Don’t dis the Devils – or the city from whence they come. Certainly the New York Rangers aren’t, not as the NHL playoffs build to a climax. The Devils play a mean game of ice hockey at Newark’s Prudential Center. Savor the action, and a bit of what the city has to offer at the same time.
Savor, as in eat at one of the legions of good restaurants near The Pru. One local favorite is Brick City Bar & Grill, which serves up iconic Italian. Homemade Rigatoni is a signature dish: chicken, shrimp and broccoli in a champagne shallot sauce. Something closer to comfort food? The Homemade Baked Cheese Ravioli topped with marinara and melted mozzarella is makes the world right.
Loft47 is near the Prudential Center too, an upscale bar wine bistro serving up American cuisine with a touch of the south about it. There’s more than a smidge of Manhattan about the place. The music is live, the bars amazing (there are a pair of them) and the food first rate.
Got some time on your hand before the game? Newark isn’t New York City, but it’s no cultural desert either. Right now the exhibition Expanding Africa at the Newark Museum: New Visions, Galleries is in town, and will be through May of next year. This collection aggregates works both historic and contemporary, putting into perspective some amazing art.
The sound of a perfectly played slap shot down on the ice sublime to lots of hockey fans – so too is great music. The New Jersey Symphony performs Schubert 9: The Great at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center Saturday the 19th at 8 p.m. The Devils and the Rangers face off at the Prudential Center at 1 p.m. the same afternoon. Take in the game, and Schubert’s Ninth – both in Newark.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: Bari D)
