New York

Nov 18-20, Friday and Saturday: 5pm-2am, Sunday: 1pm-6pm; at Jimmy's: 43 E 7th, between 2nd Ave and Bowery; 212.982.3006

Hit this Red Hook-based brewery's one-year anniversary on Friday and/or Saturday at 5pm, and you can attack food and suds for seven uninterrupted hours before bidding Sixpoint a fond farewell forever -- since your appalling alcoholism will undoubtedly destroy any hope of them staying afloat for a 2nd year.

Fri-Sun, Nov 18-20

Like most sports involving the mistreatment of livestock, bull riding is rarely found outside the Southwest, so it's crucial you make a daytrip to Connecticut for the Invitational's Sunday finals. Top riders like career earnings leader Justin McBride ($2,825,248.78) will strive to ride a punishing eight seconds in order to impress fresh East Coast groupies yearning for novelty sex with a man who wears tighter jeans than they do.

122 Spring St, at Greene; 212.965.0700, $26

Finally, a Varvatos product that meets the needs of the roughhewn, blue-collar demographic: a facial concealer stick that hides scars from knife fights, dark circles from lonely nights with the bottle, and premature age lines brought on by years of backbreaking labor. Oh, and if you're a metro prettyboy, it also covers up zits and tear tracks.

105 Eldridge, between Broome and Grand; 212.334.6740

This sprawling spot will have something for everyone, with a neighborhood joint up front sporting plush booths, barstools, and charmingly toothless regulars; and a slick two-level back lounge where DJs will spin rock and Britpop. There's also a subterranean grotto the owners say was once a precinct jail, but will now host live bands, acclimatizing budding rockstars to crowds, and to a prison setting -- both of which they'll be seeing a lot more of should they enjoy any real success.

885 2nd Ave, between 47th and 48th; 212.796.8000

As part of the Ruth's Chris chain, this block-long space didn't pack the muscle to compete with Major League NYC meat purveyors, due in no small part to the foolish former tenants burying the bar in the basement like an unwanted mutant child. The new proprietors, both founding managers of Mark Joseph Steakhouse, injected some much-needed restaurant-'roids before yesterday's grand opening -- first by moving the bar front-and-center, and then by luring away half the staff from Mark Joseph.