You can have a super weekend in the Ridge, even without the Super Bowl!
Kick off your Friday by shimmying your way to the Brooklyn Firefly (7003 Third Ave. at Ovington Avenue). The pizza joint will host a performance by jazz songstress Cristina Gatti, from the retro musical collective Postmodern Jukebox. The crooner will put a jazzy, 1940s-style spin on modern-day tunes from Beyoncé, Drake, and Sam Smith, among many others. The free two-hour show kicks off at 8:30 pm.
On Saturday night, make a crusade over to the Wicked Monk (9510 Third Ave. between 95th and 96th streets) to hear pop and rock songs from Shorty Long and the Jersey Shores. The septet will heat up the space with party hits from Prince, Bob Marley, AC/DC, and Van Morrison. The set starts at 11 pm, and will set you back $15.
On Sunday, you can do a good deed and hear some good music at the same time. The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (7420 Fourth Ave. between 74th Street and Bay Ridge Parkway) will host a “Music for Food” benefit to raise money for Bensonhurst’s Reaching Out Community Services Food Pantry, featuring a quartet of classically trained musicians. Tickets are $20, and the concert kicks off at 3 pm — which will give you enough time to make it home in time for the Super Bowl kick-off at 6:30 pm.
Finally, on Wednesday night, stop in to the BookMark Shoppe (8415 Third Ave. between 84th and 85th streets) at 7 pm to meet sitcom star Patricia Heaton, promoting her new cookbook, “Patricia Heaton’s Food for Family and Friends: 100 Favorite Recipes for a Busy, Happy Life.” The three-time Emmy winner is best known for playing the wife of the title character on “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and she currently stars in the sitcom “The Middle.” Joining the meet-and-greet requires you to purchase the book ($32.66, with tax).
