So it’s not surprising that the bar is high here for restaurants hoping to attract wine connoisseurs who know how to perfectly complement their four courses with the right red or white.

But not all of us are so well-versed in the difference between a Merlot and a Malbec, so why not make your trip to New York City a chance to learn a thing or two about the fine art of wine?

From informal wine tastings in your hotel lobby to classes hosted by award-winning wine experts, there are plenty of options geared to both rookies and true oenophiles in NYC. And most of them also feature the flavors of New York, from fine cheeses and charcuterie to chef-prepared barbecue! Scroll through our list of top picks to craft a wine-lovers vacation in NYC!

• Celebrity chef Mario Batali’s upscale NYC pizza joint Otto (1 Fifth Avenue) hosts wine classes every weekend afternoon at 2 p.m. and on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. Each 90-minute class led by an Otto sommelier includes the chef’s selection of artisanal cheeses and house-cured meats. Learn all about Italian winemaking methods, Italian wine laws and proper tasting etiquette in Otto’s “Discovery” wine class, or practice pairing Italian wines with cheese in the “Wine & Cheese” class. All classes are $45. Reservations are required.
• Astor Center (399 Lafayette Street) offers a wide range of wine classes that focus on varietals, regions, or food and wine pairing essentials (which teaches you how not to panic when the wine list comes your way!). In one upcoming summer class, you could find yourself sitting back and slowly sipping away on some “hot weather reds” as chef Emily Peterson’s whips up her fave recipes on the grill. Reservations are required for these popular evenings classes that always include a menu of food (a necessity in wine tasting because of the way it can change your perception of flavor!).
• City Winery (155 Varick Street in Greenwich Village) not only produces its own vintages with grapes sourced from some of the finest vineyards in the world (Cabernet Sauvignon from Bettinelli in Napa, California to Pinot Noir from Hyland Vineyards in Willamette Valley, Oregon), this popular venue also hosts intimate concerts, as well as food and wine classes, and fine dining. Take a tour of City Winery’s winemaking facilities, and then head to the “Barrel Room” for a tasting of wines served straight from the cellar. Tours are offered seven days a week, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wine education events feature food from other local purveyors, such as Murray’s Cheeses or the Italian sandwich shop Alidoro. City Winery also hosts world class music almost nightly, including such legendary performers as Dave Davies of the Kinks and Macy Gray.
• A less formal way to spend some time divining the differences between varietals can be found right in your hotel’s lobby. The Library Hotel offers its guests a complimentary wine and cheese reception in the hotel’s “Reading Room” each night from 5 – 8 p.m. Featuring bubbly Prosecco, fine wines, imported and domestic cheeses, fresh bread, crackers, and crudités, it’s the perfect way to unwind after a day of sightseeing and recharge before a late dinner in the city. Other hotels known for hosting nightly wine and cheese receptions are the Franklin Hotel, where the early evening reception features some of New York’s finest artisinal cheeses, and the Hotel Giraffe, which also serves hors d’oeuvres at its nightly wine and cheese.
• Many visitors to NYC may not know that the nearby Hudson Valley is actually a wine region where crisp chardonnays and peppery Cabernet francs are produced. And on the Discover Outdoors Hike and Wine Tasting Tour, you can head right into the heart of New York State wine making country for a tasting amid the lush green vines. But first you’ll work up a thirst by hiking to a few vantage points that offer stunning vistas of the Hudson Valley below. Meanwhile the tasting features a selection of “limited edition” wines grown right there in the Hudson Valley. Follow it up with a meal at a local café serving organic, locally grown food, and we can’t think of a more satisfying way to spend four hours out of the city!

It should come as no surprise that a huge number of Wine Enthusiast magazine’s top restaurants for wine are located in New York City. In fact, it may be as hard to chose a restaurant as it is picking a wine from one of these establishment’s lengthy lists!

• A Voce Columbus: You may need help choosing from the 2,700 bottles on A Voce Columbus’ award-winning wine list. Over half the bottles are priced under $90, so you’ll have plenty of options at this restaurant known for its authentic, ingredient-driven Italian menu.
• ABC Kitchen: The wine list at celeb chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s ABC Kitchen is divided into “traditional” and “modern” reds and whites. Many of the bottles are affordably priced, so you can definitely splurge on dessert!
• Gramercy Tavern: This upscale tavern serves seasonal American food made with fresh green-market ingredients. It also boasts a wine list featuring dozens of wines by the glass, so you can try something new with each course!
• Le Bernardin: The 15,000-bottle wine cellar at Le Bernardin includes a large number of wines from the Old World regions of Burgundy, Rhône, Austria, and Germany, as well as 900 wine selections from 12 different countries, and vintages dating back to 1875. The restaurant’s sommelier, Aldo Sohm, was voted “Best Sommelier in the World” in 2008, and under Sohm’s direction, Le Bernardin received the 2009 James Beard Award for “Outstanding Wine Service.”
• Per Se: The menu at Per Se changes daily, revolving around whatever is freshest. So it’s a good thing the wine list is over a hundred pages long! The sommeliers at Per Se can help you sift through their extensive collection to find the bottle that will best complement your meal.
• Eleven Madison Park: Try not to panic at the size of Eleven Madison Park’s extensive 136-page wine and spirit list. The list includes both glasses, half-bottles, and full bottles, so you can mix and match depending on your course. Eleven Madison Park even offers a page full of local Long Island wines, so you can sample something grown right here in New York!

Where you would start on a wine tour of NYC?

QUICK LINKS

• Discover Outdoors Hike and Wine Tasting Tour

We’re not talking the sweet, pastry-topped treats like apple, cherry and lemon meringue pie that we’re accustomed to enjoying for dessert; rather, Australians have perfected the art of the savory pie, using ingredients such as BBQ pulled pork, Thai chicken, braised beef and even Tandoori vegetables to create a convenient lunch and light dinner staple that is easy to eat on the go. (According to the Australian government’s Food Standards agency, Aussies eat an average of 12 pies a year — that’s 270 million pies annually!).

Fortunately New Yorkers and visitors alike can now branch out from the usual lunch fare in Times Square with one of the creative meat-and-vegetable-filled pies at Pie Face, the Aussie bakery chain known for its adorable handmade pies topped with sweetly smiling faces. (Bonus for parents: We’re guessing the funny faces drawn atop each pie help make the new food palatable to even the pickiest eater!).

After all, you know you’re going to be in Times Square at some point during your stay in NYC — and we know you’re in a hurry to pack as much sightseeing as possible into your trip!. So why not mark Pie Face down as a must-eat in NYC? Here’s everything you need to know:

• The menu: Pie Face Times Square features a menu of savory mini pies and sausage rolls in a dozen varieties, from Chicken and Mushroom to Chunky Steak (the most popular pie on the menu). There are also sandwiches and wraps available for those who prefer to meet their pastry quota during dessert. Pie Face offers a wide variety of sweet pies, from the traditionally American Apple Pie to a gourmet Pear and Ricotta Pie. And the good news for budget travelers is Pie Face is one of the more affordable options in Times Square. A hearty lunch that includes a “Stack” and Espresso is just $10 for a pie topped with mashed potatoes, peas and gravy served with a medium espresso coffee.
• The coffee: When it comes to your morning brew, at Pie Face you can pick your punch: “Kick My Arse!” is a strong, hard espresso blend, while “Start My Heart” is somewhat milder and “Open My Eyes” is best for those accustomed to weaker American-style coffee. There’s also drip coffee on the menu, though we recommend asking for a “Flat White” (espresso with steamed milk) to really impress the counter staff (and any Aussies who may happen to be on hand!).
• Take it to go: Pie Face is open 24 hours, but like many pizzerias in NYC, the Times Square location has no seating. But that’s the thing about Aussie meat pies: they’re designed that way to be portable! We recommend taking your Pie Face meal to Central Park for a satisfying picnic (Pie Face is located just five blocks south of Central Park. Now we know what our next takeaway picnic will be!).
• What’s nearby: Pie Face Times Square is located in the Times Square Theater District at 1691 Broadway (at 53rd Street), right across the street from the Broadway Theatre where Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is currently playing. Pie Face is also an easy few blocks walk to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, Body Worlds: Pulse at Discovery Times Square, and Central Park, so you can fit in a snack between Times Square attractions. Guests at the Sheraton Times Square, Novotel Hotel New York, and the Hampton Inn Manhattan Times Square North are perfectly situated for making a quick dash to Pie Face for a late-night snack (or early morning pick-me-up!).
• Other NYC Pie Face locations: New Yorkers are apparently developing a penchant for pies because in the past year Pie Face has opened additional locations on Broadway (in the Garment District at 39th Street), at Penn Station, and in East Midtown (Third Avenue at 34th Street). All locations are open 24 hours.

So what kind of Pie Face pie would you try first on your New York vacation?

QUICK LINKS

• Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella
• Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
• Body Worlds: Pulse
• Sheraton Times Square
• Novotel Hotel New York
• Hampton Inn Manhattan Times Square North

It’s all thanks to infectious songs by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, a half-dozen dolled-up drag queens, and one of Broadway’s biggest divas (which, as you may have guessed by now, is actually a man!).

Based on the 2005 British film (which, in turn, was inspired by a true story), Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie Price (Stark Sands), a young man who reluctantly inherits his father’s shoe factory only to discover it’s going under — and fast. After a chance encounter in London with the unforgettable Lola (Billy Porter), Charlie is inspired to search out a new niche market for his factory’s shoes: drag queens. (Tall, well-muscled men, after all, would require a sturdier boot than the fairer sex, and the last thing you want when you’re vamping on stage is a broken heel!).

The plan is to debut the new line of Kinky Boots at a shoe show in Milan, but time is ticking and only one lady can help save the failing factory: Lola, of course. While she can’t resist the opportunity to become a designer, the working-class town of Northampton promises to be stifling for someone who lives her life outside gender norms.

When the hardened factory workers finally run up against the sequined sassiness of six unabashed drag queens, Kinky Boots starts to feel a little like Billy Elliot meets Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. While that sounds like a strange amalgam, it actually works thanks to the tender touch of Tony-winning writer Harvey Fierstein, a gravel-voiced actor who is best known for penning Broadway’s biggest gender-bending shows (La Cage aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy).

Just this week Kinky Boots was nominated for 13 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book, and two Best Actor nods (one for each of the male leads). I happened to see Kinky Boots just hours after the creators, cast and crew got the good news, and Lauper (the show’s composer) and Fierstein chose to share their celebration with the audience before the show, stopping by the theater for photos with fans!

It came as no surprise that Porter was nominated for a Tony Award for his role as Lola, the feisty drag queen who starts out as Charlie’s muse but quickly moves into BFF territory as they bond over the fact they’re both living in the shadows of their fathers’ expectations. Every inch a diva, Porter’s Lola channels Whitney, Tina and Aretha (even as he wears a stunning array of wigs and perfectly coordinated ensembles that harken these soul sisters). His outstanding performance of Lola’s moving number “Hold Me In Your Heart” deserves its own award — for “Broadway Song Most Likely to be Sung on Glee.” I saw more than a few teary eyes during this climactic musical number that manages to be both vulnerable and uplifting (and I’m hoping Porter is asked to perform it at next month’s Tony Awards so I can see it again!).

It’s not the first time that drag queens have appeared on Broadway. Kinky Boots writer Harvey Fierstein also penned La Cage aux Folles, perhaps one of the most famous and oft-revived Broadway show to center on a drag queen.

And the drag queens in Kinky Boots don’t disappoint; Impeccably costumed in glittering bustiers and hot pants, and flaunting perfect “is he or isn’t he?” bodies, Lola’s Angels work every scene they are in like they’ll be taking home the tip jar later. (Overheard in the Al Hirschfeld Theater lobby at intermission, one woman to her friend: “Oh, those legs! It’s just not fair-yuh!”).

In fact, the drag queens in Kinky Boots were so incredible, I was left thumbing my Playbill at intermission to see whether the Angels were in fact played by real drag queens. The actors are actually all Broadway veterans, but it was obvious that if this theater thing doesn’t work out for them, they could all easily have second careers as cross-dressing performers.

Of course the Angels reign supreme when it comes to the dance numbers in Kinky Boots. In particular, the final number in Act I (“Everybody Say Yeah”), brings together both camps — the drag queens and the denim-clad factory workers — for a dazzling display of choreography that even makes use of the factory’s conveyor belts. It’s not unlike that incredible music video by the band OK Go in which they dance on treadmills; it’s equally charming and left many in the audience wishing intermission was shorter!

And if you were thinking of taking your mom to Kinky Boots, but are worried this show could be a little too sexy for someone whose tastes run to the conservative side, don’t worry: like the leggy drag queens who try hard to steal every scene in Kinky Boots, this show keeps it tucked safely between its legs. The sex in Kinky Boots, after all, is “in the heel” — not in your face.

Kings, presidents, ambassadors and even the Beatles have stayed at this landmark hotel located at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. A U.S. National Historic Landmark, the Plaza has appeared in countless films, TV shows and treasured works of fiction in the years since it opened in 1907, forging its role as New York City’s larger-than-life symbol of opulence, luxury, and urban splendor.

And with the historic hotel playing a major role in Leonardo DiCaprio’s highly anticipated new film The Great Gatsby, to be released May 10, we thought now would be a good time to tell you all the reasons why the iconic Plaza is definitely worth a visit!

• When the Plaza first opened in 1907, its luxury rooms cost just $2.50 a night! Guests can expect to pay much more than that now, but they’re in good company; following renovations a few years ago, the Plaza is not only a hotel. It’s also home to some 152 private condo units, most of them pieds-à-terres to wealthy international businessmen and women. While you don’t have to be a billionaire to stay at the Plaza, you can expect to pay upwards of $600/nightly for the most basic room. However, should you have money to burn, the Plaza offers suites that run all the way up to $30,000 a night! The Royal Plaza Suite comes with its own private elevator, a private gym (complete with trainer), and a chef. And, apparently, the master bedroom even features a secret panel should one of your guests need to make a quick escape. How cinematic is that?
• The Plaza’s most famed fictional resident has to be Eloise, the spunky six-year-old girl who called the hotel home in a series of 1950s children’s books by Kay Thompson. And fans of the series will find much to love at the Plaza Hotel, which has embraced its place in the imagination of Eloise fans by offering up not only a special Eloise Suite, but also a shop and even Eloise-themed birthday parties! The Eloise Suite was designed by the always colorful fashion designer Betsey Johnson. Located on the 18th floor, the Eloise Suite features two rooms (one for the kids and one for their parents!), and is decorated almost entirely in pink and white — just the way Eloise would have liked it! Rates for the Eloise Suite start at $995/night, which includes a monogrammed Eloise bathrobe, a $100 gift card to the on-site Eloise Shop, an Eloise Book, and a framed photo of the guest inside the suite.
• The new Great Gatsby film starring Leonardo DiCaprio will no doubt draw new fans to the Plaza, which features prominently in Baz Luhrmann’s new film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby. And in honor of its role in The Great Gatsby, the Plaza is now offering a special suite that pays tribute to author F. Scott Fitzgerald, who was a devoted patron of the Plaza in the “Roaring ‘20s.” The Fitzgerald Suite was designed by Catherine Martin, the Academy Award-winning  costume set and production designer who also worked on the film. Martin brings the Jazz Age to life at the Plaza with sumptuous Art Deco decor and even a 1920s-style minibar that harkens to the “days of gin martinis in teacups and mint juleps in cut crystal on a hot summer’s afternoon.” (Just promise us you’ll leave the drama to the experts!).
• If your pockets aren’t lined with gold and a suite at the Plaza is out of reach, you can still enjoy a traditional afternoon tea at the hotel’s famed Palm Court. This grand dining room is an airy masterpiece, bordered by mirrored doors, fleur-de-peche marble columns and topped with a spectacular domed skylight. The Palm Court’s Afternoon Tea menu features a number of options: try the “Fitzgerald Tea For the Ages,” which includes sandwiches and savories like Deviled Quail Egg Salad as well as pastries and sweets. At $60/guest, Afternoon Tea at the Plaza’s Palm Court is a luxury to be sure. But it’s an afternoon of opulence you won’t soon forget, so we think it’s worth it!
• If you’ve never been to New York but feel like you already know the Plaza well, it’s probably because you’ve seen it on film countless times. The Plaza was first used as a film location in the Alfred Hitchcock classic North by Northwest, when a case of mistaken identity sees an ad executive kidnapped from the hotel’s famed Oak Room Bar (which closed in recent years). Though North by Northwest was a thriller, the Plaza has most often been featured in romances, including Funny Girl, The Way We Were, Sleepless in Seattle, and It Could Happen To You. It’s also where Kevin stayed in Home Alone 2, and housed Crocodile Dundee on the fictional Aussie’s first trip to NYC. If you want to learn more about the Plaza’s history as a film location, hop on one of On Location Tours New York TV and Movie Sites tours. In addition to the Plaza, you will see other dozens of NYC locations that have appeared in movies and on TV, from the the deli where Harry met Sally, to the bench where Woody Allen and Diane Keaton shared a moment in Manhattan.
• The Plaza Hotel is located at the epicenter of NYC’s most notable shopping district, on the stretch of Fifth Avenue known for its high-end, luxury boutiques and flagship stores for international brands like Gucci, Prada and Fendi. But the Plaza is no slouch either when it comes to shopping; the hotel features its own collection of shops, where you can buy such souvenirs as fine jewelry, apparel, and perfumes. The Eloise Shop, meanwhile, sells exclusive Eloise costumes, Eloise-branded T-shirts, and other merchandise sure to thrill the littlest Plaza patrons!

What would be your fave way to recreate the Gilded Age at the Plaza?

QUICK LINKS

• On Location Tours New York TV and Movie Sites tours

And following the tragic terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, De Niro became a true hometown hero for his commitment to the long-term recovery of Lower Manhattan. The Tribeca Film Festival, which De Niro founded in 2002 with producer Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, an investor and philanthropist, has grown into one of the city’s most highly anticipated cultural events, drawing up to 400,000 film fans out to hundreds of feature film premieres and other events each April in New York City.

So with the Tribeca Film Festival now underway, we thought it would be fitting to put together an itinerary that lets you see “De Niro’s New York.” Scroll through our list of suggestions to put together a few days that pay homage to one of this city’s favorite film icons!

• Robert De Niro was born in Greenwich Village, so it’s not surprising his parents were both painters; this downtown neighborhood has long been the chosen home of artists, writers, and other bohemians, including musicians Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and writers Jack Kerouac, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Edgar Allan Poe. On Uncle Sam’s Greenwich Village Walking Tour, you’ll hear all about this storied neighborhood, from Washington Square Park and New York University to the music clubs on Bleecker Street where Dylan and Hendrix played. Until recently, De Niro owned the townhouse at 14 Saint Luke’s Place, on one of the Village’s most storied blocks, between Hudson Street and Seventh Avenue. The block is also home to James J. Walker Park, which coincidentally was where De Niro’s character Jake LaMotta  in Raging Bull first speaks to his future wife, played by Cathy Moriarty in the movie.
• De Niro’s parents split when he was young, and his mom raised him in nearby Little Italy, which is, of course, a destination for anyone who loves to eat! Also located in Lower Manhattan, Little Italy is a tiny slice of a neighborhood, wedged between the Lower East Side and SoHo to the east and west, and the trendy “NoLiTa” neighborhood and Chinatown to the north and south. The historic home of New York City’s Italian community, today Little Italy is mostly made up of restaurants, cafes and shopping. We recommend enjoying a slice at Lombardi’s, the original American pizzeria that was the first to reinvent the Napoletana staple food way back in 1897.
• While he didn’t graduate high school, De Niro did study acting in NYC, at the famed Stella Adler Studio in Midtown Manhattan. Today the acting school continues to be one of the city’s premiere institutions for training actors both young and old. And if you make time for a reading or performance of the Stella Adler Studio’s talented students, who knows? You just may see the next De Niro! The school’s Play Reading Festival conveniently coincides with the Tribeca Film Fest, from April 18-20.
• De Niro is not only an NYC resident in real life, he’s also played some of the most famous New York City characters on the big screen too, from the homicidal cabbie Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (a role which he prepared for by actually getting licensed to drive a yellow cab for weeks!) to a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather II. On Location Tours’ New York TV and Movie Sites Tour hits up a number of the locations featured in De Niro’s films, from Times Square and the St. Regis Hotel, which both were important sites in Taxi Driver, as well as dozens of other locations used in your favorite films and TV shows. Or take a Circle Line Two-Hour Semi-Circle Sightseeing Cruise in New York Harbor to get a closer look at Ellis Island, where The Godfather’s Vito Andolini became Vito Corleone thanks to a careless inspector (the immigration museum at Ellis Island is closed for now due to Hurricane Sandy damage, but you can see it from a much closer vantage point out on the water, and in our experience Circle Line’s experienced guides are always happy to answer questions about specific points of interest).
• De Niro’s Tribeca Film Festival runs through April 28 at various locations throughout downtown NYC. The world famous film festival will screen as many as 217 shorts, feature films, and documentaries from all over the world this year, and — as always — you can expect some of De Niro’s high-profile friends to be in attendance. Tribeca Film Festival also hosts numerous “Tribeca Talks” events in which you can expect to see some of your favorite actors in conversation with award-winning directors like Richard Linklater speaking with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, the stars of his latest film Before Midnight. (Tickets to screenings are just $16 for evening shows, and $8 for matinees. Tribeca Talks events are all $25. Read our Tribeca tips for more on attending this highly popular event).
• While in NYC, you can also eat like De Niro: the Academy Award-winning actor is co-owner of a number of New York City’s best restaurants: including the Japanese fusion restaurant Nobu, the flagship restaurant of celebrity chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa; Tribeca Grill, a neighborhood hangout with an award-winning wine list; and Locanda Verde, which features a menu of Tuscan family-style food by celebrated chef Andrew Carmellini. All of De Niro’s restaurants are located in his own neighborhood: TriBeCa!

Which De Niro film is your favorite? (And can you think of any NYC locales from his films that you would like to see?).

 QUICK LINKS

• Uncle Sam’s Greenwich Village Walking Tour
• On Location Tours’ New York TV and Movie Sites Tour
• Circle Line Two-Hour Semi-Circle Sightseeing Cruise

But as meaty as some of the feature films are, you can’t live on cinema alone. Luckily, TriBeCa is also home to some of the city’s best restaurants! So scroll through our list to find the perfect spot for a post-screening supper we know you’ll rate “two thumbs up”!

• You might already know the name Nobu, the TriBeCa Japanese fusion restaurant that now has more than a dozen offshoots around the globe. As the flagship restaurant of celebrity chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, Nobu has long been treasured as one of the city’s finest. It’s best known for its innovative, Asian-inspired seafood that borrows from a number of international culinary traditions. Nobuyuki Matsuhisa opened Nobu with Robert De Niro in 1994. (The Japanese chef’s relationship with De Niro even landed him a role in the 1995 Martin Scorsese film Casino, in which he played a wealthy businessman!). Reservations are recommended. (105 Hudson Street).
• Yet another of Robert De Niro’s TriBeCa ventures is the acclaimed Tribeca Grill, one of the neighborhood’s best hangouts, which happens to offer some generous “Happy Hour” deals just perfect for a pre-screening taste and tipple. Sit at the cozy bar, and enjoy half-off the bar menu from 5-7 p.m. Monday to Friday. Tribeca Grill also features an award-winning wine list that offers more than 70 different Zinfandels alone. And who knows, maybe you’ll even see De Niro himself! (375 Greenwich Street).
• Seriously: is there anything in TriBeCa that De Niro doesn’t own? Locanda Verde is another of the Academy Award-winner’s restaurants — in this case featuring a menu by celebrated chef Andrew Carmellini, a protégé of Daniel Boulud and former head chef at Café Boulud. The decor is casually stylish and the Tuscan family-style food is both crowd-pleasing and affordable (no entree is over $25 — which is a good price for this upscale neighborhood!). 379 Greenwich Street.
• Landmarc Tribeca is a neighborhood favorite for its contemporary bistro fare, cool decor and surprisingly family friendly atmosphere. The menu features French favorites like French Onion Soup and Cassoulet, as well as American standards like hamburgers and a whopping five kinds of steak.  And with over 100 half-bottles of wine on the extensive list, everyone at your table can choose the varietal they like best — without getting too tipsy before the movie! TriBeCa locals also like landmarc for its kids menu, which is extensive and affordable, and the fact that every pint-sized patron gets cotton candy at the end of the meal (personally, we’re not above using that as a bribe for good table manners!). 179 West Broadway, between Leonard and Worth Streets.
• Terroir Tribeca bills itself as “The elitist wine bar for everyone”), and indeed its treasured by locals for its lack of pretension and extensive menu that features headers like “Fried Stuff,” “Sugar Gives You Energy” and “Put Your Ass in the Seat and Let Us Feed You” (which translates to a surprise tasting option for those adventurous and trusting eaters who like to graze on whatever the chef decides is worth their attention!). And open late (until 2 a.m. Monday-Saturday), Terroir Tribeca is a great option for late night nibbles and a well-earned glass of red after an evening of screenings. (24 Harrison Street).
• Beat the line at Bubby’s for brunch, and you’ll be happy you got up early for eggs at this super popular corner restaurant in TriBeCa. Each order comes with fluffy buttermilk biscuits, but you’ll want to save room for dessert (yes, even at breakfast!). Bubby’s began as a pie company, and it’s pastries are superlative! (120 Hudson Street).
•  The Odeon is oft-credited for making this neighborhood cool; NYC artists Andy Warhol and Basquiat were among its chic clientele 30 years ago when it opened. Land a table at the Odeon today and you will still enjoy the brasserie-style menu (mmmm, mussels and Croques Monsieurs; our faves!) and a martini list that makes us want to turn the clocks ahead to 5 p.m. now! (145 West Broadway).
• If your tastes run to the avant garde, then Mehtaphor in TriBeCa is a great place for an adventurous meal. Try the raw oysters topped with Pop Rocks (yes, the mouth-tingling candy we all loved as kids!), and we guarantee it will be the start of a meal you won’t soon forget. If you’re an Iron Chef fan, you may know Jehangir Mehta as the runner-up in 2009. New Yorkers also know the Mumbai-born chef for his other restaurant venture — Graffiti in the East Village. Meanwhile Mehtaphor in TriBeCa serves up a carefully curated selection of small plates, each more innovative than the last (Truffle Goat Cheese Crab Pizza? Some things you just have to try!). 130 Duane Street.

Did we miss your fave TriBeCa restaurant? Where do you like to eat between screenings at the annual April film festival?

That means the city’s many magnificent parks and gardens are just days away from turning this concrete jungle into a lush, colorful display of vernal splendor.

 So scroll through our list of must-see NYC parks and gardens and be sure to include a little blossom spotting in your NYC itinerary (P.S. Don’t forget to pack the allergy meds!).

• Not surprisingly, Central Park is a paradise for garden aficionados, with several destinations devoted to flowering plants. The Conservatory Garden, located at Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street, is the only formal garden in Central Park, and its calm, quiet atmosphere amid the well-manicured and beautiful maintained planting beds is the perfect place for a restorative walk after a day in the bustling city. The Conservatory Garden features six acres of seasonal plants arranged into three styles: English, French, and Italian. The English Garden is glorious in Spring with its pink and white magnolia trees, while the French garden offers up an abundance of spring tulips. Meanwhile, on the other side of Central Park, Shakespeare’s Garden is resplendent with the plants and flowers mentioned in Shakespeare’s works, as well as those featured in his own private garden in Stratford-upon-Avon. To see both gardens in one day (without wearing out your feet!), we recommend renting bikes from one of Bike and Roll’s Central Park locations, or hop on one of Bike and Roll’s guided Central Park bike tours. After all, at 843 acres, Central Park is a lot of area to cover on foot!
• One of the city’s newest and most popular greenspaces can be found in an unlikely spot — high above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side! Built upon an abandoned elevated railway line, the High Line Park features lush beds stuffed with native plant species, including a riot of wildflowers in all colors. The High Line is one mile long, starting at Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District and running all the way up to West 30th Street in Midtown. It’s an easy walk, with plenty of space to sit down and spread out for a relaxing afternoon. There are even a number of food vendors operating on the High Line, offering everything from pulled-pork sandwiches to authentic gelato. And if you’re as interested in this historic park’s colorful origins as you are in the gardens, hop on Uncle Sam’s High Line Park Walking Tour to learn more about this beautiful new park’s storied history.
• In the flower world, the New York Botanical Garden’s annual Orchid Show is one of the most anticipated events of the year. On display now until April 22 in the garden’s conservatory, the Orchid Show features tens of thousands of blooms, from the familiar to the completely unexpected. When we visited the Orchid Show recently, we were amazed by the diversity within this particularly delicate and lovely flower species; there were orchids in all colors and sizes, from yellow blossoms that nearly resembled daffodils to purple pansy-like flowers. And by the time the Orchid Show closes at the end of April, the New York Botanical Garden should be fully in bloom with gorgeous flowering cherry trees and an orchard of magnolias trees heavy with large pink and white blossoms. The New York Botanical Garden is easily reached via subway from Grand Central or the Metro North commuter rail, also from Grand Central. Access to the Botanical Garden is included with the popular New York Pass.
• Wave Hill is the Bronx’s other destination for daffodil-loving travelers. This meticulously maintained public garden was once an estate home that was rented by President Theodore Roosevelt’s family, as well as Mark Twain, who lovingly wrote of winters there above the Hudson River. In the Spring, Wave Hill’s flower garden comes to life with flowering shrubs, early blooming perennials and spring bulbs. As the weather warms, annuals and other tender plants billow into the pathways, offering an everchanging array of flowering plants all the way through the Fall. (We guarantee you won’t even know you are still in New York!). If Wave Hill seems a little far afield for a first-time visitor to NYC, you can always access this stunning park on the Bronx Tour by Harlem Spirituals, which takes you to a number of the Bronx’s biggest destinations.
• New Yorkers anticipate the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s annual cherry blossom display with a fervor we usually reserve for restaurant openings and sample sales. (There’s even a “Cherry Watch” map on the garden’s website!). The Brooklyn Botanical Garden is home to hundreds of different cherry trees, which typically flower throughout the month of April. The garden even hosts a spectacular celebration of Japanese culture, Sakura Matsuri, which corresponds with the peak cherry blossom season (April 27 & 28). Its easy to fit in a visit to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden if you take Gray Line’s Brooklyn Loop Tour: just hop off at Grand Army Plaza and walk through Prospect Park to the Botanical Garden, which is also located conveniently close to the Brooklyn Museum — one of the city’s top art museums.
• Many visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art aren’t aware that admission to this world-class art museum also includes access to the Cloisters, the Met’s medieval collection, which is housed in an incredible building assembled from architectural elements that date from the 12th through the 15th century. Located in Fort Tryon Park, a 67-acre oasis in Upper Manhattan, the Cloisters features gardens composed of wild and cultivated plants from the Middle Ages. In fact, “Cloisters” refers to the museum’s courtyards, all of which are from actual French monasteries, and when you walk through these carefully maintained examples of early horticulture, you’ll truly feel like you’ve stepped through time. The nearby Heather Garden in Fort Tryon Park  is one of the largest heath and heather gardens on the East Coast. Planted on slopes more than a hundred feet above the Hudson River, the Heather Garden is home to a staggering number of flowers, including more than 200 varieties of perennials and shrubs. In Spring you can expect to see drifts of snowdrops, crocuses, narcissi, and tulips, as well as a spectacular collections of brooms, azaleas, peonies, dogwoods, rhododendrons, and oriental poppies.
• If you find that allergies are getting in the way of appreciating all of Mother Nature’s finest offerings in the Springtime, we suggest visiting the Museum of Modern Art, where Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies” is on permanent display. This massive water color painting depicts Monet’s Japanese-style pond covered with water lilies and shimmering with reflections of clouds overhead. It perfectly captures the feeling of being surrounded by the splendor of Spring (but no Zyrtec is required!).

So what’s your favorite place to stop and smell the flowers in New York City?

QUICK LINKS

• Bike and Roll’s guided Central Park bike tours
• Uncle Sam’s High Line Park Walking Tour
• New York Pass
• Bronx Tour by Harlem Spirituals
• Gray Line’s Brooklyn Loop Tour
• Brooklyn Museum
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Museum of Modern Art

From the historic church that once provided a welcoming place to worship for the Scottish pirate Captain Kidd, to Harlem congregations known for their fiery sermons and incendiary gospel choirs, there are dozens of churches in New York City worth exploring this Easter and beyond.

All it takes is a little planning ahead so you know when the service starts — and not to show up in flip-flops (most New Yorkers take their holiday service seriously, so dressing the part is key to showing your respect for the congregation you’re visiting for the day!).

• The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is a Gothic masterpiece that claims to be the fourth largest church in the world (right after St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome). We wouldn’t dispute their claim: this historic cathedral is nearly two football fields long, with a vault that is 232 feet high. And the Cathedral of St. John the Divine is more than just big: this historic 1892 cathedral is both gorgeous and grand — and is a destination even for those who are more interested in history and architecture than prayer. If this historic cathedral located in the far reaches of Manhattan’s Upper West Side neighborhood is too far afield for you to explore on your own, you can see it on one of Gray Line NY’s Uptown Loop tours, which lets pass-holders hop on and off as they please — so you can get off by St. John the Divine and spend as much time you want exploring the soaring sanctuary filled with divine artwork and hushed devotion. Easter Service options at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine include an 8 a.m. Morning Prayer & Holy Eucharist, Festival Eucharist of Easter at 11 a.m. and a late afternoon Choral Evensong at 4 p.m.
• Even further uptown, of course, is Harlem — the historic African-American neighborhood known for its abundance of churches filled with gospel choirs (Harlem alone is home to more than 400 churches!). And one of the best ways to spend Easter Sunday is hearing about the resurrection before being amazed by the miracle of music that fills these historic churches every Sunday. And the best way for visitors to NYC to enjoy a Sunday morning in Harlem is on Harlem Spirituals’ Harlem Gospel Tour, which features a guided tour of Harlem’s historic landmarks and vibrant neighborhoods followed by a worship service in a local church where you will hear authentic gospel music. You are sure to be moved by the music you will hear on the Harlem Spirituals’ Harlem Gospel Tour! (Please note, Harlem churches that welcome one-time visitors enforce a strict dress code: no tank tops, shorts or flip-flips, and shoulders must be covered).
• St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the home of New York’s archdiocese and one of the most popular tourist attractions on Fifth Avenue. A stunning example of American Gothic Revival-style architecture, St. Patrick’s is a striking sight, set among the upscale shopping and Art Deco grandeur of Rockefeller Center across the street. (Watch for it when you cruise by on a CitySights NY — All Around Town Tour, and make sure to hop off at the stop nearby!). Sunday services are always open to visitors at St. Patrick’s, and indeed this Catholic church fills up fast on Easter (so arrive early if you hope to get a seat!). On Easter Sunday there are numerous services: at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 8:45 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 12 Noon, 1 p.m., 4 p.m. (in Spanish) and 5:30 p.m. Guided tours are also available once a week until the end of May — at 10 a.m. on April 2, April 8, April 19, May 6, May 20, and May 30.
• Just a few blocks up Fifth Avenue, St. Thomas Church, a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, is also open to visitors on Easter Sunday. St. Thomas Church offers at least one mass every day of the year, with a total of 20 services per week. Holiday services feature the full Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys — an inspiring choral experience. Guided tours are available nearly every Sunday afternoon at about 12:30 p.m., following the 11 a.m. Choral Eucharist. Easter Sunday services at St. Thomas Church include both an 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Solemn Eucharist of the Resurrection, as well as a 2:30 p.m. organ recital by Benjamin Sheen, and 3 p.m. Evensong. (The church website advises visitors to “consider following the example of the women who arrived at the break of dawn at the empty tomb. Early is good.”).
• Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan has stood at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street for 222 years — and its history goes back even further than that. This Episcopal church got its start in 1696, when Governor Benjamin Franklin approved the purchase of land. Today this historic church has a very rich music program, and its Easter Sunday services are billed as a “festive celebration of the Eucharist with Easter hymns.” The Choir of Trinity Wall Street will be singing Stanford’s “Ye Choirs of New Jerusalem,” Taverner’s “Dum transisset Sabbatum,” Thompson’s “Alleluia,” and Handel’s “Hallelujah.” There are several services throughout the day on Easter, but performances by the choir will only be featured at the 9 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Easter Eucharists, as well as the evening prayer service at 8 p.m. Throughout the year, you can see Trinity Church as part of Wall Street Walks’ History of Wall Street Tour, which features a visit to the historic church, as well as its graveyard (the final resting place of such historic American figures as Alexander Hamilton, among others). And yes, Trinity Church does count Captain Kidd among its most storied former parishioners! Captain Kidd, who was later hanged for piracy in London, even lent equipment for the construction of the original church building.

Keep in mind that donations to the above churches help them provide services to both their usual congregations and out-of-town guests (and maintain their picture-perfect facades!). So if you’re going to drop by and worship for the day, don’t let the collection plate pass you by!

Which cathedral do you think is the most beautiful in New York City?

QUICK LINKS

• Gray Line NY’s Uptown Loop tours
• Harlem Spirituals’ Harlem Gospel Tour
• CitySights NY — All Around Town Tour
• Wall Street Walks’ History of Wall Street Tour

Starring 52 talented performing artists from 19 countries, Totem featured as many as 14 different acts when I saw the 2.5-hour show on a recent snowy Saturday afternoon under the “Grand Chapiteau” at Citi Field in New York City. And with the hard-rocking accompaniment of a live band and talented vocalists Christian Laveau and Esi Acquaah-Harrison, as well as moving set pieces and eye-catching costumes, Totem is as dynamic and exciting as any Cirque show. New visual elements are introduced every few minutes, and just when you think you’ve seen it all…the performers up the ante yet again, springing to new heights you never knew possible.

Cirque’s strength is its slightly sinister (and somewhat sexy) presentation of those circus acts we thought we knew — but have never seen like this. Totem opens on a group of performers doing a Balinesian “Kekak” dance before breaking out into a bounding mass, leaping over bars and spinning though the air, clad in eye-catching frog suits. When they finally wash up on “shore” (projections provide the ever-changing backdrops in Totem), we see the show’s first man: an Amerindian Dancer, who manipulates hoops into a series of shapes, tossing them into the air, and juggling them around his body.

Of course much of the action at any Cirque show happens high in the air, and Totem’s rings, trapeze and Russian Bar acts are so thrilling it can be hard for sensitive types (myself included) to keep your eyes open. These high-flying acts also feature the most muscled — and often scantily clad — performers, which is a visual treat in itself. (If human evolution has culminated in the powerful duo who vie for a beach beauty’s affection in Totem’s Bollywood-inspired Rings Act, then remind me to thank Darwin!)

Meanwhile the ladies of Cirque du Soleil really steal this show. The crowd was wowed by the Russian foot-juggling duo the “Crystal Ladies,” who spin small rugs on their feet while balancing precariously atop each other on a tiny stool (The hardest thing about Cirque is trying to explain it later to friends; what sounds sort of silly on paper is actually among the most amazing feats you’ll ever witness!). Also truly incredible was the unicycle troupe, a group of five women whose heads must be phenomenally flat in order to catch a stack of bowls, one by one, even as they are cycling in circles!

Cirque’s talented creators know that sitting on the edge of your seat can get exhausting, so Totem includes many moments of levity too; every circus needs a clown, after all, and Totem’s is a truly unique character — a ridiculously tacky Italian tourist who uses his camera to inflame the passions of the devil himself! Played by Italian comic Pippo Crotti, Totem’s clown appears throughout the production, providing (mostly) family friendly laughs, including a really fun fishing scene.

As for the story line, Totem’s plot is pretty loose (according to Cirque, Totem “explores the ties that bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential”). But it doesn’t really matter whether you can connect the dots from one act to the next; each on its own is enjoyable, and there’s no need to “get” the bigger picture in order to enjoy Totem.

I didn’t see many small children at the afternoon performance I attended, and it seems this Cirque show may be somewhat starting for very young audience members who are scared by loud music and sudden surprises. However, older kids (8 and up) would definitely enjoy the thrilling feats (just remember to warn them not to try this at home!).

Food and beverages are available in the Grand Chapiteau, including circus favorites like hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy, as well as beer, wine and even special Cirque cocktails! Arrive early to settle in, and you’ll be rewarded with some pre-show entertainment as several of Totem’s signature characters make their way through the crowd, delighting patient audience members with a little light clowning.

Getting there: Cirque du Soleil’s Grand Chapiteau (otherwise known as the big top!) is set up in Lot C at Citi Field, the New York Mets’ stadium in Flushing, Queens. If driving to Cirque du Soleil, enter via Gate 8 or 11. Citi Field is also easily accessible via public transit: from Times Square take the Uptown E train to 74th Street/Roosevelt Avenue and transfer to the Mets-Willets Point-bound 7 train. The trip takes under an hour from Times Square, and once you arrive, the walk across the parking lot is less than five minutes. The Long Island Railroad’s Mets/Willets Point train only runs on Mets’ game days, so commuter rail service will not be available until April.

Cirque du Soleil’s Totem runs through May 12 at Citi Field in New York City. Tickets are available at BestofNewYork.com.

And if you’re a fan of his music, no trip to New York City would be complete without paying homage to the rapper who made his name singing about the “Hard Knock Life” growing up in NYC’s toughest housing project. Scroll through our list and see how to get into an “Empire State of Mind”!

• While his roots may be humble, today Jay-Z parties like a baller — as the name of his 40/40 Club suggests. “40/40” is a baseball term used to describe the exclusive group of MLB players who have recorded 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season. And at 40/40 you’ll enjoy the same level of luxury Jay-Z and his crew expect on a night out in NYC. The multi-level space features an 18-foot tall illuminated champagne tower and more than 30 huge flat screen TVs tuned into all of the sporting events you want to watch in this elite sports bar. BestofNewYork.com makes it easy to get into the exclusive 40/40 Club with its Empire State of Mind Package, an exclusive offer that lets up to 10 guests skip the line and go straight to a VIP table stocked with two complimentary bottles of Stolichnaya, Grey Goose or Ciroc Vodka, as well as unlimited mixers. Now that’s a home run!
• While Jay-Z is one of the biggest names in hip hop today, the genre had its start way back in the 1970s in the “Boogie Down Bronx.” And 1520 Sedgewick Avenue, a highrise apartment block in the Morris Heights neighborhood, is the widely accepted “birthplace of hip hop.” This unassuming apartment building was where DJ Kool Herc introduced the new style of music at a house party for his sister. (The building has even achieved a special distinction from the New York State Office of Historic Preservation). You can see the birthplace of hip hop on the Harlem Spirituals Bronx Tour, which pays special attention to this neighborhood near the Grand Concourse. The Harlem Spirituals Bronx Tour also takes you to the Bronx Zoo and New York Botanical Gardens, as well as Yankee Stadium, Edgar Allen Poe’s cottage, and Arthur Avenue — also known as “the real Little Italy.” This four-hour bus tour departs Saturdays at 9 a.m. from Times Square. Tickets are available at BestofNewYork.com.
• Hip hop may have been born in the Bronx, but its most famous face was raised in Brooklyn. While Jay-Z grew up in the mean streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant, in one of the city’s toughest housing projects, the borough of Brooklyn is a collection of diverse and historic neighborhoods full of exciting sights and sounds. CitySights NY’s Brooklyn Tour offers visitors to NYC a safe and easy way to see it all in a quick hour-and-a-half bus tour. From the iconic Brooklyn Bridge to the triumphal arches at Grand Army Plaza, CitySights NY’s Brooklyn Tour will give you a glimpse into Brooklyn’s storied history. Other stops include the Botanic Garden,the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Cathedral Basilica of St. James, Fulton Mall, Grand Army Plaza, Ebbets Field houses, and the Brooklyn Public Library. And as you contemplate the best views of Manhattan from the other side of the East River, you may even get a sense for the striving that a boy raised in Brooklyn would have felt looking at the glittering lights of the big city.
• Of course “Empire State of Mind” is Jay-Z’s most iconic “New York” song, so it made sense that the Empire State Building would debut its new multi-million-dollar LED light system to the tune last year. Nationwide radio played the song as a synchronized light show dazzled New Yorkers with crescendoes of changing colors as impressive as any art installation. Seven days a week, you can head up to the Empire State Building’s 86th floor observatory, where we know the big lights will inspire you!
• What could the Broadway show Annie possibly have to do with Jay-Z? The rapper sampled Annie’s catchy orphan anthem “Hard Knock Life” for his 1999 hit song “Hard Knock Life: Ghetto Anthem.” His version of the song describes life growing up in the ghetto, while Annie’s is all about the miserable existence of a group of overworked girls in a Depression-era orphanage. Who had it worse, Annie or Jay-Z? It doesn’t really matter: they both ended up billionaires! (Tickets for Annie are available at BestofNewYork.com).
• Jay-Z is not only part owner of the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, he also designed the home team Brooklyn Nets’ new logo — and he opened the landmark new stadium with a series of concerts last Fall (Proving he is a rapper of the people, Jay-Z even took the subway there — the R train, to be exact. On the way, he met the one New Yorker who didn’t recognize him, which you can see in his documentary short “Where I’m From”). Barclays Center is not only the home court for the Brooklyn Nets, it’s also a music venue for big names like Alicia Keys and Green Day. Jay-Z’s wife Beyonce will play Barclays Center on August 3rd, as part of her “Mrs. Carter Show” world tour (Carter is Jay Z’s real last name, FYI!).
• If you’re a big fan of Jay-Z’s music, then you’re in luck this summer. He’s touring North America with Justin Timberlake for their Legends of the Summer Tour. And they’ll be hitting the Bronx for a pair of shows in Yankee Stadium on July 19 and 20 before heading out to Chicago.

Are you a Jay Z fan? What other NYC landmarks or hotspots would you include in a Jay-Z’s New York tour?

QUICK LINKS

• Empire State of Mind Package
• Harlem Spirituals Bronx Tour
• CitySights NY’s Brooklyn Tour
• Empire State Building’s 86th floor observatory
• Annie – The Musical