For a little slice of New York right in the middle of Richardson, visit Backdoor Comedy Club. They offer three shows on weekends, a Thursday night open mic, and a workshop if you want to try your hand at this iconic American art form. Once you pay the $15 cover, you'll enter an intimate room with small, circular two-tops arranged around the stage. There's a two-item minimum, and food, drink and service are provided by the neighboring bar and grill. The food isn't anything to write home about, but it's good enough, and the pours are strong and they keep coming. Thankfully, we didn't need to be wasted to have a good time at a recent Friday night showcase. Of the 10-plus comics we heard — a mixture of local and touring ones — a majority earned guffaws from the audience. They worked the crowd like pros and the intimate setting created a sense of camaraderie. It's an entertaining, two-hour escape that more Dallasites should have in their back pocket.