Dinner & a Movie
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
New Directors/New Films, a series showcasing the work of new and emerging filmmakers, has arrived at the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Many of the films are making their world premieres during the program, which runs through Sunday, April 6. At the mere mention of MoMA, dinner becomes a no-brainer for this column, as the Bar Room at the Modern is sublime.
DINNER
Chef Gabriel Kreuther’s two MoMA restaurants, the Modern and the Bar Room at the Modern, offer menus filled with Austrian and French dishes. If you’re moving between movies at the Film Society and MoMA, the Bar Room is your best bet for a quick meal that doesn’t feel like fast food. The establishment’s black, red, and white décor is sophisticated enough to keep your eyes busy while waiting for your food. The menu is divided into three categories, each served on a progressively larger plate. The Alsatian tarte flambé makes for a hearty meal, while the upside-down tuna tarte with fennel and a swipe of aioli is a lightweight snack. On the liquid side, the actual bar at the Bar Room serves up specialty cocktails, including the Cucumber Caipiroska, a spring-worthy fling made with vodka and English cucumbers. (9 W. 53rd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-333-1220)
MOVIE
Israeli director Lior Shamriz’s film “Japan Japan” (2007) is a love letter, of sorts, to Tel Aviv — despite the fact that war is never far from the minds of its residents. Juxtaposing the simmering fear of violence in the city with the natural urges of its citizens, the film follows Imri (Imri Kahn), a 19-year-old who moves to Tel Aviv and, instead of finding a job, searches for lovers in cinemas and dreams of escaping to Japan. Paired on a double-bill at both venues with “Japan Japan” is Swedish-born director Nathalie Djurberg’s “Camels Drink Water” (2007). Ms. Djurberg, an animator who lives in Germany, provides an unconventional look — as the film’s name suggests — at dromedaries and liquids. (Friday, 8:45 p.m., MoMA, 11 W. 53rd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-708-9400, $10 general, $8 seniors, $6 children, free for members; Sunday, 8 p.m., FSLC, Walter Reade Theater, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, 65th Street and Broadway, 212-875-5601, $12 general, $10 members)
