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| Wild Duck à la Cajun |
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| By Wenying Shou | ||
| March 2004 | Restaurant Reviews | |
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Jean Cocteau Repertory, 330 Bowery at Bond St (E 2nd St); phone: (212) 677-0060 Great Jones Café, 54 Great Jones St (E 3rd St) Between Bowery and Lafayette Few treats in NYC are better than a great play followed by a fun dinner. Jean Cocteau Repertory theatre and Great Jones Café are such a winning duet. Even better, they are only one block away from each other. Jean Cocteau Repertory in the East Village is one of my (and New York drama critics’) favorite classic off-Broadway theatres. It has produced plays by Shakespeare, Bernard Shaw, Wilde, Chekhov, Strindberg, and Marivaux, just to name a few. When I have guests who love theatre, I inevitably take them to Jean Cocteau Rep, because the room for disappointment is very small with a masterpiece script and an extremely talented cast. Indeed, except for Lysistrata (by Aristophanes) in which the director’s interpretation could have been more subtle, I loved every show. The theatre is also small, providing an intimate setting that makes you feel that you are part of the show. The upcoming events of this season include Dona Rosita the Spinster (by Federico Garcia Lorca), The Wild Duck (by Henrik Ibsen), The Bourgeois Gentleman (by Molière) and, in the summer, an extended run of the sold-out musical Threepenny Opera (book and lyrics by Bertolt Brecht; music by Kurt Weill). Single tickets are $40–50; a subscription costs $130–150 for 5 shows. The box office also sells rush tickets, if available, at $15 per ticket, 15 minutes prior to curtain. One block north of the theatre, Great Jones Café is perfect for a fun dinner after the play is over. The chronically crowded café is tiny—in fact, it will not seat a party of more than 8 and does not take reservations. The café, which allegedly makes the best Bloody Mary in town, offers excellent Cajun food. The menu is written on the wall and the price is moderate ($5–$20). Stewed mustard greens are austere and healthy in their traditional way. In stark contrast, garlic shrimp sautée, with bits of garlic and rice floating around, is rich and delicious. Cajun Popcorns—lightly fried tender crayfish tails with a creamy herb dipping sauce—are seductive.Related Articles: |
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