Alyson Williams sings The Blues at world famous Sugar Bar

Check out the new show Every Tuesday with Alyson Williams' "Nuttin but the Blues" at Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The show is amazing!!! Alyson is introduced by owner Nick Ashford who stops by each table to greet the guests and then he introduced the Back Alley Players.

This is my first time hearing Alyson singing a cabaret of all blues numbers. It was a wonderful evening with the bonus contributions of Ms. Valerie Simpson if you are lucky and she is in town. Great place for out of town friends and family. A wonderful holiday treat that you will really enjoy!

Video courtesy of Zenbiz Travel

I LOVE NY 24 of 28 Places to Visit

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Photos courtesy of Kennected

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is a 16.3-acre complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of New York City's Upper West Side.

A consortium of civic leaders and others led by, and under the initiative of John D. Rockefeller III, built Lincoln Center as part of the "Lincoln Square Renewal Project" during Robert Moses' program of urban renewal in the 1960s. Rockefeller was its inaugural president from 1956 and became its chairman in 1961. He is credited with raising more than half of the $184.5 million in private funds needed to build the complex, including drawing on his own funds; the Rockefeller Brothers Fund also contributed to the project.

Avery Fisher Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic in Lincoln Center. The first structure to be completed and occupied as part of this renewal was the Fordham Law School of Fordham University in 1962. Located between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues, from West 60th to West 66th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the Lincoln Center complex was the first gathering of major cultural institutions into a centralized location in an American city.

Lincoln Center cultural institutions also make use of facilities located away from the main campus. In 2004 Lincoln Center was expanded through the addition of Jazz at Lincoln Center's newly built facilities (Frederick P. Rose Hall) at the new Time Warner Center, located a few blocks to the south. In March 2006 Lincoln Center launched construction on a major redevelopment plan that will modernize, renovate, and open up the Lincoln Center campus in time for its 50th anniversary celebration in 2009.

The David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, home of the New York City Opera and New York City Ballet.Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. is one of the 12 resident organization listed above, and serves three primary roles: presenter of artistic programming, national leader in arts and education and community relations, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. As a presenter of more than 400 events annually, its programs include American Songbook, Great Performers, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, the Mostly Mozart Festival, and the Emmy Award-winning Live From Lincoln Center.

I LOVE NY 17 of 28 Places to Visit

This week on my list is B. Café (Belgian Brasserie & Kitchen). If you love mussels like I do, then you’ll love B. Café located on Manhattan’s Upper Westside at 566 Amsterdam Ave.
With an extensive menu of authentic Belgian dishes, you’ll feel right at home, even if you’ve never been to Belgium…like me…Ha!

On this particular day, I was in search for the perfect batch of mussels to cure my craving appetite, and B. Café really hit the spot. I was floured and a bit overwhelmed by the many options of mussels that were offered, and eventually went with the Provencale which are steamed mussels covered in tomato fondue, garlic, and white wine. Did I mention that all servings of mussels come with your very own basket of seasoned potato fries? Yummy! Next time I plan to try the Hoegaardenly Garlic, which are mussels topped in hoegaarden (a Belgian beer), garlic, and parsley.

Well, since I was doing the Belgium thing, it would only make sense to go all out and have a beer. Not being an official beer connoisseur, I decided to take a leap of faith by ordering a Grimbergen Dubbel. I’m glad I tried the Grimbergen Dubbel because it was the best beer I’ve ever tasted. It’s a dark beer with a light and smooth bittersweet taste of raisin and toffee aroma, leaving that nice foam malt fuzz across your upper lip. It gave me that warm feeling like drinking a root beer float. The taste was that good!

Caring for a little more than mussels and Grimbergen Dubbel? Well definitely try out any of the main entrees such as the Hoegaarden Fish & Chips, Steak “Sainte Gilles,” Steak Frites “Belgique,” or the Chicken Vol au Vent, and check out the extensive list of beers, amounting to over 30 flavors. Prices range between $9 - $30.

Of course there’s more I can share, but how about you go and experience it for yourself, and definitely make it a family night.

B. Café
566 Amsterdam Avenue (between 87th and 88th Sts.)
New York, NY 10024
212.873.1800