Tracy Morgan

Friday is finally here, and you know what? It didn’t take long for it to arrive! Maybe it’s just because we’ve been so busy taking advantage of Restaurant Week, open bars and chilling on the Long Island City “coastline” that the week just flew by us! Anyway, in case your week wasn’t as eventful as it should have been, let’s try to get you on the right track for the weekend with a couple of events more than worth your while. Here is the Friday Nightlife Rundown for July 23, 2010.

Restaurant Week
Nobu (105 Hudson Street): Nobu is about as “sexy” as it gets when it comes to Restaurant Week. Everybody in their mommas tries to get into this place every night, especially on a Friday when this place goes from mere restaurant to weekend hot spot. Besides its unbelievable cache and cool atmosphere, Nobu does actually serve up some really good food. This popular Japanese-Peruvian restaurant is like good food on steroids, and during restaurant week, the prix fixe menu is nothing to sneeze at either. For an appetizer, you can choose between the Yellowtail Tartare, King Crap Tempura or the Heirloom Tomato Ceviche. Your entrée options consist of Broiled Black Cod, Beef Toban Yaki and Assorted Sushi. And for dessert—well, it appears a Bento Box will suffice you. I will admit, at these prices, you’re probably better off spending your money at nearby pizzeria if you’re looking to stuff your belly. But for one of the most trendy and fashionable experiences you have ever had at a high-quality restaurant, you can’t miss with Nobu.

Strictly the Best – 11pm
BLVD (199 Bowery): Tonight’s hotspot has to be BLVD, where sexy is in full swing this Friday night. I’m telling you, if you are looking for a Friday not spot with more sexy, young, black professionals than BLVD, then you are sure to be out of luck. This party is sure to be full of showstoppers and stunners, as bottles get popped, models do walks, and both ladies and fellas fall over themselves with all of the beautiful people that will be packed into this venue. Tell them you’re on the NiteLife guestlist, and you get in for free before 11. Also, there is a 2-for-1 drink special from 11pm to midnight, so make sure you take advantage of that. And of course, make sure you come dressed correct, because once again, this place will put you and your everyday work clothes to shame if you try to come here with anything other than you Weekend’s best. I’m telling you, for a black nightclub in New York City, BLVD is where you need to be this Friday night and every Friday night. Tell them Black Oak Nights sent you, and have one hell of a good time!

Moth Story SLAM – 7pm
Housing Works Bookstore Café (126 Crosby Street): On a Friday night, what’s better than a good story? Well, you can have 10 stories told to you at Housing Works tonight, when a couple of famed writers read their short-stories for to benefit this New York City venue that helps put people in better living situations. For the price of a $7 ticket, you get to hear some local, New York City scribes read stories all set along a specific theme. They will compete against each other for the most spontaneous and outrageous story. The winner gets a prize, you get a great story, and the people that Housing Works helps benefit get closer to living in a home.

Rooftop Films – 9pm
Brooklyn Tech (29 Fort Green Place, Brooklyn): Of course, maybe a book reading isn’t your thing, and your Friday nights are better spent in front of the silver screen. No! Not your laptop, but at the movies. Tonight’s Rooftop Film is “The Ape,” which was directed by Jesper Ganslandt from Sweden. From Rooftopfilms.com:

Rooftop and the Swedish Film Institute partner to presemt The Ape, an intense and riveting psychological thriller from one of Europe’s most daring new filmmakers. To convey a sense of perpetual disorientation, director Jesper Ganslandt used an unconventional method: the lead actor, Olle Sarri, was never allowed to read the script. Instead he was led to locations and given a set of instructions before the filming of each scene, unaware of the full plot until filming was completed. The result is at turns mesmerizing, disquieting and genuinely harrowing, but never is the film anything less than unique.

Tracy Morgan, Stand Up! – 7:30pm
Caroline’s on Broadway (1626 Broadway): Hey, Tracy Morgan is on fire right now! He’s been on the ESPYs, The Tonight Show, is a part of an award-winning show, and has been on The Daily Show, I swear like 500 gazillion times. Well, now he’s taking his act to Broadway, where he will be do his unusual comic spiel all weekend long. So if you have a few dollars and can hurry and purchase a ticket to Caroline’s small venue, you can see our boy Tracy Morgan being Tracy Morgan without the national television censoring that is typically a part of his comedic nature.

1. Friday Rundown: July 30, 2010
2. Friday Rundown: July 16, 2010
3. Friday Rundown: July 9, 2010
4. Friday Rundown: July 2, 2010
5. Friday Rundown: May 28, 2010
6. Friday Rundown: May 14, 2010
7. Friday Rundown: April 30, 2010
8. Friday Rundown: February 26, 2010