At This New Times Square Jazz Club, Dinner Isn’t an Afterthought

The post At This New Times Square Jazz Club, Dinner Isn’t an Afterthought first appeared on Crafting Your Home.

Times Square is famous for bright billboards, Broadway theaters, and restaurants aimed at visitors passing through. But beneath all that activity, a new jazz club is offering something a little different: a place where the music and the food are meant to matter equally.

The Pocket, a 170-seat jazz club beneath the Muse Hotel at 130 West 46th Street, opened in June. Its debut featured jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, and the club has since built its programming around established jazz performers while putting serious attention into its kitchen.

A Jazz Club Built by People Who Know the Scene

The two met while working at Jazz Standard and have also worked with institutions including the Blue Note and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Gardner later became involved with restaurants including Al Coro and Crane Club, giving the new club connections to both live music and New York’s restaurant industry.

Chef Anthony Duranti brings another restaurant background to the project, having worked at places including Telepan, Del Posto and Mel’s.

The Food Goes Beyond Typical Music-Venue Fare

One of the most noticeable aspects of The Pocket’s menu is that it doesn’t seem built around the standard steak-and-burger lineup sometimes associated with music venues.

The menu includes broiled oysters served either Rockefeller-style or with garlic-Parmesan butter. They’re priced at $5 each.

The Flatbush chicken wings, priced at $21, bring jerk seasoning, plantains and coconut ranch to the table. That dish gives the menu a more distinctive direction than the typical bar-food selection.

Other options include a croqueta with La Tur cheese for $15 and a Caesar salad for $19. For something more substantial, diners can order a pre-sliced rib-eye for $64, with dippable fries available for $12.

Drinks Are Part of the Experience, Too

Drinks, generally priced between $18 and $19, are organized into categories including sparkling cocktails, martinis, agave drinks, and Old Fashioneds and Manhattans.

One option is an Elderflower cocktail made with vodka, St-Germain, and lemon. Other choices include a French 75 and a 50/50 cocktail.

Timing Matters If You Want Dinner With Your Jazz

For a typical 7 p.m. performance, doors open at 6 p.m. That makes the earlier show especially useful for people who want to make dinner part of the evening rather than squeeze food orders in between musical numbers.

The club also has a quiet policy while the lights are down, reinforcing the idea that the performance is meant to be listened to rather than treated as background entertainment.

A Different Kind of Times Square Night Out

The Pocket’s arrival adds another option to a neighborhood better known for Broadway crowds and massive tourist destinations.

For diners, that means the evening doesn’t have to revolve around seeing a show and grabbing something to eat afterward. The meal can be part of the main event.

And for jazz fans, the appeal goes beyond simply finding somewhere to hear live music. The Pocket is positioning itself as a place where the food, drinks, atmosphere, and performances are all part of the same experience.