The Pocket brings big-band jazz and a serious menu to a Times Square basement

A new jazz room has opened in the basement of the Muse hotel in Times Square. The Pocket seats 170, and Wynton Marsalis played its first night in June. Here the kitchen gets the same serious attention as the bandstand.

Who is behind the Times Square jazz club

The two co-founders, Grant Gardner and Martin Porter, first crossed paths as colleagues at Jazz Standard. Their combined résumés also include jobs at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Blue Note. After that, Gardner helped open Al Coro, and he worked alongside Melissa Rodriguez at Crane Club. Running the kitchen is Anthony Duranti, whose past jobs include Del Posto, Mel’s and Telepan.

The Mingus Big Band has a standing residency at the club, and so does Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.

What to eat and drink at The Pocket

Oysters come broiled at $5 apiece, dressed either Rockefeller style or in a garlic and Parmesan butter. For $23, smoked salmon arrives on cornbread blini topped with herbs and creme fraiche. The $21 Flatbush wings get a jerk marinade, with coconut ranch and plantains on the side. Lighter plates include a $15 croqueta made with La Tur and a $19 Caesar finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano, anchovy and garlicky breadcrumbs. Tables that want to split a main can order the rib-eye, which comes pre-sliced for $64, plus a $12 side of fries meant for dipping.

Drinks run $18 or $19. The menu groups them into martinis, sparkling, agave, and a section for Manhattans and Old Fashioneds. One option, the Elderflower, blends St-Germain with vodka and lemon. A 50/50 and a French 75 are also on offer.

Most nights bring two sets, and every guest orders a minimum of two items for each one. For a 7 p.m. performance, the room generally opens an hour ahead, at 6 p.m. That makes the earlier show the better pick for anyone planning a full dinner. Once the lights dim, the club asks the audience to keep quiet.