Moustache is the perfect place to hit on a Friday night if you don't want to deal with the lower Manhattan madness over securing a seat somewhere for supper. It is your prototypical neighborhood restaurant, featuring a simple dining room adorned with handsome copper top tables and a kitchen serving affordable Middle Eastern dishes to a local clientele looking for a casual meal without a commotion. Although the Bedford Street location of Moustache (there are two others in the city) stands just steps from the fictional apartment of Monica Gellar from the television show Friends, you can be confident that the tourists on a TV tour of the West Village won't be taking your table in this spot (they have to get their Magnolia cupcake fix before getting back on their bus).

The menu at Moustache is full of Middle Eastern staples. The steaming hot, pillowy pita is perfect for scooping through a superb spread of mezze and loading up with lamb kebab. The house specialty is the pitza [sic]: crispy pita dough pies topped with ingredients like peppers, ground lamb and leeks. The namesake Moustache Pitza, with roasted red pepper, tomato and fresh mozzarella is a solid, straightforward selection for your first visit. Pair all this with an inexpensive bottle of Turkish or Lebanese beer and you've got a killer Friday night feast without the Friday night fuss.

STOP 2: FAT CAT

Fat Cat is a subterranean pool hall, game room, music venue and Greenwich Village institution. During the day, particularly on the weekends, the all-ages door policy draws groups of high school students playing ping pong, shuffleboard, foosball, 8 Ball and even Scrabble. But in the evenings, the club comes alive with a diverse mix of college kids, New Yorkers from every borough and an international crowd from all walks and whereabouts. On any given night, you're can overhear conversations spoken in a wide range of languages, from Japanese to Brooklynese.

This cavernous cellar typically hosts jazz bands, but every Friday night at 9:00 PM, Fat Cat welcomes the Gospel Queens of Brooklyn, a soul act with a spiritual slant. The band is led by Naomi Shelton, a singer from Alabama who has been gracing the New York stages for over fifty years with her longtime friend, bandmate and musical director of the Gospel Queens, organist Cliff Driver.

Unfortunately, Ms. Shelton's presence during recent performances at Fat Cat has been sporadic, but Cliff and The Queens sustain the soul sound for those who want a little gospel before a night of bar games.

RECAP:

Moustache: A casual Middle Eastern restaurant specializing in unique pita dough pizza.
Fat Cat: Subterranean billiards hall, game room and live music venue hosting The Gospel Queens of Brooklyn every Friday evening.

ESSENTIAL INFO:

-Total Cost: About $50 per person for dinner and a drink at Moustache followed by music and games at Fat Cat.

-Moustache is cash only. The best time to go is between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM. After 8, there may be a bit of a wait, but nothing too crazy.

-There is a $3 cover charge after 6:00 PM at Fat Cat and it gets crowded beginning around 8:00 PM on weekend nights. If you want to secure a seat for the Gospel Queens show, arrive by 8:30 PM and grab a spot on a sofa near the performance area just past the bar to the right.

-Check out the Fat Cat rates page for game pricing.

-The Gospel Queens accept donations, so be sure to tip them.