I love when being spontaneous works out in my favor. I’ve been counting on spontaneity more and more these days, as I don’t make plans too far in advance. I’ve found those to be the plans that tend to fall through at the last minute. I know there are advantages to planning ahead, but last night is a great example of how, with a little patience and luck, sometimes, it all just works out. A friend from out of town was in the city and wanted to go out. What to do? I wondered. He’d seen the fancy restaurants in Midtown, done the dive bars of the East Village, and savored the mellow sophistication of the West Village. What could we do that captured the city in its best light and could be booked on the same day? I made a split-second decision and hopped in a cab after work and headed to the Carlyle Hotel to wait in line at the Carlyle Café. I knew all the tables would be booked (they fill up months in advance for Monday nights), but there are eight bar seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. I got the last two seats! Here’s a photo of Woody Allen playing the clarinet with his band, which he does every Monday night. I figured, you can’t get much more New York than watching Woody Allen perform. The icing on the cake? Tommy Lee Jones hung out behind the bar for a few sets! — Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher