1 You may not hear the hand-clapping, "Tonight Show"-buoyed hit "S.O.B." on your radio for editing reasons, but you should go ahead and give Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats' eponymous album for the legendary Stax label a spin anyway. The Denver-based, Missouri-rooted soul-rocker and his seven-piece band add a gritty underbelly and rollicking spirit to the modern blue-eyed soul formula, like Van Morrison backed by J. Roddy Walston & the Business with a little gospel music spiked in.

2 Mattie's on Main has gotten a major reboot, starting with new chef Nathan Docken. The Coup d'État vet is concentrating on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, and treating them with respect. His initial success is encapsulated in a fiercely delicious burger. The Riverplace restaurant/bar has been wisely retooled as a neighborhood destination, with beer-friendly, drop-by-for-a-snack options including house-baked pretzels with a beer-cheese sauce, lemony fried Brussels sprouts, cheese curds and steamed mussels seasoned with chorizo. The bar's delicious array of ice cream drinks remains, as does the list of 18 local craft beers. (43 SE. Main St., Mpls.)

4 In Noah Baumbach's screwball farce "Mistress America," New York City college student Tracy (Lola Kirke, right) is in crisis. Along comes Brooke (Greta Gerwig), an urbane socialite who could cure the younger girl's insecurity. What could go wrong? Well, actually, lots. A movie about privileged people with First World problems feels a little smug. But as the pair sashay across Manhattan, they seem to be having such irresistible fun that all triviality is forgiven.

3 In a deadly funny new revue that collects some of the best bits from the past decade, Brave New Workshop remains true to its satirical roots. The staying power of the sketches in "Throwback BNW: Junk From Our Trunk" is no surprise — cultural trends, awkward romance and political hypocrisy will always be ripe targets for sendups. A few of the recycled sketches are dated, but many are timeless. (Ends Oct. 31; theatre.bravenewworkshop.com.)

5 Dinty W. Moore's "Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy" is an oddball guide to essay writing. Each chapter begins with a tongue-in-cheek question from a well-known writer — Cheryl Strayed wants to know if her love affair with em dashes is good or bad; Phillip Lopate wants to know how to write about former girlfriends without sounding like a jerk; Roxane Gay asks why so many writers end up writing about writing. Moore provides answers, and then produces an essay somehow inspired by the exchange.