Almodovar’s Night Pop-Up Dinner

We’ve loved the McKittrick Hotel since our first sneak peek before the fames Sleep No More ever performed once. The Punchdrunk team has now opened up The Attic and invited us to  The Last Supper, a surreal time warp back to the 1960’s that boasts a hypnotic experience. Knowing this theater companies flair for the eerily awesome, there’s no doubt this night will be a head spinner you will remember for a solid decade. A few early reviews are available but leave a lot to the imagination. Our advice is not to click and be completely surprised by the journey that lies up in the attic. The dinner only runs until July 21st so you have to grab tickets as soon as you can. Don’t forget to wear your mid-century best or summon your inner Don Draper. Dressing the part always makes for more immersive fun. Now through August 4th in NYC.

We’ve got a little inside baseball on this one. Without spilling the beans too much, just know, the chefs behind this one have been friends of FTHQ for almost a decade. No big reveal BUT we can confidently say this, the Future of Protein Dinner is a must attend dinner. First off, who doesn’t like to time travel. Second, doing it with your tongue sounds far better than that antiquated phone booth Roofus had Bill and Ted ride. 80’s movie jokes aside, this experience spans three centuries of protein edibles. That’s meat for you culinarily challenged folks. Meat in it’s loosest sense, of course. You’ll learn, and taste, from where we started “meating”, trapping and hunting our food. On the other side, you’ll explore advanced cooking options through insect and plant based “meat” making. I know I’m psyched to get my grub on. Maybe literally. Tuesday, June 28 from 7 to 11PM @ MOFAD in Brooklyn. 

Ahh, yes. The red sawce joint.

If this is the first time you are hearing this term or discovering my map, I suggest you start HERE for some background and then return to this post.

There's nothing like sliding across that squeeky, fifty year old, red leather banquet as you temper your anticipation for the abundance when classic Italian-American dishes start hitting the table. The bubbling mozzerella on the veal parmagiana with wild spirals of spaghetti marina poking out from all sides. A spicy red curtain coating a bowl of uncle Vinnie's (or Joe or Sal or Paulie's) scungilli fra diavlo. Clams casino. Linguini vongole. Eggplant rollatini. Chicken saltimbocca. Nonna made tirimisu. The hits are all there. Too many, in fact, to make a decision. That's why you decided to bring a group. Part family, part friends, ALL FRAMLY. I've been feeling nostalgic lately, hence my TikTok, and learning more about how Italians migrated to America. This packs some very interesting, and some rarely told, stories. Many of these tales led me to an Italian restaurant story. This in turn sparked the idea to map the best of the classics, starting with New York and continuing across America.

The below map will evolve as I learn and catalog newly explored Italian-American neighborhoods. Take a peek and let us know any we missed.

If we stand for anything, it’s dinner. The more special the more better. When we discovered Mark Ladner, pasta making magician of Del Posto and Lupa fame, was celebrating his one year anniversary of his fast-casual Pasta Flyer with a supper series we we’re psyched to say the least. An already high-rotation, week day, post-workout, dinner for us because of the incredible value Mark and team bring to the literal table…Secret best meatballs in city, secret great wines by the glass…he’s crafted this dinner series with some of his best chef friends. From the likes of Mario Carbone to Maialino’s Nick Anderer to Barbara Lynch (who has the best oyster bar in Boston amongst her food dynasty) the menu creations are bound to be off the chain. We’re not sure what we’re most excited about. Two Italian’s in the same kitchen or a food storyteller augmenting the current Pasta Flyer menu. It looks like this was a Resy and Applestone collab too. Props to them as we recently were swooned by the 24/7 butcher. Tickets will undoubtedly go quick so make a move briskly. September 26th through November 7th in NYC.