Direct flights from Charleston let Mountain State take a bite out the Big Apple
During last week's tour, production personnel were refining the details for The Philanthropist, starring two-time Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick. Previews began Friday. The show opens April 26 and runs through June 28.
Zereoue's, owned and operated by former West Virginia University and Steelers running back Amos Zereoue, is located at 13 East 37th St., a 10-minute stroll from the theater.
The cozy restaurant features a couch just inside the entrance, a bar, and a room in back with space for 32 diners. The colors are warm reds and earth tones; there's a smattering of African art, the sound system plays relaxing tunes; and the menu has classic French and West African dishes.
French menu items include onion soup, ratatouille, and slow-roasted chicken. Some of the West African specialties are escargot sauteed in African rum and simmered in African seasonings; mussels in a sweet tomato sauce; and aromatic crushed-eggplant stew served with fish and white rice.
One visitor raved about the curry chicken salad, simmered with aromatic West African-inspired curry seasonings, which was served over a bed of romaine, onions and diced tomatoes. Two guests enjoyed New York strip steaks marinated in a spicy black peppercorn sauce, served with mixed greens and fries.
Lunch cost about $15. Dinners cost from $22 to $30.
Zereoue said he grew up speaking French. Which explains his accent. Meanwhile, he looks as if he could still start for the Mountaineers or Steelers.
Restaurant Zereoue is open from noon to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. For more information, visit the restaurant's Web site at http://www.zereoue.com/.
If you're heading for New York City and want to see a Broadway or off-Broadway play or musical, consider shopping for tickets at the TKTS discount booth in Times Square.
Needing tickets for a Broadway show?
The booth sells tickets at up to 50 percent off, a substantial savings when you consider that a typical ticket for a play costs $100 and for a musical, $125.
There are some drawbacks:
--The booth sells only day-of-performance tickets.
--You won't know what's available until you get to the front of line. Steve Schaeffer, director of special events with the Roundabout Theatre Co., said the recession has reduced demand for tickets. He estimated that tickets are routinely available for about 75 percent of the shows. On a recent Wednesday most of the hits were available with one glaring exception: "Billy Elliot," a hit musical with a score by Elton John.
--There will be a line and if it is very long, you'll have to stand outside.
There also are TKTS booths at the South Street Seaport and in downtown Brooklyn that sell tickets to evening performances on the day of the performance and matinee tickets the day before. For more information go to www.tdf.org, mouse over "Ticket Services" and click on "TKTS Discount Booths."
Another Web site worth checking out for discount tickets: http://www.broadwaybox.com/.
Tips to help travelers make the most of quick trips
American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, offers nonstop service between Charleston's Yeager Airport and New York's LaGuardia Airport. Flights depart Yeager daily except Sunday at 6:45 a.m., arriving at LaGuardia at 8:25 a.m. Flights depart LaGuardia daily except Saturday at 6:55 p.m., arriving at Yeager at 8:55 p.m. Round trip costs about $250, but discounts are available.
If you can't easily squeeze into the back seat of a Volkswagen, you'll probably think that space on the 37-seat jet is tight. The good news: It's a quick trip.
Once you've landed at LaGuardia, the fastest way to get to midtown Manhattan is to follow the signs to ground transportation and take a taxi. Expect to pay $30 to $45, including tip. It'll take a half hour to an hour, depending on traffic.
If you want to spend some time to save money, you can visit LaGuardia's Welcome Center and choose an alternative. The center is on the Arrivals level of the Central Terminal. Among the alternatives: A New York Airport Service bus ($12 one way; $21 round trip); or a shared-ride SuperShuttle (which is actually a van; $16 one way).
