Deals in Greenburgh

On this week’s agenda: thought-provoking video art, an all-food market, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Greil Marcus, and Mamma Mia! on Broadway. As always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in New York City. Nam June Paik: Becoming Robot Upper East Side | Opens Friday, September 5 Sure, you could go see the Matisse cut-outs at the Museum of Modern Art, but for an art exhibit that's colorful and relevant to modern concerns, look no further than the Asia Society Museum. Considered the father of video art, the late Nam June Paik was fascinated by the manipulative power of technology. As funny as they are thought-provoking, his artworks on display here include a TV you can sit on to be reminded of the shrinking gap between human and machine. (725 Park Ave.; $7–$12) Smorgasburg Williamsburg | Saturday, September 6, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you haven't visited Smorgasburg yet this summer, do yourself a favor and plan a trip to East River State Park on Saturday. This all-food pop-up market features 100 vendors from across the boroughs, all converging on the Williamsburg waterfront to dole out packaged and prepared treats. (Kent Ave. and N. 7th St.; free) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at Madison Square Garden Midtown Manhattan | Wednesday, September 10, 7:30 p.m. The World's Most Famous Arena will host one of America's most enduring rock bands when Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers roll into town with special guest Steve Winwood. The band's latest studio album, Hypnotic Eye, marks a return to their rollicking '60s form, and the bluesy guitar riffs in tunes like ''Fault Lines'' and ''Power Drunk'' sound like they were written to rock the rafters at MSG. (4 Pennsylvania Plaza; $56–$137; buy tickets here) Greil Marcus and Sasha Frere-Jones Talk Rock 'n' Roll Clinton Hill | Wednesday, September 10, 7:30 p.m. Greil Marcus is considered by many to be the founder of modern rock criticism, and Sasha Frere-Jones is one of the many writers who have benefitted from his influence. Frere-Jones, who writes for the New Yorker, will sit down with Marcus at St. Joseph's College on Wednesday to discuss the latter's new book, The History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs. The price of admission includes a copy of the book, which attendees can have signed after the discussion. (245 Clinton Ave.; $25; buy tickets here) Mamma Mia! at Broadhurst Theatre Theater District | Through Saturday, September 13 A lighthearted romp of a musical, Mamma Mia! chronicles a daughter's quest to find her true father before her wedding day. It all happens to the sparkling sounds of ABBA, the Swedish pop group behind such hits as ''Dancing Queen,'' ''Knowing Me, Knowing You,'' ''The Winner Takes It All,'' and of course, the title track. (235 W. 44th St.; $49; buy tickets here)

Ah, candy. It’s the universal childhood reward for being good, for completing a job well done, or sometimes just because. For people aged eight to eighty, nothing offers quite the same positive reinforcement as a piece of candy. The good news for any homesick expatriates or weary world travelers with a layover in New York City is this town’s abundance of candy shops, many of which serve international treats that can be hard to find outside of their country of origin. First a bit of classic American nostalgia, courtesy of Economy Candy on the Lower East Side. Established in 1937, it is one of New York City’s oldest candy stores, and after seven decades it has amassed quite a collection of candy brands, including rare local brands thought to be no longer made. The cramped aisles are packed with assorted sweets and confections from New York City and throughout the world. From Haribo gummy bears to cola bottles and rare brand gums and candies, there is something for every sweet tooth at Economy Candy. Mixed nuts, chocolates, dried fruit and loose candy assortments can be bought by the pound. Just expect to fight for space in the overwhelming storefront on weekends, thanks to a large influx of late morning Lower East Side brunchers. At Aji Ichiban on Mott Street in Chinatown, candy lovers maneuver around rows of tidy transparent bins full of Chinese, Japanese and other East Asian candies, plus dried fruits and random chocolates. Preserved plums (an acquired taste for some), kumquats and kiwis are just a few of the typical traditional Chinese candies that can be found here. For Western-style candy lovers, there is the ubiquitous gummy selection: soft, colorful and fruity bears, fried eggs (they taste like vanilla orange cream), alligators and others. But it’s not all about sweets here; a selection of savory Asian snacks from dried seaweed crackers to wasabi rice crisps give customers an opportunity to try some Asian-style alternatives to popcorn and potato chips. At Sockerbit on Christopher Street in The West Village, the clean storefront is stuffed with a wide variety of Scandinavian smågodis, or little candies. Selections like marshmallows, licorice and hard candies will look and taste nostalgic even to non-Scandinavians, thanks to lots of natural ingredients in the candies themselves. Here, candy lovers can mix and match, and come out with a colorful bag of cheery, interesting goodies.

You can’t rush perfection, but you can wash it down correctly. The DeMarco family explains why you won’t mind waiting for a slice at Di Fara Pizza and what you should bring to drink. Worth the Wait Dom DeMarco isn’t big on advertising. Probably because he doesn’t need it. Dom—owner, founder, and sole chef at Di Fara Pizza—knows he’ll have a crowd to feed no matter what. The masses waiting in line outside Di Fara’s modest storefront, next door to a 99-cent shop in Brooklyn, are evidence of that. So is the fact that they’re waiting for the chance to hand over $5 for a piece of pizza. Five bucks might seem a bit much for a single slice, but these devotees clearly don’t mind. Even Mayor Bloomberg weighed in on the discussion. “If you’ve ever had a really great slice of pizza,” he told the New York Times, “you know there are worse deals.” But the food at Di Fara doesn’t really need mayoral endorsements. Margaret DeMarco, Di Fara’s manager and Dom’s daughter, explained why the pies are their own best advertisement: “[The] pizzas are made with two cheeses and fresh, snipped basil and a drizzle of olive oil. The square is a slightly thicker crust, twice-baked, made with a richer sauce, and is a much heartier choice. The round is quite delicate in texture. We're famous for both." Margaret has worked alongside her father for more than 20 years now, and like the rest of her six siblings, she has, not surprisingly, developed cooking skills that she calls a “special art.” But dad is still in charge of all the cooking, and will be “as long as he has the strength and the desire.” He was born in Italy’s Provincia di Caserta, and he uses all imported ingredients for his pies—from the buffalo mozzarella cheese brought from Italy to the basil from Israel. While You Wait (and While You Eat): Take Advantage of Di Fara’s BYOB Option You won’t see mention of it on Di Fara’s website, but the pizzeria is also BYOB. In 2011, the Village Voice named Di Fara one of its 10 Best BYOB Restaurants in the city, encouraging guests to “uncork your best bottle of red and indulge in a marriage of gastronomic perfection." Margaret said that since the Village Voice article, they’ve noticed a lot of customers opting to bring along something to drink in the evenings. “Wine is usually the choice for most, but beer is also brought in,” she said. Margaret’s most important pairing recommendation for those settling in at one of the eatery’s coveted 19 seats? Try a slice of both the round pie and the square pie for the sake of comparison. After that wait, you’ve probably earned it. What Booze to Bring Serious Eats says: Czech Krušovice beer “Krušovice, with its sweet, almost caramel flavor, is a dark (basically black) beer, that's hardly found in the States … A cold Krušovice with a hot, olive oily, basily Di Fara's slice, is my idea of each food group at its best,” said writer Erin Zimmer, who suggests picking it up at Associated Supermarket directly across the street. Gothamist says: Italian red wines “Bring a bottle of chianti or a barbera.”