monkeytown

the birthday celebrations just did not stop last week, thanks to the unbelievable generosity and creative planning of dglass. on friday night she took me to monkey town, a restaurant/screening room in williamsburg (on north 3rd street between kent and wythe) that's definitely worth checking out, if only for the novelty of the room: huge screens hang on all four walls; you sit below them (and so watch the opposite wall) on low-slung couches and eat from long, four-person communal tables.

i had first heard of this place last year around christmastime, when they were running their annual holiday porn-fest. yes, that's right. pornos play on huge screens while you eat a nice dinner with a bunch of strangers (though would it be more comfortable with a bunch of frriends?).

anyway, there was no porn last friday... but i can't say the show we saw--the vjs and dancers of eyewash--was much of an improvement. maybe that's too harsh: the first couple were bad; the second dancer was ok, the third vj did some cool stuff, but nothing you haven't seen before.

but while the entertainment was decidedly uneven, the food was actually quite good, starting with a complimentary plate of these airy, addicting cracker-things with spicy dipping sauce; through the fennel/pickled mango salad; and on to our entrees: dglass liked her short ribs on an oatmeal cake, i definitely enjoyed my hanger steak.

if you want to skip the show altogether, the front of the restaurant is food-only.