• 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