1st Look was able to get a preview of "The Art of The Brick" last week, an exhibition at Discovery Times Square, by critically acclaimed artist Nathan Sawaya. It was a stunning, playful exhibit full of intricately detailed originals and reinterpreted pieces that would be familiar to any art lover, like Starry Night (see below), The Scream (see below) and the Mona Lisa.

The best part of all, Sawaya's works are built from one of the most recognizable toys in history, LEGO. From a T-Rex that took over an entire room to smaller whimsical pieces such as the peace sign and Buddha, it's a delightful experience that will put you in awe.

For ticket information, click here.

The only way to describe what happened to my mouth last night was, lobstah-gasm! The Lobster Roll Rumble by Tasting Table was nothing short of magnificent. Flashbacks of my childhood, on the shores of New England came swirling back around.

As I took my first few steps into the Metropolitan Pavilion, fumes of melted butter on toasted bread were like an aphrodisiac for the nostrils--my attention shifted immediately from people watching to finding the nearest lobster stand.

Naturally I got a little too excited and over ate early on, but I managed to fit in the majority of samples offered at the Lobster Roll Rumble, 20 contenders to be exact. In my opinion, the best rolls were The Clam Shack, Waterbar and Ford’s Fish Shack. I’m always looking for the perfect combination of dressing and bread. If one or the other is off, you lose.

Tasting Table didn’t leave a single detail out. The night was full of music, desserts and a variety of alcoholic beverages. This event is an absolute must. Still drooling.

At any given point there are close to 20,000 restaurants in the five boroughs that make up New York City.  And while one might not think of the Upper West Side as a dinning destination, the 2013 Whole Foods Market's New Taste of the Upper West Side, proves that they should. With 44--yes, that's correct, 44--Upper West Side vendors participating in this year's Comfort Classics event staged under a picturesque white tent, equipped with an aerialist performer, DJ Phresh on the 1s and 2s, and emceed by the ultimate foodie Adam Richman, the night was a feeding frenzy for all the senses. 

The two-night event, was created in part to raise money for the beatification of the neighborhood that bears the festival's name, more specifically, a sustainable streetscape on the west side of Columbus Avenue between 76th and 77th streets.  With much of the work already underway, guests walked past the very projects they were helping to fund, six new benches, five new tree beds, in-ground solar lighting, and a solar-powered trash compactor, all on their way to a foodie mecca.

With summer in full bloom in the city, even with the official start of the season still a month off, guests were invited to interact with the chefs and each other while sampling some of the finest food the Upper West Side has to offer. 

The Ditch Dog, from Ditch Plains, was a reminder of how comforting comfort food can be: A hot dog covered in mac 'n' cheese. Isabella's ramekins of individually portioned lasagnas demonstrated how the UWS institution remain all class, even when paired down to the pint size.  A. G. Kitchen's pork tacos were juicy and savory as were the freshly sliced pastrami sandwiches from Artie's Deli.  Shake Shack, Citrus Bar & Grill, Momofuku Milk Bar, P. J. Clarke's, Gabriela's, Rigoletto's Pizza... there was no shortage of food or smiles on peoples faces, proving that the Upper West Side is truly a foodie favorite.

Artie's Deli served open-faced pastrami sandwiches, sliced on site and served on rye with spicy mustard and pickles.
 

Isabella's dolled out individually portioned servings of lasagna.
 

Marc Murphy from Landmarc and Ditch Plains
 

Rigoletto's Pizzeria sliced up perfect pies.
 

TV host and personality Adam Richman.

Mama Coco's Funky Kitchen is a Brooklyn-based DIY recording studio, musician's collective and record label, providing high quality, affordable production and recording. Artistic identity, integrity and personal expression are truly the highest priorities within the MCFK world of activities and undertakings, a breath of fresh air in the current state of the music industry.

In the studio's first two and a half years of existence, MCFK has amassed a collective of 45+ bands, all making records within the MCFK facilities. The studio does extensive press campaigns for all the records made here, and puts on regular, bacchanalian live showcases throughout the year to promote the wide range of bands.

MCFK founder Oliver Ignatius says, “Our goal is to inject a little bit more looseness, spontaneity, creativity and fun back into a music scene that has become increasingly segregated, cutthroat and competitive. We encourage utter sincerity, whether direct or in pretension or irony, and believe that the highest form a record can aspire to be is simply a direct and honest expression of the individual(s) who created it. We believe that anybody's quirks or oddities are really their super powers, and aim to facilitate their transmission through the records. We take care of all the bands that pass through our doors, providing them with a community, a safe haven to create, and outlets for the performance and promotion of their music.”

Mama Coco’s also organizes regular community events, such as film screenings and meditation meetings. Moving forward this summer, MCFK is gearing up to release its first vinyl product, establishing the foundation of MCFK Records, which will run concurrent with the studio.

For more information, visit the website. Be sure to check out Mama Coco’s Freakout #21 showcase this Friday 5/24--how can you not love a band named The Harmonica Lewinskies?!!

While the festival was cut short this year, with a cancellation on the third day due to poor weather conditions, our indie favorites Sharon Van Etten and Father John Misty squeezed in sets this past Saturday for festival goers who were ready to brave the ominous clouds and misty rain... like we did. A little rain wasn't going to get in the way of 1st Look and our live music and fried chicken (Click on that... and drool).

Sharon Van Etten played mellow tunes to a poncho-clad group, seemingly getting newly acquainted with the Brooklyn-based musician. We're big fans, so we hope Van Etten won over her home base, especially after announcing a wardrobe malfunction in front of her father, who was in the crowd.

Father John Misty took over the Nethermead Stage with ramblings on food festivals and granola bars, providing some laughs to the soggy crowd, who didn't seem to mind the folk musician's random musings between songs. J. Tilman's (lead vocalist and guitarist) Jagger-like movements on stage were enough to get the audience into it.

I mean, it was raining. Sucks, sure. But, why not just get a good laugh out of it and enjoy a little music?

While the food vendors got the short end of the stick this year, with the last-minute rain cancellation, and the festival is over, you can still help out those restaurants that took a major financial blow by checking out the vendor list and supporting one of your local restaurants. We're asking you to eat to help out... ain't so bad, right? Stay full, stay dry, and let the music live on!

Last night, Village Voice threw their 2nd annual food truck event Choice Streets on Pier 86 at the Intrepid. What better way to spend a beautiful spring evening than to get a taste of some of the city's best street eats right next to the famous USS Intrepid.

Here are some highlights:
 

Red Hook Street Vendors' Solber Pupusas, serving up pupusas, a hot corn tortilla filled with meat (or cheese).

A Bufala slice at Neapolitan Pizza.

Souvlaki GR charcoal grilled chicken with Souvlaki sticks and hand-cut Greek fries.

Chef Samir's lemon chicken couscous at Come Ci Comme Ca.

A delightfully surprising amount of vegetarian options like the veggie flautas.
 

There was no shortage of dessert trucks, like Wafels & Dinges, serving up hot Belgian waffles.
 

Attendees feasted while the sun set over Pier 86.

Go check out this new play by Tony Award winner John Logan, starring the one and only Bette Midler, in a one-character play set up as a piercing, very funny chat between legendary Tinseltown agent Sue Mengers and the audience.

Known as Hollywood's first woman "superagent," Mengers was a legendary wit and dinner party hostess extraordinaire. 80 minutes long, with no intermission, this show is a fun, dishy night out. The show runs until June 30th. For more, click here.

Who said it?

"I'm the product of good English teachers… I got in a lot of trouble [growing up] but always had the ability to use language to my benefit… and make my own world."

Did anyone guess… Anthony Bourdain? If so, then you were probably lucky enough to attend last night's 10th Anniversary benefit for The Bronx Academy of Letters--a night hosted by the former chef himself, with indie mag Lucky Peach at the Metropolitan Pavillion.

It was a night filled with incredible bites from some of the country's powerhouse chefs and restaurants, like Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese, Grabrielle Hamilton from Prune, and NYC favorites Roberta's & BrisketTown. And those who ate, didn't shy away from the palette-pleasing array of cocktails mixed by PDT's Jim Meehan.

Now, a night of food like this would inevitably leave you warm and happy inside, right? But it was ultimately the cause, the speakers and student presentations that brought that feeling to a whole new level.

The Bronx Academy of Letters is an Urban Assembly School, educating students in urban areas by expanding their life experiences through reading, writing, and global awareness and opportunity.

They believe that society's prejudices should not prevent our city's kids from becoming the individuals they have the potential to be. And through real-world exposure and experience and stern academics, these students are taking strides toward success in their own lives, and those around them.

Great cause, great food? We're in!

You can show your support for the Bronx Academy of Letters and other Urban Assembly programs here.
 

If there's anything New Yorkers love, it's a reason to eat, drink and celebrate. This weekend, we're celebrating the first leg of the Triple Crown with the Kentucky Derby and topping that off with Cinco de Mayo Sunday Funday to keep the party going (...naturally). Here's a roundup of the best fiestas in town:

If an outdoor terrace is where you want to be, with a cocktail in hand, experience 40 varieties of tequilas and mezcals at Tequila Park Taqueria, newly opened at the Hudson Hotel (356 W 58th St.).

Celebrate the Mexican victory over the French (PS. Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day) with capes, luchadors, nachos, and a "Choose Your Own Margarita Adventure" Bar at The Tippler (42 W 15th St.).

Thrillist is throwing its first annual Luncha Libre: The Thrillist Taco Knockout at Villain in Brooklyn. Buy tickets and enjoy taco creations from local chefs and unlimited beer, micheladas and margaritas (50 North 3rd St.).

Care to keep it low key? Check out Jean-Georges Vongerichten's ABC Cocina (opens Thursday 5/2) for the renowned chef's take on Mexican and Latin flavors (38 E 19th St.). Check Open Table for reservations.

One of our favorites, Alex Stupak's Empellon Taqueria is doing a special Cinco de Mayo all-you-can-drink special prix-fixe menu for Saturday dinner, Sunday brunch, and Sunday Dinner, featuring some new dishes… and, we mentioned the unlimited beer, margaritas, and sparking wine, right? Churro French toast, braised bacon tacos, fish tempura tacos.. uh, yes, please. Viva la Mexico!