Mellow Sunday

I am recovering from a minor bike accident, so I kept it mellow last night and today.

Today I enjoyed some wining and dining in not one, but two cafes in the East Village: Cafe Brama and the MudSpot.

Cafe Brama, on 2nd Ave. at 10th St., features a $10 brunch menu with $2 drinks (my $2 drink was a mimosa - yum!). Its evening menu looks quite delectable as well. My spinach and cheese crepes were phenomenal - seriously, incredible! It couldn't quite make my scratches go away, but it could certainly take my mind off things!

Even more special was the MudSpot, located at 307 East 9th St. Known for its Mud trucks around the city, the MudSpot is a very quaint cafe with a charming, hidden backyard they call the Secret Garden, a nickname that is fully deserved! My sangria and molten brownie with vanilla ice cream were delectable. Aparrently they have live events on Monday nights at the Mudspot cafe.

Free Comedy Over Free Music Last Night

As much as I really, really wanted to see Blondie live last night, I wasn't quite prepared for the combination of the long subway rides and the crowds that were surely there - in masses and masses, out for the free show with legendary rock performers Blondie and Pat Benatar, along with the Donnas.

So I stayed semi-local and saw a free comedy show at the Nightingale Lounge, in the East Village.

Thursdays they offer free comedy -- which started out strong and generally very enjoyable, and slowly declined with each successive comedian. Anyway, it was free, so I can't say it wasn't worth it! Nightingale Lounge has a very relaxed, intimate set-up, with the small stage central, across from the bar and encircled by the audience.

I recommend checking out this lounge and seeing their Calendar of Events, which features nightly happenings, such as open-mics of all kinds, poetry readings, music jam sessions and dance parties.

East Village Bar/Restautant: Death & Co.

Now that the chill in the air has become a regular feature of NYC life, I find that I am more inclined towards cozy nights in lounges and at home than bar-hopping or trying to squeeze as many music shows as I can into my schedule.

That said, I wanted to highlight this bar/lounge/restaurant I came across as an under-the-radar gem in the East Village: Death and Company. The name of the place is a reference to the Volstead Act of 1919 and the Prohibition era, when, as Death & Co's website states, "It was thought that to drink alcohol was to live a life shadowed by death. It was thought by some that these were death and company."

As such, the lounge has sought to refine the perfect cocktail and has a menu with elaborate cocktail concoctions, as well as a wine list. They also have a delectable culinary menu.

The lounge does not permit photography, but I snapped a couple of pictures before realizing.