Ok vegetarians, just avert your eyes for this one. Seemingly just in time for the summer, Zurich’s first Southern BBQ and bar, Brisket, is opening. They’ve imported their meat smoker all the way from Texas, and if there’s one thing I know about Texas, it will be huge. The meat will be Swiss and free range and if you go to the opening party tonight, they’ll be giving you a sneaky taste of their menu. I don’t know if cowboy boots and Stetsons are required dress code but it sure as dang it can’t hurt.

Thursday 6 pm, Brisket, Pfingstweidstrasse 6, 8005

There is a saying that says you get nothing for free in this world, there is also another saying that says shut up you don’t know what you’re talking about. The Lauter Festival is bringing together a great selection of local and international bands, putting them in two great adjacent venues, Stall 6 and El Lokal, and is expecting you to pay nothing. That’s right, you’re getting a great deal of sumptuous something for a great deal of free gratis-ness. The bands all sound great and run the musical gamut from rock to indie to electro to singer-songwriter. 

Friday 8 pm to 4 am, Stall 6

Saturday 5 pm to 6 am, Stall 6 & El Lokal

Before the internet, before movies, television and radio, hell, even before the written word there was the story. In the time of humanity’s infancy myths of the world’s creation, legends of great heroes and tales of love and revenge were told to each other, probably sitting around a great fire, and taught us what it means to be human.  This tradition is kept alive at the Palm House in the Old Botanical Gardens this weekend as the Urban Storytelling Oasis brings artists and storytellers together to weave their magic. Friday’s evening is called The Story Spinner and has tales of passion, luck and fate, and I have 2 x 2 tickets to give away, while on Saturday, Kiss of the Muse has erotic and art stories, as well as musical accompaniment, for which I have 1 x 2 tickets. Email me if you want tickets, letting me know which evening you’d like to attend.

Friday and Saturday 8 pm, Palmenhaus, Alter Botanischer Garten

Pelikanstrasse 40, 8001

If you’ve heard of US musician Sixto Rodriguez, I’m sure it’s because of the Oscar winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man, if you haven’t, let me give you the short version of the story, then go see the documentary. He recorded a couple of albums in the 70’s which, whilst never really commercial concerns in America, became wildly successful in South Africa, selling even more than Elvis Presley. All this happened without Rodriguez’s knowledge. He then disappeared, rumoured to have committed suicide. In the late 90’s two South African fans set out to discover if the stories were true and if not, where he was and what he was doing. This journey is all detailed in the Sugar Man documentary, and at the risk of spoiling it for you, gave Rodriguez a whole new career and audience. He’ll be playing his soulful acoustic rock at Kongresshaus on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

Tuesday and Wednesday 8 pm, Kongresshaus

Marilyn Monroe and Amy Winehouse were two feminine icons who, whilst separated by time and space, seemed to share many things in common including, of course, their tragic early deaths. A new show at Gessnerallee called Follow Us brings these two heroines together for the first time in a show by Destiny’s Children that won the Premio Swiss Newcomer Award for Theatre and Dance in 2014. The two young female performers of Destiny’s Children are from Bern and with their singing, dancing and passion allow the spirits of Marilyn and Amy to live again. In English and German.

Wednesday (Premiere) 8 pm (also Thursday, Friday and Tuesday next week), Gessnerallee

Moudi and Hassan opened their second café, well it's not really a café this time but a garden: Moudi's Lecker Garten. The place is larger than in the café but as tasty as you’re used to at Moudi’s. The ambience feels more oriental but without the chintzy folkore. A wonderful setting to enjoy some of the best mezze in town.

Moudi's Lecker Garten, Winterthurerstrasse 86, 8006. Opening hours: Monday to Friday 11 am to 2 pm & 6 pm to 11 pm, Saturday 11.30 am to midnight

I can feel it in the air, summer is near despite all that rain. And what’s the best way to explore the city when the sun is shining? By bike!  If you’re looking for a new bike, this Saturday could be the day your dream comes true. At least if you’re looking for a new old bike. Velobörse at Helvetiaplatz: On Saturday morning Pro Velo organizes a market dedicated to bikes. The prices are usually fairly low but it pays off to be there early as generally the good bikes are gone fairly quickly. Their experts will help you to evaluate a bike if you’re not sure if it’s worth the asking price. Velogant at Limmatplatz: If you didn’t find anything to your liking, head to Limmatplatz just after noon where the city will sell collected bikes in an auction. Here you have the chance to get a very valuable bike for a low price. The downside: You cannot take it for a test ride so you’re never absolutely certain of its condition.

Saturday 9 am – 11 am, Helvetiaplatz

Saturday, 1 pm – 4 pm, Hans Badener Saal, Limmatstrasse 114

Imagine a place, where your granny stands in the kitchen, making her own jam, baking bread or washing fruits and vegetables that she just collected from her garden. If that granny could open a shop in Zurich to sell her goods, it would be «Hofladen im Seefeld». Markus Schmid and his team re-opened the shop last Saturday offering fresh organic vegetables and fruits, special jams and sausages as well as various Swiss liquors all from small production labels. The rustic store is filled with delicacies and the smell of fresh bread. Entering it, will transport you back to an idyllic version of your childhood. From today the shop is open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Hofladen im Seefeld, Delphinstrasse 11, 8008. Opening hours: Thursday& Friday 12 pm to 6.30 pm, Saturday 9 am to 4 pm

To celebrate its birthday, YouTube showed the first video that was uploaded to their site. It’s called «Me at the Zoo» by YouTube-co-founder Jawed Karim. Well, I don’t want to say it’s boring, but YouTube must be glad that there are others who shared their videos.