You are not logged in

New York Magazine

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Best of New York Nightlife 2003

Best Jazz Club

  • Jazz Standard

    116 East 27th Street, 212-576-2232

    The Village Vanguard may be the most venerable jazz club in town, but how can history be expected to compete with Danny Meyer’s baby back ribs? Jazz Standard, which Meyer reopened last year with the launch of his BBQ restaurant Blue Smoke, can afford the hubris of not bothering with a minimum food-and-drink order. That’s how certain they are that you won’t be able to sit there and watch the other customers tuck into steaming plates of pulled-pork sandwiches, pan-fried catfish, and beef brisket (see page 46) without giving in. After you’ve placed your order, you’ll be better able to appreciate the club’s superlative booking, stellar sight lines, and crystalline sound. Afterward, hang at the bar and chat with musicians between sets.

From the 2003 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine

Order the Issue Today

Cover of New York Magazine's Best of New York issue

Order This Issue

Other Best Of Guides

Competition breeds the best. If only one pizzeria existed in New York, of course, there’d be no real winning slice. Thankfully, we’ll never know what that sorry situation tastes like, since pizza—like dance parties, dog runs, and fried chicken—has to evolve upward here.

Read More...