Food

Do you enjoy soda and other delicious sugary beverages? If so, you may as well raise a cup of human fat to your lips and chug, according to a new public awareness campaign by the NYC Health Dept. The print ads depict, in graphic detail, human fat mottled with blood vessels being poured from a bottle of cola; a plastic "sports" drink bottle that looks like Gatorade; and a glass bottle of iced tea resembling Snapple, New York City's "official beverage." more ›

Over the weekend it was reported that Cafe des Artistes, the serenely romantic restaurant near Lincoln Center, has closed after more than 90 years in business. The wife of owner George Lang blames the closure on the restaurant's unionized workers, who recently sued the restaurant for unpaid benefits, including medical insurance. Local 100 union president Bill Granfield tells the Times, "We think Mr. Lang is a great figure in the restaurant industry, a great person, and it’s a great restaurant. But it feels like time passed it by a while ago." more ›

Mari Vanna: The latest addition to New York's niche dining market this week comes to us all the way from Russia. Mari Vanna opened last Wednesday after a soft opening all through July, bringing authentic Russian cuisine and all the vodka you can stomach. Inspired by the mythical Mari Vanna (think Max Brenner, but with Borscht), the restaurant feels more like an immigrant kitchen, complete with tchotchke on the bookshelves and ottomans on the floor. And with the winter months approaching, Mari Vanna offers Russian classics like Blinis and Beef Stroganoff on homey yet extravagant china and linens, and gives you the opportunity to wash down that stew with over 70 types of vodka, including a couple dozen imported bottles from Russia. The emphasis, however, is on their in-house infused vodkas, with flavors like Oats & Honey and Dill & Garlic. No word yet on if those flavors are actually successful. 41 E 20th St; (212)-777-1955 more ›

In his farewell from restaurant critic duties, the New York Times' Frank Bruni offers answers to reader question questions: For instance, in answering, "What's the best sushi place? Masa is the "absolute best" but acknowledging the $400/person price is steep, he offers Sushi Yasuda where you can have "a wonderfully intimate, pampering omakase experience...for under $100 a person... Still a major treat, but much, much more manageable." Steakhouses: For "a certain corny, musky ambience," go with Sparks for its strip; for a contemporary ambience, go with Porter House New York or BLT Prime; Keens has a great mutton chop; and while Peter Luger's has an "outstanding porterhouse, but the lights are always too bright and the service usually too gruff." more ›

The long-awaited Whole Foods at Columbus and 97th Street is opening on Thursday, but yesterday it opened its doors to the neighborhood—for $15 admission, which went to the Riverside Park Fund. MyUpperWest reports, "The store itself occupies two vast floors, outpacing the Columbus Circle in terms of size and selection." And Racked, which calls it a kid-friendly location, adds, "This store won't be selling as many different prepared foods as its downtown compatriots, but what it lacks in variety it makes up in kosherness—a nod to the demographics of the neighborhood," and found that the wine shop (Whole Foods' first in the city) does indeed sell three kinds of Ed Hardy wines. But can someone tell us if the UWS liberals were up in arms about Whole Foods CEO John Mackey's "anti-health care reform" op-ed (here's his unedited version)? more ›

The "who has the best pizza in town" debate could, and likely will, go on forever. It'll be the End of Days and we'll all be sitting around, like, "Grimaldi's!" "DiFara's!" "Totonno's!" "Patsy's in East Harlem!" Anyway, there's a new blogger in town with an insatiable hunger for pizza pies, and he declares his mission is to "eat a slice of pizza at every pizzeria in New York City. I'm going by neighborhood, starting in Manhattan, getting a plain slice at every place." And just to clarify, he is not interested in your shark fin truffle oil flatbread gourmet non-pizzas, he simply wants to sample "every single plain slice in New York City to scientifically determine which is the absolute best one." This sounds amazing, but it'll be so sad when he finally finishes up with his 5-borough survey only to find his winning pizzeria has since shut down, and 150 more have popped up. This blog, like the debate, has the potential to never end... but it already has us craving a slice from Frank Pepe (yeah we said it: the best slice might just be found in New Haven). [via Slice] more ›

Sharks may attack us humans, especially during slow news summers, but does that make it okay for us to slaughter them? Many chefs don't dare serve up shark fin soup due to its controversial nature, but Animal Tourism says there are plenty of places in the city with the dish—considered a delicacy in Chinese cuisine— on their menus. more ›

Trattoria Cinque: It's all about the number five at this new 250-seat Italian restaurant, which, depending on your numerological stance, could signify the alchemist's five pointed star of quintessence or the Satanist's pentagram. We'll have to wait and see if owner Russell Bellanca's deal with the devil pays off, but it's certainly a good-looking establishment, with two fireplaces, spacious booths, and wooden tables that complement a grand Italian marble bar spanning the lounge area. Chef Mirco Grassini's rustic Italian menu includes just five dishes in each category (five small plates, five pasts, five desserts, etc.) and will change five times a year in tune with the, uh, four seasons. It's all priced under $25, and includes such options as Lasagna Bolognese ($18); Halibut al Guazzetto with roasted filet, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, olives ($24); and Pizza con Gorgonzola e Pere with pears, gorgonzola, white truffle oil ($12). 363 Greenwich Street; (212) 965-0555 more ›

Around the start of monsoon season summer, we heard from a couple Brooklyn moms who were outraged about Mr. Softee's mission to turn perfectly healthy children into sugar-addicted diabetic amputees. The ice cream truck backlash has only intensified since then, with anti-ice cream moms demanding death to Mr. Softee nationwide. In Chicago, ice cream trucks have been banned entirely from the 18th Ward, and here the group Asthma Free School Zone is urging principals to shoo the trucks away from schools. And then there's Vicki Sell, mother of 3-year-old Katherine and co-owner of the fish and chips mini-chain Chipshop, which doesn't exactly offer the healthiest cuisine in the world. She tells the Times, "I fall into the camp of parents who are irate...I want Katherine to have the full childhood experience and all. But it’s really predatory for them — two of them — to be right inside the playground like this." The "two of them" are the unlicensed pushcart frozen ice vendors who stalk the playground to seduce precious Katherine over to the sweet side. So now Sell calls 311 to defend her child from the peddlers. But still they come, and they've been driving Katherine to an "inconsolable meltdown." more ›

Today Frank Bruni ends his five year gig at the Times with a review of the Redhead, an East Village bar that gradually evolved into a casual restaurant with, some say, the best fried chicken in town. Quoth the Bruni: "It isn’t exactly like any other downtown restaurant I know—its semi-polished, Southern-inflected pub grub is all its own—but it sharply reflects a few of the most prominent and rewarding developments in Manhattan dining over the years during which I’ve had the privilege of serving as The Times’s restaurant critic. more ›

Yesterday we got a press release announcing the imminent arrival of TGI Friday's in Union Square and thought, ho-hum, so it goes. Others were less complacent, and have vowed to thwart the militantly upbeat chain's plan to push Jalapeño Poppers by the historic old potter's field. These dissidents are fighting by any means necessary, including Twitter. The group Save Union Square says "follow us and help send a loud and clear message to The Riese Organization that we don't want their TGI Friday's. SAVE THE SQUARE!" Because if a corporate chain opens across the street from Union Square, it will be ruined—just like it is every morning when Babies R Us, Staples, Starbucks, Petco, DSW, Best Buy and Barnes & Noble fling open their doors. But if the Twitter account proves unable stop this suburban abomination, the Friday's will open in the space formerly occupied by Zen Palate, at a time of their choosing. And just to piss off everyone even more, the Riese Organization will also include a Tim Hortons in the same building, so opponents can wash down their rage with some weak Canadian coffee. But hey, at least TGI Friday got its start in NYC. more ›

After investigating reports from missionaries about a giant plant that subsists on whole rats, British botanists have announced the discovery of a species of rodent-eating plant on Mount Victoria in the Philippines. The giant pitcher plant, which is believed to be the world's largest meat-eating shrub, seduces rodents into its slipper-shaped mouth and dissolves them with acid-like enzymes. It can grow a stem more than 4ft long and has been named "Nepenthes attenboroughii" after wildlife broadcaster Sir David Attenborough. Stewart McPherson and former Cambridge University botanist Alastair Robinson made their discovery during an expedition in 2007, but have only just described the killer shrub after completing a study of all 120 species of pitcher plant. Below, some video of the rat-hungry attenborough at mealtime: more ›

A Virginia farmer is making a special delivery to NYC this month: 420 pounds of Ancient White Park steer, an extremely rare breed considered so delicious that for centuries only British nobility ate it. According to the Post, a mere 612 registered Ancient White Park cows reside in America, with another 1,000 worldwide. Intrigued by the pedigree, farmer Alec Bradford bought a herd of Ancient White Park five years ago, but he admits, "I didn't even realize the beef tasted so good until I slaughtered the first steer." Bradford's NYC friend, Graham Johnson, announced the sale on his Facebook page on July 30th, and the whole steer sold out in two days! But fear not—Bradford will bring two more dead steers to town in September and October. For according to his reasoning, "The only way to save it from extinction is to eat it." Before any animal rights agitators get their feathers ruffled, let's just remember the carnivorous wisdom of Troy McClure: "Don't kid yourself Jimmy, if a cow ever got the chance he'd eat you and everyone you care about." more ›

The NYC Health Department reports "widespread compliance" when it comes to chain restaurants displaying calorie info, as required by a 14-month-old law. But at least one eatery isn't about to be bullied into telling diners how fat the Corned Beef sandwich is making them: The Hillstone Restaurant Group, which operates 30 restaurants across the country, is going to court to defend its right to calorie privacy. The LA-based group, which owns Houston's, has two locations in Manhattan—they were formerly called Houston's until the company changed the name to Hillstone to evade the calorie disclosure law. Oddly, the chain hasn't bothered removing the signs outside that still identify them as Houston's locations. V.P. Glenn Viers tells Crain's the whole "chain" label is insulting and doesn't apply to the classy Houston's Hillstone: "We don’t operate like any other chain, and that’s intentional." The restaurant plans to defend itself in court next month, which will be the first challenge of its kind to the law. The DOH has issued violations to 336 of the 2,691 establishments that fall under the regulation, but most were issued soon after the law went into effect and involved minor technical issues. more ›

Angry Tribeca residents gathered at a Community Board 1 meeting Wednesday to confront the owner of Sazon, a newish bi-level Latin Caribbean restaurant and lounge. The basement salsa parties have become quite popular, and that's upsetting some neighbors like Barbara Spitzer, who decried the "party atmosphere... Reade Street feels like I’m living on Seventh Avenue." Another resident complained, "People are coming here to have fun. Fun is good, but it’s not very good on a residential street." Then owner Genero Morales detected a whiff of racism against his largely Puerto Rican clientele, and that insinuation infuriated Spitzer: "You really shouldn’t go there. It’s really inappropriate, and it’s quite offensive." The protests come at a bad time for Sazon, which is still waiting for liquor license approval from the SLA and has been selling booze under temporary licenses. Tribeca Committee chairman Peter Braus agreed with the neighbors, and told Morales, "There’s a discrepancy, clearly, between how you represented yourself [in January] and how the community perceives you." Morales is taking steps to quiet down, but downtown community boards won't really be satisfied until all bars are relocated to a designated "fun barge" somewhere off the southeast tip of Staten Island. more ›

The recent eviction of Pasang Sherpa—the hot dog vendor who was booted from outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art after refusing to pay the full $643,000 a year rent to the Parks Department—got us thinking: Why didn't we major in hot dog vending? The previous permit holder outside the museum paid $415,000 annually and didn't go under, so one imagines there's a tidy profit to be made there or other tourist magnets around town. But street vendor advocacy groups tell Slate that selling dogs isn't as glamorous as it might seem, and most food vendors make just $14,000 to $16,000 a year after they've paid for permits (and, inevitably, a few tickets). Vendors on city streets (not the ones at or near park areas) pay $200 a year for the permit, but the city caps the number of permits at 3,100, creating an extensive black market. Some unscrupulous companies buy up permits for dozens of carts and then lease them to individual vendors at highly inflated prices. And now there are these fancy new food trucks horning in! Kenny Lao, an owner of the Rickshaw Dumpling Truck, says his life was threatened by other vendors he opened flast year, telling the Times, "The old vendors are edgy." more ›

Adam Kuban at Slice took this cute photo yesterday of pizza artisan Dom DeMarco plying his trade at legendary Midwood pizza destination Di Fara. We're sharing it as a reminder that, to paraphrase Zooey Glass, there are still nice things in this world of death panels and Espadas. The only way this little scene could be improved upon is if the portrait, by artist Andy M. Sachs, featured a little infinity mirror effect by including the same portrait hanging on the wall in the painting. Woah. Oh, and if we had some hot five dollar slices right now. more ›

A heaping plate of bacon washed down with a frosty mug of beer is the perfect start to any day, but why can't scientists unite those two divine tastes into a single swallow? True, there is a German beer called Rauchbier, which means "smoked beer" and reportedly tastes like bacon, but it's not literally made with cured pig flesh. But at long last, Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver has heard the call of drunken gluttons and is developing a beer made with a special malt smoked in the same room with bacon made by "the legendary" Allan Benton. Oliver tells the Times, "It’s almost terrifying how much the malt smells like bacon." His ingenious plan involves infusing a brown ale with the flavor of Benton’s bacon fat through a technique known as "fat washing." The bacon-fat-infused ale is aged in bourbon barrels, and one historic day (t.b.d.) he will blend it with the bacon-smoked malt. And Oliver promises this to a world hushed with anticipation: "Either this will be the most amazingly disgusting thing you’ve ever tasted in your life. Or I shall rule the earth." more ›

In his penultimate review before abdicating his NY Times throne, Frank Bruni bestows four stars on Danny Meyer's Eleven Madison Park, just one week after giving Meyer's Union Square Cafe a tough-love demotion. A four star ranking from the Times is still a big deal, at least from the Times's point of view: only five other restaurants in NYC currently hold that status. more ›

This month marks La Superior's first full year in business, after opening up in Williamsburg much to the delight of taco-loving locals. Their authentic Mexican street and market fare has tantalized the tastebuds of everyone who has stopped by the taqueria (the first real one in Williamsburg, for those keeping track). This year they've got a new mural up, and hopefully by next year they'll have their outdoor seating available. more ›

Bia Garden: The latest addition to Michael "Bao" Huynh's empire is this Vietnamese beer garden, tucked away out of sight behind a nondescript take-out joint on the Lower East Side. After passing through what looks like a walk-in refrigerator, you'll find yourself in a 50-seat garden oasis, complimented by 10 seats of indoor dining. Huynh, the man behind BarBao, Pho Sure, and Baoguette, has put together a beverage list consisting of only Asian beers by the can or bottle, served in coolers and left for each table. A circulating pushcart dispenses $5 bites, and the Vietnamese street-food menu is divided into Small Dishes, Medium Dishes, Big Dishes and Side Dishes. These include Duck Nem Sausage with pine nut and anchovy sauce; BBQ Rib on Lamb Belly; and Crispy Whole Sole, which is prepared with king mushroom, lily bulb, and ginger sauces, and served wrapped in newspaper. (Though Bia Garden was expected to open this week, we're now told that next week is more likely.) 154 Orchard Street, (212) 780-0010 more ›

Once upon a time we found ourselves in unfamiliar territory: a sports bar. The lure of Eddie Vedder's voice singing his part in Temple of the Dog's "Hunger Strike," and the promise of an outdoor patio, were all the sirens we needed. Once inside Mulholland's we were pleasantly surprised to find the friendliest staff this side of the Williamsburg Bridge, and on top of that: reasonably priced drinks (and food served til late in the night). All that said, we highly recommend checking it out yourself, even the skinny-jeaned amongst you... just so long as you aren't an idiot (per their Law). more ›

The fiesta's not forever at Kensington Mexican restaurant El Gavilan, which has been driving neighbors up the wall ever since owners expanded it into a nightclub earlier this summer. Now there's dancing, music and sometimes fisticuffs! Derek Mayer, a resident who lives across the street, tells the Daily News he's been awoken at 3 a.m. with "20 drunk people congregating outside in the street." And in May he saw a knife-wielding man trying to slash a bouncer armed with a baseball bat. After some pressure from Councilman Bill de Blasio, the NYPD raided the place at the end of July, citing the owner for selling alcohol after hours, unlicensed sale of alcohol, operating an unlicensed dance hall, employing an unlicensed security guard and serving alcohol to minors. But the owner's brother insists El Gavilan is "not a discoteca. The people come, they listen to music from the machine. There's no live music." Live or not, the music's too damn loud, counters Albermarle Neighborhood Association President Larry Jayson. And don't even get him started on all the horn honking! more ›

It's conventional wisdom that the most important ingredient in New York bagels is NYC tap water. So today a south Florida company, The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co., has started selling bagels that owner Steve Fassberg claims taste just like our bagels—because they're made with "Brooklyn water." The effect isn't achieved by a tap water pipeline from Brooklyn, but by an elaborate water filtration system, enclosed behind a glass wall in the restaurant. Fassberg, a Flatbush native, tells the Sun Sentinel, "We have scientific proof to back up every state of the process." And the man behind the water system, Alfie Lipshultz, declares, "By the time it gets past our systems, it's Brooklyn water. We make it ultra pure to begin with and then we reinsert those nuances that make it Brooklyn water." He declined to elaborate on just what those nuances are, but we detect strong notes of B.S. and chutzpah. Back in 2006, the owner of Terrace Bagels hauled 150 gallons of filtered New Jersey water to Brooklyn, made a batch of bagels, and declared, "The bagels came out just as good. In towns in New Jersey you can’t find a decent bagel. I don’t know if that’s the water or the people that make them." more ›

While you were schlepping home via mass transit yesterday, a matzo ball received a police escort from Teaneck, N.J. to the Lower East Side. Some say it was the biggest matzo ball on earth, and this video documents its vastness with a matter-of-fact style usually reserved for footage of beached whales: more ›

Gang violence is an ongoing problem on the South Side of Williamsburg, so it's understandable that some local residents are up in arms about plans to open a fancy new wine bar in the neighborhood. Wait, what? On Tuesday a Community Board committee voted against approving a liquor license for Custom American Wine Bar at Driggs and Metropolitan Avenue. It seems Tempranillo and Trinitarios don't mix, as one neighbor explained at the meeting: "We are trying to prevent gang activity in the neighborhood. Opening this restaurant with beer and liquor, with teenagers already going crazy here, it’s going to be an even bigger issue." Another beef is that the owners want to serve wine until 2 a.m.! Do people even stay up that late? It looks like Brooklyn's Community Board 1 is now taking a cue from the stridently anti-night life Community Boards in downtown Manhattan. But it was bound to happen eventually, once enough hipsters transformed into yupsters with sleeping babies. As local Dennis Thompkins told the committee, "The neighborhood is nearly saturated with bars. The area is becoming unlivable. What we need are businesses that serve our community." Because there's no reason anyone should have to schlep to Manhattan just to buy a new bugaboo. [Brooklyn Paper via Eater] more ›

The lease held by Nathan's Famous at Stillwell and Surf avenues on Coney Island doesn't run out for 18 years, and CEO Eric Gatoff insists, "We expect to be in that building forever." But some Coney Island lovers are still freaking out over Mayor Bloomberg's rezoning plan, which was recently approved by the City Council. They worry it leaves the hot dog icon vulnerable, because there's nothing in the plan to stop a developer from buying the property (owned by the Handwerker family, which founded the original Nathan's) and building a nice 20-story hotel tower. An application for landmark status was submitted by Coney Island USA to The Landmarks Preservation Commission years ago, but no verdict has yet been issued. Now over 130 people have signed an online petition in the past few days demanding landmarking, and Coney Island USA founder Dick Zigun tells the Daily News, "To not have Nathan's would be insane... You don't want the new Coney Island to be indistinguishable from a suburbanized, homogenized, standardized amusement park off the New Jersey Turnpike." Speak for yourself, Zigun—the Great American Scream Machine at Six Flags makes the Cyclone seem like a kiddie Teacup ride. more ›

Hobbled by a corruption investigation, the State Liquor Authority is taking longer than ever to issue liquor licenses, and restaurateurs and bar owners are paying a heavy price. It used to be common practice for diners to bring their own wine or beer while restaurateurs waited for the bureaucracy to finish its business, but in March the SLA warned license applicants they could be rejected if caught letting customers imbibe. Warren Pesetsky, a lawyer who represents many applicants and was the SLA's general counsel from 1976 to 1981, tells the Times, "They are taking longer than they ever have to approve new applications. When things were working at their best several years ago, it took three months." Employees at the SLA's Harlem office are under investigation by the state Inspector General for possibly taking bribes to expedite license applications. No one has been charged yet, but a lawyer for the state restaurant association thinks the investigation has a chilling effect on the 9 license examiners in Harlem: "Everyone there is afraid if they cough, they might get investigated." Meanwhile, new restaurants are having a hard time hanging on until the license is approved, which now takes over seven months in some cases. more ›

Confirming rumors that the new New York Times restaurant critic—and Frank Bruni's replacement—will be a longtime Times writer promoted from within, the newspaper has just announced that food and culture writer Sam Sifton will take over the job starting in October. Executive editor Bill Keller sent a memo to staff members announcing the change of guard, writing, "We narrowed the list, and then narrowed it some more. We had some really impressive candidates, writers who know their food and have interesting things to say about the way we eat. Then we threw out the list and drafted Sam Sifton." Restaurants, fire up the Google Image cache now: Sifton, who lives in Red Hook, was most recently Culture Editor at the Times, but is also known for his writing about cooking at home as well as finding unusual food stories in the outer boroughs. He has also served as Deputy Food Editor for the newspaper. For the Magazine section, Sifton was last seen making meatloaf for Nora Ephron. more ›

This week the Times revisits Danny Meyer's groundbreaking restaurant, Union Square Cafe. Critic William Grimes gave it three stars in 1999, and now Frank Bruni, on his way out the door, takes one of those stars away. But it's only because he cares: "I can’t think of another New York restaurant that enjoys such acclaim, basks in such adoration and yet exhibits such humility... The courtesies explain something else, too: the blind eye many Union Square regulars seem to turn to its slippage; their silence about its drift. In my occasional trips to Union Square over recent years and in a more concentrated series of visits over recent months, I never had an experience whose caliber was consonant with the restaurant’s enduringly lofty reputation. I had a few flatly mediocre meals." The Times also has a glowing review for Bed-Stuy trattoria Saraghina. more ›

Luckydog: This isn't a restaurant—it's better: A bar with a nice backyard where you can bring your own food. Co-owned by Bill Mack, the guy behind East Village Tavern, this Bedford Avenue pub conjoins a retro-dive bar heart with a beer-nerd head. The location was previously Lenora's Way, which specialized in craft beers but had a fussy vibe that never caught on. Mack says his aim is for Luckydog to be "a neighborhood bar that happens to have good beer." (Liquor is forthcoming.) Of the 20 beers on tap, the menu spans the spectrum from lesser-known beers like Troegs to 24 oz pours ($4) of Genny Cream Ale, which Mack describes as "the beer we used to steal from our fathers." The interior design evokes a dusty old Brooklyn ale house with plenty of reclaimed wood, including tenement doors skirting the bar with doorknobs still in place, and church pews from a 1920s summer camp in Otisville. The backyard stays open to at least 11 p.m., depending on the noise level, but inside a 1975 shuffleboard table should see action late into the night. 303 Bedford Avenue (between South 2nd and South 1st), Williamsburg more ›

Workers at the DUMBO grocery store Foragers spent about a week installing what was supposed to be a vastly improved salad bar at the Front Street location. It finally debuted last Friday, but it looks like they've decided not to install the customary plastic shield that protects consumers from strangers' unhygienic snot spray. The city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene directed our questions to the state's Department of Agriculture and Markets, so here's Section 271-8.2 about salad bars from the state's regulations for retail food stores:

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