COMEDY: In November, shortly after the WGA strike sent SNL to reruns, the cast took the UCB Theater stage for an off-air show. If you missed that one, there's a chance to catch some of the cast doing stand-up at Comix tonight. The site says "sold out" but the people at the venue say they just added more tickets! So give a call and enjoy "An Evening with the Writers and Performers from Saturday Night......

Alice Waters is considered by many to be a revolutionary. She opened Chez Panisse in 1971 and began awakening America to the benefits of local, sustainable agriculture by changing her menu according to what was available seasonally. She has taken this charge beyond her restaurant through her books as well as through her Edible Schoolyard program, which enables public school children to explore the connection between what they eat and where it comes from through......

SPA: FreeNYC tells us that "in honor of their 20th Anniversary, Nina's European Day Spa is offering up some free and discounted treatments!" Get there before 7pm and you'll get a free eyebrow threading or waxing, free mini microdermabrasion, and free hand treatments. Free: it's a beautiful price. 12 to 7pm // Nina's European Day Spa [5 W 35th St] // Free PERFORMANCE ART: Remember how in 2005, during a visit by England’s cricket team......

October 6: Strategies for Building a Balanced Wine Collection The experts at the Italian Wine Merchants can show you how to build up your wine collection beyond those bottles that were left over from your last party. During the course of the afternoon, you'll taste eight Italian wines including vintage Barolo, Brunello, Super-Tuscans, and more while sampling assorted antipasti. $125 per person. Reservations required and can be made online or by calling 212-473-2323 x106. 1:00......

We were poking around on Lupa's website and noticed their stunningly beautiful photo gallery for the first time. Michael Piazza's visuals are simply gorgous, and several are downright mouthwatering. The Epi-Log compiles ten food books that they think every chef should own, including some of our favorites, like Heat, Tender at the Bone, the Omnivore's Dilemma, and The Art of Eating. Bruni ponders how best to navigate the annoying social ballet of splitting the bill......

TIP: According to Paper's Mr. Mickey, Chloë Sevigny is having a tag sale on her block this Saturday. We're guessing there will be lots of vintage Balenciaga. Check out her apartment in House & Garden...pretty nice! EVENT: The Howl Festival (which took last year off) continues on throughout the weekend. Tomorrow around 2pm you can catch Moby with his band The Little Death in Tompkins Square Park. Check out the full schedule here. All Weekend......

We recently got the new Creative Time book, aptly titled Creative Time: The Book. Unable to wrap our heads around what on earth The Urban Visual Recording Machine was after reading about it, surely we'd understand after getting our hands on the book where it plays the protagonist. Well, sort of. The book is essentially a look back on the group's public art projects around the city. For example, the photo at left is from......

Starting at 7 PM tonight, the Housing Works Bookstore and Café will host the release party for the fourth issue of the New York-based Alimentum, a literary magazine focused exclusively on food and eating. Since issue #4 contains a special feature about bananas, free banana splits will be served after tonight’s readings from five writers: Diana Abu-Jabar, Gary Allen, Robin Hirsch, Joanne Jacobson, and Scott Seward Smith. Like much of what appears in the scholarly......

We're smack dab in the middle of Bike Month, and today the Bicycle Film Festival kicks off. Tonight at the (solar powered) opening party, there's a bit of a change in the lineup as Mates of State had to cancel their performance. However Team Robespierre and Parts & Labor will be filling their shoes with help of last minute addition Dan Deacon. After that there's a dance party with Gang Gang Dance, the best part......

I first came across Spoon in 2002 when I found a copy of Kill the Moonlight at my library. Being ignorant of music at the time, I didn't know that it was one of the best-reviewed albums of the year. I did know, though, that I liked it. And, since then, Spoon has remained one of my favorite bands, so I jumped on the chance to speak with Britt Daniel to promote Spoon's December 30th......

December 7: Alex Prud’homme at O&CO. Join Alex Prud’homme, Julia Child's grandnephew, as he recounts stories about Julia and reads from her memoir, My Life in France, which he co-authored. He will also be available to sign books, which might make a great present for someone on your holiday shopping list. O&CO. store, Grand Central Terminal, Graybar Passage--Lexington Ave & 42nd St. (212-973-1472), 6:00 pm, Free. December 8 - 17: Gingerbread Homes for Animals Pastry......

Graphic designers tend to be an even-keeled lot, unless you mess with their precious Futura typeface plans. So at Monday night’s The Art of the Book: Covers With Dave Eggers, Chip Kidd and Milton Glaser, moderated by designer Michael Bierut at the 92nd Street Y, we weren’t surprised that book jacket designer and author Kidd made nice with Panelist Four – a man well into his senior years who boosted the show from the first......

For their upcoming November issue (The Art Issue), Vanity Fair is running what appears to be an epic photo story on Andy Warhol and the crew that made up the legendary Factory. Apparently Bob Colacello, who helped Warhol make Interview magazine what it is today, moved over to Vanity Fair in the mid 1980's. A connection for VF to the Factory folks that are still around - so hopefully there will be some real faces......

October 26: The Caffeine Question Get a buzz at this upcoming class at Joe, The Art of Coffee, where Head Barista Erin Meister will guide you through a tasting of coffees with levels of caffeine. Learn how the type of coffee bean and brewing method affect a beverage's caffeine level, and discover the many misconceptions about caffeine. Reservations are required: call 212-924-7400, or e-mail joecoffeestore@aol.com. 7:30 PM, 141 Waverly Place at Gay Street, $10. October......

Are dioramas the new knitting? An article in today's City section seems to think so - is the City section the new Style section? In any event, we're intrigued. Some crazy not-so-kids-anymore have organized "Diorama Lodge" the first Tuesday of each month at Freddy's Bar & Backroom in Brooklyn (though we have a hunch there won't be one this Tuesday). The premise is simple: "When do you ever get a chance to make dioramas......

This is an open call to artists! Jen Dunlap and Youngna Park are holding an event called The Art Auction, which is part silent auction, part party. We wanted to give you emerging artists a nice heads up (the event itself isn't until June 9th) so you could submit your work. The open call is for works of all mediums to be included in a silent auction (with bids starting at $30 up to $250).......

March 4: Caipirinha Making Brazilian Extravaganza Join in the fun at LeNell's Ltd: a Wine & Spirit Boutique, as they celebrate Brazilian culture with Brazilian music, food and of course a variety of tropical concoctions made with Cachaca Fazenda Mae De Ouro. Munch on Pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread), grilled sausage (two types!) and even more Brazilian cheese. Sip traditional and passionfruit caipirinhas and get ready to try some new tropical cachaca concoctions to......

We read in the Times this weekend that today is supposedly one of the most depressing days this year, according to some sort of logarithm computed by Health magazine, and that seems entirely plausible to us – January is not a friendly month, even when it’s not super cold. One would think that the default theatrical antidote for the winter doldrums would be some sort of peppy, bright-eyed musical, but for some reason right now......

We were really knocked out by Mazarin at Pianos last week. Very fun band. One can only hope that this week holds such surprise awesomeness. Some potential candidates: Party-pop masters Ok Go (at left) made a hilarious choreographed dance video in their backyard that captures the energy and fun of their live show. Plus, ladies may just fall in love with frontman Damian Kulash's gigantic Mick Jagger lips. With dance punks Controller.Controller and spirited psychedelic......

Over the weekend we stopped by a protest organized by Friends of the Tunnel Garage. Apparently developers are trying to tear down the garage, which was built in 1922 and sits at the corner of Thompson and Spring Broome Street at the edge of SoHo. While the garage looks a little run-down these days, in years past it was quite beautiful (for a garage!)-- featuring details like "terra-cotta polychromy" (?) and signage (there is......

Recently, it was announced that architect James Ingo Freed died last week. Who? He was a partner at Pei, Cobb, Freed and Partners - the firm started by I.M. Pei; you can read his bio here. While many obituaries called out the fact that he designed the Holocaust Museum in D.C. (here's a link to the museum), Freed designed a lot of recognizable city buildings: The Kips Bay Plaza housing, University Plaza Towers on......

Tara McPherson, Illustrator...

Fashionistas and music snobs descend upon the city over the next week with both CMJ and Fashion Week starting. We'll most likely only be attending the former. Before it begins though, we'll ease into the hectic schedule with a few of the following events...even if we should be resting up for the week ahead. PARADE: Some downtown blocks will play host to The Art Parade this weekend, with artists parading toward Soho on foot and......

This Thursday many bands will come together for The Gift of Noise Benefit that has been organized to help Kia Nowotne. Kia Nowotne was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer for the second time. Hours missed at work during the early stages of her treatment led to the loss of her job, compromising the status of her health insurance, and leaving Kia unable to support herself for the duration of her treatment. The music community was......

Gothamist must admit that we were one of those pasty, sun-deprived toddlers who merrily shunned the joys of sportsmanship and early childhood socialization for the more solitary pleasures of pop-up books and cartoon fantasy lands. To this day, the mere glimpse of a page from one of our favorite children's books will stop us in our tracks even faster than a shiny object, compelling us to re-read the book in question immediately. Foremost among these......

So many openings, so little time. It's a busy week in the Greenwich Village/Union Square neck of the woods, so foodies, if you don't live nearby, grab your metrocards -- it's time for a field trip. March 16th: Whole Foods comes to Union Square. We're curious to see how this impacts the Greenmarket, and Trader Joe's is reportedly coming to the area as well. Union Square is going to be one major (although somewhat pricey)......

Cold? So are we. But never fear -- here are some booze-filled events coming up to warm your cockles, or whatever else needs warming: - January 21: Five at Five Fridays at Michael's presents "The Unique Expressions of Pinot Noir from Around The World". Every Friday at 5:00 Michael's sommeliers choose five wines from their wine list and offer an unlimited five glass flight for one hour at and around the bar. Chef Robert Ribant......

I'm a lousy cook, but my girlfriend insists that I cook her dinner every once in a while. I'm worried that if I keep on making mac n' cheese or turkey sandwiches, she'll leave me. Any suggestions on where I can learn a few skills? F, Greenwich Village In a city with as many food options as New York, there is not shortage of instructors available to help you become, if not a master......

Gothamist almost missed out on The Art Deco Bookbindings of Pierre Legrain and Rose Adler at the New York Public Library. The exhibit features 43 select Art Deco bindings from the Paris, as well as two rare samples from the NYPL's own Spencer Collection. The majority of the books on display have never before been exhibited. Credited with revolutionizing bookbinding in France, Legrain studied theater design, and had designed furniture and jewelry. Adler designed clothing,......

The new art work at Rockefeller Center is called 'The Art of Shopping in New York.' Shopping bags designed by artists including David LaChappelle and Sam Taylor-Wood are on display in the alley leading to the skating rink. Sponsor Montblanc leaves its mark with its logo on the corner of the bags. But even these bags at 10 feet tall (and 800 pounds) would not be enough for the Hilton sisters, who, according to......