Village Vanguard

It's all about the music. About a half century ago, a top critic described New York's jazz clubs as "sewers with chairs." There a few exceptions now, of course, but not much has changed, especially New York's oldest continually operating jazz club. So don't go to the Vanguard for the food (there is none), the ambience (there's not much of that, either, unless you can feel the history in the walls), the decor (nope, it's bare bones), the comfort (limited) or the cocktails (avoid the wine, mixed drinks are ok, beer is ... beer). But the music is uniformly excellent, top bands, great playing, lots of creativity. Bear in mind that if you go to the Vanguard during a band's CD release gig, they're going to be focusing on the music from the CD and you're likely to hear the same tunes if you stay for both sets. But otherwise, chances are you'll hear something new and different every set, every night.

Patron Mexican

On an M&M night last winter, we decided to skip our first choice in the neighborhood for Mexican and Margaritas: Bad enough that it had a "B" health rating, but then we saw the kitchen staff had pizza delivered in for dinner ... At a loss for another place, we wandered down the block and chose Patron at random. We were in time for happy hour, so we ordered our $5 margaritas, enjoyed salsa, chips and guacamole on the house while we checked out the menu and chatted. I ordered the carne asada tacos: four grilled pork mini tacos, served with rice, black beans, two salsas and garnished with green onions and cilantro. Very tasty. My friends had quesadillas and enchiladas and also liked them very much. The atmosphere is nothing special, but one of my friends had predicted that before we finished our first drink the lights would go down and the volume of the music would go up. Didn't happen. It was quiet enough for us to talk and catch up. The staff was friendly, but my major complaint of the evening was they started asking if we were finished way too soon. Honey, if I'm holding a fork or chewing, or if there's anything left in my cocktail glass, I am not through! Seriously, this happened a half dozen times, cutting into our conversation in mid-sentence. The place was not full, so I don't know why they were so eager to clear our table. They eventually apologized for butting in so often. Nevertheless, the food was good, so I'd go back if I was in the neighborhood. (Summer note: I recently noticed a "Grade Pending" sign in the window, indicating so many violations the joint didn't ever rate a "C." Yikes! I won't go back till that changes.)

Bouchon Bakery

Forget Starbucks if you're anywhere near a Bouchon Bakery. There are several in Midtown Manhattan. The coffee and pastries are excellent. I was working in the neighborhood and stopped on the way to pick up a feather-light orange-glazed brioche and rich and delicious latte--great way to start the day. Croissants are great, so are the cookies. Ok, everything I've tried at the Rockefeller Center store has been really, really good. I take the macarons home once in a while as a treat. I'm not a huge coffee fan, it usually just tastes like ... coffee. I drink it but don't really get involved. Bouchon's coffee always tastes great, and doesn't seem to deliver the 4 o'clock crash.

Cornelia Street Cafe

The Cornelia Street Cafe presents several sets of music each night. There's a lot of variety: jazz, folk, rock, spoken word, solo piano, etc. The cover is reasonable, usually $10 or less, so it doesn't hurt the budget too much to take a chance on something you're not familiar with. The space feels like a throwback to the Greenwich Village of the 1960s; it's a long, narrow room with a few tables and straight-back chairs. The musicians run the gamut from people just starting out to old pros trying out new material to quite well-known musicians doing something other than what they're famous for playing. The crowd is a mix of cafe regulars, friends of the band and fellow musicians. More than one performer has told me there's something about the space, "something in the walls," that brings out something special in their playing. I've never eaten here, though the food has been recommended highly. There's a nice selection of wine by the glass, and a drink is often included in the cover charge. There's also a full bar. The staff is friendly. Not incredibly efficient, but not annoying.

La Parisienne Coffee Shop

The most disgusting meal I've been served in decades. The restaurant has a "grade pending" rating from the board of health, which is a step below a C. But a colleague chose it as the meeting place for six of us, so what the heck. They don't take reservations, but when we got there they couldn't seat us at the only table big enough to accommodate us because it was reserved. I ordered simply, keeping the rating in mind: an egg-white omelette with mushrooms. It was served practically raw, a plate of clear slime, scattered with canned mushrooms. It came with about a quarter cup of home fries, which were edible. The wheat toast was ok. Two in our party ordered soup, it was served a good 20 minutes before the rest of us. A grilled cheese sandwich was served on burnt toast with unmelted cheese, how did they do that? And the mayo on a shrimp salad was discolored and congealed. The place is inexpensive, but the food is inedible.

Kiran Indian Cuisine

Kiran isn't at all touristy. If you're looking for a strip-mall or franchise atmosphere, you won't be happy here. It's a plain Manhattan storefront restaurant, probably a take-out fave for people in the neighborhood. The first time we went, the food smelled delicious, but we almost went somewhere else. Kiran was warm inside -- it was early spring, but it was the warmest day of the year, so far. They followed us out the door to say they'd be happy to turn on the AC for us. They did, and promptly served us ice-cold beers plus complimentary flatbread and chutney appetizers, and we were comfortable in no time. I had chicken tikka saagwala--chunks of moist white tandoori chicken with fresh spinach. Medium spicy was not at all hot, next time I'm going for the next notch up the spice chain (and there will be a next time, we all liked this place). The generous portion was very tasty, served with basmati rice, there was enough to take home for lunch the next day. The menu had a lot of good choices, we're looking forward to sampling more. Kiran is very quiet, with soft background music, a great conversation level. We sat at a table by the window and enjoyed people watching on this warm spring night. We stayed several hours, we were the last people there, but did not feel rushed or unwelcome. I've gone back several times for lunch or dinner. They've installed a flat-screen TV, which can be a conversation stopper. But they've turned down the sound whenever I've asked. Sometimes I ask to sit right underneath it, so I'm not distracted by looking at it.

Kitano

A small, comfortable jazz room that attracts a knowledgeable crowd--there are almost always musicians in the audience. No cover charge early in the week, but there is a $15 minimum. The menu is limited, chicken quesadillas are a fave, the burger is decent. A nice choice of wines are offered by the glass, and there are some tasty specialty cocktails. There are seats at the far end of the room from the stage, if you want to chat quietly. Otherwise, it's a listening crowd and talkers near the bandstand will likely be shushed. The music is typically very good. They're not necessarily internationally known players, but most have a very strong local following, so reservations are a good idea. It's also a good place to hear renowned players in a sideman role. The decor is simple but sophisticated, and a nice view of Park Avenue is the star. Table service is so-so, usually just one person for the whole room; if you want more than one drink, sitting at the bar is your best bet. I had a pet-peeve service experience there last night--the waitress never brought my change. Chances are I would have left it all as a tip (close to 25 percent), but I would have preferred to make that decision myself.