Jessica Klein

Underwater Spin Class: Your New Favorite Workout

Rushing from work, I came ill prepared for my first ever aquacycling class. Wearing an entirely cotton outfit, I entered the Tribeca studio, Aqua (located at 78 Franklin Street), thinking that only my lower legs would be submerged as I participated in the workout. I had taken too literally an image sent by one of the women organizing the class, which pictured someone pedaling that cut off at the knees. After filling out forms attesting to the fact that I was not too ill or old to partake in the class (indeed I was neither, though I did ponder with some trepidation my irregular and minimal exercise regime), I received my aquacycling shoes. Rubbery and tight fitting, they resembled something one might wear in a hospital and flippers without the part that actually helps you swim.

Manhattan Digest, Spin Class, Aqua Cycling — Credit to: Dove® Men+Care™ Hair.

As I entered the room where our class of six, young women would cycle for half an hour, I realized my mistake. I clearly hadn’t done my research, and the seats of the bikes sat at least an inch below the pool’s water level while the shiny, silver handles jutted out just above. I immediately regretted my choice of clothing as I stood chest-deep in chlorinated water, struggling to adjust a seat with knobs that appeared distorted thanks to the rippling blue. To jump right in, just as I did into the water under the pleasantly dim lighting of the aquacycling studio, the class was a challenge. I was repeatedly instructed to make impossible figure eights with my arms, and I almost floated away while attempting underwater pushups. My seat never seemed to be in the right place and, at one point, my left pedal strap came undone. Nonetheless, I flapped my arms and peddled my legs with the best of them (who were, encouragingly, beginners, as well—but in your head, you’re always the only one doing it wrong when it’s your first time in aquacycling class; trust me). Yet, against all odds, I had a blast. Aquacycling was unlike anything I had ever experienced, yoga and kickboxing being the only organized fitness classes I’d previously attended. Our aquacycling instructor, a spin class teacher and veteran swimmer, had clearly found a calling in leading this class. With equal parts firmness and encouragement, she counted down the length of our “sprints,” showed us how to “fly” on a submerged stationary bike (by getting off of the seat but keeping your feet in the pedals while making water treading motions with your arms behind the bike), and made sure we always sucked in our stomachs, which turned out to be necessary if you didn’t want to float away while you “flew.” At no point during the class did I remotely fear drowning. When the class ended and I emerged from the pool, my legs all of a sudden turned to lead. Our instructor assured us that we would not be sore the next day from this workout, since it took place in the water. Though naturally dubious at the time, I have to admit she was right. It’s two days later, and I have yet to feel that usual post-exercise pain. I just feel very self-satisfied for trying something new that required above average movement. The instructor also warned us that we would be more dehydrated than we imagined back on land. As it turns out, sweating in water doesn’t feel like sweating, and to my surprise, I gulped up the remains of my water bottle in record time back in the locker room. Right about then, a nightmarish thought occurred to me. I had made a greater mistake than simply wearing the wrong clothes to class—they were also my only clothes in the building. I was soaking wet in cotton and hadn’t brought a change. Regressing to high school-level mortification, I laughed quietly to myself while blow-drying my shorts and contemplating a run back to my apartment. Yes, I felt that energized that I wanted to run after half an hour of cycling through the weight of water. This was rendered impossible by the large gift bags we walked home with thanks to Dove® Men+Care™, the aquacycling class’s sponsor. I took the free stuff with a smile, nodded approvingly at the scent of the shampoo (which I decided to use myself in spite of it’s “manly” designation), and hugged my fellow aquacyclers goodbye. Something about going through the unfamiliar but exhilarating activity served as a bonding agent, supplying me, too, with all the endorphins necessary to walk twenty blocks home soaking wet.

Aqua Cycling, Dove® Men+Care™ Hair, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: Dove® Men+Care™ Hair

Aqua Studio NY is located at 78 Franklin Street in Tribeca. The first NYC cycling studio to hold classes in a pool, it’s open seven days a week and offers a variety of classes ranging from beginner to way more intense. On the pricey side, trial classes cost $34 while single classes go for $40 and packages including 5 to 30 classes range from $190 to $990 (respectively), with options falling in between, as well. For more information, call the studio at 212-966-6784, or visit the website.

Denim Day 2014: Wearing Tight Jeans Doesn’t Mean Consent

by Jessica Klein

Since April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, early spring marks the time for NYC to speak up about a problem that plagues more women and men than most would like to imagine. With statistics that point to approximately 237,868 survivors of sexual assault each year in the United States, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and a rate of one sexual assault in the U.S. per every two minutes, it’s important that we have a month dedicated to spreading knowledge of such a devastating issue that affects so many.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014, focused on a particular event concerning the month’s overall message. The day gave people a chance to reflect on one of the legal systems many failures to prosecute for sexual assault. Having grown out of a 1998 Italian Supreme Court decision that overturned a rape conviction, “Denim Day” got its name because the victim from the case worse tight jeans on the day of her assault. Thus, the presiding judge decided that the victim must have helped her attacker remove her jeans before he raped her, which, in the court’s mind, indicated consent.

Though we’d like to think that nowadays the courts know better than to equate tight jeans with consent, Denim Day serves as a reminder of such attitudes that help rapists get away with their crimes and re-victimize those who have already been violated. On Wednesday, the 23^rd, people were encouraged to wear jeans as a symbol of discontent with the Italian Supreme Court ruling and the thinking that lead to it.

In New York City, Denim Day took a number of different forms. The NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault, in conjunction with St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Crime Victims Treatment Center, Start Strong Bronx, YWCA of Brooklyn, and other organizations from around the city held a Denim Day press conference hosted by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Council Member Julissa Ferreras. Located on the steps of City Hall, the conference stressed the importance of men speaking out against sexual assault, which keynote speaker Police Commissioner William Bratton helped support.

Meanwhile, at Beth Israel hospital, a table set up in the main lobby held informational pamphlets, papers, and pins surrounding the day’s message. Glitter glue signs attested to attire, behavior, and time of day never serving as excuses for sexual assault. For example, a sign read something like, “I have the right to walk down the street alone late at night without the fear of getting raped.”

People’s reactions to the information varied. One of the most disappointing came from a man who sympathized with rapists, noting that rape is a stupid action to take because “it could ruin the guy’s life.” As this was certainly not the message passersby were meant to take from the table, it is important to note that the positive responses outweighed such misplaced sympathy. One hospital worker took a pamphlet about services the BI offers regarding sexual assault, planning to share the information with patients of his who had suffered from that particular trauma. Others showed equal enthusiasm, grabbing pins for coworkers and expressing thanks for spreading the message.

Jean brand Guess also showed their support by providing information on their website and requesting people take the pledge to wear jeans on April 23^rd. The Columbia University dining hall even served a cake, decorated with roses, in solidarity of the message usually espoused by wearing jeans. Though intentions behind the cake were reportedly positive, the gesture was ultimately deemed inappropriate and the cake was taken away, unsurprisingly untouched. Sporting denim and spreading a message that condemns rapists and those who let them get away with their actions, of course, remain the best ways to show support. With about a week left in April, there’s still time to raise awareness for the month’s cause (and there’s always time to continue to do so indefinitely).

Best Surf Bar in the Boroughs: Beach Haters, Beware

by Jessica Klein

Enjoy sand between your toes when you’re dining? Even though the servers don’t typically recommend it, you can gorge on seafood with your shoes off and feet in the sand-covered floors at this festively decorated Brooklyn Surf Bar.

Located at 139 North 6^th Street in Williamsburg, Surf Bar is arguably the best of its genre in this fair city. With a convenient perch just blocks from the Bedford L, its relativity high traffic results in mixed (but largely positive) reviews from customers. That being said, it’s probably best not to go to a bar filled with sand if you find getting it in your shoes “a major pain in the butt” (words of a Yelp review dated February 27, 2014).

I personally enjoy the super surf kitsch décor and checkered tablecloths that would make the ambience everything at this restaurant/bar if it weren’t for the surprisingly delicious food and drink options. Standard prices make items like the Grilled Mahi Mahi Burger seem even tastier.

However, the various fried fish options serve as the menu’s main draw. With additions like Wasabi Pea, Teriyaki, and Coconut Lime Sauce (always on the side), the fish options taste much better than you would imagine at a place that has Barbie and Ken dolls wearing wet suits and smoking a cigarette (or, more likely, joint) hanging off the beer taps. The only menu option I’ve learned to avoid is the Cali Shrimp Tacos. Though the grilled shrimp itself is perfectly cooked and well seasoned, the menu description promises a lot more than what these otherwise lettuce-filled tacos deliver.

The salad (I’d recommend the fresh Shrimp & Crab) and side options aren’t bad, either, and I have a friend who swears by the Fish Burrito. Yucca Fries are a must if you feel like embracing the beachy spirit. They come with a sort of marinara sauce that doesn’t seem like it would work well with the starchy finger food until you take them for a dip.

Alas, the real reason my friends and I keep going back centers on the cocktails. Nothing can beat large, frozen alcoholic beverages with umbrellas sticking out of the top (they also make great hair accessories after you leave the bar). If you’re looking for adventure, or to get blackout drunk, try the Zombie, packed with enough different types of alcohol that discerning them as you sip through a colorful straw reaches impossibility. Coconut lovers must go for the Frozen Pina Colada or Gorilla Milk, but the Frozen Mojito’s pleasantly surprised everyone I know who’s given it a try. Its vibrant, green color need not scare drinkers away.

In keeping with the laidback vibe, what friendly staff members lack in speed they make up for in good humor. Surely having to deal with a variety of Zombie-drunk patrons has forced them to relax when dealing with customers. The restaurant/bar also boasts an ample back area, so you can dig your feet in the sand outdoors. But for the obviously Williamsburg walk-ups sticking up around you, you’d hardly tell the difference between Surf Bar’s outdoor space and a beachside eatery.

If you enjoy surfer kitsch, sweet and strong drinks, seafood, and eateries with ambience, check out Surf Bar’s website. The music alone will put you right in the mood…or indicate that Surf Bar in Williamsburg is the last place where you want to eat.

Glittering Bombs- The Affordable Art Fair in Chelsea

by Jessica Klein

If you live in Manhattan, you’ve probably seen the many bright, pink banners flapping up Sixth Avenue announcing the Affordable Art Fair at the Metropolitan Pavilion. The four-day event hosting 78 galleries from all over the world started on April 2^nd and goes until Sunday, April 6^th in Chelsea. Deemed the Affordable Art Fair for a reason, no piece under the Met Pavilion’s roof costs over $100,000, with many settling below the $5,000 mark.

With the typical stark, white walls of a gallery setting, the art itself was better reflected by those shocking, pink banners. The array of pieces from emerging and established artists formed an amazing collection for those looking to buy or those simply hoping to soak up the lively atmosphere. It felt like all of the pieces came together in Chelsea to explode, scattering glitter, bright colors, Disney references (like a metallic Batman with a vastly enlarged erection), aerial views, and splattered paint.

Some of the more standout results of this explosion included interactive pieces by Waller & Heneet from Cambridge, UK, the “Eye Series” by Myung Nam An, and photographs by Sebastian Bieniek, a Poland-born German artist. The first, made of “mixed media,” featured a number of different colored balls that felt like wool attached to a surface over which viewers were free to run their hands, creating a vibrating effect across the “canvas.” Meanwhile, An’s ceramic “Eye Series” stared from across the pavilion, a handful of abstract “eyes” adorned with spikes, points, and blobs. Representing the most unique idea, Bieniek’s art occupied my attention for some time.

His most intriguing work starred his former girlfriend, whom he photographed in rather unique makeup. Using eyeliner and lipstick along with the woman’s own two eyes, Bieniek created the illusion of two faces by using her hair to cover her actual nose and lips, drawing new ones on the left and right sides of her face. In one photograph, a well-placed gun at the center of her face created the picture of a shocking, two-faced hold-up.

Current themes of surveillance and concealed violence pervaded the fair. Whether it was a collection of explosives crocheted from glittering, gold and silver fabric or a Homer Simpson-like Jesus wearing a bulletproof vest and double-fisting guns over the Hollywood sign, such imagery was hard to escape. Artist Warren Keating beautifully captured the surveillance era with paintings from an overhead perspective. The subjects were people walking down the street, depicted in a way that made them look “digitized,” as if they were being watched on a camera hooked up to a computer.

Of course, not all of the fair’s pieces embraced boldness and pop culture. Amidst the young, suit-wearing buyers scrutinizing wild, new works, a number of more traditional pieces unassumingly took up space on the white walls. It was refreshing to see some oil paints of restaurant scenes and sidewalks between the bold colors and sometimes vulgar images that mark contemporary art. Jonelle Summerfield of Indiana, Pennsylvania stuck out as an artist who captured such traditional subject matter through her own, unique lens. Taking an “impressionistic approach to her romantic street scenes,” in the words of UGallery, an online gallery that features Summerfield’s works, the artist did a beautiful job of capturing lighting, painting from photographs she took herself.

So whether you can afford some (not actually so) affordable art or you’re a student looking to spend ten bucks on a very cool exhibition, try and make it over to the Affordable Art Fair in Chelsea before the end of the weekend. Perhaps bring your sunglasses to prepare for all the glitter.

Award-Winning Literature Comes From Behind Bars

by Jessica Klein

The PEN Prison Writing Program has been bringing the power of words to inmates for over forty years. Led by dedicated mentors with workshops exploring nonfiction and poetry alike, the program provides free Handbooks for Writers in Prison so that they can explore a craft that may provide an escape even from behind bars. Each year, inmates in the program can submit their works to PEN’s Prison Writing Contest. Eligible contestants must be “incarcerated in federal, state, or county prison” prior to the submission deadline, as outlined in the PEN American Center’s guidelines. Prizes range from $50 to $200 in the categories of poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction.

A reading of the 2014 contest-winning poetry and prose took place on February 27th at The Cooper Union in Manhattan’s Cooper Square. Open to the public and free of charge, the reading featured works from prisoners across the country. Every last piece not only inspired and awed with crisp description and striking nouns, but also with technical prowess. In other words, line breaks and meter that one only hopes to find in the most accomplished college (or graduate) student’s work adorned the inmates’ pages with beautiful sincerity.

The night’s readers (of course, not the prisoners themselves) sat on stage in a semi-circle, ascending to the microphone when it was their turn to read a piece from one of this year’s winners. A varied demographic, the readers included PEN employees and the formerly incarcerated. One such employee, the prison writing program’s mentorship coordinator, Timothy Small, even read a work of his own. Small’s piece, “Return to Sender,” detailed his duties as the coordinator before delving into a chilling and real scenario.

What starts out as list of menial tasks (“cutting through adhesive seals, deciphering all styles of penmanship, scanning letters for key words, and entering addresses into spreadsheets”) comes to tell the story of a 2013 PEN Prison Writing Contest winner, whose date of lethal injection prevented him from seeing his congratulatory letter for second place, fiction. The most harrowing part of the story, one could argue, was that letter was “returned to sender” five, whole days before William Van Poyck, the award-winning author, was scheduled to die.

Poyck’s fictional piece contained unsettling descriptions of incarceration marked by inspired prose. “The maximum-security prison was a depraved place, a hermetic kingdom of the damned, haunted by its own terrible spirit,” he wrote. For the rest of the piece that won second place for fiction in 2013, read “Death by Dominoes.”

Though PEN has yet to name to officially name this year’s winners, the rest of the works from 2013 are open for readership online. Awarded first place in poetry in last year’s contest, Joe Rickey Knight’s “Midnight at the Manatee” uses no extraneous words to detail a memory “for Dad.” You can read Knight’s winning piece here, as everyone who attended the reading on the 27th had the pleasure of hearing it spoken aloud.

When the reading was done, many lingered in the Rose Auditorium, picking up pamphlets for donation or even purchasing literature available for sale by inmates. What everyone heard that night will probably not only linger in their minds, but it will also make them think differently about the separation between those who live behind bars and those who are free.

A Survey of Heroin Media Coverage Surrounding Hoffman’s Death

by Jessica Klein

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Manhattan Digest — Credit to: TVWeek

There’s been plenty of recent media coverage surrounding the tragic, drug-related death of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Found with a syringe in his arm next to packets of heroin, the award-winning actor had been known by some to struggle with drug addiction. Since Hoffman had won the hearts of numerous fans over his distinguished career in the spotlight, it’s no wonder that the circumstances of his death received such public attention.

However, it’s interesting to read how various news platforms report on the drug implicated in Hoffman’s death. Much of the attention has shifted to Robert Vineburg, Hoffman’s alleged dealer who, according to a “TMZ exclusive,” also used the drug with the late musician Amy Winehouse and artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Reports like these, many of which site TMZ as their source, focus on Vineburg’s association with the heroin-using celebrities. This small glimpse into the world of a drug that gets relatively little media coverage these days in New York may spark the curiosity of some readers (or leave them with the misguided impression that only the rich and famous artists of the city are addicted to heroin).

Interestingly, a report on a recent drug bust in the Bronx might help to support that (false) notion. ABC News published a story earlier this month about heroin mills “located behind the doors of New York homes, which authorities say are a sign of a well-oiled distribution network that caters to more mainstream, middle- and upper-class customers like the Oscar-winning Hoffman.”

The keyword here is still “Hoffman.” That particular article about the bust only went up after Hoffman’s death, even though the $8 million dollar seizure of heroin in the city happened days before. Of course, it often takes popular figures like entertainment celebrities to help draw public attention to longstanding issues. A New York Times’ headline exemplifies this practice, noting, “Hoffman’s Heroin Points to Serge in Grim Trade.”

But is this really a “serge” or just a downpour of coverage falling from the storm of the beloved actor’s death? The aforementioned Times article cites Health Department statistics that indicate an increase of heroin-related deaths in the five boroughs between 2010 and 2012 but admits that the exceptionally high rate of Staten Island’s OD deaths have no “established connection” to those stats. The Times reports elsewhere that opioid-related deaths actually quadrupled in Staten Island during a period from 2005 to 2011, when it decreased overall throughout the five boroughs.

Regardless, heroin hasn’t been a major media presence for some time now and seems to have made a major comeback in the wake of Hoffman’s death. Articles have been cropping up regarding youth’s use of the drug from Staten to Long Island. Even Oregon news outlets have hopped on, releasing Portland’s relevant statistics earlier this month.

To be fair, many news platforms did pick up on the major Bronx bust before the renowned actor’s death. But would we still be reading about heroin-addicted teens in Long Island on CNN just days after if not for Hoffman? Honestly, it’s hard to say.

Lack of NY State Funding for Rape Crisis Programs

by Jessica Klein

There are over twenty programs specifically dedicated to providing services for survivors of sexual assault in the five boroughs. Such Rape Crisis Programs provide counseling, advocacy, and other invaluable resources to survivors. With an estimated roughly 7 million survivors of this heinous act living in New York State, these programs play a necessary role in the people of New York’s health.

Unfortunately, Rape Crisis Programs in New York are not getting nearly as much funding as they need to effectively carry out their important services. Rape is the second most expensive crime behind murder in NY, which oddly does not align with service-related statistics. For example, the number of survivors served by Rape Crisis Programs in New York State increased by 65% in the last two years. Meanwhile, statewide funding for such programs went down by 25% since 2007.

Right now, Rape Crisis Programs in the city are struggling to meet the needs of myriad survivors. Beth Israel’s (now in the process of merging with Mount Sinai) program, headed by Carol Sher, specifically voiced the need for at least one additional member to add to their currently overworked staff.

That’s about what the additional funding requested by a New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault’s petition would allow. The petition asks for a statewide budget increase of $4 million, from the current $3.4 to $7.4 million. Spread throughout the entire state, the extra funding would amount to $55,000 per program in need. That means one more staff member to help in the program at the East Village B.I., which could go a long way.

A 2006 article by Rebecca Campbell, Rape Survivors’ Experience With the Legal and Medical Systems: Do Rape Victim Advocates Make a Difference?, showed just how much of an effect RCPs have on a survivor’s time in the hospital emergency department (where the majority of rape survivors first seek care after an assault). The study from the article took statistics from survivors’ experiences at two different hospitals, one that provided an advocate for the survivor through an RCP and one that did not. Survivors with provided advocates were more likely to have law enforcement take their cases seriously, receive information about STD prophylaxis, and get more information about follow-up medical services. Meanwhile, survivors without advocates expressed more feelings of guilt and depression than their advocate-assisted counterparts and ended up being 25% less likely to seek further help after their visit to the hospital.

Not much media buzz is generated in regards to funding for these kinds of programs in NYC, in spite of how often people in the city unfortunately have to use them. Statistics from 2008 show that over $1.7 million went towards almost 2,200 sexual assault forensic exams that year. Based on the increased number of survivors served by Rape Crisis Programs since 2012, it stands to reason that those numbers have grown, too.

The Office of Victim Services in the city (then known as the Crime Victim’s Board) covered those $1.7 million, since hospitals do not charge patients admitted for sexual assault for the forensic exam. However, the figure still helps provide a sense of the overall cost that must go into services for survivors, from medical to social and legal.

Though that particular figure is not equivalent to funding used by a Rape Crisis Program itself, it makes the extra $55k a year that Beth Israel and similar programs seek seem pretty modest. Sexual assault is certainly a reality in Manhattan, and the people who work to help survivors through a very traumatizing experience could always use an extra hand.

For the statistics cited in this article, visit the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault’s website.

Potlikker in Williamsburg: “Very Brooklyn Food”

by Jessica Klein

With a pink, neon sign and name that will make your mouth water, Potlikker, located on the south side of Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, invites you in for the kind of cooking you would expect from such a title: comforting and delicious, but with a flair reminiscent of the curly lettering on that bright, pink sign. Boasting “a modern take on dishes that have been around for many years,” Potlikker provides a homey, Southern vibe while fitting right in with its trendy restaurant neighbors.

Liza Queen, chef and owner, opened Potlikker in June 2012. Her second restaurant in North Brooklyn, Potlikker follows the cuisine of Queen’s Hideaway, Liza’s Greenpoint eatery that shut its doors in 2009. Though “very Brooklyn food” graced the menus at both locations, Queen describes Potlikker’s dishes as an improvement on the “simple American classics” she served at the Hideaway.

Reflecting the notions of simple and classic, the décor at Potlikker is fairly sparse. Having gone in for lunch, I found the atmosphere well suited a quiet midday break from pounding pavement on Bedford Avenue. A soothing color palette and clean design set the stage for a non-intrusive waitress to lead my party to a table in the back, where she poured water from a glass bottle left at the table.

We started off with the mixed pickle pot and quickly got acquainted with one of the restaurant’s specialties. From watermelon rinds to beets and fennel, each food gained unique dimension from the pickling process. Though the bread and butter pickles underwhelmed in such a collection, this was only due to the unexpected perfection of pickled fennel.

It was lucky we felt that way, as the taste of fennel pervaded throughout the meal (perhaps just because it had gotten all over our share plates). Since it was lunchtime, we decided to try an almost full sampling of the sandwiches. The side options offered potato in two forms (salad or fries), both of which worked well the sandwiches and deserve equal recommendation. Always a fan of curly fries, I especially enjoyed the extra spice and the not-too-crispy consistency.

Having traveled a lot within the U.S., Queen put together the lunch menu by compiling her favorite sandwiches from across the country (at least, she ones she could actually sell) and pumping up the quality. This is why you’ll find Queen’s version of a Philly cheesesteak next to an Oyster Po’ Boy on the menu.

Some of these classics fared better than others after Potlikker’s makeover. A bit too salty, the Reuben may have been best left to the deli counter, but the thick, spongy bread marked a welcome addition to the classic. I had been looking forward to the Oyster Po’ Boy with bacon and meyer lemon marmalade, for which Queen got her inspiration at a farmer’s market in LA, where she tried an oyster po’ boy padded with very thinly sliced lemon. With the addition of bacon to compliment the marmalade, Queen’s creation went a bit too far in masking the taste of oyster but otherwise successfully put a twist on an American classic that felt “very Brooklyn,” indeed. Each sandwich came with a surprising but ultimately appropriate bread choice (Oyster Po’ Boy on ciabatta—you wouldn’t have thought) and, on thick, wooden cutting boards, a well thought out presentation.

The Duck Confit Banh Mi stood out as the star of the lunch menu. Showcasing Potlikker’s knack for pickling, the Banh Mi featured pickled mustard seed to add both texture and extra sharpness to the duck croquette, shaved ham, orange, cilantro, and sweet and sour shallots. Instead of overdoing it with the add-ons, this sandwich married flavors that felt meant to be. With pink ham, yellow citrus and green from the cucumber and cilantro, it was not only the tastiest sandwich on the lunch menu but also the most aesthetically appealing.

Since I was only able to get to Potlikker during lunch, I feel compelled to head back for dinner, where heartier options and super indulgent desserts (like the “Stoner Special,” featuring peanut butter ice cream and pretzel streusel and chocolate ganache) tantalize from the online menu. With laid-back (in a good way) but prompt service and an atmosphere to match, I would like to experience what other culinary surprises Liza Queen has to offer. Check out their website at http://potlikkerbrooklyn.com/ or try it yourself in Williamsburg at 338 Bedford Avenue.

Movies to Look Forward to in 2014- Manhattan Digest

by Jessica Klein

Here are some of the great movies you should be seeing in the 2014 Calendar year. From hot guys like Zac Efron to a little movie about one of our favorite childhood toys, Legos, there is something for everyone in the upcoming months. Take a look!

That Awkward Moment with Zac Efron will be…how do I phrase this politely…appropriately awkward. The writers showed solid sentiment in deciding to portray the “girly” side of men dealing with relationships, and that jibe at Bridget Jones in the trailer forced me to crack a smile. The movie seems to even narrowly miss making everyone in a heterosexual relationship look like a bumbling idiot. To be honest, though, I have never been able to get past the Zac Efron we all know and hate from High School Musical. In theaters January 31st and co-starring Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan of (fill in the blank if you can) fame, That Awkward Moment may actually provide a novel take on the bromance by making the characters a little less bro-y.

At Middleton with Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga follows two parents who bring their respective children to tour the fictive Middleton College to find themselves ditching their kids’ tour and falling in love. Not only do Garcia and Farmiga appear to have excellent on-screen chemistry, the pair might even make college look more fun than John Belushi and Tim Matheson do in Animal House. With plenty of airy screen shots that evoke the movie’s message of youth’s ephemeral possibilities (or so I assume), At Middleton should strike a chord with anyone who’s been touched by college or the reality of growing up afterward. Also coming to theaters on January 31st.

The LEGO Movie, boasting an insanely star-studded cast, comes out February 7th. With Chris Pratt voicing “the ordinary man who’s been improbably chosen to save the world,” Morgan Freeman as “the wise oracle,” and Will Arnett as, you didn’t guess it, Batman, the casting director knew how to turn children’s toys into a seemingly hilarious rag-tag crew of misfit super heroes without making us feel condescended to. Liam Neeson, Elizabeth Banks, Channing Tatum, and Will Ferrell also lend their voices. There’s no need to be ashamed attending this one without children under ten.

The Grand Budapest Hotel marks another potential gem by director Wes Andersen. With Ralph Fiennes as Gustave H., a concierge who “sleeps with all of his [eighty year-old plus] friends” at the Grand Budapest Hotel, the lively patterns, ingenious schemes, and fantastical villains will be almost certain to one-up Anderson’s most recent oeuvre, Moonrise Kingdom. The director’s usual suspects (think Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Willem Dafoe) will amicably haunt a plot revolving around family fortune squabbles, fine art theft, and an unusual mentorship between Fiennes and his “Lobby Boy.” The madcap trailer should be enough to draw you to theaters for The Grand Budapest Hotel’s premier on March 7th.

Only Lovers Left Alive directed by Jim Jarmusch just has to be the peak of the several-year silver screen vampire trend. The traditional portrait of vampires who have meshed in with human society à la True Blood prevails in the form of couture blood, high sex drives, and eternal lives of blending into too many centuries. Luckily, Jarmusch manages this in a way that was not amped up for similarly eternal seasons of television. Starring Tilda Swinson and Tom Hiddleston as two, passionate vampires who watch the modern world deteriorate around them after rekindling an old love affair (while navigating Swinson’s vampire sister’s sensual duplicity), Only Lovers Left Alive might comment on modern society without making our toes curl in a bad way. The least cheesy vampire flick you will spot on the big screen arrives there April 11th and will probably leave with you more than the desire to masturbate to some vampire porn.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes features Andy Cerkis again as Caesar, the intelligent lord of the apes, and takes place fifteen years after the prequel’s events. Matt Reeves, also the director of Cloverfield, leads actors through a new battle between a group of human survivors and Caesar’s serious ape army. This should be worth watching since Matt Reeves was allegedly asked back to direct Apes number three. Fans will flock to theaters July 11th.

What movies are YOU looking forward to?

Jessica Klein

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