It’s the Southwest by way of midtown at Johnny Utah’s, where a rough-riding mechanical bull is the main attraction. A cowboy-inspired menu and ice cold draft beer make Utah’s a great post-work saloon to blow off some steam or a hilarious late night destination when your inhibitions are a distant memory. The man in the kitchen is Blue Smoke alum, Marlon Manty, who creates stick-to your-ribs favorites like hickory-smoked chicken wings with blue-cheese dip, flank steak tostada salad, and the decadent three-cheese Enchilada pie. In the main dining room, tables are arranged around the mechanical bull and three additional parlor rooms are decorated in Wild West saloon decor. Don’t worry, you don’t have to ride the bull to get in on the fun!

Johnny Utah’s
25 West 51st Street / between Fifth and Sixth avenues
Midtown West / New York
212.265.8824 / website / menu / map / hopstop

If your regular gym routine has become a bore—check out Church Street Boxing in Tribeca where an old school atmosphere and tough-as-nails instructors make this Rocky-style work out one of the most intense in town. Every Friday night Church Street Boxing hosts an amateur night uptown where cold beer is served and a lineup of boxing matches draws a crowd of nearly 1200 every week. It’s their version of Fight Club meets night club. In this video, one of Church Street’s top instructors, Angel (a.k.a “Chapo”) shows George Oliphant the five basic techniques involved in a hard core boxing workout.

Church St. Boxing
25 Park Place / between Church Street and Broadway
Financial District / New York
212.571.1333 / website / map / hopstop

Each week LX.TV scours the area to find the best New York has to offer. This week, George Oliphant visits a restaurant with the same mission. Jeffrey Chodorow’s latest venture Borough Food and Drink brings together the rich food culture of all five boroughs in one wild dining experience. Chodorow and Zak Pelaccio source the best local purveyors and have assembled a melting pot of a menu that honors New York’s spectacular culinary history. That means smoked salmon and herring from Russ & Daughters on the Lower East Side, smoky eggplant spread from Salute Restaurant in Astoria, and fresh mozzarella from Joe’s Dairy in Little Italy. The clubby atmosphere makes Borough Food and Drink a real neighborhood place, the kind of restaurant where you’ll want to tuck in with a few cocktails and stay a while. Handcrafted local beer, wine and cocktails like the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn, fuel a good time at Borough Food and Drink, where a culinary tour of New York City means an amazing meal—without having to hop on the subway.

Borough Food & Drink
12 East 22nd Street / near Broadway
Flatiron District / New York
212.260.0103 / website / menu / map / hopstop

Russ and Daughters
179 East Houston Street / near Orchard Street
Lower East Side / New York
212.475.4880 / website / menu / map / hopstop