Food

Bruni two-stars Gordon Ramsay at the London. Echoing the words of others we've heard from around town, he finds conventional French food, well executed. "But the restaurant fails to deliver the most important thing of all," he says. "Excitement." more ›

In the world of reality television, keeping secrets from faithful viewers is everything: any notable off set development helps to propel rumors, and draws higher ratings. Last week, when puckish Top Chef finalist Ilan Hall left the dimly lit plancha-teria Casa Mono, it prompted a avalanche of speculation of a size usually reserved for Punxsutawney Phil. Rather than reporting on whether Hall saw his shadow, the virtual crowd gathered on the Internet posited that this in fact meant that the Long Island native had won the Top Chef title. Two days ago, Food and Wine magazine accidentally “leaked” a major spoiler onto their web site in the form of a feature story naming the winner, only to pull it from their server in a matter of minutes. Suspicious. Food and Wine has since explained that victory writeups are commissioned for both finalists- in this case, Hall and “crazy-hair” Marcel Vigneron, and that the gaffe has nothing to do with the show’s real outcome, which airs tonight. No matter who wins, there’s probably going to be six more weeks of winter. more ›

There are reports all over the internet that a staffer at Food and Wine inadvertently revealed the winner of this season's Top Chef finale, due to air tomorrow night at 10. Well, it seems now that they've actually got winner profiles posted for both Marcel and Ilan. Let the speculation begin. more ›

There are reports all over the internet that a staffer at Food and Wine inadvertently revealed the winner of this season's Top Chef finale, due to air tomorrow night at 10. Well, it seems now that they've actually got winner profiles posted for both Marcel and Ilan. Let the speculation begin. more ›

As the Carroll Gardens of yore fades into the Smith and Court Street song and dance it’s ever more difficult to track down an authentic Italian experience in a neighborhood still populated as much by well-heeled Manhattan transplants as it is by Marys on the half-shell. more ›

The Coupon Clipper scours the specials for the best deals in New York's big grocery stores. more ›

We received a press release about the closing of yet another establishment in lower Manhattan today. This time it's not a high profile venue like CBGB, but a little vegan bakery on St Marks that is being forced out due to high rent. more ›

- This week in Momofuku hype, a short love note as expressed via a T-shirt and a litany of chefs cite the joint as their go-to spots. more ›

Absinthe, The Green Devil or as Ernest Hemingway described it – “that opaque, bitter, tongue-numbing, brain-warming, stomach-warming, idea-changing, liquid alchemy” – to this day has an air of mystery and danger surrounding it. Historical anecdotes, urban myths and its illegal status in a host of countries (including the US) make it all the more alluring. Tell us we can’t have something and suddenly we want it. Why is it really illegal here, we wondered? What exactly is it and what were its powers that made the likes of Van Gogh, Picasso and Wilde avid enthusiasts? And where could we get some (for research purposes, of course.)? more ›

When the band plays Sydney, Kapranos eats chilli crab; back in Scotland, it’s a cheese and chutney plate at a bookstore café. “Food is an adventure” is his Sound Bites mantra, and otherwise the book is filled with understated and disarming truths about dining, like how good company sometimes trumps bad shellfish, and how some people continually search to rediscover to relive the particulars of their first food memories. Gothamist started talking to Alex Kapranos about the parallel orbits of rock stars and chefs, and ended up with a mutton meatball recipe. more ›

Don’t be fooled by the tired lasso of rope lights in the window; the standard issue take-out cups with frilly script “Cappuccino” on the sides. Don't be waylaid by the miniature vortex of sales circulars attacking your ankles as you approach 1985 Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn: The winner for the hardest working phyllo in the five boroughs is steps away, inside Güllüoglu. more ›

Gothamist is worried about global warming. Especially since we saw An Inconvenient Truth. Manhattan may start shrinking, then disappear altogether? No snow on Kilimanjaro? These thoughts were enough to make us run out to the hardware store for some energy efficient lightbulbs. more ›

- Serious Eats explores the ins and outs of the Japanese Izakaya, "the place where sake is." more ›

Rebar resides upstairs in Retreat, a Dumbo “gathering space” that advertises its “5,000 square feet” as more of a dare than a boast. What to do with all this space in a city not known for having much of it? What they ended up with was Rebar, a new bar that tries a little of everything. more ›

Brooklyn newcomer Brooklyn Label serves breakfast, lunch, and brunch in the spaciously remodeled ground floor of the historic Astral Apartments building in Greenpoint. Maintaining original ceilings and floors (where possible), bright sunlight pours in in windows on the South and West sides illuminating bright orange walls and a steadily crowded room. Open six days a week (except Mondays), Brooklyn Label's hearty menu offers generously sized servings of creative variations on all-American favorites with breakfast sandwiches on weekdays (like a grilled challah roll with spinach, eggs, and pepper bacon and bacon, eggs, and cheese on homemade biscuits), and vegetarian entrees, homemade soups and salads, and sandwiches at lunch. more ›

January 25: Beer & Cheese Pairing Affair more ›

One year ago, Gothamist boarded a ferry bound for Uruguay to spend the day exploring Colonia del Sacramento. We dreamt of renting a Vespa and speeding along the Rio de la Plata, racing through the Portugese Barrio Historico at speeds of 10, even 15 miles per hour. more ›

Many things happened last Tuesday night at a CUNY Graduate Center auditorium lobby reception. Kim Peek, the 55 year-old savant who inspired Rain Man, walked through the crowd to answer strangers' questions about forgotten rural highways, old telephone directories, and birthdays. His father Fran talked about Kim’s abilities and home life in Utah, and passed the nine-pound Academy Award given to him by Rain Man’s screenwriter to anyone who wanted to hold it. Elsewhere at the reception, the inventor Nate True chatted about his Time Fountain, a breadbox-sized contraption pumping with highlighter dyed water and ringed by ultraviolet strobes. When everything works right, it appears to the observer that time is slowing down, stopping, and even reversing for the fountain's falling droplets. Standing near to the cheese plate and chicken finger buffet was Joe Kittinger, who in 1960 jumped off a rickety Air Force gondola hitched to a big weather balloon, and free fell 102,800 feet back to earth, breaking the sound barrier in the process. Yes, this was all part of the inaugural meeting for the Athanasius Kircher Society, a mysterious group of people devoted to understanding the curious, obscure, and spectacular. The group is named for a 17th century German Jesuit scholar, an early adopter of Egyptology, volcanology, and a pioneer of germ theory. more ›

After getting its liquor license some time back and entering 2.0-dom, the next upgrade for this release here with Ned Elliot and his flameout closing the logs on version 2.1. Tomorrow another chapter of the European Union story, potentially the most promising yet, begins when Akhtar Nawab takes over the stoves for his first day. After Allen & Delancey failed to open in the fall, Nawab’s next move was not known but this will be a great thing for the neighborhood. At Craftbar, his dishes were well-conceived and smoothly executed, providing many a gustatory delight for diners. His sous chef will be Josh Miller, who appears to have been working at the restaurant prior to Chef Nawab's arrival. more ›

- The great Chowhound uprising of 2007 seems like it will turn a corner; management promptly replies with fixes, explanations and small concessions. Give CNET some respect; they really do have to manage a loyal crowd who loves the site. more ›

Bruni one-stars The Waverly Inn, writing the review in the form of a letter to Graydon Carter. He doesn't get to the food until about halfway into it, first covering the space (cozy), the scene, the $55 mac and cheese (no, you can't order it without the truffles) and the difficultly in getting a reservation. While "it's not attention-getting cuisine," he likes it. Calls it "a modest menu of comforting favorites." more ›

Residentially speaking, Gothamist is blessed with rather ample proportions. We’ve graduated from the grimy hovels of our youth to a humbly appointed dwelling which, owing to the block’s somewhat tawdry reputation, takes only a modest toll on our wallets while allowing enough space for the occasional fete. more ›

If you're contemplating taking up Restaurant Week's offer of $24.07 lunches and $35 meals, but aren't sure if any restaurants are conveniently located for you, you're in luck. Reader Chad has created this map that shows all the restaurants participating. Now, good luck with trying to make a reservation! more ›

Pork Shoulder is and will be a relative bargain compared to almost every other cut of meat. It's tough, requires long cooking times, and is huge and hard to manage. But this week at C-Town it’s approaching a whole new realm of cheapness. At $.79 a pound, you'll run out of people to feed before you'll come any where near the $10 mark. You’ll have to fight for it though. Sure it’s cheap, but it certainly doesn’t come neatly in fillets, or even semi-manageable hunks. The smallest one we could find at C-Town was an ounce over 10 pounds. And because it's wrapped in plastic, the butcher is not going to be of much use. more ›

While it is best known as a dessert-only place, there is no molten corn syrup river running through Room 4 Dessert. The restaurant also lacks the Willy Wonka clichés and kit-built, old-world Vienna museum mumbo jumbo of certain chocolate chains. Room 4 Dessert eschews the garish Candyland factor in favor of minimalist offerings like its “nrj”- a mix of red grapefruit sorbet topped with segments of the fruit, smoked tea ‘air,’ and a base of litchi fruit. Will Goldfarb’s menu is also notable for two things: a minimum of sugar- the chef uses herbs, seeds, and spices to pique flavors- and the tiny superscript numbers that appear next to menu choices, like decimal versions attached to software releases. The numbers identify each dessert’s latest incarnation, and highlight Goldfarb’s restless experimentation. more ›

Proving that everything has a price, the launch of website PrimeTime Tables.com has attracted a bit of attention. PrimeTime Tables sells those hard-to-get reservations to hot restaurants - like let's say 8PM at Eleven Madison Park (since the website uses an Eleven Madison Park photo) - for anywhere between $30 to $45 a pop or $35 and under if you purchase a $450 yearly membership. And we can already see big corporations that need to wine and dine clients at swanky joints signing up...and Valentine's Day is just 23 days away! more ›

Is it true that milk can cure what ails you? Maybe. Salon discusses advocates of the raw milk movement -- those who claim that unpasteurized milk from grass-fed cows may be the elixir of health, "capable of reversing chronic diseases from asthma to irritable bowel syndrome." The Weston A. Price Foundation is one of the leading promoters of raw dairy products. In 1939, Price penned "Nutrition and Physical Degeneration," which expounded upon the physical benefits of eating raw milk products and grass-fed beef. Many New Yorkers follow Price's lead, joining "raw milk clubs," where farm-fresh raw milk is delivered on a regular basis. more ›

All it takes is one really good fall to understand the importance of balance. We were reminded of that this past week when having drinks at Hudson Bar and Books with colleagues. The night was going all too well. We had even managed to include Frangelico in the drinking equation. Everyone was enjoying themselves and the ample amounts of Champagne being poured when a slight move turned the table—both literally and figuratively. A co-worker scooted over in the banquet seat to make room for another when he lost his balance and flew into the table, knocking over at least seven (full) glasses, flipping us over on our chair, and falling on top of us. As we laid there, a Perrier-Jouet miraculously still full and in hand, we tried to process what just happened and how we came to be sprawled out on the floor of Hudson Bar and Books with all its patrons’ eyes focused in our direction. It then occurred to me: we can never come back here again. See, balance is important – particularly when you're drinking wine and especially when you're making it. more ›

- Baby, it's cold outside, and what better way to warm up than with a steaming bowl of soup. MUG rounds up readers' favorite chicken soups, or if you prefer cooking your own, the Daily News lets us in on soup recipes from Dirty Bird, Tabla, and Fairway more ›

It seems there is a great divide among drinkers out there: you’re either creamy or not. For some, the thought of a rich, indulgent after-dinner drink - filled with Kahlua or Bailey’s topped with cream - is a transcending experience, and then there are those who vehemently disagree. We are not saying the naysayer opinion is wrong; we’ve learned that never bodes well in the comment section, but the beauty of being able to masterfully combine dessert and alcohol is more than a treat, it’s a work of art. more ›

Donna Da Vine is either a minefield of perfectly single, beautiful women quietly sipping on oversize glasses of wine in purple-tinged light, or a bar where all those ladies go to get away from men. Either way it’s gorgeous, and women seem to love it. The two times we stopped by the clientele was almost exclusively female inside. Even accounting for the occasional male date, the purple interior, low light, and all female bartenders seem to extenuate the feeling that this place is meant to be for the ladies. more ›

We've been waiting for this day: Libation is closing! Libation was, of course, the first official landmark of douchebaggery in the LES, spearheading a (and we use this term loosely) movement to class up the joint. Well the tip of the knife has broken, does this mean the uptown, velvet rope crowd "lost"? Doubtful, as we're sure an equally horrific quadruple-level, overpriced club will open in its place. Unless, of course, Bowery Presents snatches it up in its recent shopping spree. more ›

Diane Wongprasert is no newbie to the restaurant business. Owner of Regional Thai Taste, Pad Thai, and Sa-Woy, Lower East Side newcomer Sticky Rice is the latest in Wongprasert's Thai ventures. With yet to procure a liquor license (your server might ask you to sign a petition), the Orchard Street joint is still BYO, but in Gothamist's opinion, that makes Sticky Rice an even better bargain. Dishes prepared in the northeastern Thai tradition contribute to an extensive menu that highlights barbeque with lemongrass marinades, a plethora of classic noodle and rice dishes like popular favorite Pad Thai, homemade curries, and more than a dozen vegetarian entrée options. more ›

It may be cold outside, but it's perfect fondue weather. Riverdale Garden will be serving up classic cheese, hearty herb flavored oil with beef and chicken and, of course, bittersweet chocolate. Complete dinner is $29 including house wine and draft beer, or just drinks and music for $15. Dinner starting at 7PM, music at 8:30PM. Reservations are recommended and can be made on Open Table or by calling 718-884-5232. 4576 Manhattan College Parkway, Bronx. more ›

Gothamist has lavished many a paycheck on Pain d’Avignon and precious knobs of duck rillettes at Blue Apron’s south Park Slope location. So we were frantic when we noticed the butcher paper-lined windows signaling the specialty store’s demise. Answers, it turned out, were just a door knock away. more ›

- Outsourcing is coming to a high-end restaurant near you, and no we are not talking about phone reservationists working abroad who do not understand that a 5:45 reservation is unacceptable to you. more ›

Gothamist would like to congratulate Chef Jason Neroni of Porchetta on today’s New York Times review. The following conversation took place two weeks ago at the Smith Street restaurant. more ›

Regardless of what Key Foods has to say, not many people need 10 avocados. It is the fattiest fruit in the kingdom and supplies some 25 percent of your daily monounsaturated fat needs. Who needs 10 of these besides Super Bowl party planners in need of a mega-batch of guacamole? Key Food’s hope is that the low price per piece, $1, will bring interest, and to their credit, it worked. more ›

Bruni goes to Brooklyn this week and one-stars Porchetta. He says the Italian restaurant is "chasing an edginess that other Italian restaurants in its area don't have in their sights." Also that chef Jason Neroni has "got the goods." more ›

This is plain crazy. The NY Post reports that a quartet of foreigners who now live in the United States were forced to pay an 18% tip by SoHo restaurant Aquagrill. The group, who did order in "accented English," questioned the gratuity and was told by the waiter, "We do that because you're foreign, and foreigners don't tip." more ›

David’s Brisket House is an unlikely relic on a stretch of Nostrand Avenue mostly populated by 99 cent stores and West Indian delis. The space is narrow and dated, outfitted with mirrored walls (the sort mostly reserved for adult film sets) and ceiling tiles brown with the remnants of some ancient leak. It doesn’t have the fame of Carnegie Deli or the sprawling space and hypnotic neon glow of Katz’s. The clueless tourists and first-timers, the ones who order their pastrami with mayo (tsk) and request half sour pickles (tsk tsk), don’t come here. David’s is a place for locals and sandwich hedonists—the type who don’t mind the occasional visit from a neighborhood crazy if it means dining with the kind of mindless abandon the place requires. more ›

We interviewed co-owner of Luna Lounge Rob Sacher in 2004, and he told a little story about Elliott Smith (who wrote his album XO at the bar at Luna). The story starts out, "Before I knew who Elliott Smith was, I knew him as this very quiet guy that had discovered the bar (at Luna) and would stay there till closing or near closing most nights, writing constantly in a journal with some kind of dark whiskey drink on the rocks or straight-up in front of him; he always had some kind of bourbon or something like that in front of him. Week after week after week." more ›

Nach Waxman is wearing a baseball hat decorated with the diamond shaped Avery Island Tabasco logo as he takes Gothamist around the stacks at Kitchen Arts and Letters, his 23 year-old Upper East Side bookshop. He is talking about Rachael Ray. “It’s a funny story,” says Waxman, describing his first impressions of the current Triscuit box doyenne. He shakes his head and laughs. “Nobody here had heard of her. We didn’t carry her books. Now that we do, we don’t sell them.” Nach (pronounced knock) Waxman doesn’t mind, but Gothamist thinks that maybe he could use the shelf space --Kitchen Arts and Letters is a very small store. more ›

The cocktails at Death and Co., a new watering hole in the East Village, are as serious as a heart attack. Here they are not just pushed out in sweatshop fashion to the herds of thirsty folks that crowd the bar. At Death and Co., the cocktail is treated with respect. From the two inch double-freeze ice cubes to the highest quality spirits and ingredients, it's carefully crafted with that perfect balance of skill and whimsy that leaves you patiently, or not so patiently, waiting for your first sip. more ›

Gothamist was excited to see fast-moving construction today at the new site of Westville East on the southwest corner of Avenue A & 11th Street. Formerly Italian eatery Angelo Della Pasta, the new branch is a sister restaurant to the cozy cross-town spot of the same name. Westville East opened once before in 2004, at the site of the current Curly's Lunch on 14th Street, but folded after a short stint in the space. Daily sides featuring market specials like roasted beets with walnuts, grilled asparagus with parmesan, and roasted cauliflower, are perfect compliment to comforting favorites like beer battered fish n' chips, lemon roasted chicken, and grilled salmon. Westville East is scheduled to open in February. more ›

- Ever wonder why the produce in Chinatown is so cheap? NPR lets us in on the secret. more ›

A crazy lawsuit was filed against the owners of Jean-Georges. Joseph Bassani, a former waiter at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's four-star jewel at Columbus Circle, claims that he was harassed about his sexuality and "tricked into having simulated sex with a prostitute" - at the restaurant! more ›

If you get caught staring, dumbfounded, at the list of beers at the recently opened 4th Avenue Pub, there’s good reason. There are 24 beers on tap, with another 31 bottles, and many of them are unique picks not usually seen around the area. If this happens, just ask the bartender. Without speaking he’ll quickly cock his body to the side and point to a large poster of the Belgium beer, Delirium Tremens, which reads “The greatest beer in the world.” Get it. It’s very good. If your feeling more like a bottled or canned beer, ask him once again. “This is the greatest beer you can buy in a can," he’ll say as he hands you a Dale’s Pale Ale. It, also, is very good. more ›

Named for the fish & chips shops found just beside Bondi Beach in Australia, the Lower East Side's six month old Bondi Road assures you don't have to travel all the way around the world for flaky fried fish and real Aussie chips. Heathe St. Clair, also owner of the Australian hangout on Avenue C, The Sunburnt Cow, has brought surfer chic to a neighborhood hungry for fresh fish, a comfortable atmosphere, and a few pints of Aussie beer. more ›

January 13: Seasonal Game Cooking Class more ›

As much as I pretend to act like it, I am no working class hero. True, I've done a number of blue collar jobs. But that hardly makes me a member of the proletariat. My mom was a teacher and is now a counselor. My dad was a professor, then a high level government official, and is now a lobbyist. And they paid for my undergraduate degree at NYU. No matter how long I drive a cab, I'll never really be working class. more ›

The yellow awnings heralding the arrival of Park Slope’s latest addition emphasized the long arm of Manhattan dining trends, in this case the recent influx of burger joints dotting the city’s restaurant scene. Theoretically, the formula works: accessible, kid-friendly comfort-food in a prime location sure to attract hoardes of evening commuters. It worked for Smiling Pizza, the mediocre joint that has held court in the same intersection for more than 20 years. And it still might work for Brooklyn Burger Bar — the place has hosted a considerable crowd since its December 21 opening. Convenience, it seems, goes a long way for hungry Slopesters. more ›

Doug Psaltis wants to cook dinner for you at Country, especially if you happen to be dining by yourself. “The minimum for a chef’s tasting menu is one person,” he says. “If you come in here, I will cook for you.” It sounds like a threat. Psaltis explains: “It happens once or twice a week. I’m excited for single diners; they’re not here for the company, they come here for the food and wine.” He leans back and thumbs the collar on his chef’s jacket. “The first thing we do is approach them and ask how they’d like to eat,” Psaltis says. “From there it goes anywhere from three to thirteen courses.” more ›

The Coupon Clipper scours the specials for the best deals in New York's big grocery stores. more ›

Bruni re-reviews Eleven Madison Park and the Bar Room at the Modern, bumping each up a star to three. He raves about chef Daniel Humm, who took over the kitchen at Eleven Madison Park early last year. Finds the beef tenderloin with bordelaise sauce thickened with marrow "druggy." As for the Bar Room, it's "an unpretentious character study," he says. more ›

- We've got three new Gothamist Food contributors on board! Take a look at their debut posts, and give them a warm welcome! Nick Kindlesperger, Hugh Merwin, and Jordana Rothman. more ›

Gothamist recently trekked to Lai Yuen in Bay Ridge to sample what neighbors called (in punchy, Brooklyn dialect) “Chinese food to make Confucius proud.” Confucius likely turned in his grave at the suggestion that Lai Yuen’s Americanized offerings, while delicious, even remotely resemble the simple fare of his 5th century BCE brethren, but the experience was vivid nonetheless. It revealed, in white-gloved detail, the fading state of the disused Chinese restaurant concept; a fact which, in spite of itself, may have turned a place like Lai Yuen into a kind of relic. more ›

Gothamist is here at Joyce Bakeshop in Prospect Heights, where we’ve secretly replaced Scott Lindenbaum’s 12 oz. Fair Trade Gorilla Coffee with a cup of freshly brewed David Lynch Signature Cup Coffee Organic House Roast. For good measure, we’ve also selected one of each flavor cupcake from the Joyce Bakeshop glass case display, and a toasted hazelnut mini financier to accompany the hot beverage. What we found may surprise you. more ›

- Hungry for a late night snack in Williamsburg? The tamale girl to the rescue, and on rollerskates, no less! more ›

It’s not that we’re proud of this fact, but likely the most creative we got all weekend was deciding what toppings we wanted on our pizza. We are not trying to downplay the degree of creativity that can go into creating a well-topped pizza. In fact, perusing the menu at Gruppo, a pizzeria in the East Village, we were in awe at some of the complex and unusual combinations of flavors and textures packed on to a thin, crisp crust. Andouille sausage, shitake mushrooms, roasted garlic and basil can live together under a shield of fresh mozzarella. We could go spicy or tangy. Heavy or light. We were free to get as crazy as we wanted. There was no stifling us. And why would we just stop with the pizza? Pairing wines with our newly created masterpieces was where the real fun began. more ›

The déjà vu you may get upon entering Buck's Lodge on Atlantic Avenue is not from the country paraphernalia you’ll recognize from similar southern-tinged bars around the area. Even though there seems to be an overload of deer heads on bar walls, it's not that specifically which will make you do a double take. Just think for a moment, order a drink, plop on the evergreen couch, grab a bowl of peanuts and try to explain to the girlfriend why you once visited the red-painted, Japanese-themed gay bar called the Dragon Lounge, the former occupant of the space. Who knew that authentic country flair could be achieved with such incidentals as a big screen TV, Buck Hunter, free peanuts, two dart boards, and some ugly, yet admittedly comfortable, furniture? Especially admire how the once sleek, disco-tinged dance room is now the dart room. There are official lines on the floor. Really, what a job. more ›

Argentines are passionate about both soccer and steaks--luckily both can be found at Buenos Aires in the East Village. A moderately sized dining room with exposed brick walls, dark wood tables, and a few flat screen tv's is appropriate either for a celebratory dinner with family and friends or an afternoon soccer match with your pals. more ›

Several restaurants in the 34th Street area will be offering special menus with wine pairings for $20.07 for lunch and $34.00 for dinner. Check the 34th Street Partnership website for a full list of participants. more ›

Let’s face it; you’re probably going to return the Santa sweater that is three sizes too big from your aunt that you see maybe twice a year. There is no shame in returning something that is wrong. Very wrong. It is this spirit of post-holiday grief that reminds us that the same thing applies to wine. If the wine is faulted, not unlike the sweater with holiday appliqué, then it is your right to return it. more ›

The New York Sun has made a resolution to eat more steak. Not just any steak, mind you, but steak from "progressive beef," raised in a way that's healthier for you and for the environment. As we learned from reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, cows are not supposed to eat corn; they are ruminants, and as such, should be eating grass. Due to a glut of corn and government subsidies, we have taught our cows to eat corn, which is not particularly good for them, health-wise. Grass-fed beef is the purest of the "progressive beef" out there, but it's not always so easy to find. more ›

Bruni starts off the new year by two-starring Drew Nieoporent's Vietnamese/Asian-influenced Mai House. He finds the menu "rife with surprises and out-and-out delights." Chef and co-partner is Michael Huynh, formerly of Bao 111. Bruni doesn't like the sides or desserts, but finds most appetizers and entrees pleasing. more ›

Food for thought: The Sun says that Brooklyn Heights restaurant Palmira's has closed at the end of 2006, making it the seventh restaurant to fail at the 41 Clark Street space since 1982. That a 3.43 year life span for restaurants, but apparently Palmira's had been literally struck by lightning in 2003, "forcing the restaurant to spend its first two years hidden beneath scaffolding." Ouch. more ›

Gothamist received some very distressing news in our inbox moments ago -- it appears that Dona is closing. The building in which Dona is currently located is being sold to a real estate developer and Donatella Arpaia is actively searching for a new spot in which to showcase Chef Michael Psilakis' cooking. more ›

- Let’s try to start the year on the right foot. more ›

Adam Platt has started of 2007 with a bang -- New York magazine has released his "Where to Eat 2007" lists, a compendium of his picks for the year, divided into categories. "Haute Barnyard," a phrase that Platt coined a while back, is his term for restaurants focused on suppliers and the origins of the food, with countrified leanings. Cookshop, Peasant, Hearth, and Blue Hill qualify, among others. He takes us on two rambles, one through Brooklyn, stopping at favorites Franny's, iCi, and Applewood, as well as at newcomers The Farm on Adderly and Porchetta, and the other for breakfast, with stops at Balthazar, Egg, Cafe Cluny, Crema, and more. more ›