To Take Your Dining Experience To The Next Level appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

Pride is all about community, and one big event to kick off Pride Month is bringing the neighborhood outside for a day full of complimentary culture and fun. 

The Rolling Library, a community organization aimed at making literacy and books free to all, will host a Big Queer Book Fair in Astoria on Saturday, June 3. The event will run from 1pm to 5pm at 31st Avenue and 34th Street and offer plenty of no-cost activities and amenities for attendees.

RECOMMENDED: NYC events in June 2023

In accordance with the Rolling Library’s mission, hundreds of free LGBTQ+ books for all ages will be available for the taking. The People’s Bodega NYC will provide free snacks and water, to anyone who needs nourishment, plus zines and more giveaways. Astoria Food Pantry will also be on-site to collect donations, especially of high-need items including menstrual pads, reusable bags, cereal, oil, coffee and natural hair products. Astoria Trans Collective will also be there for a clothing swap anyone can donate to and QNS Collaborative will have a table for an art supply swap.

Pups are of course welcome to 31st Avenue’s Open Streets, with Astoria Pet Fair offering a dog pool for pets to cool off in, plus a free pet item swap table. @Lesbiqueernyc will also be on-site hosting a meetup for queers and their canines with the opportunity for humans and dogs to make matching tie-dye handkerchiefs. 

For kids, storytime will be held at 1:30pm and 3pm, with additional activities including coloring, community muraling, singalongs, and more for young people throughout the day.

Those who want to learn some skills can take part in Drag Story Hour Defense to learn about community defense and how to join. Fearless queers will also host two self defence workshops, at 2pm and 4pm. 

The day promises to be educational and recreational, with an after-party at nearby Diamond Dogs for those who want to continue the celebration. 

* This article was originally published here

Your next weeknight date night in Williamsburg is already planned! And it’s a good one. 

Antidote, which serves sophisticated and authentic Chinese cuisine, is adding live jazz music to its plant-filled dining room throughout the summer. Every Wednesday, local jazz artists and up-and-coming musicians will serenade diners from 6:30 to 9pm while guests feast on an ala carte menu in a calm, inviting ambiance. Patio seating is also available and a post-dinner stroll through nearby Domino Park would be a nice conclusion to the night, especially after such a sumptuous meal.  

Antidote‘s food is inspired by Sichuan and Shanghai cuisine. The menu focuses on cold appetizers, dim sum, entrees, vegetarian dishes, noodles, and rice. Signature dishes include dongpo pork (a traditional pork belly dish braised for eight hours for a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a rich, savory flavor), dan dan Noodles, fish with spicy bean paste, fish blossom, spicy cumin lamb, cucumber salad, tea smoked duck, crab tofu, and wonton in chili sauce. 

“We’re excited to bring our passion for food to the Brooklyn community,” says Jane Rotari, co-founder of Antidote. “At Antidote, everyone is treated as equal, and we are like a large family. We hope to create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere for our customers to enjoy delicious food and great company.”

In the future, the restaurant plans to create more local partnerships, including collaborations with plant stores around New York City and offer pop-up shops to its customers.

Can’t make it in the evening? Or just eager to kick off Wednesday night early? Antidote is also locally renowned for its all-day happy hour, which includes $11 cocktails, $8 glasses of bubbly, and $5 cans of Tsing Tao beer. Lunch is served from noon to 4pm. Reservations are bookable via Resy.

* This article was originally published here

The New Jersey Historical Commission (NJHC) invites residents to share their thoughts about establishing a Black Heritage Trail “to promote awareness and appreciation of Black history, heritage, and culture” that will “highlight Black heritage sites through historical markers and a trail-like path that connects the stories of Black life and resiliency.”

Community members can share their thoughts at upcoming community meetings: in person at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, at the Newark Museum of Art (Newark, NJ), and 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, at Thomas Edison State University (Trenton, NJ). A third, virtual meeting will be held at a time and date to be determined.For more information, contact Noelle Williams, director, African American History Program, at Noelle.Williams@sos.nj.gov.

The post NJ Black Heritage Trail meetings appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here

Vice President Kamala Harris was as integral to the negotiations as anyone else in helping to reach a bipartisan deal so America could avoid defaulting on its debt obligations.

Also, in two-plus years in office, the nation’s first Black and first woman vice president already has carved an indelible mark on many impactful policies that have seen significant increases in small and minority-owned businesses and record low Black unemployment.

Harris, a force during her years in the U.S. Senate and as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, also has spearheaded work to help women retain autonomy over their bodies despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial ruling to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade legislation.

In an exclusive interview, the vice president pledged more of the same going forward from the Biden-Harris administration.

“One of the most important aspects of where we are – and our goal was to avoid the kinds of losses [Republicans] had initially proposed – and that’s very significant,” Harris said of the bipartisan budget deal reached earlier in the week.

The deal places caps on spending for the next two years, claws back about $28 billion in unspent COVID relief money, and strips $20 billion of funds earmarked for the Internal Revenue Service.

President Biden had slotted $80 billion for the IRS to help curtail tax cheaters, but the GOP sought to protect wealthy taxpayers who primarily seek loopholes to avoid paying federal taxes.

The debt ceiling agreement restarts federal student loan payments even as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rule on the legality of the Biden-Harris forgiveness plan.

Congress hopes to vote this week on the deal, which also added new work requirements for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Association Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits.

Veterans and the unhoused are exempt from such requirements.

“We’ve been able to maintain what we needed to do to preserve social security, Medicare, and veterans’ benefits. As a result, we actually see increases there,” Harris stated.

With a steady eye on the present and future, the vice president noted the administration sought to protect the economic gains made during its first two years.

“In two years, we’ve created 12.7 million jobs and 800,000 manufacturing jobs,” Harris declared.

“A lot of these issues were what we were fighting to preserve. For example, if they required [new] work requirements, we would preserve many exceptions to the requirements.”

For example, Harris noted that any requirements for veterans and those who are housing insecure were non-starters.

“Veterans and housing-insecure people, not just the homeless, would be exempt. We were not willing to compromise,” she insisted.

The debt ceiling crisis and subsequent deal reminded voters of the significance of choosing candidates who have their constituents’ best interest, Harris remarked.

“So many of the issues have to do with who is in elected office. It comes down to the power of the people to elect representatives who reflect their values,” the vice president proclaimed.

“When the majority of people on legislative bodies understand that you shouldn’t create policies on the backs of poor people, that’s policy that most respect our values,” she continued.

She pledged that the administration would keep pushing forward, stand up, and speak up about the needs of working people and families whom she said have been on the outside of politicians’ priority lists for too long.

“We’ve had to keep them on the inside of the priority list,” she said of the Biden-Harris administration.

In the fast-paced 20-minute interview, the vice president declared small business a passion.

She said her mother and “second mother,” Ms. Shelton, who lived two doors down and ran a nursery school above her childhood home, helped show her the importance of small businesses.

“Ms. Shelton was a small business owner, matriarch to the community. She was a community leader, a civic leader, who mentored people in the community,” Harris recalled.

“I was raised with an understanding of the importance of small businesses. They aren’t just business owners. They are civic leaders and community leaders and are so much a part of the community’s cultural fabric.

“When I was in the U.S. Senate, I was able to work with my colleagues to get an extra $12 billion put into community banks, which are banks that are in the community who understand the community and its needs and who will create access to capital often where the big banks don’t give access to capital for our startups, young entrepreneurs, and small businesses.”

She maintained that the work has continued in her role as vice president.

Harris helped to create the Economic Opportunity Coalition, where private sector funders put money in community banks and where access to capital has increased for small business owners.

Harris gushed about a recent gathering she convened that consisted of young entrepreneurs and business leaders in tech, space, and climate work.

“They were mostly young Black men doing such innovative and good work,” she said.

“I convened to let them know what’s available to them in terms of support, access to capital, and helping them get market access. Those are some of the old barriers to those being able to achieve great success.”

Finally, the vice president demanded that women have autonomy over their bodies despite the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

She said her mom had always displayed passion and anger about existing disparities for women of color, particularly Black women.

“When I was in the U.S. Senate, we began proposing legislation to address this crisis, which is a crisis,” Harris exclaimed.

“The United States of America is one of the world’s wealthiest, if not the richest, nations. [But], we have one of the highest maternal mortality rates, particularly Black women who are dying at three times the rate of others.

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“When you look at Black women in connection to childbirth, it has nothing to do with economic status or educational status. It literally has to do with so often she walks into that hospital or clinic, and she is a Black woman who is not always taken seriously.

“So, I’ve been working to address a number of issues, including racial bias. We need to train medical professionals about racial bias so they can take these women seriously.

“One of my particular joys is that I’m proposing that we rely on Doulas to help teach all the other medical professionals. Doulas are women from the community who understand the importance of community health approaches to healthcare.”

Harris added that U.S. Democratic Reps. Alma Adams of North Carolina and Lauren Underwood of Illinois, among others, helped to pass the Momnibus Act of 2021, which helps protect women from bias in the medical field.

“We need to give all women access to quality care,” Harris said.

“Since I’ve been doing this work, we’ve challenged states to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum care from two months to 12 after birth. So far, 33 states and the District of Columbia have answered the call to extend postpartum care.

“These mothers need help and assurance that they are doing ok and that we care for all their needs.”

On Roe v. Wade, Harris concluded:

“One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held belief to agree that the government should not tell that woman what to do with her body. That’s between her and her pastor, priest, rabbi, or whoever she decides. But, again, it’s about people’s freedom to make those decisions.

“We are seeing states across the country where they are criminalizing health care providers, giving them jail time. We see women being punished in awful ways. In Southern states, they have to pull together money to travel.

“Most women who receive an abortion are [already] mothers. So, they need money, childcare, and transportation just to exercise their right over their own body. This is a movement.

“Let’s build a coalition because these so-called leaders attacking women’s reproductive rights are the same ones attacking voting rights.

“We need federal legislation. We need Congress to put back the protections of Roe. A woman’s choice, not the government, decides what happens with her body.”

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* This article was originally published here