Ever wanted to hop right into the pages of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and have yourself a tea party alongside the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the rest of those classic Lewis Carol characters? Now you can: to tie into the New York Botanical Garden’s immersive exhibition, Wonderland: Curious Nature—which is set to open on Saturday, May 18, and run through Sunday, October 27—the gardens will also debut several whimsical food experiences this summer, including a picturesque tea party. 

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As garden guests journey down the rabbit hole in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and across 250 acres done up in sights, settings and scenes straight out of Carol’s iconic story, the Constellation Culinary Group will bring immersive, Alice-themed food and beverage moments to life, including trippy cocktails, afternoon tea experiences, a new prix-fixe menu at Hudson Garden Grill and more.

At grab-and-go pastry and coffee spot Pine Tree Café, you’ll find Alice’s “Drink Me” Lavender Lattes, served hot or iced; a Queen’s Lemonade inspired by the Queen of Hearts; and themed pastries including Illustrated Wonderland Sugar Cookies and Mad Hatter Chocolate Brownies. There will also be sandwiches, salads and wraps, with all-day service stretching from 10am to 6pm on Tuesdays through Sundays. 

The Rose Court will transform into a Queen of Hearts-inspired pop-up at the blooms-filled Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, where visitors can indulge in the Queen’s berry lemonade, an array of cookies, sweets, and frozen treats such as ice cream sandwiches, complemented by refreshing cold beverages, including an enticing red spiced hibiscus iced tea. 

NYBG’s full-service, sit-down restaurant Hudson Garden Grill will serve themed menus and specialty cocktails throughout the duration of the exhibit. Prix-fixe options ($60 for three courses) including an Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Heart Salad, Roasted Freebird Chicken Breast and Cauliflower Steak. You can finish your meal off with sweets like themed “Eat Me” Sugar Cookies, classic petite fours, and house-made scones with clotted cream. The summertime menu will run from May 17 through August, with a fall switchover happening in September.

And for that classic Mad Hatter’s experience, the Hudson Garden Grill will also host an enchanting Tea Party Party (so nice, they named it twice), offering pots of tea, savory hors d’oeuvres, tea sandwiches, and a selection of sweets. Offered by reservation-only on Thursday afternoons, the Tea Party Party ($80 per adult, $45 per child) features festive stuff like a Mad Hatter cocktail flight, mini meat pies, and kid-friendly dishes like bunny-shaped sandwiches. And guests are encouraged to break out their Wonderland-inspired best from their closets for an extra dose of whimsy. 

Savory treats including Mini Meat Pies, Stuffed Vine-Ripe Cherry Tomatoes, and kid-friendly dishes like Bunny-Shaped Sandwiches for the littlest wonderers. Guests are invited to don their finest Wonderland-inspired attire and costumes for an extra sense of adventure. The experience will run from 4:30pm to 5:30pm from May 23 through October 24. 

See more photos of some of the NYBG’s wondrous Wonderland-themed food-and-drink offerings below.

* This article was originally published here

After plenty of false starts, it’s finally getting warmer, which means we can actually count on being outside. 

If you’re looking to maximize the good weather, look no further: Governors Island Arts just announced its robust schedule of free programming for the spring and summer season, which includes world-class public art, performances, environmental education courses and more. 

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Among this year’s new offerings is a series called “Interventions” featuring local and international artists who work with the elements to create art that can be sustained outdoors. Performances will include an open rehearsal by Dance Heginbotham on June 7 and 8 and another show by Rena Anakwe on July 19 and 20. 

The organization also makes it a point to bring together initiatives from all across the country. This year you’ll find curations by 28 non-profit organizations that will take over the space at two historic houses on the island, Nolan Park and Colonels Row. 

Among many others, expect to see representatives from the American Indian Community House, which promotes the visibility and well-being of the American Indian community; the Bronx Council of the Arts, which will display works by five Bronx-based artists; the New York Latin American Art Triennial, which will highlight printmakers and writers from the Dominican Republic; the Taiwanese American Arts Council; and many others. The exhibitions will be open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 5pm through the end of October.

There’s more: on May 18, Third Saturday will feature Fogo Azul, an all-women, trans and non-binary Brazilian Samba reggae drum line; Rueda de Oro, an Afro-Indigenous collective that celebrates traditional rhythms, and other music-forward enterprises.

On August 16-19, the island will celebrate House Fest, which will feature performances by Eliana Colachis Glass, a singer, pianist and visual artist, and Eli Fola, a Nigerian American saxophonist, DJ and producer.

“The burgeoning arts and culture scene that has grown on Governors Island during the past few years has become the home to some of the most anticipated exhibitions and performances not only in New York City but across the world, and this year is no exception,” said Lauren Haynes, the Head Curator and Vice President for Arts and Culture at Governors Island Arts, in an official statement. “We encourage art lovers from all walks of life to visit Governors Island this season and take in the many varied programs and exhibits on offer from our numerous cultural partners.”

To learn more about the programming and updated schedules, visit Governors Island Arts’ website.

* This article was originally published here

Perfectly groomed and ready to strut their stuff, the stars dazzled in their Met Gala looks last night. Sure, they looked cute. But you know who would look even cuter in those couture styles? Dogs.

Pet Couturier Anthony Rubio is making that fever dream a reality this year, and you can attend. He’s hosting The Pet Gala at the AKC Museum of the Dog in Midtown East on Monday, May 20. Expect to see up to 20 Met Gala looks re-created for dogs at pet fashion’s biggest night.

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Rubio is no stranger to creating couture looks for pets. He regularly hosts pup fashion shows during New York Fashion Week. And he’s recreated Met Gala looks for the past decade, though usually just to share photos with journalists and social media. His most famous re-creations include looks worn by Salma Hayek, Cardi B, Rihanna, and Pedro Pascal.

A passionate advocate for animals, Rubio hosted his first in-person Pet Gala event last year, recreating 12 looks worn by celebs and even replicating the iconic backdrops at the Met Museum in miniature form.

While last year’s event was invite-only, this year’s Pet Gala is open to all; tickets cost $300/person. The dogs will walk on a 24-foot red carpet and pose for photos in front of floral walls. The evening’s program will also include a runway show of the stars and conclude with a sit-down dinner for patrons. Rubio will be on hand to talk about his inspiration and the work that went into creating these iconic looks for pets.

“I love to challenge myself,” Rubio says. “The designers for The Met Gala have months to create their looks for celebrities to shine on the red carpet. I have two weeks to recreate them and for dogs. When I design for my Fashion Week runway shows, it’s all my aesthetic. For The Pet Gala, I have to figure out how to translate garments worn by humans onto our four-legged stars. Humans can suffer for their fashion, but dogs will not. Their comfort and safety is my top priority. It’s a challenge I’m always up for. I thrive under the pressure.”

For The Pet Gala, I have to figure out how to translate garments worn by humans onto our four-legged stars.

With its display of more than 180 sculptures and paintings of four-legged furballs, The AKC Museum of the Dog will serve as the perfect backdrop for this dynamic dog event. 

“Having borne witness to the stunning fashions of the Met Gala for decades, it was instantly clear that the AKC Museum of the Dog is the only suitable home for Anthony Rubio’s Pet Gala,” said Christopher Bromson, Executive Director of the AKC Museum of the  Dog. “Just like the Met, the Museum boasts one of the world’s most impressive collections of dog art. On May 20, it will be the steps of the AKC Museum of the Dog that brim with glamour, where breathtaking pieces will wind their way through our gallery. Together, we’ll celebrate these creations for what they truly are: art.”

To give you a sense of what to expect from the Pet Gala, here are a few of Rubio’s previous Pet Gala creations: 

* This article was originally published here

“Let Me Tell You” is a series of columns from our expert editors about NYC living, including the best things to do, where to eat and drink, and what to see at the theater. They publish each Tuesday so you’re hearing from us each week. Last time, TONY Editor Shaye Weaver argued that NYC needs more space for roller skating.

NYC’s nightlife didn’t die in the pandemic, it just went underground. Now, parties (at least the good ones) are harder to find and require some sleuthing on social media and a little word of mouth. If anything, NYC’s nightlife splintered—spots used to cater to general crowds but now they host collectives and the communities they represent.

And odds are, it’s been a while since you used Time Out New York to find out about the latest and greatest parties and clubs in NYC. Once the pandemic hit, coverage had to be scaled down since these places and parties shut down. Only now can we hit the ground running and resurrect our nightlife coverage thanks to Things to Do Editor Rossilynne Skena Culgan and Staff Writer Ian Kumamoto, who joined our team earlier this year.

Before joining Time Out New York in January, Ian wrote about culture, entertainment and identity for several places including VICE, CNN, HuffPost, Them, Mic and others. But in his free time, he is also a DJ who goes by oyystersauce and founder of Whorechata, a collective for queer and trans people of color.

Ian writes from experience and a deep love for going out.

“I always tell people that I was raised by the nightclub,” he says. “As an Asian-Latino queer kid, I spent most of my high school and college years trying to find myself in bars, clubs and late-night saunas. It was in those spaces that I met people who empowered me when I couldn’t find a way to love myself, and eventually led me to create Whorechata.”

Already, Ian has completely revamped Time Out’s nightlife coverage, from completely and regularly updating our best parties and club nights in NYC this month feature to hopping on news about new hot spots opening up across the city, like Gabriela. He’s also launched his own bi-monthly column called “Out Late” on Time Out that dives into the scene at NYC’s underground parties so you have all the deets before you go out. He’s already attended and written about queer kink party Le Bain, K-pop rave Bias, Red Lantern District’s all-Asian drag party, and Mercury in Reggaeton.

Time Out has also covered issues found within the industry and those brave enough to address them, including those fighting against misogyny (Support Women DJs), underrepresentation (Jezz Chung) and societal gender norms (Stud Country).

“The dance floor is a space of catharsis, of imagination, of community, of drama, and for many marginalized people, it remains a place of survival,” Ian says. “I maintain that the right party can change your life and shift your view of the world.”

All of this is to say if you want the latest on where to go out, stick with us and regularly check out our revamped Nightlife page. And for any nightlife and party tips, you can email him at ian.kumamoto@timeout.com.

* This article was originally published here

New Yorkers love pizza—hell, we love it so much that we’ll eat a pizza box made of pizza. So the Greenwich Village restaurant Savta is being very savvy, then, by replacing ordinary old sandwich bread with, you guessed it, pizza dough on its newly launched lunch menu.

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Available Wednesdays through Fridays from noon to 5pm, the pizza dough sandwiches are the centerpieces of the lunch menu, which includes regular ‘za, vegetable dishes and more. The not-so-traditional sammies include Italian-inspired options like the “Parma Affair” (with grilled chicken, San Daniele prosciutto, burrata and pesto), the “Caprese” (with frisée, tomato, burrata, balsamic glaze and basil), and the “Prosciutto Cotto” (with marinara sauce, ham, frisée, mushrooms and burrata).

You can also get the bagel-esque “Smoked Salmon,” loaded with cream cheese, tomato and red onion, as well as the “Bleecker Street Hot Dog,” which comes with two beef sausages nestled with onions on a pillowy bed of pizza dough bread, drizzled with ketchup, mustard and sweet relish. Now, we know there’s a lot of contention around whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich, but we’ll let you decide which side of the bun, er, pizza dough you’re on. 

“I put a lot of love into the pizzas, too, fermenting the dough for 3-4 days to create a flavorful crust,” owner Vincent Benoliel—who’s also behind Pasta Corner in midtown—previously told Time Out. If you’re rather picky about your pizzas (you like them round), there’s plenty of traditionally shaped options, from classics like the “Pomodoro” (with tomato, basil and fior di latte cheese) to signatures like the “Spianata” (piccante calabrese salumi, grilled peppers and fior di latte) and more modern pies like the “Anchovy” (with shishito peppers, burrata, cherry tomatoes and garlic). 

You can enjoy your pizza of any configuration, sandwich or otherwise, al fresco throughout the warm-weather season at the restaurant’s back patio or sidewalk seating. In the meantime, check out some of Savta’s pizza dough creations and other dishes below: 

* This article was originally published here

“Out Late” is Time Out’s nightlife and party column by DJ, Whorechata founder, and Staff Writer Ian Kumamoto, which will publish every other Tuesday. The previous edition highlighted Mercury in Reggaeton, a party that only happens during retrogrades.

New York is a city that has always thrived off grit: We would be nothing without our smelly basements, our dungeons and our dive bars, the fertile ground from which all club culture sprung. But we’re living at a time when the city is getting prohibitively expensive for the freaks and weirdos that once ran nightlife, which means it’s getting harder and harder to find parties that are authentically unhinged.

That’s why when Venus Cuffs started DMing me last year, I knew we would be besties. Through multiple conversations we’ve had over the past year, I’ve learned about her expansive vision for nightlife, a vision that involves women, queer people, Black people, people of color, chaos, and a lot of skin. To me, Venus Cuffs is more than a party producer: She’s an activist, a cultural institution, and in her own sense, a healer. But I’ll get into that later. 

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Although Venus has been producing underground parties for years, she began producing her iconic fetish cabaret show, Cuffs Cabaret, in September 2023. For a while, she wanted to produce a show that was sexy and kinky but also classy, the type of event where people could sit down and drink a good cocktail while watching performers get tied up and spanked. But she also wanted to create something that was immersive, where attendees could begin to explore their own relationships to pleasure. 

The show is celebration of what it means to be erotic. 

Cuffs Cabaret shows typically involve an hour of performances followed by a 45-minute intermission where the audience is encouraged to get up and try out different fetish stations. At her last party, there was a wax station, a spanking station, and an area where you could get tied up. “The show is celebration of what it means to be erotic,” Venus tells me. “I feel like we’re going through a second wave of hating sex workers and rolling back LGBTQ rights. We’re reverting back to a puritan culture where people are scared of sex all over again. But sex is how we all got here.” 

The second half of the cabarets involve more kink-centered performances and a segment called “Dirty Confessions,” where Venus reads anonymous handwritten confessions that audience members submit about their wildest, funniest, and most erotic sexcapades. 

Venus Cuffs’ passion for sex comes from a deep place: She understands how important it is in order for us to have a good relationship to our bodies and by extension, ourselves. As a Black woman, she often felt limited in the ways she was allowed to express her own sexuality. That began to change once she began working as a dominatrix, an era in her life when she leaned into a more expansive vision of her own desirability. “One thing that domination taught me was to realize my own power,” Venus tells me. She says a lot of the men she worked with were very heteronormative and alpha male types in their everyday lives, but as soon as they came to her, they wanted to be totally dominated, talked dirty to, and their wallets emptied. “It changed the way I see power in this world.”

Behind closed doors, people are freakier than they often let on.

What Venus is trying to convey is that we have to realize that behind closed doors, people are freakier than they often let on. She’s seen what people ask for when nobody is watching, and she wants us to be more honest about our desires and be brave enough to pursue them.

But there are many elements in the world that prevent most of us from fully experiencing pleasure. None of us walk into the bedroom with a blank slate; everyone has their insecurities, their own set of conditioning that tells them, for one reason or other, that they’re not sexy enough. But keeping those voices inside your head only makes them louder. Venus wants people to know, in a non-corny way, that every body is beautiful and absolutely worthy of feeling really good.

And that’s where the healing comes in, especially if you’re someone who doesn’t fit neatly into America’s version of who is desirable. Venus brings people from all walks of life into a room, dims the lights and gives her audience permission to explore. Her cabarets are filled with sensuality, but they’re also imbued with laughter and lots of jokes—Venus is the type of person who doesn’t take herself too seriously. Her joy is infectious and it’s an important reminder that nothing is that deep. It’s through her and her cabarets that I’m really beginning to decode the primary ingredient for pleasure: It’s playfulness, namely the type of playfulness that had Venus roaring with laughter while she spanked me at her last party. 

It’s ok if people feel nervous about coming into a space like this, but I just want them to exist in the moment.

“You might not always know what you’re walking into, but it’s always going to be a good time,” Venus tells me. “It’s ok if people feel nervous about coming into a space like this, but I just want them to exist in the moment.”

I attended her last cabaret on Sunday, April 28, which included performances by KissMeDeadlyDoll, Cute but Deadly, Pain Au Chocolat, Gigi Holliday, Amadeus Lopez, Ruby, Quinn Reeru, Nita B Yellowcakes, Casper, Carnal Authority and Pan Daddy. This is how it went. 

An hour-by-hour account of a night at Cuffs Cabaret

4pm

I arrive to the venue on time and there’s a line of people waiting outside. Most are women, and many are wearing black.

4:20pm

I get seated at my table at the center of the space, and on the table, there’s a complimentary O-ring and two sheets of paper for attendees to write their dirty confessions. Nita B Yellowcakes is gogo dancing in knee-high pleasers and feeling herself to the music in front of the DJ. On stage, there are two people and one of them is tied by a chain to a spreader bar while the other is kissing their body and holding a sharp knife. I’m intrigued.

4:44pm

Venus’ voice booms overhead. Her tone is erotic and very theatrical. “I want you to forget the world outside of these doors,” she says. “Taboo doesn’t exist here.” After her monologue, Cuffs appears out of nowhere and apologizes for being so dramatic.

4:45pm

Performances start and each is extremely shocking in its own way. There’s one I’ll remember for a very long time by aerialist Amadeus Lopez, who hangs on an aerial hoop with his mouth and spins. The whole time I’m caressing my jaw—somehow, my mouth hurts. 

5:30pm  

The 45-minute intermission beings and everyone disperses throughout the space. There are people making out, dancing, or getting drinks at the bar. Venus is spanking people with a flogger over a spanking bench on stage, and she summons me to come up.

Let me give you an idea of how much I respect Venus Cuffs: I let her spank me in front of dozens of strangers and it’s a Sunday, the Lord’s Day.

Let me give you an idea of how much I respect Venus Cuffs: I let her spank me in front of dozens of strangers and it’s a Sunday, the Lord’s Day. Deep down, though, I secretly wanted her to ask. It’s an honor to get spanked by Venus Cuffs. 

6:10pm

The performances continue and there’s an iconic showcase by KissMeDeadlyDoll tying someone up in very elaborate knots before they’re lifted over the stage. 

6:33pm

Gigi Holliday, an icon of the burlesque community, performs a sexy dance to “Giver” by The Suffers.

6:40pm

Venus reads people’s Dirty Confessions she collected from the crowd earlier. People are hollering and gasping and clapping. It’s such an iconic way to wrap up the night. Now I know a lot about the strangers sitting around me. Maybe I know a little too much, but at Cuffs Cabaret, there’s no such thing.

How to catch the next Cuffs Cabaret

Where: Locations change, so make sure to keep an eye on Venus’ Instagram. 

When: Several times a year. 

Cost: $40-$80

How to get in: Buy a ticket whenever they drop on Venus’ Instagram.

The vibe: Sexy and classy with plenty of shock factors. 

What to wear: Fetish attire or anything sexy.

* This article was originally published here

Night market season is officially here! And New York has plenty of great night markets returning to our city’s streets this spring and summer, spotlighting borough pride (Bronx Night Market, Queens Night Market) and celebrating cultures, like the Latin Night Market, which is back to spotlight the cuisines and traditions of the Latin diaspora.

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Attracting nearly 20,000 visitors to the Dyckman area during its inaugural festival last year, the Latin Night Market will again showcase the best of what the rich South and Central American cultures have to offer on Saturday, May 17, from 4pm to 10pm at 238-224 Dyckman Street (Quisqueya Plaza).

This year’s festivities will a curated lineup of 50 vendors offering a diverse array of Latin, Carribean and Hispianic flavors: you can expect bites like empanadas, tacos, smoked chicharron, mozzarella arepas, skewered meats and more from Tacos El Guero, Pinche Vegana NYC, Mia’s Cocina, Twisted Potato, Petisco Brazuca, Rosie’s Empanadas, Downeast Lobstah, Perros Locos NYC, Pollos Napoles, Criollo Burgers, Chocolicious NYC, Jugo Juice, Treat Yourself Jerk and more. There will also be free samples, while supplies last from sponsors including Vita Coco, Coke Spiced and Liquid Death. 

Along with the great grub, the vibrant affair will include live musical performances featuring genres such as salsa, reggae, rumba, Latin pop, hip hop and more. Among the performers are the Marching Cobras drumline, DJ Riddim, DJ Ultra Violet, salsa band Orquesta Los 9 Del Sabor and flamenco dancers from Xianix Barrera. There will also be an array of family-friendly activities, art installations, raffles, giveaways, and more.

Speaking of freebies, the festival itself is free to attend; simply RSVP over on Eventbrite. By RSVP’ing, you are automatically entered into the aforementioned raffles and giveaways. And if you RSVP with a donation to local small business, you will enjoy be entered for the chance to win a $100 food-and-drink voucher to use at the event!

Check out this year’s full food vendor list as well as musical lineup and sponsors below:

* This article was originally published here