NYC Nightlife: Everything You Need To Know Tuesday

Mayor Bloomberg can't find a seat at the Citymeals-on-Wheels gala, Mardi Gras in NYC, Bridge & Tunnel can't catch a break, Todd P. brings Brooklyn expertise to the East Village and foodies get it for free.  It's all here in today's nightlife round-up.

1. Daniel Boulud's Citymeals-on-Wheels gala was so oversold that even Mayor Bloomberg had trouble getting a seat! [WSJ]

Seats for the gala were being sold for up to $25,000 a spot! In all, the event raised a little over $700,000.

2. Mardi Gras begins! And if you can't make it down to New Orleans to party, get your beads right here in NYC at these southern-style party places. [CBS]

3. Just another thing to be annoyed with the Bridge & Tunnel crowd about...New York is close to surpasses LA as the girdlock capital of the country. [NYDailyNews]

The New York-New Jersey metro area has been deemed the second most congested in the U.S. - and the slow-speed gap with smogged-and-clogged L.A. is narrowing, a new report on highway travel reveals.  The level of congestion in New York is worsening at a faster rate than L.A.,' said traffic expert Sam Schwartz, who writes the Daily News' Gridlock Sam column. If this continues, within one year we very well may be the most congested city in America.'

4. Brooklyn's top rock concert promoter brings Pacific Coast-style Mexican food and music to Avenue A. [TheFeast]

Todd Patrick (better known as Todd P.) has signed on to Phil Hartman's upcoming East Village restaurant and performance space in the former Mo Pitkin space. He says the spot will not be just "another punk club."

"Patrick will be a creative consultant and help book talent for the small upstairs performance space. With the help of a (pedigreed, but more on that later) curatorial committee, he aims to recreate downtown Manhattan's history of 'avant-garde and abstract' live music in an 'intellectual' atmosphere that will recall shuttered gems like Tonic and the original Knitting Factory"

5. Just in case you missed this spectacular display of all things "frat," here it is again -- Jersey frat bros party in a glass box. [HuffingtonPost] [GuestofaGuest]

6. Plans for a World Trade restaurant flounder due to costs. [Eater]

Original plans for the new World Trade Center, The Freedom Tower, included a sky high restaurant à la the Windows of the World. Developers then downsized the plan to just a one story after costs were too high-- but now it has been reported that the restaurant has been completely eliminated from the plan.

7. They say you put on "love weight" when you get married... FoodieRegistry.com just makes the process faster! [RestaurantNews]

FoodieRegistry.com, which originated in Chicago in February 2010, allows engaged couples to register for restaurant gift cards to their favorite grub spots. So after starving yourself to fit into that wedding dress, indulge a little! The site has now expanded to include San Francisco restaurants.

The inspiration for the site cultivated from founders Jennifer and Ben Reid's personal experience...

It’s an idea that came from the Reids’ own experience after their wedding more than two years ago. At the time, friends and family were begging them to register for wedding gifts, though the couple already lived together.  We went to a department store and registered, but we felt it was wasteful,' he said. 'We already had our spatulas and toasters.'

What they really loved to do was eat out, though at the time money was tight because they were paying for a wedding. So they made a list of restaurants they wanted to try and asked friends to give them gift cards, which inspired the creation of the online registry.