You don’t have to be a meatball lover to enjoy The Meatball Shop on New York City’s Lower East Side, because your average meatball is not what you will find here. Instead, you will encounter a multitude of meaty and meatless options, including classic beef, spicy pork, chicken, salmon and vegetarian. And, the decisions don’t stop there, since much of the menu is build-your-own-meal. Add sauce — including classic tomato, spicy meat sauce, mushroom gravy and parmesan cream. Then, add sides, like risotto, polenta, a market salad, sauteed broccoli and others. Or, do it hero style or slider style. The options go on and on, and if you save room for dessert, there are mix-and-match options with cookies and ice cream, too, including constructing your own ice cream sandwich.

The shop, which has a charming vintage decor complete with black and white photographs on the wall and antique milk bottles on the tables, was opened by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow in February 2010. Holzman is the executive chef and Chernow, a former bartender, is general manager, and the two have known each other since childhood. Their initial dream to serve meatballs out of a takeout window morphed into an obsession to focus on meatballs exclusively. Holzman, who worked at San Francisco’s Campton Place and SPQR, uses ingredients from top sources, including beef from Creekstone Farms and prosciutto from La Quercia.

The shop also offers take-out until 4 am, Thursday thru Saturday, and until 2 am, Sunday thru Wednesday. So, when you are craving a late night meatball snack, your problem is solved!

Location: 84 Stanton Street (near Allen Street), Manhattan. Click here for more details.

Looking for a way to unwind after a stressful day? Why not escape by enjoying some of Brooklyn’s true jazz greats during the 10th Annual Central Brooklyn Jazz Festival between now and April 30! Shows take place at several diverse venues, including the Brooklyn Historical Society, BAMcafe Live, Hitchcock Institute for Studies in American Music at Brooklyn College, Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza, Concord Baptist Church of Christ, and other spots. On April 19, from 5:00-9:00 pm, catch a musical tribute to jazz piano great Ronnie Mathews and jazz trumpet legend Freddie Hubbard at Sugar Hill Restaurant & Supper Club, 609 DeKalb Avenue near Nostrand, in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Click here for more details and the full schedule of performances. The fest is sponsored by the Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium.

Whether you’re searching for a shiny silver clutch, a vintage brooch or a flowing pleated skirt, why not head to West Town and explore what the boutiques have to offer? From the turquoise ostrich feathers to the Chanel books, Ouest is bringing a little French style and sensibility to West Town. Kelly Bry and Courtney Plumb, formerly of Krista K on Southport Avenue, opened Ouest (which means “West” in French) just over two years ago. The classy boutique is “inspired by the timelessly elegant French woman” and carries everything from casual to evening wear. Try on creations by French designers Barbara Bui, Sonia Rykiel and many others, as well as browse accessories like the Japanese obi, a wide belt worn with kimonos which can be worn over dresses.

Want to shop Chicago’s boutiques, but not sure where to start or find what you’re looking for? Why not let Liz Engquist and her SeeMore Shopping tours show you the ropes on guided trips to boutiques in dozens of Chicago and suburban neighborhoods. SeeMore also publishes the incredibly thorough Chicago Shopping Guide, Downtown Chicago Store Map and Neighborhood Shopping Guides. Click here for more details and to make a reservation. One of the shops you might see is Pump Shoes, a Wicker Park boutique carrying an amazing assortment of shoes, sandals, scarves and handbags (1659 W. Division St.). And, this is just the first of many more Chi boutique articles to come on IN!

Friends in Williamsburg, Brooklyn just introduced us to one of their brunch favs — a charming, rustic French cafe/bar/bistro called Le Barricou. Step inside and you are transported to a French Provincial country house, complete with straw-colored walls and a menu filled with a multiplicity of egg dishes, croissants and other delights. Down the street, you’ll find other diversions, such as Sparacino’s Bakery: Italian French Sicilian Bread and Comic Booklets, that is neither a bakery, nor sells bread — talk amongst yourselves… It is, in fact, a comic book shop and offers an impressive collection of graphic novels for sale, including many of the owner’s favorites.

From its art deco skyscrapers and elegant black steel and glass buildings, to postmodern corporate headquarters and the prairie style of Frank Lloyd Wright, Chicago’s architecture is one of a kind. The Chicago Architecture Foundation is happy to acquaint you with more than 50 of these distinct buildings during a 90 minute docent-led, river-based tour. Just board one of the small yachts at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, and explore the city from a unique perspective. See the gothic Tribune Tower, home to the Chicago Tribune newspaper and Tribune Company, built in 1925; the Civic Opera Building, built in 1929; the art deco Merchandise Mart (Chicago’s center of fashion and interior design), built in 1930, and more. Waterfront construction has also taken off in Chicago since 2000 - from brand new lakefront condos to warehouse-to-loft conversions along the river’s north branch, residences (and new restaurants) along the canals are giving Chicago a European flair! Tours are offered multiple times daily and the Foundation sponsors dozens of walking tours, as well.

Question: What do you get when you combine traditional Punjabi wedding band music, Bollywood classics with a modern touch, and original tunes? Answer: The Red Baraat Festival ! This NYC-based band, led by drummer Sunny Jain, is the first and only dhol ‘n’ brass band of its kind in the States, melding the infectious North Indian rhythm Bhangra with brass funk and expressing the human spirit through improvisation and a powerful, live, raw sound. From the 4th Annual Droma Gypsy Festival and The Kitchen performance art space, to the underground loft party series Brooklyn Wonderland and Barbes in Brooklyn, the group has played a plethora of venues. Red Baraat Festival ! recently recorded the credit roll theme song for the movie, The Yes Men Save the World, and performed at the 43rd Annual War Resistors League Peace Award ceremony, alongside folk legends Steve Earle and Allison Moorer. Catch their March 7 performance at Barbes, and watch for their debut CD due out this May! Click here to learn more.

Looking for a unique gift for a friend or a fun outing with the kiddies? Why not venture in to SPACECRAFT in Williamsburg and explore its carefully selected variety of hard-to-find crafting supplies, books and kits. Design a beautiful, one-of-a-kind picture frame or wooden jewelry box. Craft a necklace and earrings set, sculpt clay or print a special card. SPACECRAFT’s papers are “tree-free” and other crafting supplies are eco-conscious. SPACECRAFT also offers workshops and hosts crafting parties. Check out its Intro to Screenprinting class starting March 3. Location: 355 Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10-6, Sat.-Sun., 11-7. Click here for more information.

The tangy taste of an authentic Brooklyn slice is unparalleled. So much so, that Brooklyn native and first generation Italian-American Tony Muia created “A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour “ a few years ago to showcase his two loves – Brooklyn and Brooklyn pizza. The 4-hour tour explores a few of Brooklyn’s best pizzerias, including Grimaldi’s in DUMBO and L&B Spumoni Gardens in Bensonhurst. Tours are by buses equipped with TV screens showing clips from films shot in Brooklyn, such as Saturday Night Fever and Scent of a Woman. Even Manhattanites take the tour to hear Muia reminisce about growing up in Bensonhurst and the changes he’s seen in the surrounding neighborhoods. Click here for more details. And, tell us about your favorite Brooklyn pizzeria - just send an email to webmaster@creativeexpression.org!

If it’s Monday night, it’s burlesque at Williamsburg’s Public Assembly! On Feb. 23 at 9 pm, don’t miss “The Jazz Stripper”, a tribute to one of Brooklyn’s greatest singer-songwriters, the one and only Neil Diamond. So turn on your heartlight, thank the Lord for the night time, and travel down those Brooklyn roads with Afua Richardson, Anita Cookie, Gal Friday, RunAround Sue, Sapphire Jones and more!

Public Assembly is located at 70 North 6th St. (b/w Wythe and Kent Aves.), Williamsburg. Click here for more details.