Cleveland
Eat Up
February is the time in Cleveland to get an edible education and enjoy some culinary culture. First, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History serves up forkfuls of fun on February 10 with The Natural History of Chocolate, part of the museum’s annual four-part Natural History of Food series. Listen to a lecture about the origins of cocoa, considered sacred by the ancient Olmecs of Mexico. You’ll also learn how chocolate got its reputation as an aphrodisiac, why science says chocolate is healthy, and what connoisseurs say differentiates the good from the great. Then, sit down to a seven-course meal featuring this “food of the gods” in every sweet and savory dish. Reservations are required and the cost is $150 per person. 216.231.1177; cmnh.org
The following week, trade chocolate for chopsticks to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which officially begins at midnight on February 17. Celebrations will take place throughout February at restaurants in the St. Clair/Superior neighborhood, home to downtown’s burgeoning AsiaTown District. Among your options are Li Wah and C & Y, both of which host performances of the Lion Dance, in which two people hidden inside a single colorful costume entertain diners with stylized movements meant to scare away evil spirits and make way for prosperity and happiness. — Laura Taxel
Houston
Consider the Envelope Pushed
New york’s loss is houston’s gain when the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston hosts The Masterpieces of French Painting from the Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1800-1920. The 135 works in the exhibition, on display February 4 through May 6, include masterpieces by Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso. Landscapes from Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley are also on display.
Never before has the Met loaned so many of its treasures at once. Houston is the only U.S. city that will house these paintings before they travel to Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie. Continental is the official airline of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. mfah.org; 713.639.7300
If the MFAH show is too traditional for your artistic sensibilities, the Menil Collection features an exhibit from native Texan Robert Rauschenberg. In Cardboards and Related Pieces, Rauschenberg explores the boundary between painting and sculpture. The exhibit runs from February 23 to May 13. menil.org; 713.525.9400 — Michele Meyer
New York/Newark
A “Once in a Lifetime” Event
In his career, david byrne has worn many hats, as well as a memorable big white suit. He is best known as the leader of the rock group Talking Heads, which broke up in 1991, but there is a lot more to Byrne than just “Burning Down the House.” The multitalented artist has written music for choreographer Twyla Tharp, scored films (and won an Oscar), and produced exhibits and books of his photography.
February 1–4, Manhattan’s Carnegie Hall presents Perspectives: David Byrne, a concert series curated by Byrne that reflects his varying musical interests. The first night features the first complete performance in 15 years of Byrne’s score for The Knee Plays, his collaboration with avant-garde playwright Robert Wilson. Another concert, Songs from Here Lies Love, February 3, features Byrne and his band performing a multimedia song cycle that Byrne co-wrote with DJ Fatboy Slim. Closing out the series on February 4, Byrne presents One Note, a program in which pieces in an array of different musical styles are based on one central note. It is an ironic concept because Byrne, in his career, has never been a one-note pony. (Other events at Carnegie Hall this month include the New World Symphony with cellist Yo-Yo Ma on the 27th.) Continental is the official airline of Carnegie Hall. carnegiehall.org; 212.247.7800 — David McDonough
