Food: June 2007 Archives

The last free-standing diner in Manhattan is closing tomorrow night after 70 years in business, and like many displaced New Yorkers it will be moving to Pennsylvania. The Moondance Diner in SoHo is shuttering, and next month it will be shipped to PA to become part of a museum. The lot where it currently sits is going to become the site of luxury condos. The New York Sun reported the imminent demise of the Moondance back in February and noted the diner's end as emblematic of the westward expansion of the fashionable SoHo district.

In case you missed it, earlier this week, Rebecca Charles, owner of Pearl Oyster Bar, filed an intellectual property suit against former sous-chef Ed McFarland, alleging that he had stolen recipes and design ideas when he opened his new restaurant, Ed's Lobster Bar. Here's what has gone down since then. Ed held a press conference. Grub Street describes Ed's response: “I am deeply saddened to learn that Rebecca Charles has brought an action against me,” McFarland announced. “I believe her action has no merit. I harbor no ill will and wish her safely to port.”

Ramen Setagaya is the latest outpost of a Tokyo-based ramen shop chain to open in NYC. If you're in the East Village, it's hard to miss; just look for the present line of hungry ramen lovers snaking out the door onto the sidewalk of 1st Avenue.

Photo courtesy of debbiedoescakes photostream on flickr

Learn about Friuli-Venezia Giulia through a study of wine and food. Friuli's whites will keep you cool during the summer, but the red varietals hold their own as well. 1:00 - 3:00 pm, $75.00. Register online or by calling 212-473-2323 x106. Italian Wine Merchants - Studio del Gusto, 108 East 16th Street between Park Avenue South & Irving Place.

Learn about Friuli-Venezia Giulia through a study of wine and food. Friuli's whites will keep you cool during the summer, but the red varietals hold their own as well. 1:00 - 3:00 pm, $75.00. Register online or by calling 212-473-2323 x106. Italian Wine Merchants - Studio del Gusto, 108 East 16th Street between Park Avenue South & Irving Place.

Earlier this year, The Sun reported that AvalonBay Communities would "begin construction this summer on a 42-story, residential market-rate tower with approximately 600 units. The property will have ground floor retail, which could house the borough's first Trader Joe's market." And even earlier this year it was suspected that TJ's would move into One Brooklyn Bridge Park.

At the Ethnic Market highlights international specialty foods and ingredients that you're very unlikely to find at your local Gristedes

At the Ethnic Market highlights international specialty foods and ingredients that you're very unlikely to find at your local Gristedes

Nathan's better get their beef remnants and buns ready, because Takeru 'Tsunami' Kobayashi is coming to the shores of Coney Island. At least that's what Kobayashi's manager says. If you've been following along, you know that Kobayashi, the reigning champion and six time Mustard Belt winner of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, has experienced some hiccups in his training for the July 4th competition. After one week of training, he developed jaw arthritis. Ever the competitor, Kobayashi said that he would come to honor his mother, who passed away in March.

Nathan's better get their beef remnants and buns ready, because Takeru 'Tsunami' Kobayashi is coming to the shores of Coney Island. At least that's what Kobayashi's manager says. If you've been following along, you know that Kobayashi, the reigning champion and six time Mustard Belt winner of the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, has experienced some hiccups in his training for the July 4th competition. After one week of training, he developed jaw arthritis. Ever the competitor, Kobayashi said that he would come to honor his mother, who passed away in March.

New York pizza can be divided into many categories: neighborhood standbys, brick oven legends, non-traditional pies (thank you Wolfgang Puck), square “Grandma slices;” stuff like that. Good thing there are websites like Slice to sort out the taxonomy of NY pizzeria, and the hundreds of gems throughout the five boroughs. To this list we’d like to add one more- Sal and Paul Pizzeria in Brownsville, a.k.a. Steve’s Pizzeria. The restaurant has changed hands, but still makes the same pies, and they’re good.

Rebecca Charles, NYC lobster roll pioneer and owner of Pearl Oyster Bar will do whatever it takes to protect the formula she has created to make Pearl such a success. She has brought suit in Federal court against Ed McFarland, her former sous chef and owner of Ed's Lobster Bar, claiming that he copied “'each and every element' of Pearl Oyster Bar, including the white marble bar, the gray paint on the wainscoting, the chairs and bar stools with their wheat-straw backs, the packets of oyster crackers placed at each table setting and the dressing on the Caesar salad," amounting to a theft of Charles' intellectual property.

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to the new Landmarc in the Time Warner Center, awards the restaurant one star. “It’s three times the size of the original Landmarc in Tribeca,” he says, “whose menu and competent cooking it replicates but whose warmth it largely lacks.” He compares the food to what you’d find at a Midwestern Marriot, but says that perhaps it’s just what the overly self-conscious Time Warner Center needs.

After spending a day at Water Taxi Beach, we were looking for a proper meal for dinner. When we had entered Water Taxi Beach earlier, we had spotted the Waterfront Crab House -- after a day at the beach, a crab feast sounded like the perfect finish. And it was. Open since 1978, the Waterfront Crab House is housed in a landmark building built in 1881, and it was formerly a bustling hotel/bar. Much of the interior looks like it has been frozen in time -- some from the building's early days and some from the late 70's reincarnation -- but the decor didn't detract in the least from the pile of crustacean-y goodness we were about to attack.

Recently, there has been a lot of "bouncer activity" at venues, bars and even directed at New York bands playing shows. We just received this disturbing report involving one gay man and a Union Pool bouncer:

To celebrate their first anniversary today, decadent 12th Street carb emporium S’mac is offering portions of its floor model macaroni and cheese for just $1. The “nosh” size of the All-American (nothing fancy, just domestic cheddar) at the special anniversary price will be available until 11 PM.

We haven’t been that impressed with much of the corn in the city so far. Much has been shrink-wrapped and as yellow as a Crayola sun, a sure sign of tough, dry ears. But not any longer. Fairway has a nice batch of bi-color corn that’s slightly sweet, juicy, and at a fairly remarkable price to back it up. At $1.99 for eight ears of corn, you’ll have enough corn for any large gathering and more leftovers than you’ll ever know what to do with.

What’s worth seeing on food-related TV this week? Gothamist has got the breakdown:

Oh no! Could it be? Is the rematch between Takeru 'Tsunami' Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut in doubt? Last year at the Nathan's annual 4th of July Hot Eating Contest, Kobayashi narrowly defeated Chestnut to win the Mustard Belt for the sixth year in a row. Defending his title next week may not be possible for Kobayashi. First, his mother passed away in March, causing the Tsunami to take a sabbatical from training. Now, news comes from Kobayashi's blog (bad translation) that he's got a bout of jaw arthritis! Apparently Kobayashi can only open his mouth big enough to fit a finger and the injury happened just a week into training.

Oh no! Could it be? Is the rematch between Takeru 'Tsunami' Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut in doubt? Last year at the Nathan's annual 4th of July Hot Eating Contest, Kobayashi narrowly defeated Chestnut to win the Mustard Belt for the sixth year in a row. Defending his title next week may not be possible for Kobayashi. First, his mother passed away in March, causing the Tsunami to take a sabbatical from training. Now, news comes from Kobayashi's blog (bad translation) that he's got a bout of jaw arthritis! Apparently Kobayashi can only open his mouth big enough to fit a finger and the injury happened just a week into training.

To qualify as a Kick Ass Summer Sipper (K.A.S.S.) you need to meet three criterion. First, you must be refreshing and cold. Crisp is also good. Second, you must have layers and flavor and personality. And finally, you need to be cheap. The last one is perhaps the most important being that the objective of these wines are to be casual, quaffable and enjoyable – particularly out of a plastic cup (good plastic of course).

To qualify as a Kick Ass Summer Sipper (K.A.S.S.) you need to meet three criterion. First, you must be refreshing and cold. Crisp is also good. Second, you must have layers and flavor and personality. And finally, you need to be cheap. The last one is perhaps the most important being that the objective of these wines are to be casual, quaffable and enjoyable – particularly out of a plastic cup (good plastic of course).

• The Sunday EV Greenmarket has now picked up a fishmonger from a Hampton, not really sure where really or how long they have been there, but the stuff looked superb. Porgy filets, creamish colored sea scallops, black sea bass, and yellowfin tuna were some of the selection presented.
• Speaking of the farmers, they seem to be finding a published voice more often, hopefully they can join the celeb chef's on the podium and grab a larger share of dollars for their efforts down the road.
• Gordon Ramsey seems to be taking a bit of a beating in the press over the last few weeks. First a lawsuit, then a bit of a rake over the coals on Diners Journal, followed by a commenter comparing him unfavorably to Vince McMahon of wrestling infamy.

Pizza lovers in the city can breathe a sigh of relief as Di Fara is back, after being temporarily closed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. We couldn't detect any obvious changes to the pizzeria and Dom DeMarco was with head gear and sans gloves creating pizzas in the traditional way.

Pizza lovers in the city can breathe a sigh of relief as Di Fara is back, after being temporarily closed by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. We couldn't detect any obvious changes to the pizzeria and Dom DeMarco was with head gear and sans gloves creating pizzas in the traditional way.

Good news! Serious Eats reports that the vendors at the Red Hook ballfields will be allowed to sell their delicious food through the season, which ends October 28. (Eater explains that the Parks Department approved a waiver.) Earlier, there were concerns that the vendors would be denied permits by the Parks Department, which brought out fans ranging from soccer players to chefs. The vendors will start have to work out a formal deal with the Parks Department to operate, but here's hoping this means the vendors will be around next season.

The flurry of rumors that surrounded the Brooklyn Inn a few months ago have largely quieted. With no breaking news stories or insider tips, we decided to wander over there to see what had actually happened to one of the most cherished bars in Boerum Hill.

The flurry of rumors that surrounded the Brooklyn Inn a few months ago have largely quieted. With no breaking news stories or insider tips, we decided to wander over there to see what had actually happened to one of the most cherished bars in Boerum Hill.

Gothamist is just recovering from the food coma that followed Wednesday night's preopening party at Borough Food & Drink. By the time we got there the room was jammed with all manner of food bloggers, writers and restaurant industry insiders all gleefully sampling items from the menu of the new Chodorow-Pelaccio venture.

Gothamist is just recovering from the food coma that followed Wednesday night's preopening party at Borough Food & Drink. By the time we got there the room was jammed with all manner of food bloggers, writers and restaurant industry insiders all gleefully sampling items from the menu of the new Chodorow-Pelaccio venture.

If the rows of freshly baked bread in Big Booty Bread Co's window don't catch your eye, the drawing of a young male baker happily sticking his bum out as he holds out a steaming loaf of bread probably will. We were enticed by both.

June 21-23: NYC Food Film Festival, Part 2

June 21-23: NYC Food Film Festival, Part 2

Although after this weekend the days will begin to get shorter, there's still plenty of evening sunlight left for a picnic. Grab some wine, a blanket and some friends and get going. One of the most unique yet practical picnic items we've seen in some time is this picnic saddlebag set ($79.95), designed to fit on a bicycle luggage rack. One side contains cutlery, plates, glasses and napkins for four, salt & pepper shakers, a wooden cutting board, a cheese knife and a bottle opener. The other is insulated for food. It can also hold two thermoses in the pouches on the back of each side.

Languishing in cardboard boxes near the mushroom sections in local Fairway stores these next few weeks are Sea Beans, mysterious short stalks of a dark green vegetable, looking like something you might find washed up on the beach, but maybe a bit more edible. According to Elizabeth Schneider’s Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini, Sea Beans (aka Salicornia) grow wild in warmer months all over- in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. “Salicornia is not seaweed, as it is often described,” she writes, “nor is it a cactus, which it slightly resembles.” Eaten raw or cooked, its flavor can best be described as sea salty intense, with a sort of grassy asparagus aftertaste. When fresh, Sea Beans are crunchy like snap peas. At the tail end of their one-week refrigerator shelf life, older sea beans can be revived with a five-minute soak in ice water. In addition to their current availability at Fairway (a pricey $8.99 per ½ pound), farm-raised boxes of the vegetable show up every June at NY greenmarkets, often leaving perplexed customers headed for more conventional items like pretty garlic scapes, or local strawberries.

What do you get when you combine bacon, peanut butter and bananas? If you answered a stomachache then you may wish to stop reading this entry and go indulge in a rice cake or two. If not, then you probably know that those are the ingredients in one of Elvis Presley's favorite sandwiches.

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Insieme, awards the restaurant two stars. Says, “When Isieme is good, it’s outstanding, and any serious food lover should head here fast…” He hates the atmosphere, though, and the salmon. Insieme is the second restaurant in midtown this year where he’s been “frustrated by the way some dazzling cooking is undercut not only by unevenness across the menu or inconsistency in the kitchen but also by atmospherics that don’t pull their weight and live up to the rest of the production.”

The story: a man walks into a clam bar and orders a plate of fried clams, and the confusion begins. “Fried clams” can refer either to squiggly strips a la HoJo’s (RIP), or clam bellies. Otherwise known as Ipswich clams, bellies refer to the shucked ball-and-chain shaped whole bivalve, minus the clam’s soft shell. In its fried form, Ipswich clams are harder to find. Regardless, there are few restaurants that serve fried clams in either form; those that do include the array of boutique oyster bars in Manhattan, and Brooklyn Fish Camp. Also in Brooklyn is the passable but nonetheless iconic Randazzo’s of Sheepshead Bay. For summer, in season clams are starting to appear on special menus: this week, Country is doing an upscale take on clam shack food, serving fried Ipswich bellies with local flounder, sauce gribiche, and frisee salad. And starting July 6th, Savoy will once again offer its special fixed-price summer clambake menu ($60, with clams on the half shell). Meanwhile, up north, the blenders and kitchens at Johnny’s Famous Reef and the rest of City Island’s fish houses are about to go into deep fried overtime. Summer is your best chance to get some real fried clams.

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

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

This week's New York Mag focuses on one of the backbones of NYC culture -- the street vendor. Despite the title of the feature, "Cartography: The Complete Road Map to New York City Street Food," a vendor map is conspicuously absent. What you will find, however, is a list of the city's top 20 vendors, according to Rob & Robin, a glimpse into the daily life of a street cart vendor, and an interview with Sean Basinki, vendor defender and founder of the Urban Justice Center's Street Vendor Project and the Vendy Awards. You'll also learn from their survey of 50 street vendors that New Yorkers are better street cart customers than tourists (although we all already knew that), and get answers to all of your burning vendor questions (where do they park all those carts at night, anyway?).

Blimpies, Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins, and Starbucks. All these chains have popped up in Greenpoint along Manhattan Avenue since last year. Today, Manhattan Ave. gets an Original Soup Man (aka the Soup Nazi). Gothamist stopped in to sample the wares and went with a bowl of the lobster bisque. We didn't even have to ask for bread, as the franchises seem to give you bread and a choice of fruit for free (sorry, George Costanza). On the downside, the soup was salty and expensive at $9.95 +tax. While pricing like that might fly in midtown Manhattan, it seemed somewhat outrageous for Greenpoint.

Blimpies, Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins, and Starbucks. All these chains have popped up in Greenpoint along Manhattan Avenue since last year. Today, Manhattan Ave. gets an Original Soup Man (aka the Soup Nazi). Gothamist stopped in to sample the wares and went with a bowl of the lobster bisque. We didn't even have to ask for bread, as the franchises seem to give you bread and a choice of fruit for free (sorry, George Costanza). On the downside, the soup was salty and expensive at $9.95 +tax. While pricing like that might fly in midtown Manhattan, it seemed somewhat outrageous for Greenpoint.

Got some Hot Sake for us? Send it our way, credit will be given...or not if you prefer.

Ask any kid who grew up on Long Island, and they could easily rattle off their favorite Entenmann’s desserts. For us, no contest, the Devil’s Food Crumb Donuts are as good as it gets. We’d eat off all the chocolate, sugar-coated crumbs first, one by one, and then save the naked donut for our final conquest. It somehow felt like two desserts that way. Maybe it’s all those fond childhood memories of sugar highs mixed with a dash of indulgence, but when we heard that the Entenmann family owned a vineyard on the North Fork of Long Island, we threw on our elastic waist pants and headed east.

Restaurants have been having a relatively difficult time in NYC lately and are striking back in court. There was the trans-fat controversy that had the Board of Health ready to ban the possibly unhealthy oil from use in restaurants, if a suitably tasty replacement could be found. Then there was the rat fiasco, when scores of rats frolicking in a West Village restaurant drew onlookers and news crews, initiating a wide round of restaurant re-inspections and business closings as inspectors looked to clean up their image.

We had read about omelet soufflés but never tried one until last night, at Ouest where they serve it truffled, with mousseline sauce. And we finally understand the fascination… stunning on the plate, light as air yet intensely flavorful.

• Bruni puts in his two cents about the latest crop of contestants on Top Chef. Season three premiered earlier this week, and Frank has already highlighted some of his favorites, including CJ ("I've got a false testicle and I'm ready to cook." If only for that quote alone), Hung, and Lia.
• In a Times Op-Ed, The Zagats tout the idea of a culinary visa program to open up America's tastebuds to something beyond the lackluster Chinese cuisine to which we've become accustomed. Get ready for "tea-flavored dishes from Hangzhou, the cult-inspiring hairy crabs of Shanghai [and] the fabled honeyed ham from Yunnan."
• The Post dishes about the Spotted Pig's latest restaurant inspection, during which it receive 34 points, putting it over the 27 point pass mark.

“We don’t carry Coors Light,” said the bartender, quick as could be, as a lady patron sat shocked and surprised.

“We don’t carry Coors Light,” said the bartender, quick as could be, as a lady patron sat shocked and surprised.

After Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro recommended that the 5 Boroughs ice cream flavor "Staten Island Landfill" be boycotted, sales of the swirly mix of brownies, fudge, crunchies, and cherries in a vanilla ice cream base have been so hot, it's hard to find it anywhere.

When we entered the new barbecue joint Hill Country on its opening day last Friday, we felt like we had immediately left NYC and stepped onto the set of a western. About obtaining meat. Lots and lots of meat. Gloriously juicy meat.

This weekend is the official kickoff of the first annual NYC Food Film Festival at Water Taxi Beach. This weekend features regional american burgers and asparagus, with Hamburger America (for those of you who missed our QBQ Burger Bash last year), Asparagus! A Stalk-Umentary, and more, including your chance to taste the famed green chile cheeseburger. Drool. You can find the full schedule here.

Rego Park and Forest Hills have been home to Uzbeki immigrants for so long that many residents and outsiders now refer to the area by the collective name Rego Parkistan. By our count there are at least a half dozen kosher kebab joints between the Boulevard of Death and 108 Street. All of these spots feature flat swordlike skewers upon which have been impaled meat, fish and the occasional vegetable, as well as such "national dishes" as plov, a heartier take on pilaf. Gothamist recently visited Zhemchuzhina, one of the newer entries in this somewhat crowded field.

Rego Park and Forest Hills have been home to Uzbeki immigrants for so long that many residents and outsiders now refer to the area by the collective name Rego Parkistan. By our count there are at least a half dozen kosher kebab joints between the Boulevard of Death and 108 Street. All of these spots feature flat swordlike skewers upon which have been impaled meat, fish and the occasional vegetable, as well as such "national dishes" as plov, a heartier take on pilaf. Gothamist recently visited Zhemchuzhina, one of the newer entries in this somewhat crowded field.

Got some Hot Sake for us? Send it our way, credit will be given...or not if you prefer.

Starting at 7 PM tonight, the Housing Works Bookstore and Café will host the release party for the fourth issue of the New York-based Alimentum, a literary magazine focused exclusively on food and eating. Since issue #4 contains a special feature about bananas, free banana splits will be served after tonight’s readings from five writers: Diana Abu-Jabar, Gary Allen, Robin Hirsch, Joanne Jacobson, and Scott Seward Smith. Like much of what appears in the scholarly journal Gastronomica, the writing in Alimentum explores different kinds of food experiences, from a short story about eating a pet guinea pig in Peru, to poetry gleaned and reclaimed from recipe cards. One of tonight’s readers, Scott Seward Smith, will read from his piece in the current issue of Alimentum on a topic that’s a perennial thorn in the NYC food blogosphere- the plight of the solitary diner. An excerpt from his short story, The Art of Eating Alone:

I sat there waiting for my food and feeling quite proper in my loneliness, quite relaxed. I felt the propriety of my loneliness. It's all in the attitude: don't keep recrossing your ankles, don't bite your cuticles, don't twist your glass so much, but don't look catatonic either. Just look like you know something everyone else doesn't.

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

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

Bruni visits the recently reopened Provence (now owned and run by Cookshop & Five Points’ Marc Meyer and Vicki Freeman), awards the restaurant one star. He likes the minimal changes they’ve made to the design; the food, not so much: “Provence’s is inconsistent and dull,” he says. He does like the wine and the cheese selection though.

Staten Island is not having a good week. In addition to the outrage over the weird ad copy appearing in part of a Virgin Mobile campaign, the borough’s president has also called for an ice cream boycott. Last Friday, a perturbed James P. Molinaro wrote a letter to Scott and Kim Myles, husband and wife co-owners of the Queens-based 5 Boroughs Ice Cream company. Someone had shown Molinaro a copy of a flyer printed off the 5B website, meant to help persuade local specialty food storeowners to carry the ice cream. There are currently eight 5B flavors, all made in small batches; each is named after a NYC locale or neighborhood. For Molinaro and many Staten Islanders, the offending ice cream flavor is Staten Island Landfill- a swirly mix of brownies, fudge, crunchies, and cherries in a vanilla base. Molinaro objects to what he considers old hat outer borough typecasting; the Staten Island Advance quotes his letter to the company as saying "I am hard-pressed to think of a more insulting and derogatory attack in the name of consumerism.”

We arrived at the Japan Day festivities in Central Park last Sunday afternoon only to find that the food had run out. Nevertheless, we enjoyed an excellent jazz combo, but soon it started to rain. In order to salvage the day, and keep with the Japanese theme, Gothamist headed downtown to give Go!Go! Curry a try.

We arrived at the Japan Day festivities in Central Park last Sunday afternoon only to find that the food had run out. Nevertheless, we enjoyed an excellent jazz combo, but soon it started to rain. In order to salvage the day, and keep with the Japanese theme, Gothamist headed downtown to give Go!Go! Curry a try.

Something to complement Slice's Sunday item about Di Fara possibly reopening this week: Reader Jim sent this photograph a friend took of the beloved pizzeria - this note has been written on a pizza box!

Down at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party Sunday it sure seemed that everybody was having a grand ole' time. It seemed bigger than ever, with people spilled into every nook and cranny of the park, filed into a long row of picnic tables on Madison, and splayed out on to the sidewalk everywhere else. Our group was made of up veterans of the previous four events, had the lay of the land and knew many of the returning players. Everyone had an opinion, but when all was said and done, we enjoyed a delicious day of barbecue.

In just a couple of weeks, the Upper East Side will add another reason to venture north on the 6 train. Accademia di Vino, a multifaceted enoteca, restaurant and pizzeria is getting ready to open its doors to hungry patrons with a thirst for Italian wines.

The USDA may relax standards for organic foods, and allow 38 different spices, colorings and other nonorganic ingredients to be included in foods labeled organic, according to the LA Times. Organic food advocates are seeking to stop this action, calling it a blow to the organic movement and claiming that it caters to moneyed food producers who want the benefits of the organic label without any of the work involved.

Sen. Chuck Schumer appeared in Red Hook yesterday to support the plight of the vendors that serve the people who come to watch and play sports at the Red Hook ballfields. The vendors have been cooking up ethnic food that appeals to their mostly Hispanic clientele for several years under a series of temporary permits from the city. The Parks Dept. wants to put an official vending permit up for bidding, and the current vendors who sell relatively low-priced food to their customers are not assured of winning the contest over a business catering to newer and more well-heeled Red Hook residents.

Megan Montgomery was, apparently, the city's first personal chef for dogs (though were sure there are more than enough now). Preparing her meals in Downtown Brooklyn and using her dogs as guinea pigs, she's brought Dean & Deluca-esque dining to the doghouse.

No, it's not the ice cream truck you'll see parked in Greenwich Village this weekend -- it's the Treats Truck. Baker Kim Ima bakes a wide repertoire of tasty goodies in Red Hook, and then takes the treats to the streets with a mobile bakery truck named Sugar (yes, it has a name) that runs on compressed natural gas, making it environmentally friendly.

As we mentioned earlier this week, the vendors who set up shop at the Red Hook ballfields may be at risk for losing their permit. According to the New York Times, the vendors have operated for years under a series of temporary use permits, but now they will have to place a formal bid with the city in order to remain in the space. But the vendors are not guaranteed to win this bid, so the fans of this culinary community institution have rallied behind it.

Just north of the empty McCarren pool, is a whole slew of soaring condos clad in primary colors, that stick out from the brick neighborhood below. One of those low lying structures houses along Manhattan Avenue houses Enid's, a place that feels like it has been there for a while.

Just north of the empty McCarren pool, is a whole slew of soaring condos clad in primary colors, that stick out from the brick neighborhood below. One of those low lying structures houses along Manhattan Avenue houses Enid's, a place that feels like it has been there for a while.

Anyone who is gelato-crazy has already been to the Upper West Side to visit Grom, the latest location of the Italian gelateria that opened a month ago. Some of us have already been, but others only first visited this past Tuesday. Not because we don't love gelato as though it were our own child (a tasty, tasty child), but because we're lazy.

You may know Bob McClure as "Jed" on The Burg, but off screen he's an integral part of the family biz: McClure's Pickles. They're serious about their spicy garlic dills, which are now available in their two hometowns: Brooklyn and Detroit. We asked Bob a few questions recently about pickle flavors, what drink goes best with a dill, and more.

June 7 - June 11: Broadway Panhandler "Yard Sale"

Last week at the 92nd Street Y some people took time to hear the fantastic Mike Colameco host the legendary chef Jacques Pepin, critic Gael Greene (now of the Insatiable Critic blog), food maven Arthur Schwartz, and old-school restaurant mogul Michael Whiteman hash out whether NYC dining scene was better then ever. Pretty cut and dry, no? Schwartz and Greene mostly argued that it is not a better scene today, lamenting the arrival of the $44 lamb chop and the teardown it apparently heralded for their beloved old neighborhood joints with solid value, good food and owned by a chef who cooked.

Nothing quite says early summer in the city like herring, at least if you happen to be at Aquavit. Every year the restaurant celebrates the start of herring season, more or less at the same time as folks in Scandinavia do.

Nothing quite says early summer in the city like herring, at least if you happen to be at Aquavit. Every year the restaurant celebrates the start of herring season, more or less at the same time as folks in Scandinavia do.

In case you need a warm up for the Big Apple BBQ Block Party this weekend, newest NYC 'cue joint Hill Country NYC is scheduled to open on Friday, June 8th. The product of a collaboration between Robbie Richter, the man behind BBQ-NYC (pictured above with his brisket) and partner Marc Glosserman, Hill Country NYC aims to give diners the experience of Texas Hill Country barbecue without ever leaving Manhattan. Off the Broiler gives a mouth-watering preview. 30 West 26th Street between 6th Avenue and Broadway, 212-255-4544.