The song of the summer will soon be a limited edition Van Leeuwen ice-cream flavor.

In an Instagram post Wednesday, Van Leeuwen announced the new VL x Sabrina Carpenter Espresso ice cream — in honor of the popular song “Espresso.”

The new espresso-flavored ice cream — which also features rich and chewy brownies, chocolate chips and fudge swirls — will be available in stores and the ice cream shop’s website on June 28.

Half of the profits from the sale of the new espresso ice cream will go to The Ali Forney Center, which helps LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness by providing “a home with stability, support, and comprehensive services to help[…]get their lives back on track and to prepare them to live independently and thrive,” according to the organization’s website.

“Espresso” has taken the music world — and Tik Tok — by storm since it was released in April. It is a top contender for the 2024 song of the summer, which Billboard determines by tracking popular songs across all genres from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

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The June 19 concert, put on by the Broadway League, will take place at “the Crossroads of the World” from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (rain or shine).

This year’s celebration will include the presentation of the Juneteenth Legacy Award to Tony Award-winner Phylicia Rashad.

The concert lineup includes: Blu Allen, Donovan Louis Bazemore, Jace Bentley, Ronnie S. Bowman Jr., Maya Boyd, Tsilala Brock, Max Chambers, Taylor Colleton, Jay Copeland, Lorna Courtney, Charity Angél Dawson, Mariama Diop, Desmond Sean Ellington, Will Ervin Jr., Jerome Hermann-Hardeman, Dorian Harewood, Jackson Hayes, Najah Hetsberger, Afra Hines, Manny Houston, Jaylen Lyndon Hunter, Bre Jackson, Polanco Jones Jr., John-Michael Lyles, Mehret Marsh, Deja McNair, Alex Newell, Veronica Otim, Cristina Rae, Jelani Remy, William Rhem Jr., Albert Rhodes Jr., Walter Russell III, Antoine L. Smith, Nia Thompson, Lamont Walker II, Rachel Webb, NaTasha Yvette Williams, and Hailee Kaleem Wright.

The team of Broadway performers, from shows like “The Notebook,” “The Wiz,” and “Moulin Rouge!” will be joined by kids of Young Gifted and Broadway.

The Broadway League’s Black to Broadway initiative was started in 2019 with the goal of inspiring “deeper engagement with awareness of, and access to Broadway for all Black people.”

The fast food giant said the Grandma McFlurry will be available starting May 21. It describes the treat as “sweet — just like grandma — and features a delicious syrup and chopped, crunchy candy pieces (like grandma’s favorite treat that she hid in her purse!)” blended in vanilla soft serve.

To celebrate the kickoff of the new item, McDonald’s said it will bring the Grandma’s McFlurry Mobile (their version of an ice cream truck) to NYC and give out free tastes of the frozen dessert. The truck will be in Herald Square, on the corner of West 34th Street and Broadway, on Friday from 1 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday, McDonald’s said it will be taking the truck to senior centers and assisted living homes in East Harlem from noon to 1 p.m., then in Flushing, Queens, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

If you can’t see the truck, the chain said people should listen for a “familiar McDonald’s jingle playing on the speakers as the ice cream truck makes its way around the city.”

Clooney will play legendary TV journalist Edward R. Murrow in a stage adaptation of the 2005 movie that earned him directing and writing Oscar nominations and was among the best picture contenders.

“I am honored, after all these years, to be coming back to the stage and especially, to Broadway, the art form and the venue that every actor aspires to,” Clooney said in a statement.

The play “Good Night, and Good Luck” — with David Cromer directing — will premiere on Broadway in spring 2025 at a Shubert Theatre to be announced. It will be again co-written by Clooney and Grant Heslov.

The 90-minute black-and-white film starred David Strathairn as Murrow and is a natural to be turned into a play: The dialogue-heavy action unfolds on handful of sets. The title comes from Murrow’s signoff on the TV series “See It Now.”

A key part of Clooney’s film portrayed Murrow’s struggle to maintain support from CBS executives for critical reporting on Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy, known for accusing government employees of disloyalty. Clooney played “See It Now” co-creator Fred Friendly, who resisted intense pressure and ensured the reports got to air.

Murrow, who died in 1965, is considered one of the architects of U.S. broadcast news.

“Edward R. Murrow operated from a kind of moral clarity that feels vanishingly rare in today’s media landscape. There was an immediacy in those early live television broadcasts that today can only be effectively captured on stage, in front of a live audience,” Cromer said in a statement.

The Clooneys are boosters of journalism. Clooney’s father, Nick Clooney, worked as a TV news anchor and host in a variety of cities including Cincinnati, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. He also wrote a newspaper column in Cincinnati and taught journalism students at American University.

At the time the movie came out, Clooney said his family took pride in how journalists held the government accountable during the paranoia of the 1950s communist threat. Clooney said he wanted to make a movie to let people hear some “really well-written words about the fourth estate again.”

Well, whether or not you asked for it, now’s your chance to get one — and with a view, too.

At LilliStar, a rooftop bar in Williamsburg atop the Moxy Hotel, they are putting a new spin on the good old-fashioned hot dog, by turning it into a cocktail this summer.

Called the “Hot Doggin It,” the bar said it evokes the essence of a hot dog. The ingredients for the drinkable dog include tequila, Lustau Vermut, tomato water and mustard seed agave.

And the presentation does not disappoint: It comes in a foil wrapper and is garnished with a cocktail weenie.

Not quite sure about that last one, with fashion’s biggest night set for Monday at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

There have been conflicting reports about Swift and Kelce attending this year’s Met Gala for what would be their first official red-carpet event as a couple. People reported on April 29 that the 14-time Grammy winner, who released “The Tortured Poets Department” album on April 19, would not attend so she can focus on preparing for her Eras Tour that resumes May 9 in Paris.

The invite-only guest list for the lavish event that draws high-profile celebrities and world-renowned designers is a well-kept secret. So, until arrivals begin, there’s no way of knowing for sure if Swift will be on the famed Met staircase spinning like a girl in a brand new dress.

She has attended on six different occasions, most recently in 2016, showing off her evolving style. Kelce, the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs who also has a passion for fashion, has yet to attend the event. 

Let’s look back at Swift’s fashion choices each year she graced the Met Gala in her best dress, fearless.

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2008

An 18-year-old Swift made her Met Gala debut in 2008 wearing a gold ombré gown from Badgley Mischka. With a “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy” theme, Vogue wrote that Swift’s sequined dress “was reminiscent of a mysterious, gilded mermaid.” The gown had the same golden tone as the cover of her second album — “Fearless” — that would be released six months later.

2010

Swift opted for a simplistic and sophisticated look at the 2010 Met Gala, which featured an “American Woman: Fashioning A National Identity” theme. Her white, shoulder-baring gown made by Ralph Lauren featured sequin-embroidered ruffles.

2011

Swift was a Met Gala veteran when she arrived in 2011 dressed for the “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” theme. She wore a one-shoulder J. Mendel gown featuring layered lace and mesh with a mermaid train.

2013

Swift unveiled a darker look at the 2013 Met Gala with a J. Mendel gown for the “PUNK: Chaos to Couture” theme. Her smokey eye makeup perfectly complemented her floor-length black gown and jeweled collar. 

2014

Formal attire was expected at the 2014 Met Gala with its “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” theme, and Swift delivered with an Old Hollywood look. She wore a soft-pink Oscar de la Renta gown that was embroidered with flowers.

2016

No red lips and rosy cheeks this time.

Swift’s last Met Gala appearance, when she served as the event’s co-chair, was her most daring. Swift, sporting bleached blonde hair and plum lipstick, wore a metallic-scaled dress designed by Louis Vuitton for the “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology” theme.

Until she returns to the Met Gala, as Swift might say, “Say you’ll remember me, standing in a nice dress…”

The Met Gala is held each year on the first Monday in May, providing celebrities with the most prestigious of red-carpeted runways – and staircases – to showcase the glamorous work of renowned costume designers.

Last year’s highlight was Rihanna making a very fashionably late entrance wearing a Valentino gown with giant white flowers that covered her torso and baby bump, and a cape that blanketed many of the famed Met steps.  

The extravagant black-tie affair brings out the most unusual of outfits and accessories. It’s where Doja Cat dressed as an actual cat, where Jared Leto held a lifelike replica of his own head, and where Katy Perry once showed up as a cheeseburger and another year wore angel wings that were so large she had to arrive in a convertible.

It’s where attendees abide by a themed dress code, and flashbulbs light the room and money is raised for a related cause.  

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 Met Gala.    

When is the Met Gala?

The 2024 Met Gala is on Monday, May 6. Guest arrivals are scheduled from 5:30 p.m. ET to 8 p.m. ET.

Where is the Met Gala?

The Met Gala will be held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. 

When did the Met Gala start?

The first Met Gala was held in December of 1948 at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan. The event was a midnight dinner that cost $50 to attend, according to TIME.

Who is hosting the Met Gala?

The hosts of the 2024 Met Gala will be Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Lopez and Zendaya. Last year’s hosts were Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer, Dua Lipa, and Anna Wintour.

What is the Met Gala theme?

The 2024 Met Gala is called “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” which is the name of the Costume Institute’s spring 2024 exhibition. The exhibition will be based on unique garments from four centuries ago that will be reborn for those who see them.

The “sleeping beauties” are actually treasured and extremely fragile garments in the museum’s collection that will be on display in a series of galleries.

What is the Met Gala dress code?

The dress code for the 2024 Met Gala is “The Garden of Time” — which is inspired by J.G. Ballard’s 1962 short story that features the beauty and eventual destruction of a garden of flowers.

Last year’s dress code was “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” which was a tribute to the late German designer.  

Who is invited to the Met Gala?

The guest list for the invite-only Met Gala is one of the industry’s best-kept secrets. So, no, we do not yet know if Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will be attending.  

How much does it cost to go to the Met Gala?

Those invited to the Met Gala can pay $75,000 for one ticket or $350,000 for a table, according to the New York Times. Celebrities, however, typically are not the ones paying their way into one of the grandest parties of the year. They are often invited by brands that purchase the tickets. 

What does the Met Gala raise money for?

The Met Gala is a fundraiser benefiting The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. 

Last year’s event raised nearly $22 million, according to the New York Times. 

How do you watch the Met Gala?

The Met Gala arrivals will also be live-streamed on Vogue.com. 

“New York Live” will have a special edition from 6-7 p.m. ET on the NBC New York News streaming channel. Live coverage will continue at 7 p.m. on E!, a live stream of which will also be available on Peacock.

The annual list of North America’s 50 Best Bars was released in April, and the city is quite well represented with a total of 12 spots making the list. But in a change from 2023, it no longer can boast having the best bar around.

That honor now belongs to Handshake Speakeasy, in Mexico City. The bar is quite familiar with success: It was No. 2 on the list in 2023. Mexico City is second only to NYC in most bars named to the list, with nine different places featured — including two in the top five, and four in the top 10.

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However, NYC has many strong contenders that could challenge for that spot in coming years. There are three Manhattan joints in the top five for North America, and last year’s reigning champ in the Lower East Side is still in the top 10.

The top-ranked bar in the city is a newcomer to the list: Superbueno, in the East Village, was rated second on the list overall. It was also the highest-rated new entry to be featured.

Since opening in 2023, the elevated cantina has become known for its margaritas (including green mango and mushroom varieties) and other Mexican-inspired cocktails, in addition to an extensive collection of mocktails as well. And don’t forget the food, with three types of tacos, birria grilled cheese, pork ribs and a few dessert offerings.

In case you can’t make it to Superbueno, there are plenty of other options offering top-shelf bar experiences. Right behind it on the list is Overstory. The posh Financial District spot more than 60 floors in the air featuring a spectacular 360-degree panorama of the city was third on the list, but it offers much more than just views.

Located a floor above the SAGA restaurant, Overstory has a “petite jewel box of a bar,” according to the list. And there is an emphasis on “petite”: There are only 28 seats available inside.

There’s also Martiny’s, which was fourth on the prestigious list. The Gramercy Park watering hole moved up 25 spots for the 2024 list, up from 29th in 2023 — the biggest improvement of any bar from last year’s list, according to the site.

Rounding out the NYC bars that cracked the top 10 was Double Chicken Please, the small bar near the intersection of Delancey Street and Allen Street on the Lower East Side that was earned the top spot on the 2023 list. The bar has described itself as being “inspired by exploration and experimentation of traditional drinks and dishes.”

Double Chicken Please is divided into two sections, the front room and the back room. The front room’s menu includes 13 different cocktails on tap, along with a selection of shots and other spirits. The back room has a much more extensive cocktail list, all of which are made by hand (not on tap) and appear to be named after different foods, like the French toast, the red eye gravy, the cold pizza and the key lime pie.

The craft cocktail bar is credited by many as helping start the nationwide trend of upscale restaurants starting to use food (like produce, meats or cheese) in their drinks, and more so than just simple garnishes or lighter infusions.

A number of other NYC bars once again found their way onto the list, just as they did in 2023. Katana Kitten, the West Village bar, was rated 12th for 2024, a year after being rated third overall. It has a wide selection of Japanese whiskeys and signature cocktails, as well as sandwiches and small bites.

Employees Only fell just one spot to No. 15, according to the list. Dante — which has locations in the West Village and Greenwich Village — was rated sixth-best in 2023, and was No. 20 for 2024.

Attaboy, a previous winner that was 13th in 2023, was rated at No. 31, according to the list. Dead Rabbit has been featured on the list multiple times as well, and ranked at 33rd on the 2024 list. Maison Premiere, in Williamsburg, was the only NYC bar to make the list that isn’t located in Manhattan, at No. 41. SoHo spot Milady’s moved up from No. 50 to No. 44.

There was one newcomer for the city: Angel’s Share, which recently relocated to a new location in Greenwich Village, made its debut on the list at No. 43.

Check out the full list of Drama Desk nominations below!

Outstanding Musical

Dead Outlaw

Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory

Lizard Boy, Prospect Theater Company

Teeth, Playwrights Horizons

The Connector, MCC Theater

The Outsiders

Outstanding Revival of a Play

Appropriate, Second Stage Theater

Doubt: A Parable, Roundabout Theatre Company

Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Irish Repertory Theatre

Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Uncle Vanya, OHenry Productions

Outstanding Revival of a Musical

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Gutenberg! The Musical!

I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Classic Stage Company

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play

Nicole Cooper, Macbeth (an undoing), Theatre for a New Audience, Rose Theatre, and Royal

Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh

William Jackson Harper, Primary Trust, Roundabout Theatre Company

Jessica Lange, Mother Play, Second Stage Theater

Rachel McAdams, Mary Jane, Manhattan Theatre Club

Tobias Menzies, The Hunt, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre

Leslie Odom, Jr., Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Sarah Paulson, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater

A.J. Shively, Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Irish Repertory Theatre

Juliet Stevenson, The Doctor, Park Avenue Armory

Michael Stuhlbarg, Patriots

Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical

Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw

Santino Fontana, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Classic Stage Company

Brody Grant, The Outsiders

Brian d’Arcy James, Days of Wine and Roses, Atlantic Theater Company

Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen

Kelli O’Hara, Days of Wine and Roses, Atlantic Theater Company

Liam Pearce, How to Dance in Ohio

Gayle Rankin, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Ben Levi Ross, The Connector, MCC Theater

Ricky Ubeda, Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play

Brittany Adebumola, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Manhattan Theatre Club

Marylouise Burke, Infinite Life, Atlantic Theater Company

Michael Esper, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater

Marin Ireland, Uncle Vanya, OHenry Productions

Will Keen, Patriots

Celia Keenan-Bolger, Mother Play, Second Stage Theater

Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary!

Sheila Tousey, Manahatta, The Public Theater

Bubba Weiler, Swing State, Goodman Theatre

Kara Young, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical

Shoshana Bean, Hell’s Kitchen

Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club, Atlantic Theater Company

Dorian Harewood, The Notebook

Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer, Monty Python’s Spamalot

Kecia Lewis, Hell’s Kitchen

Bebe Neuwirth, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Steven Pasquale, Teeth, Playwrights Horizons

Maryann Plunkett, The Notebook

Thom Sesma, Dead Outlaw

Emily Skinner, Suffs

Outstanding Direction of a Play

Daniel Aukin, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons

Rupert Goold, The Hunt, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre

Kenny Leon, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Lila Neugebauer, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater

Ciarán O’Reilly, Philadelphia, Here I Come!, Irish Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Direction of a Musical

David Cromer, Dead Outlaw

Rebecca Frecknall, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Daisy Prince, The Connector, MCC Theater

Jessica Stone, Water for Elephants

Danya Taymor, The Outsiders

Outstanding Choreography

Camille A. Brown, Hell’s Kitchen

Graciela Daniele and Alex Sanchez, The Gardens of Anuncia, Lincoln Center Theater

Rick Kuperman and Jeff Kuperman, The Outsiders (includes fight choreography)

Lorin Latarro, The Heart of Rock and Roll

Justin Peck, Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory

Jesse Robb and Shana Carroll, Water for Elephants (includes circus choreography)

Outstanding Music

Jason Robert Brown, The Connector, MCC Theater

Justin Huertas, Lizard Boy, Prospect Theater Company

Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, The Outsiders

Shaina Taub, Suffs

David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, Dead Outlaw

Outstanding Lyrics

Rachel Bloom, Eli Bolin, and Jack Dolgen, Rachel Bloom: Death, Let Me Do My Show

Jason Robert Brown, The Connector, MCC Theater

Michael R. Jackson, Teeth, Playwrights Horizons

Jamestown Revival (Jonathan Clay & Zach Chance) and Justin Levine, The Outsiders

David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, Dead Outlaw

Outstanding Book of a Musical

Justin Huertas, Lizard Boy, Prospect Theater Company

Michael R. Jackson, Teeth, Playwrights Horizons

Michael John LaChiusa, The Gardens of Anuncia, Lincoln Center Theater

Rebekah Greer Melocik, How to Dance in Ohio

Itamar Moses, Dead Outlaw

Outstanding Orchestrations

Timo Andres, Illinoise, Park Avenue Armory

Will Butler and Justin Craig, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons

Andy Evan Cohen, The Greatest Hits Down Route 66, New Light Theater Project

Marco Paguia, Buena Vista Social Club, Atlantic Theater Company

Erik Della Penna, Dean Sharenow, and David Yazbek, Dead Outlaw

Michael Starobin, Shaina Taub (vocal arrangements), and Andrea Grody (vocal arrangements),

Suffs

Outstanding Music in a Play

Michael “Mikey J” Asante, The Effect, The Shed

S T A R R Busby and JJJJJerome Ellis, (pray), Ars Nova and National Black Theatre

Will Butler, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons

Dionne McClain-Freeney, The Harriet Holland Social Club Presents The 84th Annual Star-Burst

Cotillion in the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel, New Georges and The Movement Theatre Company

Ben Steinfeld, Pericles, Classic Stage Company and Fiasco Theater

Outstanding Revue

Amid Falling Walls, National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play

Es Devlin, The Hunt, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre

dots, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater

Derek McLane, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

Scott Pask, Grey House

David Zinn, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons

Outstanding Scenic Design of a Musical

AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, The Outsiders

Paul Tate dePoo III, The Great Gatsby (includes projections)

Riccardo Hernández, Suffs

Arnulfo Maldonado, Dead Outlaw

Grace Smart, Good Vibrations: A Punk Rock Musical, Irish Arts Center

Outstanding Costume Design of a Play

Alex Berry, Macbeth (an undoing), Theatre for a New Audience, Rose Theatre, and Royal

Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh

Karen Boyer, Warrior Sisters of Wu, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre

Enver Chakartash, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons

Lux Haac, Manahatta, The Public Theater

Rodrigo Muñoz, Sally & Tom, The Public Theater

Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical

Dede Ayite, Buena Vista Social Club, Atlantic Theater Company

Márion Talán de la Rosa, The Connector, MCC Theater

Loren Elstein, Once Upon a One More Time

David Israel Reynoso, Water for Elephants

Paul Tazewell, Suffs

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play

Jane Cox, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater

Stacey Derosier, Uncle Vanya, OHenry Productions

Natasha Katz, Grey House

Lizzie Powell, Macbeth (an undoing), Theatre for a New Audience, Rose Theatre, and

Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh

Eric Southern, Swing State, Goodman Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design of a Musical

Lap Chi Chu, Suffs

Heather Gilbert, Dead Outlaw

Bradley King, Water for Elephants

Brian MacDevitt and Hana S. Kim (projections), The Outsiders

Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, The Connector, MCC Theater

Outstanding Projection and Video Design

Eric Dunlap, Our Class, MART Foundation and Arlekin Players Theatre

Jared Mezzocchi, Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy, Vineyard Theatre

Peter Nigrini, Hell’s Kitchen

Olivia Sebesky, Melissa Etheridge: My Window

Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, The Connector, MCC Theater

Outstanding Sound Design of a Play

Adam Cork, The Hunt, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre

Tom Gibbons, Grey House

Palmer Hefferan, The Comeuppance, Signature Theatre

Bray Poor and Will Pickens, Appropriate, Second Stage Theater

Ryan Rumery, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons

Outstanding Sound Design of a Musical

Jason Crystal, Suffs

Kai Harada and Joshua Millican, Dead Outlaw

Nick Lidster for Autograph, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

Cody Spencer, The Outsiders

Walter Trarbach, Water for Elephants

Outstanding Wig and Hair

J. Jared Janas and Cassie Williams, Sally & Tom, The Public Theater

Charles G. LaPointe, Suffs

Nikiya Mathis, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, Manhattan Theatre Club

Nikiya Mathis, The Harriet Holland Social Club Presents The 84th Annual Star-Burst Cotillion in

the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel, New Georges and The Movement Theatre Company

Robert Pickens and Katie Gell, Stereophonic, Playwrights Horizons

Outstanding Solo Performance

Michael Cruz Kayne, Sorry for Your Loss

Madeleine MacMahon, Breathless, Theatre Royal Plymouth

Wade McCollum, Make Me Gorgeous!, triangle productions!

Robert Montano, SMALL, Penguin Rep Theatre

Patrick Page, All the Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain

Unique Theatrical Experience

A Eulogy for Roman, Through the Tollbooth Co.

A Simulacrum, Atlantic Theater Company

ADRIFT: A Medieval Wayward Folly, Happenstance Theater

I Love You So Much I Could Die, New York Theatre Workshop

Grenfell: in the words of survivors, St. Ann’s Warehouse, National Theatre, and KPPL Productions

Outstanding Fight Choreography

Michael G. Chin, Warrior Sisters of Wu, Pan Asian Repertory Theatre

Cha Ramos, Water for Elephants

Steve Rankin, The Who’s Tommy

Outstanding Adaptation

An Enemy of the People, by Amy Herzog

Macbeth (an undoing), by Zinnie Harris, Theatre for a New Audience, Rose Theatre,

and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh

The Comedy of Errors, by Rebecca Martínez and Julián Mesri, The Public Theater Mobile Unit

The Doctor, by Robert Icke, Park Avenue Armory

The Hunt, by David Farr, St. Ann’s Warehouse and Almeida Theatre

The Whole of Time, by Romina Paula, Joben Studios

Outstanding Puppetry

Matt Acheson, Hotel Happy, Houses on the Moon Theater Company

Adrian Kohler and Handspring Puppet Company, Life & Times of Michael K, St. Ann’s Warehouse,

Baxter Theatre Centre, and Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus

Ray Wetmore, JR Goodman, and Camille Labarre, Water for Elephants

David Valentine, Poor Yella Rednecks, Manhattan Theatre Club

SPECIAL AWARDS

Ensemble Award

The cast of Stereophonic – Will Brill, Andrew R. Butler, Juliana Canfield, Eli Gelb, Tom Pecinka, Sarah Pidgeon, and Chris Stack – who execute David Adjmi’s hypernaturalistic text with extraordinary care and precision, while also performing Will Butler’s music with the freshness and life that makes us believe we are witnessing, first-hand, the creation of a new American classic.

Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award

Cole Escola, who both wrote and stars in one of this season’s biggest hits Off Broadway, Oh, Mary! Following in the long legacy of queer artists who write themselves into American history, Escola’s new “gay fantasia on national themes” is a hilarious reminder of why we must continue to interrogate our past.

ADDITIONAL SPECIAL AWARDS

How to Dance in Ohio Authentic Autistic Representation Team – Sammi Cannold, Nicole D’Angelo, Becky Leifman, Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt, Liz Weber, and Jeremy Wein  – for their steadfast support of autistic theatermakers, and their strides toward true accessibility for neurodiverse individuals both on and offstage.

Lighting designer Isabella Byrd, whose self-described technique as a “darkness designer” has earned her a cache of nominations and awards in the United States and abroad. During this season, Byrd illuminated two Broadway shows done in the round, An Enemy of the People and Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. Off Broadway, her spotlight on quiet, small-scale stories both enchanted us in Primary Trust and mesmerized us in Infinite Life, with a parking-lot sky that marked the passage of time.

Lady Irene Gandy, for career achievement. A press agent extraordinaire for over five decades, Lady Irene has always demonstrated her passion, dedication, and love for theater. A Broadway producer and Sardi’s honoree, she is a zealous advocate for inclusion, diversity, and equity in the arts.

It’s no surprise that bagels are incredibly popular in New York and New Jersey, but a new survey sheds light on just how much it is loved, by looking at how many bagels the average resident eats each year.

The results? The survey, conducted by Betway, found the average New Yorker eats 111 bagels each year, while the average New Jerseyan consumes 82 bagels annually.

That may sound like a lot (or a little, depending on your tastes), but in a surprise, neither state was even in the top five for the most bagels eaten. New York was sixth on the list.

The state that ate the most was Hawaii, followed by Kansas and Maryland, according to Betway.

Nearly a third of respondents (29%) from the Garden State admitted that they enjoy as many as three bagels a week. Somewhat unsurprisingly, plain was the most popular choice, with 44% saying that was their top pick. That was followed closely by everything (41%) and cinnamon raisin (27%). No other option got more than 20%.

In terms of what goes on said bagels, the far-and-away leader was cream cheese — but it gets interesting when the flavor of cream cheese is involved. Plain was the frontrunner at just under 40%, but nationwide, more than a third of respondents (34.5%) said their pick would be strawberry cream cheese.

In New Jersey, the other leading fillings were varieties of egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, with sausage just edging out bacon as the favorite, 31% to 29%. Interestingly, Taylor Ham (or pork roll) — New Jersey’s pride and joy when it comes to breakfast meats — finished a distant 4^th, with less than one in five opting for it.

Across the country, nearly 80% admitted to having a bagel at least once a month, if not more often. The age group most likely to have a bagel? That belongs to the 25-34 demographic, who were found to eat an average of 102 bagels each year. Men were also found to enjoy bagels more often, according to the survey, eating 40% more bagels than women.

The popular grocery chain has opened its Pronto shop on East 14th Street, in the same location where it’s beloved Wine Shop had been before it’s sudden closure in 2022. The new store is a grab-and-go style spot that will allow shoppers to get some meal favorites quickly, while not having to wait in line with those doing their regular grocery shopping.

The company said it is the only store like it they have, and there are no plans to make any others anywhere across the country.

“Trader Joe’s Pronto is a one-of-a-kind extension of our store in Union Square. This additional space allows us to carry more of the products our customers in this neighborhood purchase daily,” a company spokesperson said. “We do not have plans to open additional Trader Joe’s Pronto markets in New York or elsewhere in the country.”

It comes after the chain raised the price of its individually-sold bananas by roughly 20%, to 23 cents from 19 cents — the first time the price has been raised since the store started selling bananas in 2001. The never-changing price tag became a selling point for the fruit, with signage at some Trader Joe’s locations boasting about the store’s refusal to increase the cost of potassium-rich produce.

The 19-cent bananas have proved so popular over the years that they recently made the Trader Joe’s Product Hall of Fame.

In a statement to CNBC Make It, a representative for the brand said that the new price “still represents a tremendous everyday value for bananas.”

“We only change our prices when our costs change, and after holding our price for bananas at 19¢ each for more than two decades, we’ve now reached a point where this change is necessary,” they said.

CNBC’s Nicolas Vega contributed to this report.

Fast-forward more than two decades and Iglehart found himself playing the first Genie on Broadway, killing it, and on his way to a Tony Award.

“To play the role that I loved so much and be able to be my full, silly self with the volume at 20 to 25 and go crazy was just so cathartic,” he says.

“Aladdin” turns 10 this month and it has done more than become Broadway’s go-to for young people experiencing their first musical. It has also become an incubator for Black actors like Iglehart leading a big Disney musical with joy and humor.

There are currently Genies on Broadway and on tour in the United Kingdom and United States, in Japan and Spain, all doing cartwheels, high kicking and singing “Friend Like Me.” They call it a Genie Brotherhood.

“I kind of just tell the guys, ‘Listen, make sure that you give your authentic self. You don’t have to play it like me,’” Iglehart says. “As long as you bring your brand of silliness and comedy and heart and realness to it, the audience will accept it.”

After ‘Aladdin,” Iglehart went on to land TV and voice work, the Broadway dual roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in “Hamilton,” King Arthur in the new “Spamalot” revival and will next star as Louis Armstrong in “A Wonderful World.”

“It’s made me the actor I am today. And it’s given me a legacy that I can be thoroughly proud of,” he says. “It changed my life.”

At the Tony Awards in 2014, Iglehart sang, danced and lifted one of the coveted statuettes for best featured actor in front of millions of viewers.

Hundreds of miles away, a Genie-to-be was watching, his life changing.

Marcus Martin was 16 at the time, an aspiring actor in Akron, Ohio, who sat transfixed as Iglehart filled the Tony stage.

“I was always told that I would have a hard time in this business because the best roles were for skinny white tenors, and I’m not any of those things,” says Martin. “So seeing James gave me permission to dream a new dream.”

He had grown up going to Broadway shows with his mom when they came through Ohio. Watching the Tony telecast, he decided he would one day play the Genie and began memorizing the music and lines. Naturally, he and his mom saw “Aladdin” when the first national tour came to Cleveland.

He graduated Baldwin Wallace University in May 2020 — not the best time to have a degree in performing live for large groups of people. But he persisted. He auditioned for Disney four times and got his dream role.

He is now the Genie on the second national tour.

He started in Schenectady, New York, and has performed in over 50 cities, from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Los Angeles. He’s geeked out over playing historic venues like The Fabulous Fox Theatre in St. Louis and the Fox Theatre in Atlanta.

“I’m such a theater nerd. I always say I’m a fan first, actor second,” he says. Martin likes to look for famous autographs on the walls or under desks in his new dressing rooms.

“All the greats, and some that I’ve even looked up to as a young performer, I’m now in the same space as them, sharing dressing rooms,” he says. “This is a very special way to start my career.”

He has become friends with Iglehart and the two were joined by a third Genie before Martin went to lead the tour. “They took me to lunch to kind of send me off and give me the secrets of the lamp,” says Martin.

That third Genie is Michael James Scott — the Genie that Martin and his mom saw when “Aladdin” came to Cleveland.

Disney has a gravitational pull in Orlando, Florida, where Scott grew up. He performed as a younger man in the theme parks and at special events, always readying for the spotlight in New York.

“Broadway was always a dream of mine since I was a little boy,” he says.

Scott is a Broadway veteran by now, with credits in “Mama Mia!” “Tarzan,” “Elf” and “Something Rotten!” But he calls Genie “one of those once-in-a-lifetime roles. It’s like everything in the kitchen sink in one role.”

He led the first national tour of “Aladdin” and played the Genie in London’s West End. He originated the role when the show went to Australia and was deeply moved when a group of Aboriginal children came to see him in their very first Broadway tour.

“The Genie is love, light, laughter and people want to have that right now,” Scott says. “To be that person for young people to look out to see and also as a person of color and what that really means in representation, is something I don’t hold lightly.”

These days, he’s the proud Genie on Broadway.

“If this little chocolate, chubby child from Orlando, Florida, could one day grow up to be the Genie in ‘Aladdin’ on Broadway and around the world, anything is possible,” he says.

As the show celebrates its 10th anniversary, Scott has an idea why it has lasted. “It does not apologize for being this big Broadway musical, epic comedy,” he says. “Don’t you want to have joy?”

Officials said restaurants and food retailers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut should check to see if they have the recalled product.

Live mussels from Allen’s Fisheries located in Newfoundland, Canada, and initially harvested on Feb. 7, were shipped to distributors and restaurants in Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. The shellfish were shipped on or around Feb. 21.

The FDA said the mussels may have been distributed to other states, as well.

Restaurants and food retailers should not serve or sell the shellfish. The FDA said you should dispose of the mussels and not eat them. Retailers can also contact their distributor to arrange for return.

Anyone who eats the potentially-contaminated mussels may experience symptoms of food poisoning. This could include diarrhea, stomach pains or cramps, nausea, vomiting or fever.

Anyone who experiences these side effects should report their symptoms to their local health department.

The New Jersey Department of Health advised the FDA of an outbreak of illness associated with the consumption of certain mussels on March 1.

The FDA said they are awaiting more information on distribution of the mussels and will continue to monitor the investigation. More information on the recall can be found here.

That’s because the famed television chef has opened one of his restaurants at Newark Liberty International Airport, the Port Authority announced Thursday.

“We’ve welcomed countless dignitaries through our world-class airports, but nothing compares to the arrival of the Mayor of Flavortown himself, Guy Fieri,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole.

Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen + Bar opened inside the New Jersey airport’s Terminal A, bringing recognizable dishes such as Ain’t No Thing Butta Chicken Wing, Motley Que Pulled Pork Sandwich, and of course, the beloved trash can nachos.

“This makes EWR our official hub and we are ready and welcoming all passengers on their trip to Flavortown!” Fieri said in a statement.

The restaurant’s design combines local industrial vibe of the Newark area with Fieri’s well-known and exuberant personality, Port Authority said. It will feature a large bar surrounded by seating areas bordered by shipping container elements, which will be covered with Fieri’s signature graphics.

And in case you’re concerned you won’t be able to find it, fear not: there will be an oversized, illuminated Flavortown beacon above the restaurant that is visible throughout the terminal, the transit authority said.

After making her record-breaking Broadway debut in “Chicago” last year, Monsoon will reprise her role as Matron “Mama” Morton for a limited run this summer.

The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner returns to the Ambassador Theatre for a limited 20 performance run from June 27 to July 12.

“Most of my life, and my entire artistic career—I have known the roles I would play well, but I also knew the industry was not yet giving actors like me the chance to prove it,” Monsoon said in a statement. “Over the last decade, I, and queer artists like myself have been chipping away at the antiquated ideas of gender and performance—leading to my life-changing run as Mama Morton in ‘Chicago.'”

“During that one 10-week run, I learned so much about my craft and myself—and I cannot wait to take all of that back into this role and show. I am still just a kid, in shock and awe of this wonderful world I get to be a part of.”

Monsoon’s debut helped set record sales for the long-running musical, breaking box office records and playing to standing-room-only crowds, Playbill reports.

The current cast of “Chicago” features Ariana Madix as Roxie Hart, Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly, Max von Essen as Billy Flynn, Lili Thomas as Matron “Mama” Morton, Red Concepción as Amos Hart, and R. Lowe as Mary Sunshine.

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In the lead-up to the international celebration of love, the review site announced its list of the “100 Most Romantic Restaurants” in the U.S., with three New York City spots making the list.

Coming in at fifth on the list is La Grande Boucherie, a French restaurant in midtown Manhattan. The posh spot, located on West 53rd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues, features a large heated atrium and an expansive dining area with high ceilings that offers distinct Parisian flair.

A favorite Brooklyn eatery made the top 25, as Williamsburg’s Café Mogador came in at No. 23. The trendy restaurant offers Moroccan dishes in a small setting, with exposed brick walls and a small covered outdoor dining area.

The only other place from the five boroughs to make the list was Thai Villa. The restaurant, on East 19th Street in Manhattan’s Flatiron neighborhood, has ornate dark wood fixtures and décor that compliment their menu offerings of traditional Thai dishes.

The top overall spot on the list went to Chicago’s Penumbra, described as a Latin-inspired steakhouse. Miami Beach’s Pane & Vino came in at number two, followed by Café Monarch in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Cesarina, in San Diego, as the rest of the top five.

The James Beard Foundation announced its semifinalists last week for its annual food awards that will be given out later this year. Chefs and restaurateurs across New York and New Jersey made the shortlist again this year, all vying for big awards if they can be named finalists in April, before the final winners are announced in June.

This year’s awards carry some extra weight for NYC, which, according to Eater, did not take home any national awards last year. That’s the first time New York failed to win a national category since 1991.

Regardless of who takes home the top prizes this year, there are clearly plenty of restaurants worth dining at this year. Here’s the list of semifinalists currently in contention for this year’s awards:

Outstanding Restaurateur

• Bryan Chunton and Pei Wei, Zaab Zaab and Zaab Zaab Talay, New York, NY
• Ravi DeRossi, Overthrow Hospitality (Cadence, Etérea, Avant Garden, and others), New York, NY

Outstanding Chef

• Emma Bengtsson, Aquavit, New York, NY
• Dan Kluger, Loring Place, New York, NY

Outstanding Restaurant

• Superiority Burger, New York, NY

Emerging Chef

• Fariyal Abdullahi, Hav & Mar, New York, NY

Best New Restaurant

• Foul Witch, New York, NY
• Foxface Natural, New York, NY
• Lita, Aberdeen Township, NJ  
• Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi, New York, NY  

Outstanding Bakery

• Make My Cake, New York, NY
• Mel the Bakery, Hudson, NY

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

• Eunji Lee, Lysée, New York, NY
• Camari Mick, The Musket Room, New York, NY

Outstanding Hospitality

• Melba’s, New York, NY  

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

• COTE, New York, NY

Outstanding Bar

• All Night Skate, Brooklyn, NY  
• Double Chicken Please, New York, NY 

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA) 

• Nur-E Gulshan Rahman, Korai Kitchen, Jersey City, NJ

Best Chef: New York State 

• Nasim Alikhani, Sofreh, Brooklyn, NY
• Mary Attea, Musket Room, New York, NY
• Ayo Balogun, Dept of Culture, Brooklyn, NY
• Clare de Boer, Stissing House, Pine Plains, NY
• Doris Choi, Good Night, Woodstock, NY
• Calvin Eng, Bonnie’s, Brooklyn, NY
• Aretah Ettarh, Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY
• Charles Gabriel, Charles Pan-Fried Chicken, New York, NY
• Efrén Hernández, Casa Susanna, Leeds, NY
• Luis Herrera, Ensenada, Brooklyn, NY
• JJ Johnson, FieldTrip, New York, NY
• Telly Justice, HAGS, New York, NY
• Atsushi Kono, Kono, New York, NY
• Shaina Loew-Banayan, Cafe Mutton, Hudson, NY
• Chris Mauricio, Harana Market, Accord, NY
• Charlie Mitchell, Cloverhill, Brooklyn, NY
• Scarr Pimentel, Scarr’s Pizza, New York, NY
• Jeremy Salamon, Agi’s Counter, Brooklyn, NY
• Hillary Sterling, Ci Siamo, New York, NY
• Ed Szymanski, Lord’s, New York, NY

Metropolitan Opera music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who coached Cooper for the movie and led music for the soundtrack, will conduct the performance in his New York Philharmonic debut and join the conversation, the orchestra said Wednesday.

The program will include excerpts from “West Side Story,” “Candide,” “On the Town,” “Trouble in Tahiti,” “A Quiet Place,” “Chichester Psalms” and Bernstein’s Symphony No. 2 “The Age of Anxiety” and Symphony No. 3 “Kaddish.”

“Maestro” was nominated for seven Oscars, including for best picture and best actor, for Cooper.

Fourteen beloved Broadway productions will be included in this year’s Kids’ Night on Broadway — where kids 18 and under can attend participating shows for free.

Tickets for this year’s Kids’ Night (happening on Feb. 13) are not on sale yet, but interested adults can sign-up for The Broadway Fan Club to be the first to learn when they’re available for purchase. Note on the list of shows below, two of the productions will be honoring Kids’ Night on different dates.

Kids get into any one of the 14 available shows when accompanied by a full-paying adult.

The night promises more free fun for kids and their families. There will also be talkbacks, sing-alongs, art projects and more activities to celebrate the night of theater.

Theater staff will also be handing out “My First Broadway Show” commemorative stickers that kids can add to their show’s Playbill to honor the occasion.

Participating shows include:

• A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical
• Aladdin
• & Juliet (dated Feb. 15)
• Back to the Future: The Musical
• Chicago
• Hamilton
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• Kimberly Akimbo
• The Lion King
• MJ The Musical
• Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• SIX (dated Feb. 14)
• Spamalot
• Wicked

One borough is launching a new contest in its search to find the answer.

The Queens Chamber of Commerce is hosting its first ever “Best Bagel Competition,” and it asking residents to send in their picks.

Hoping to get your favorite spot lox-ed down on the list? The public can send in nominations until Jan. 26.

Voting will then begin on Jan. 29 and run through Feb. 7. A winner will be announced two days later, on “National Bagel and Lox Day.”

New York City Restaurant Week 2024 kicked off Tuesday, offering bargain prix-fixe dining deals for lunch and dinner at more than 600 restaurants across the five boroughs.

Here are the delectable details. Note: The deals don’t apply on Saturdays. They are optional for participating restaurants on Sundays, so you may want to call ahead.

NYC Restaurant Week 2024

NYC Restaurant Week offers prix-fixe two-course lunches and three-course dinners for $30, $45 and $60 at more than 600 restaurants across all five boroughs. It’s easy to sort your searches, filtering by location, cuisine and “weeks participating,” since the latter might vary by location.

You can also search by “meals offered,” “accessibility” and “ownership.” If thematics are your thing, there are a number of those as well: “James Beard Honorees,” “Wine Spectator Winners,” “NYC Restaurant Week Classics” and “Best of the Boroughs,” among other lists. See all participating restaurants here.

NYC Broadway Week 2024

Which theater-goers don’t love a two-fer? Actually, who doesn’t love a two-fer of any kind?

NYC Broadway Week also kicks off Jan. 16, offering 2-for-1 tickets to 23 shows.

Those include Wicked, Aladdin, Six the Musical, Chicago and Back to the Future, among others.

Score your 2-for-1s right here. Not sure what you want to see? Sort by comedy, drama, kid-friendly and more here.

NYC Must-See Week

This program offers 2-for-1 tickets at more than 60 museums, attractions, performing arts and tours. Participants include Carnegie Hall, Citi Field Tours, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Kings County Distillery, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York Botanical Garden, Summit One Vanderbilt, The Metropolitan Opera and more. Details here.

NYC Hotel Week

NYC Hotel Week offers 24% off standard retail rates now through February 6 at more than 160 hotels across all five boroughs. More information here.

If you yearn to escape the winter blues for an out-of-the-box experience boasting extraordinary desserts, Moxy Times Square has the lounge you have been waiting for — decked out completely in pink.

Magic Hour Rooftop Bar and Lounge opened the latest installation Pink Winter Lodge, inspired by the neon metallics found on the fashion runways last year, that is perfect for a friend’s brunch or night out on the town.

The spot features a brand-new carousel adorning ice garland and pom-pom snowflakes with couples seating for a cozy ride on a makeshift ski lift.

With bright icicle lights, melting snow and rose trees, the venue offers numerous chances to create a stunning social media moment, including a life-sized snow globe with the iconic backdrop of the Empire State Building.

“We create an end-to-end experience. Not only do we have these over-the-top Instagrammable moments, but we also have a food and beverage menu that matches,” Yvonne Najor, VP of marketing at Tao Group Hospitality, told NBC New York.

The menu highlights entertaining sweets like gold-dusted pink apple cider donuts, a toasted meringue chocolate chip skillet, a pink box surprise cake full of peppermint treats and a three-story s’more stack topped with cotton candy.

The most shocking dessert of all is the Big AF Croissant, New York City’s and possibly the world’s largest pink croissant only available during brunch and for pre-orders.

Signature drinks include a pink, boozy hot cocoa, a martini served in a glass decoration ball and cotton candy champagne.

Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are welcome for this pink wonderland located at 485 7th Avenue in midtown Manhattan open until March.

A new bill headed to the New York Assembly could ultimately force a certain fast-food chicken restaurant to finally be open on Sundays.

If it were to become law, proposed bill A08336 would require that food services at rest stops and other transportation facilities “owned and operated by certain public authorities” remain open seven days a week.

While that would not have much of an impact on most other restaurants operating at rest stops, the bill’s language specifically mentions Chick-fil-A by name in its justification for the proposed law. There are seven Chick-fil-A’s at newly renovated service areas across the state, according to the bill.

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Loved by many for its chicken sandwiches, but disliked by others over its founder’s opposition to same-sex marriage, Chick-fil-A has always kept its locations closed on Sundays so employees can enjoy time with their families and “worship if they choose,” according to the company’s website.

Introduced last week, the legislation is yet another salvo in a yearslong political battle involving the company, whose late founder Truett Cathy infused its business practices with his conservative Christian values. Critics have accused the company of being homophobic, and it became the subject of boycotts in 2012 over its deep financial support of groups opposing the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Over the years the chain, which operates more than 3,000 restaurants, scaled back that financial support before ending it in 2019.

The bill is sponsored by Assemblyman Tony Simone, who represents neighborhoods along the west side of Manhattan. Simone and other sponsors of the bill claim allowing a fast food restaurant to close on a particular day of the week is a disservice to travelers. Simone said that the aim of the bill is to give travelers access to a variety of options at rest stops, not to eventually push Chick-fil-A out.

“Look, if you want to eat fried chicken while traveling over the holidays, then Chick-fil-A should be open on Sundays,” Simone said.

“While there is nothing objectionable about a fast food restaurant closing on a particular day of the week, service areas dedicated to travelers is an inappropriate location for such a restaurant,” the bill reads. “Publicly owned service areas should use their space to maximally benefit the public. Allowing for retail space to go unused one-seventh of the week or more is a disservice and unnecessary inconvenience to travelers who rely on these service areas.”

Applegreen, an Irish convenience store chain, entered into a 33-year contract to take over the leases of every service area along the New York State Thruway in 2021. Thruway Authority spokesperson Jennifer Givner said Chick-fil-A was allowed to operate within their normal hours under the terms of the contract.

The legislation was prompted by a redevelopment project underway at the 27 service areas along the Thruway. Through the project, 23 of service area restaurant buildings will be rebuilt, with significant renovations on the remaining four.

When the redevelopment project is complete, Chick-fil-A will operate in 10 service areas on the Thruway, which all have at least one other food option and a convenience store open seven days a week.

While not all Chick-fil-A restaurants would be forced to stay open on that seventh day (the standalone locations would not be impacted), the bill would go beyond just highway rest stops. The legislation would also effect operations with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The bill wouldn’t immediately apply to restaurants currently operating — meaning the impact on existing Chick-fil-A locations would be limited — but would affect all future contracts for food concessions at transportation facilities. It would exclude temporary concessions, like farmer’s markets.

The New York State Thruway Authority and representatives for Chick-fil-A did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NBC and TODAY.com.

In the past, airports in Buffalo and San Antonio, Texas, have blocked Chick-fil-A from opening at their sites. Some college campuses have also banned the chain.

Some conservative lawmakers, meanwhile, have rallied behind the company. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed a bill in 2019 in defense of Chick-fil-A and religious freedom.

Alex Portée of TODAY.com and Associated Press reporter Maysoon Khan contributed to this report.

From the Fifth Ave. window displays to Dyker Heights lights, New York City celebrates the season in style, but one pop-up is returning to add some “chutzpah” to the mix with a location decked out for Hanukkah.

The Maccabee Bar is nestled in the West Village and was founded by Naomi Levy, a now Boston-based entrepreneur who loves ringing in the holidays, but, in the past, often felt out of place.

“I also kind of felt like a tourist. It wasn’t for me. I never celebrated Christmas. I celebrated Hanukkah, so I thought to myself, what if I did something that was just completely about Hanukkah?” Levy told NBC New York.

Levy launched the Hanukkah pop-up in 2018 in Boston for one week, which was a success. She brought the Maccabee Bar concept to New York last year, making it the first-ever Hanukkah-themed bar in the city.

The menu features all types of classic Jewish eats, like latkes, bamba and Reuben, and gives a festive flair on nine signature cocktails, like the “Ocho Kandelikas” and “Papa Nosh.”

Patrons can spin the dreidel to decide which alcoholic drink to choose and purchase a bag of “gelt” chocolate coins.

While this holiday season brings joy, the conflict overseas is not to be forgotten as the Isreal-Hamas war continues. Levy notes the need to bring family and friends together to move forward.

“Given the geopolitical landscape, people are feeling really heavy, right? They’re walking around with this extra weight — no matter where you fall on the political spectrum. In a way, it’s kind of self-care to come and let yourself be a little lighter,” Levy said.

The founder and award-winning bartender hopes to expand Maccabee Bar’s footprint in 2024 with a few more locations, including a second pop-up in the greater New York area.

Reservations can be booked until New Year’s Eve under the online site and app Resy.

The holidays always come with plenty of (and sometimes too many) delicious desserts that would satisfy any sweet tooth or sugar craving. Nearly 70 percent of Americans said they plan on making Christmas candy, cookies or desserts this season, according to a poll by Monmouth University.

But with so many different kinds of treats to make, narrowing it down to just cookies hardly makes decisions any easier. So which one is America’s favorite to make — and more importantly, to eat?

In a bit of a runaway, frosted sugar cookies claimed the top spot, according to the Monmouth Poll conducted Nov. 30th to Dec. 4. Nearly a third (32%) of respondents chose that as their cookie of choice for the holidays.

“If you want to please your family’s palate this holiday season, your best bet is icing up a batch of Christmas tree or snowflake shaped sugar cookies. But frankly, you really can’t go wrong with pretty much any cookie on this list,” said Patrick Murray, the director of the polling institute.

Gingerbread cookies finished second, with 12% claiming that is their favorite, just edging out chocolate chip (11%). No other cookie got more than 10% of support.

Snickerdoodle got 6%, while butter, peanut butter and chocolate each got 4%. There was a variety of others named, but some of those polled said their top cookie is, put simply, mom’s.

The poll also found that the vast majority of Americans (79%) believe they are on Santa’s good list. Only one in 10 think they’d be found on the naughty list.

Last year, Subway released a footlong cookie as a limited-edition offering, only available for two hours until stocks across the country ran out. Now, the cookie is finding its permanent home on the menu, and you can celebrate its introduction on National Cookie Day.

You can also expect to enjoy the footlong cookie even more than if you tried it last year, as Subway’s culinary team spent more time improving the sweet treat, according to a press release.

“The overwhelming response we received from fans around the country last year let us know that we needed to make the footlong cookie a permanent addition to our menu,” Senior Vice President of Culinary and Innovation at Subway said Paul Fabre said in a press release. “At Cookieway this year, our guests will get a sneak peek of an even better footlong cookie: thick, gooey, packed with chocolate chips and served warm – right out of the oven. It’s the perfect pairing with your favorite footlong sub and may even become your favorite footlong after the first bite.”

To kickoff the return of the coveted confection, a few Subway locations are giving out free ones at select locations across the country — including one in NYC. On Dec. 4, also known as National Cookie Day, the sandwich shop at 545 Eighth Avenue in Manhattan will offer free footlong chocolate chip cookies to customers with the purchase of a footlong sandwich from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., or for as long as supplies last.

According to officials, Subway sells the most freshly baked cookies compared to any other restaurant in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday was the last day people should keep Thanksgiving leftovers in the refrigerator. The USDA noted that the food is safe to eat for only four days after initially cooked, if kept properly stored in the fridge.

After that time, bacteria can start to grow on the food, which could lead to food-borne illnesses. It’s no coincidence that the months of November and December are the most common time of year for food poisoning caused by bacteria commonly linked to turkey and ham.

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And while it’s far too late now, experts say the food should be taken off the table and into the refrigerator within two hours of being cooked, even if they are still hot or steaming. So hopefully you acted quickly and got the food stored away soon after Thanksgiving dinner, rather than letting it sit out for hours.

And before the leftover turkey is put in the fridge or freezer, whatever is left should have been be cut up into smaller pieces to best ensure it will last as long as possible while stored.

If you’re looking to make one last meal out of the leftovers, make sure all turkey and side dishes are heated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit in order to kill any potential bacteria, according to the USDA.

Don’t feel like having more turkey right now? Freezing the food is the best alternative to keep it safe. Food safety experts said that if properly stored, leftovers can last in the freezer without developing bacteria for up to six months.

Here’s hoping not a single bite of your turkey, potatoes or stuffing go to waste this year considering the cost and the time spent preparing it (not to mention just how delicious it all is).

Producers said Wednesday that they’ll wrap up the experience on Jan. 28 after 13 years and having welcomed more than 2 million visitors to the art installation-meets-theater-and-dance piece with elements of both Shakespeare and Alfred Hitchcock.

“Thirteen years ago, we could never have imagined the astonishing journey this show has been on. It’s had an incalculable impact on us all and will live on in our hearts, seep through our skin and sleep in the deepest parts of our imaginations,” producers Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle said.

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Created by the British theater troupe Punchdrunk, visitors to the fictional 100,000-square-foot McKittrick Hotel are handed Venetian-style masks to wear and are encouraged to explore. About 25 performers act out mostly wordless scenes inspired by Shakespeare’s play while dressed in 1930s outfits and giving off a film noir vibe and an “Eyes Wide Shut” feel. It became a draw for tourists and a blueprint for more immersive experiences in the city.

Over the years, the space became a multi-venue dining, nightlife and entertainment destination, with a rooftop garden restaurant and stages that attracted sets by everyone from Mumford and Sons and Sting to Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Brandi Carlile, Dua Lipa and Josh Groban.

For the intrepid, about 100 rooms have been carved out over several floors — some as small as a child’s bedroom and others as large as a ballroom. The outside has also been brought inside, with a gritty cemetery and a massive forest included in the mix. Guests are encouraged to rummage about the infirmary, taxidermist’s place, padded room, libraries, apothecaries, laundry and even a detective agency. Open the drawers, read the books in the shelves: Each room is decorated with no detail unspared. They even seem to have their own odor.

A production in Shanghai is in its seventh year.

Taco Tuesday is finally for everyone — even in New Jersey.

After a months-long battle with a Jersey Shore bar and restaurant over the trademark for Taco Tuesday, fast food giant Taco Bell said in a press release Tuesday that the trademark to the name had been relinquished.

“When we set out to free Taco Tuesday, we did it for all who make, sell, eat and celebrate tacos,” said Taco Bell Chief Global Brand and Strategy Officer and incoming Chief Executive Officer, Sean Tresvant. “Taco Bell wants everyone to have the opportunity to celebrate Taco Tuesday.”

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It stems from the fight that Gregory Gregory, the owner of Gregory’s Bar and Restaurant in Somers Point, held over the name to the weekly celebration of Mexican food.

“I want it to be known that we are the original ‘Taco Tuesday.’ We started it,” Gregory previously told NBC Philadelphia, saying that they were the originator of the popular phrase.

Gregory trademarked the term “Taco Tuesday” in 1982. In 1989, Taco John’s, a Wyoming-based restaurant chain, won the rights to “Taco Tuesday” in every state except for New Jersey. Over the years, Taco John’s would send cease-and-desist orders to anyone besides Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar that dared to have a “Taco Tuesday” promotion.

And there were plenty of battles. Even NBA star LeBron James – whose Taco Tuesday celebrations became a viral sensation on social media – previously got in on the action, filing unsuccessfully for his own Taco Tuesday trademark. James later collaborated with Taco Bell in a commercial pushing for an end to the copyright. 

The disputes culminated with Taco Bell filing with U.S. trademark regulators in May 2023 to get Taco John’s and Gregory’s Restaurant & Bar to abandon their trademarks, saying the term had become too widely used to belong to any one person or business.

Despite his frustration with the recent battles over the name, Gregory also acknowledged the publicity his fight with Taco Bell has generated for his business. 

“We have gotten a lot of customers that were new because they saw it,” he said. 

On the flipside, Gregory previously admitted that a long legal battle with Taco Bell could be very expensive, noting that he “can’t take this too far,” he said. 

Finally, in July, Taco John’s surrendered its claim to “Taco Tuesday,” freeing Taco Bell (or anyone) to use the phrase in 49 states, with New Jersey a notable exception.

And now that exception is no more.

“Thanks to Gregory’s choice to relinquish the trademark registration, New Jersey businesses and fans can fully enjoy Taco Tuesday, effective immediately,” Taco Bell said in a release. Gregory’s relinquished their trademark registration on Oct. 20.

Now all restaurants across the country will be able use the Taco Tuesday term whenever and however they like.

“Taco Tuesday has always been a source of pride for my family and our restaurant, but we recognize Taco Tuesday is widely celebrated and embraced beyond our four walls,” said Gregory Gregory, co-owner of Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar, home of the original Taco Tuesday in New Jersey. “We’re excited to share Taco Tuesday with the entire New Jersey community and though we’ve relinquished the trademark registration, you can bet Taco Tuesdays will live on at Gregory’s forever.”

Now Taco Bell Rewards Members will be able to join in the celebration in November, with a free Doritos Locos taco being given away on Nov. 21.

Unless a friend or family member is “in the know” — or you happen to get very lucky — uncovering one of these rare treats is almost unheard of, and the secret doesn’t last long anyway.

But a list of the best “hidden gems” in the U.S. has been assembled by travel review website Tripadvisor as part of its Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Restaurants list, and a number of NYC spots were featured. The top city restaurant was Katherine Meets Toni, on West 35th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue.

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The cocktail lounge in midtown Manhattan serves up “Italian cuisine with a Korean twist,” according to Tripadvisor. It serves up a menu of classic Italian dishes, some include more traditionally Korean ingredients like uni (sea urchin) and kimchi.

Right behind that is SoHo Italian-Sicilian spot, Piccola Cucina Osteria, offering up a full menu of pasta dishes alongside meat and seafood plates. Ranked No. 7 on the list, it has a “warm and unpretentious atmosphere paired with attentive and friendly service,” Tripadvisor wrote, noting the restaurant’s tiramisu and cannoli desserts.

At tenth on the list was Spice Symphony, which has locations in Kips Bay and midtown east. Tripadvisor says the Asian fusion restaurant uses local ingredients to combine modern Indian fare with Chinese flavors, calling it the “perfect spot to enjoy a warm and welcoming meal with friends and family.”

The only NYC restaurant to make the list that isn’t in Manhattan is Giuliana’s Ristorante, on Staten Island. Given its location, an Italian restaurant offering family-size portions may not come as a surprise, but it also has live music to complete the atmosphere. Tripadvisor noted Giuliana’s seafood, pasta and meatballs.

The fifth NYC restaurant mentioned claimed the final spot on the list. Il Punto Ristorante, an Italian restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen, features homemade pasta and a full list of Italian staples. The “charming” eatery includes a notable wine list that enhances the meal and a variety of desserts.

Outside of the city, another tri-state spot also made the list. JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank has a very different approach, according to the travel site: It has a “pay it forward” model, with no prices on the menu — which changes every two weeks — but suggested donations are encouraged. The restaurant has a “friendly and welcoming” staff, Tripadvisor wrote, highlighting the garden-fresh dishes offered.

The top state for the so-called “hidden gems” may come as a surprise: Tennessee claims the top two spots on the list. Cookie Dough Monster – Burgers and Shakes, in Pigeon Forge, was rated the best hidden gem spot in the country. Right behind it a #2 was Riverfront Seafood Company, in Kingsport.

Florida made up the rest of the top five spots, which included Kaya Island Eats, in Key West; Rendezvous Bar & Grill, in Fort Lauderdale; and Happy Fish Peruvian Fusion Restaurant, in Tampa. Express Cafe, in Kissimmee, was rated eigth-best, giving the Sunshine State four restaurants on the list — second to NYC’s five.

For many, New York City is a gastronomy haven, so it may come as a bit of a surprise that it barely cracked the top 20 among the best foodie cities in a recent WalletHub study.

WalletHub’s Best Foodie Cities in America (2023) analyzed culinary hotspots across the country, comparing 182 cities across 28 key metrics the study dubbed “foodie-friendliness,” including cost of groceries, affordability and accessibility of high quality restaurants.

WalletHub determined that New York City ranked No. 20 as being one of the best food cities in the country. New York’s overall ranking is based off of two categories: affordability (where it came in at a dismal second to last at No. 179 out of 182) as well as diversity equity and equality (No. 10).

Other tri-state cities fared worse: Rochester, New York, came in at an overall ranking of No. 48. Across the Hudson River in the trendy Jersey City, New Jersey, followed close behind by Newark at No. 61.

When it comes to Connecticut, New Haven placed at No. 76 overall and Bridgeport placed towards the end of the ranking list at No. 150.

When it comes to the best foodie city in the U.S., that honor goes to Orlando, according to WalletHub. Meanwhile, on the other hand, Pearl City, Hawaii, ranked as the worst.

To learn about study or see the complete list, click here.

Producers of the show announced the date and new location Wednesday. Last year, the telecast was broadcast from the United Palace Theatre, in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, many miles from Times Square and the theater district.

Next year’s location — the David H. Koch Theater — is the home of New York City Ballet and in the same sprawling building complex as Lincoln Square Theater, which houses the Broadway venue Beaumont Theater.

The Tony eligibility cut-off date for the 2023-2024 season is April 25, and nominations for the 2024 Tony Awards will be announced April 30.

The awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

The Garden State was the only one in the U.S. that wasn’t eligible for the chain’s giveaway on Tuesday. That’s because of a dispute with a local restaurant over a trademark.

As part of its promotion, Taco Bell gave $5 off any orders of $15 or more from local participating Mexican restaurants when using Door Dash. It was done in celebration of the “Taco Tuesday” trademark being allowed in every state now, following the chain’s battle with smaller franchise, Taco John’s.

Every state, that is, except New Jersey. While every other restaurant holding a “Taco Tuesday” trademark gave up their claims to it, Gregory’s Restaurant and Bar in Somers Point has not. The owner refuses to surrender the trademark, which left New Jersey residents on the outside looking in on this deal.

Since 1993, New York Fashion Week has brought together designers from across the world twice a year to celebrate the art of fashion. Overtime, however, people have begun realizing the need to showcase artists from more diverse backgrounds.

Ten years ago, Shipra Sharma began her efforts to start New York’s first ever South Asian specific fashion week, in line with other cultural-specific ones including the Black and Latinx fashion weeks. She was met with resounding rejections.

Shipra was told that South Asian fashion was too extravagant to be relatable to the average American – which made it all the more urgent to have South Asian fashion week in the first place. A decade ago, there weren’t as many people and woman of color in positions of power to help catalyze the movement.

This was particularly frustrating because, as Shipra explained, South Asian fashion has been around for centuries. South Asian textiles and fabrics have constantly been used to inspire European designs. Many of the crop sets people wear nowadays are the equivalent of lehenga shorts, and many gowns are draped in the same way as saris.

Since then, more representation in popular media and more women of color breaking the glass ceiling have made this fashion week a possibility. During the pandemic, someone sitting in a position of power in New York Fashion Week mentioned that now might be the time to bite the bullet, and the team hasn’t looked back since.

Shipra, a biomedical engineer, teamed up with Hetal Patel, a content creator who works in Fin-Tech, and the South Asian New York Fashion Week was born. Both these women, who are now roommates, work full-time jobs in addition to spearheading SANYFW.

The mission of SANYFW is two-fold: firstly, to educate the western world on the history of their fashion and how South Asian culture has shaped it. And secondly, and more importantly, to show the South Asian community that their work matters and is making an impact across the globe.

Hetal and Shipra are now hard at work to make this year even better than the last. They have included the concept of exhibitions which spotlight individual designers, thus allowing them to connect with leaders in the industry and giving them brand awareness.

While the Fashion Week is extremely important, Hetal and Shipra want to ensure more year-round initiatives to uplift South Asians in fashion. Therefore, they created the South Asian Fashion Council, a group of leaders in the fashion space to mentor up-and-coming talent. Their five year goal is to be able to provide scholarships to allow people to study fashion.

The dream for Hetal and Shipra is to one day walk into Gucci, Chanel or any other designer store in New York and see South Asian clothes being prominently displayed. Hopefully, SANYFW is the first step in that direction.

SANYFW will take place across four different locations from September 9-13.

The Korean Cultural Center New York (KCCNY) will host New York City’s first community pop-up market, panels and workshops to celebrate Chuseok, one of the most significant Korean holidays.

Chuseok, otherwise known as Hangawi or Korean Thanksgiving, is when family and friends gather to share stories and give thanks to their ancestors during the autumn equinox.

The KCCNY is partnering with the NYC Department of Small Business Services and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce on the weekend festivities.

“Working together with the NYC Department of Small Business Services and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, we hope this will be an opportunity to foster economic growth and also celebrate the beauty of cross-cultural exchange,” said Michael CheonSoo Kim, Executive Director of the Korean Cultural Center New York.

Entry is free and open to the public, but online RSVPs are requested for attendance under the KCCNY website.

The event is broken down into two days. Saturday, Sept. 9 is led by MAUM Market at Denizen Bushwick from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This open-air market features 50 AAPI-owned small businesses within art, fashion, home and food.

The next day is the Hangawi Korean Festival at Samsung 837 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will have several cultural demonstrations, culinary tastings, interactive activities and live panels.

“As the son of immigrant New York City small business owners, I know first-hand how important it is for government to partner with organizations like KCCNY and MAUM to lift up the entrepreneurial talent in our communities,” said Kevin D. Kim, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services.

MAUM translates to “heart and mind” in Korean. The headlining project “MAUM Market” is a local-oriented company that advocates for Asian-owned small businesses and establishes a broader awareness of Korean culture.

Visitors can expect a showcase of traditional clothing, embroidery and ceramics, while a chance to learn Korean calligraphy.

The brewery’s Brooklyn Lager will come with artwork featuring Notorious B.I.G. on all packs and sizes, while supplies last.

To coincide with the release, the brewery also launched a special Biggie Smalls-themed capsule collection of limited-edition apparel and accessories.

This year, catch Broadway hits from the most recent Tony winner for best musical “Kimberly Akimbo,” to classics like “Wicked,” “The Lion King” and “Hamilton.” Every single musical on Broadway, except the very first performances of two of Broadway’s newest shows, is included on this list.

In order to claim this offer, you must purchase two tickets. The tickets that will be put on sale are likely ones the show finds the hardest to sell: balcony, mezzanine and side seats. There is an option to upgrade to better seats for $125 for tickets that normally would be significantly more expensive.

In addition to Broadway Week, a similar time is coming up for Off-Broadway shows as well. The next Off-Broadway week will extend from Oct. 3 to Oct. 15.

Here is a list of eligible Broadway shows:

• & Juliet
• Aladdin
• A Beautiful Noise – The Neil Diamond Musical
• Back to the Future: The Musical
• The Book of Mormon
• Chicago
• The Cottage
• Hadestown
• Hamilton
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
• Here Lies Love
• Jaja’s African Hair Braiding
• Kimberly Akimbo
• The Lion King
• MJ The Musical
• Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• Once Upon a One More Time
• Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch
• Six: The Musical
• The Shark is Broken
• Shucked
• Some Like It Hot
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
• Wicked

A recent survey by Bankrate found roughly two-thirds of Americans have a negative view of tipping. Just under half of those who participated believe businesses should pay employees more rather than relying on adding a tip.

1-in-3 people think the tipping culture has become ‘out of control’ with more shops, food trucks, and even airline counters encouraging customers to tip, based on the results.

“It’s kind of pushing you towards what they want you to pay instead of allowing you to give what you want to give or what they feel they deserve,” said Isaiah, one of the New Yorkers polled by NBC New York.

Over 30% of those asked in the study were annoyed by the preprogrammed tip screens on kiosks and tablets after purchasing anything from a full meal to a cup of coffee.

The research shares that women tend to tip more frequently over men, while age plays a role in the tendency. Baby boomers, those ages 59 to 77, tip the most out of all generations followed by millennials and Gen Z tipping the least.

While there is no official guide to tipping culture, certain terms like ‘tipflation’ and ‘guilt tipping’ are becoming more frequent as people try to navigate what is considered an appropriate amount to spend.

“It’s like a quiet moment. You’re looking at the screen. They’re looking at you. They’re like, ’15, 20, 30,’ and I’m like ‘alright’ — boom. Let me hit it, so I can just get out of here, but I feel and hope it’s going to a good place,” said Hector, an NYC native, outside of Rockefeller Center.

Social etiquette for tipping

Calculating the right amount to tip can be confusing, which makes the preset machines helpful, but here are examples of when and how much to tip. The sales tax in New York City is 8.875%.

RESTAURANT

• Tip waitstaff anywhere from 15 to 25% of the total bill. Some eateries pool all tips at the end of the night.

HOTEL

• Tip maids and housekeeping $2 to $5 per day depending on the service requested.
• Porters and bellhops can receive $1 to $2 per bag carried to the room.

SPA, SALON, MASSEUSE

• Tip 15 to 25% of the service done with tipping around $5 for the assistant who washes hair.

FOOD COUNTER, DELI, BODEGA

• Tip 10% of the order, but if it is just a quick grab-and-go item, leaving a dollar works well.

The Malibu Barbie Cafe: New York City at 19 Fulton Street has been welcoming Barbie fans since May. It was supposed to end in September, but thanks to the Barbie fever the newly released Greta Gerwig film has generated, the eatery will now open through Oct. 13, according to the Bucket Listers.

So, what can you expect?

The café is designed to transport guests to 1970s Malibu, California, complete with a Barbie-esque color scheme, beach motifs and retro décor. There will be immersive spaces and photo ops inspired the icon herself, Malibu Barbie. There’s even a life-size Barbie Box to show off your best pose in an Instagramable-worthy photo.

In a press release, Julie Freeland, the Senior Director of Location Based Entertainment at Mattel said, “At Mattel we are always looking for exciting, new ways to bring the Barbie experience to life. From the beach-loving décor to the menu, every detail has been thoughtfully designed to celebrate the iconic Barbie style, with nostalgic details fans will love.”

The cafe itself will be a fast-casual, family-friendly restaurant experience featuring, among other menu choices, Pacific Paradise Pancakes, West Coast Wave Wedge Salad and a California Dreamin’ Club Sandwich. Desserts and a variety of drinks are also available.

Prices will start at $35 for kids, $50 for adults — with every ticket purchase including a reserved seat, guaranteed window of time to dine, and choice of entree and side item.

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When Jay-Z and Alicia Keys filmed the video for “Empire State of Mind,” their valentine to New York City, they naturally ended up in Times Square, singing on illuminated red glass steps. It was no mere set: It was two New York icons standing on another.

Their stage was the top of the TKTS booth, which has become part of the city’s visual and financial DNA and a key part in keeping Broadway going. This week that booth is celebrating its 50th birthday, with the city celebrating on Wednesday with songs and speeches.

“It is so intrinsically linked with the city,” says Victoria Bailey, executive director of the non-profit TDF, formerly known as the Theatre Development Fund, which runs the booth. “It has kind of always been a symbol.”

It’s a discount ticket booth where same-day Broadway and off-Broadway shows can be more affordable for those who balk at prices pushing past $300 a seat for some musicals. About 30% of the people who line up are first-time Broadway theatergoers.

Thousands of tickets are sold at the booth every day as the various commercial theater box offices calculate how many full-price tickets they can sell and then send the rest to TKTS. The theater gets all the ticket revenue and TDF gets a $7 service fee per ticket, which helps fund its education, community and outreach programs.

Some 68.6 million tickets have been sold from the booth during its 50 years, with more than $2.6 billion going back to the shows. Despite the rise of online rivals and apps hawking discounted theater tickets, lining up at the booth is as fundamental as cooing over the Statue of Liberty or taking a photo with a nearby costumed Elmo.

The current glass-enclosed booth opened in 2008, part of an $18 million renovation project that evokes a Greek amphitheater or Rome’s famous Spanish steps, where visitors can sit on the 27 steps and watch the street scene. Jay-Z and Keys may have had the steps to themselves in their video, but it is ordinarily a very crowded place.

“There’s so many people that keep coming back even after the pandemic and will stand on that line to come and see shows. And they thank us. That’s something that didn’t happen as often before. But it happens more now, and I love it,” says Ann Ramirez, a TKTS supervisor.

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TDF created satellite TKTS booths in Brooklyn, at the World Trade Center and in Lincoln Center, as well as helped develop booths in Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Denver, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Toronto, London and Sydney.

The first booth was a temporary experiment that stuck in Times Square. It opened for business on June 25, 1973, using an abandoned trailer donated by the Parks department with holes punched in it for ticket windows. The neighborhood was different then — seedy and dangerous.

“Broadway was falling apart then,” says Robert Mayers, who with business partner John Schiff designed the booth and the logo. “They wanted to do an experiment because the area was in disrepair.”

Mayers and Schiff were given just $5,000 for the capital budget, and they rented scaffolding to go around the booth. They wove a translucent plastic fabric with the iconic logo among the bars and clamped spotlights on the frame.

“It’s a very theatrical kind of vocabulary,” says Mayers. “We looked at it as a giant kite. It was supposed to be light hearted, related to the theater and make a visual statement in a very busy place.”

They thought it would stay up for a year or two, at best. Instead, it won design awards and lasted decades. Their influence can be seen in the abbreviated, vowel-less apps and company titles of today — Flickr to Unbxd and DNCE.

“I noticed whenever you see movies of the ‘70s or ’80s and they’re in New York, there’s always a scene in Times Square or Duffy Square where the camera goes by and you see the TKTS booth. I always get a kick out of that,” says Mayers.

If the booth was an attempt to stabilize the neighborhood, it is a still a sign that the city is open for business — important steps after events like 9/11, Superstorm Sandy and the coronavirus pandemic.

“You talk to ushers, you talk to wardrobe people, you talk to the people backstage and they talk about the booth as the thing that has over the years kept them employed,” said Bailey, who went to there for tickets in college and later sent tickets to the booth as a Broadway general manager.

These days, visitors make their picks from a list of shows on continually updating electronic boards. TDF also has a free phone app that lists its offerings in real time.

Staffers are on hand to help in red jackets or T-shirts with the TKTS logo and the printed slogan “Got questions?” They’re theater fans, having seen all the shows on offer and aware of the best and worst seats in the city’s various theaters. Most patrons get through the line in less than 45 minutes, longer on holidays.

The advice is to be flexible — have decided on two or three possible shows by the time you get to the window. Bailey notices that people in line often help each other out with recommendations and swap info on shows.

Tickets to mega-hits like “Hamilton” and “Wicked” typically won’t appear at the booth since they don’t need to offer discounts. New shows often do until they become a hot ticket, like after a Tony Award win or favorable reviews. But, eventually, most shows end up listed at the booth.

“There comes a point in the evolution of a show when they need help,” says Bailey, who earned a Tony this year for her work helping theater. “Shows like ‘A Chorus Line,’ ‘The Wiz,’ ‘Chicago,’ ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ those shows ran extra years because of the booth.”

On a recent day, the booth had 50% discounts for “Camelot,” “A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond Musical,” “Good Night, Oscar,” “Grey House,” “New York, New York,” “Once Upon a One More Time,” “Hadestown” and “Chicago.” Tickets for “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window” with Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan were as little as $50.

Unlike other paid ticket sellers wandering around Times Square pushing one particular musical or play, TKTS representatives aren’t allowed to recommend a single show but instead offer a range of options appropriate to the visitor — family friendly, dramatic, light, scary.

Once at the window, ticket sellers quickly scan a blueprint of the theater for available seats and offer visitors options, like couples can sit apart with an unobstructed view or sit together with a “partial view” and risk missing something onstage.

In addition to catching shows herself, Ramirez loves seeing her regulars and learning what they’ve liked and what they haven’t.

“This is where we get a lot of information,” she says. “They will come back and tell me all the business, tell me who was in it, who was bad, who was good. Was it good, Was it not?”

The “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” list was released on Tuesday, with a Manhattan restaurant being ranked in the top 10.

Atomix, an upscale Korean restaurant on the corner of East 30th Street and Park Avenue featuring a decadent tasting menu, came in at No. 8 on the exclusive and highly sought-after list, which is considered one of the highest honors in the restaurant world. In addition to being the highest-rated restaurant in North America, Atomix was also the highest climber, improving from its 33rd ranking in 2022.

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The other New York City restaurant to make the list was Le Bernardin, a French restaurant on West 51st Street in midtown between Sixth and Seventh avenues helmed by famed chef Éric Ripert.

While it might seem almost unbelievable to have only two NYC restaurants making the list (given the city’s status as one of the best dining cities in the world), it actually is quite impressive — especially given that no other U.S. city made the list even once.

Which restaurant earned top billing? That would be Central, in Lima. The Peruvian capital has proven quite the foodie destination, with four restaurants from there making the list.

Data from The Broadway League released Tuesday shows many of the musicals and plays featured on the June 11 awards show benefited financially from getting valuable exposure in front of millions.

The top Tony winner, “Kimberly Akimbo,” about a teen who ages four times faster than the average human, won five awards including best new musical and grossed $695,405 over eight performances following the telecast, an increase of $169,229 over the previous week.

Tom Stoppard’s “Leopoldstadt,” which explores Jewish identity with an intergenerational story, won the best new play Tony and did even better: It earned $273,804 more than the week previously, ending up with $924,033 in the week after the Tonys.

The Hollywood writers’ strike left the storied awards show without a script but the Writers Guild of America allowed the show to go on without a picket line.

“& Juliet,” which reimagines “Romeo and Juliet” and adds some of the biggest pop hits of the past few decades, took in $205,694 more over the previous week, ending with a very healthy $1,339,854 after a rousing telecast performance and zero Tonys. while ”Shucked,” a surprise lightweight musical comedy celebrating corn and featuring newly minted Tony winner Alex Newell, earned $162,233 more than the previous week, finishing with a respectable $862,188.

“Some Like It Hot,” a musical adaptation of the cross-dressing comedy film, only saw a modest $103,039 increase despite J. Harrison Ghee’s historic win, and “New York, New York,” a love letter to Manhattan inspired by the 1977 film directed by Martin Scorsese, took in $141,105 over the previous week to a final $995,844 gross.

“Prima Facie,” which stars best actress winner Jodi Comer saw a bump of $161,576 to help it cross the $1 million threshold. Producers earlier Tuesday announced that the show had recouped its $4.1 million capitalization costs after 10 weeks and the show had set an eight-performance per week house record for the Golden Theatre with $1,107,829.

The telecast featured performances from all the nominated musicals and Will Swenson — starring on Broadway in a Neil Diamond musical — led the audience in a vigorous rendition of “Sweet Caroline.” Lea Michele of “Glee” and now “Funny Girl” fame also performed a soaring version of “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” The data was mixed on the last two entries: The Neil Diamond musical actually saw its take drop by almost $91,000 despite the exposure, while Michele’s show earned $1 million over the pre-Tony week, when Michele was absent.

Not all the numbers pointed to a telecast bump. “Parade,” a doomed musical love story set against the real backdrop of a murder and lynching in Georgia in pre-World War I, got a $108,734 increase to end last week with $1,168,463 after earning best revival of a musical and a Tony for director Michael Arden. But “Peter Pan Goes Wrong,” a farce that wasn’t featured at the awards show, go the same increase — $109,853.

The good news for many shows was tempered by some sad, including the imminent closing notices for two shows — “Life of Pi,” about a shipwrecked teenager who spends hundreds of days afloat in the Pacific in the company of a Bengal tiger, and “Fat Ham” — James Ijames’ adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” set at a Black family’s barbecue in the modern South.

The Loeb Boathouse opened its doors once again on Saturday, or at least part of it, following the extensive work that was done after it closed toward the end of last year. Crushed by skyrocketing costs for labor and goods, the restaurant closed down in Oct. 2022, with all 163 employees at the restaurant laid off. That’s when the city’s Park’s Department started looking for a new operator.

They found a familiar and homegrown company to take over operating the boathouse: Legends Hospitality, which does the concessions at Yankee Stadium, One World Observatory and other venues throughout the country. They committed more than $3 million to overhaul the 150-year-old property, saying that they wanted to “restore it to its natural grandeur.”

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One planned change coming with the 10-year deal: Legends said they will start offering advanced ticketing for boat rentals, and debit and credit will be accepted. Boat rentals are expected to return later in the summer.

For now, the Boathouse Café was the first portion to officially reopen. The restaurant’s main dining room and bar are slated to be ready to go in the fall.

According to the license agreement between the city and Legends, the new restaurant is set to offer brunch, lunch and dinner options at the dining room, as well as market options that are more geared toward grab-and-go items. The brunch would include standard staples (spinach and cheese omelet, brioche French toast, quiche, cinnamon bun, etc.) while the lunch menu featured sandwiches, burgers and salads, as well as few entrees.

The dinner menu featured a variety of different options, including lamb loin, duck ragout, USDA prime filet, grilled salmon, a pork chop, chicken, New York strip and a Chilean sea bass. There were also dessert items listed: honey buttermilk panna cotta, Dulcey blonde chocolate tart and black velvet cake.

The market would offer breakfast sandwiches in the morning, as well as pizzas and bowls in the afternoon, along with a kids menu.

The location, New York City’s only lakefront venue that has been home to countless dates and weddings, was immortalized in several big Hollywood films, including “When Harry Met Sally” and the 1962 political thriller “The Manchurian Candidate.”

Even New York City Mayor Eric Adams has a history with the boathouse.

“In my rookie years, I didn’t have a lot of money, and nothing was more romantic than being able to rent a boat,” he said at a press conference in February. “It has been a landmark for generations in New York City.”

The mayor the return of the restaurant would bring back 200 union jobs.

The $500 million building, the next-to-last element of the World Trade Center redevelopment to open following the 2001 terrorist attacks, announced its inaugural season Wednesday.

“Cats” will appear in June and July 2024 directed by Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, with choreography by Arturo Lyons and Omari Wiles.

The musical will have reimagined staging set in Harlem’s drag Ballroom Culture. Bill Rauch, PAC’s artistic director, said Ballroom Culture will come across in the casting, staging and design.

“Certainly Ballroom beats will affect how some of the songs are orchestrated,” he said.

Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” closed on April 16 at the Majestic Theater after 13,981 performances, leaving the legendary composer with no shows on Broadway for the first time since 1979. The original “Cats” production ran for 7,485 performances from 1982-2000, and a revival in 2016-17 ran for 593.

The PAC, designed by Joshua Ramus of REX, is to open with a ribbon-cutting on Sept. 13. A five-night opening called “A Concert Series to Welcome the World,” with pay-as-you-wish seating, begins Sept. 19 with “NYC Tapestry: Home as Refuge” that includes Laurie Anderson, Raven Chacon, Natalie Diaz and Angélique Kidjo, among others.

“Watch Night,” a multidisciplinary piece composed by Tamar-kali, co-conceived, directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones, runs from Nov. 3-18 and melds spirituals, opera and poetry. Luna Pearl Woolf’s “Number Our Days” a multimedia oratorio, runs from April 12-14. “An American Soldier,” the Huang Ruo opera that premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in 2014, gets its New York premiere from May 12-19.

Among theater options, Laurence Fishburne premieres a one-man show “Like They Do in The Movies” from March 10-31. An evening with Brian Stokes Mitchell is scheduled for Oct. 5 and Anthony Roth Costanzo has a cabaret show Dec. 20.

The PAC is clad in translucent, veined Portuguese marble that creates amber light in the day and glows at night. It features three performance spaces that can be used separately or combined: the John E. Zuccotti Theater (seating 450), the Mike Nichols Theater (250), and the Doris Duke Foundation Theater (99).

With proscenium, thrust and in-the-round formations, there are 60 stage-audience arrangements of 90-950 seats. The space, launched with a $75 million gift from Ronald Perelman in 2016, includes a restaurant led by chef Marcus Samuelsson and designed by David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group. A lobby stage is open to the public for free performances.

The flexible space is similar but different from The Shed, which opened in 2019 at the Hudson Yards Development, and the Park Avenue Armory, which has presented arts programming since 2007.

“The Shed and the Armory work perfectly for big things,” said PAC chairman Mike Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor, who contributed $130 million. “This, the scale is different. You can have a 20-person audience and a 20-person performance, and you can do that here. Number two, it is to some extent a different audience. This is downtown, that’s midtown. Lots of places to go midtown. Love ‘em all. Supported them all, probably. Visited them all. Go to them all. But downtown has never really had a lot of that. And if you think about it, you’ve got the Staten Island Ferry, you’ve got subways from four boroughs coming over, you’ve got the PATH tube from New Jersey. People can get here.”

The last building of the redevelopment, 2 World Trade Center, is projected to open in 2027.

The Hollywood writers’ strike has left much of Sunday’s telecast with unknowns. There will be performances from the nominated musicals, pre-recorded montages of the plays and acceptance speeches. Everything else seems up in the air.

Striking members of the Writers Guild of America have agreed not to picket but won’t allow its writers to work on the Tonys, leaving Broadway’s biggest night without an established script. Any banter will have to be impromptu.

But if any group of people are best equipped to handle the stress from a live event, it’s the Broadway community. Going on without a net just doesn’t scare them.

“I think the theatrical community is the one artistic community that is absolutely capable of pulling off a show like this and not having it feel like, ‘Oh, I’m so scared and nervous!’” says Wayne Brady, who has been on Broadway in “Kinky Boots” and “Chicago” and will be leading a new “The Wiz.” It’s like, ‘No, this is what we do. This is what we do.’ And I can’t wait to see it.”

Ariana DeBose’s second stint as host is likely to be far different from last year. The Academy Award winner and Tony Award nominee will be tasked with gluing it all together.

There’s plenty of time to eat up: A 2 1/2-hour pre-show on Pluto TV from 6:30-8 p.m. EDT hosted by Julianne Hough and Skylar Astin, and then the three-hour main event led by DeBose on CBS and Paramount+ starting at 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT.

Performances are slated from the nominated casts of “Camelot,” “Into the Woods,” “& Juliet,” “Kimberly Akimbo,” “New York, New York,” “Parade,” “Shucked,” “Some Like It Hot” and “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

In addition, Joaquina Kalukango, the winner of last year’s Tony for best performance by a leading actress in a musical, will sing, as well as casts from “A Beautiful Noise” and “Funny Girl.” That means there’ll be plenty of star power, from Josh Groban to Lea Michele.

A total of 26 Tony Awards will be handed out for a season that had 40 new productions — 15 musicals, 24 plays and one special engagement. It was the first full season since Broadway returned from the COVID-19 shutdown.

“Some Like It Hot,” a musical adaptation of the cross-dressing movie comedy that starred Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, goes into the night with a leading 13 Tony Award nominations.

Broadway shows rely on the Tony Award telecast for exposure, and this year the need is even heightened, with a drop in tourism leaving many shows lighter at the box office than usual.

Stark Sands, who has twice been nominated and will attend this year as part of the musical “& Juliet,” calls the telecast “an annual national commercial for Broadway.”

“We know how much it means in ticket sales even if you don’t win — just the performance on national television in front of that 3 or 4 million people that are watching,” he says.

“I’m bummed that it’s not going to be the Tonys that we know, but I’m grateful that they got it over the line and that we will have those very clickable moments of the performances.”

Even the location this year — the United Palace Theatre, in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan — is a new one for the ceremony, many miles from Times Square and the theater district. A morning telecast rehearsal — usually open to the public — has been nixed. The red carpet will be photos only and a list of presenters has not been released.

The strike has darkened late-night TV shows like “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert “and “Saturday Night Live” and delayed the making of scripted TV shows.

The big first awards show during the current strike was the MTV Movie & TV Awards, which had no host and relied on recycled clips and a smattering of pre-recorded acceptance speeches. The strike has also disrupted the PEN America Gala and the Peabody Awards.

Producers may take tips from the 1988 awards, which were also broadcast during a Writers Guild of America walkout. Host Angela Lansbury started the show with an impromptu personal story that connected many of that season’s shows as dancers from them appeared behind her.

Among the stars appearing that night were Bernadette Peters, Matthew Broderick, Joel Grey, Gregory Hines, Madonna, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Mandy Patinkin, Chita Rivera and Kathleen Turner. Performances included songs from “Anything Goes,” Sarafina“ and “Into the Woods” and a salute to director and choreographer Michael Bennett, who had died the year before.

The performances were longer than time allotted in recent years and the presenters or winners didn’t use prompters. There was a rawness to the telecast, with presenters talking over each other and some poorly framed shots. “The Phantom of the Opera” won best new musical.

There are connections to that night 35 years ago. On Sunday, “Into the Woods” is a nominee, Grey will be honored with a special Tony for lifetime achievement, and audiences this season said goodbye to “The Phantom of the Opera.”

Nicholas A.B. Gray died at the age of 86, his family said in a statement Wednesday.

“It is with heavy hearts and great sadness that we announce the passing of a New York icon and  our fearless founder Nicholas A. B. Gray. An immigrant who opened Gray’s Papaya in 1973 and the sweetest, funniest, most eccentric boss, father, husband, brother, husband, uncle, grandfather and friend,” read the statement from Tessa Gray, his daughter. “Thank you for the countless lives you brightened one Recession Special at a time.”

In a tweet, NYC Mayor Eric Adams called Gray’s Papaya “a New York City institution and a beacon for Polite New Yorkers thanks to Nicholas Gray.”

The restaurant chain has had multiple locations throughout the years and currently has just one, its flagship on the Upper West Side.

Gray was a former partner of Papaya King, another NYC staple, when he founded his own stand in 1973. Since starting his own franchise, Gray’s Papaya has consistently been named among the best hot dogs in the city.

In addition to its namesake drink, Gray’s became famous for its low prices on its hot dogs, once selling them for 50 cents. They are now sold at $2.95.

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If you’re in the mood for a good burger, New York City has you covered. And just in time for National Hamburger Day on Sunday.

Yelp generated a list of the “Top 100 Burger Spots” in the country, and the Big Apple is home to eight of those spots, including the runner-up.

The number two spot went to Minetta Tavern, a French restaurant in Greenwich Village. They cook up the “Black Label Burger which has a selection of prime dry aged beef cuts and is served with caramelized onions and pommes frites.”

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Here are the other top NYC burgers on the list:

#21 Xian Famous Foods: The Upper East Side location of this chain made the ranks thanks to the Stewed Pork Burger and Spicy Cumin Lamb Burger on the menu.

#23 Five Napkin Burger: In Midtown West, you can take a bite of their classic 5 Napkin Burger made with 10 oz. of All Natural Beef and stacked with Imported Gruyere Cheese, Caramelized Onions and Rosemary-Garlic Aioli.

#30 Burger Joint: This Midtown joint offers both classic hamburgers and cheeseburgers with “the works” or their plant-based versions. There are also locations in the Moynihan Food Hall and in Brooklyn’s Industry City.

#36 Shake Shack: While this restaurant is a popular chain, their Midtown West venue makes the Top 100 list.

#37 Ruby’s Cafe: Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood is home to this gem, who offers a variety of burger creations with untraditional toppings such as pineapple and beet.

#47 Vesuvio Bakery This SoHo spot features several types of fresh breads; however, the focus of the lunch menu appeared to be sandwiches rather than traditional burgers.

#97 Parker & Quinn: Midtown South is home to this restaurant in the Refinery Hotel, with options including a Lamb Burger with peperonata, goat cheese, and harissa aioli.

Yelp says that some popular trends among those ranking the restaurants were large portions, various meats such as salmon and lamb, and creative buns. They also found that Barbeque options are well-liked among “Yelpers.”

The Queens Chamber of Commerce crowned the winner of its first-ever “Queens’ Best Empanada Competition” on Monday night, bestowing the coveted honor upon the family-owned Empanadas Cafe on Van Doren and 108th.

According to PIX 11, Empanadas Cafe is co-owned by Patricia Bernard and Luz Helena Bermudez. The two have been in business together for two decades. They have a mouth-watering menu — and a heck of a story, too.

People were invited to submit restaurant names across Queens for the top empanada prize — and hundreds of nominations came in. A 10-day voting period was held this month to determine the champion.

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“This is an honor to be here for 20 years and have the commitment to quality,” Bernard told PIX 11. “We hear it all the time and thank customers for the vote. This is for them.”

Along with bragging rights, Empanadas Cafe wins a complimentary membership to the Queens Chamber of Commerce.

What’s up next for “best of” in Queens? That’s to be determined. In February, Rocco’s of Roc Beach won best pizza slice.

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The al fresco dining areas were allowed on an emergency basis during the COVID-19 pandemic. So for years now, restaurants have wondered “What’s the long-term plan?” But they didn’t get much in terms of a clear answer.

At last, it now appears there is one. A plan has been formulated by the city to keep outdoor dining around for years to come.

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A proposed bill would allow sidewalk dining year-round. That involves seating that is not located inside dining sheds taking up room on city streets, but rather areas on sidewalks only.

The same bill would allow “streeteries” — aka the dining sheds on the streets — to stay up from April through November each year.

“We’ve got to move from the emergency program and really standardize and make it more sustainable and I think this is a big step forward,” said NYC Hospitality Alliance Executive Director Andrew Rigie, who said the bill is a good compromise. “We’ve been waiting a long time but I think it’s an historic agreement. We’re gonna cut red tape so they can get outdoor dining licenses faster.”

While all the details are not quite clear yet, restaurants would be required to get a license and pay a fee for their outdoor dining plan. But Rigie says the process will be easier and cheaper than it was before the pandemic.

“It’s going to significantly cut the fees, it’s going to be permitted for thousands of restaurants that were restricted,” he said.

While diners seemed on board with the plan, some restaurants worry about the cost and hassle of taking down their structures in the winter.

“You have to think of long term: Do I really want to keep it? Because once you take it down one time, you don’t know if you want to keep doing that,” said Jose Mendoza, an employee at El Mil Sabores on Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen.

Mendoza said that at his restaurant, customers use the streetery all year long. He thinks that in the end, many restaurants will be forced to weigh the costs.

“They won’t want to keep hiring someone to do it for them and then they got to do it themselves. They’re gonna get tired of doing that as well,” he said.

This bill has the approval of Mayor Eric Adams, through it still needs to be finalized and voted on next month. If passed, the permitting process would start but it wouldn’t go into effect for restaurants until November 2024.

The Malibu Barbie Cafe: New York City will kick off on Wednesday, May 17 and run through Sept. 15, according to the Bucket Listers website.

The pop-up comes in time for the highly anticipated “Barbie” movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.

The café will transport guests to 1970s Malibu, California, complete with a Barbie-esque color scheme, beach motifs and retro décor. There will be immersive spaces and photo ops inspired the icon herself, Malibu Barbie. There will even be a life-size Barbie Box to show off your best pose in a Instagramable-worthy photo.

In a press release, Julie Freeland, the Senior Director of Location Based Entertainment at Mattel said, “At Mattel we are always looking for exciting, new ways to bring the Barbie experience to life. From the beach-loving décor to the menu, every detail has been thoughtfully designed to celebrate the iconic Barbie style, with nostalgic details fans will love.”

The cafe itself will be a fast-casual, family-friendly restaurant experience featuring, among other menu choices, Pacific Paradise Pancakes, West Coast Wave Wedge Salad and a California Dreamin’ Club Sandwich. Desserts and a variety of drinks will also be available.

Prices will start at $35 for kids, $50 for adults — with every ticket purchase including a reserved seat, guaranteed window of time to dine, and choice of entree and side item.

Those in Chicago can also experience a Malibu Barbie Café of their own. The restaurant there opens on June 7 and will be open seven days a week.

To purchase tickets for the Malibu Barbie Cafe experience, click here.

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