Food

Four years ago, Tribeca inventor Matt Keiser created the world's first caffeinated beef jerky after spilling a can of Red Bull on the meaty snack. The flavor combination sent him spinning like some carnivorous Albert Hofmann, and starting tomorrow he'll be selling his caffeinated meat snack, called Perky Jerky, in Sports Authority. Because Americans simply don't consume enough caffeine and processed meat! Today Keiser told the Daily News the combination is "like vodka and orange juice, or peanut butter and chocolate." But the reaction from one random taste tester was revolting: "Ewww. It is disgusting. I like beef jerky. I like caffeine. But it is not a good combination." According to Perky Jerky's Twitter, the product's original name was "Jerk n Go," which doesn't sound like a good combination, either. What, was "Meat n Tweak" taken? more ›

On Fox last night, mustachioed laissez-faire fanatic John Stossel applied his "common sense" fearmongering shtick to the concept of "Food Police." You see, it's not just the local government here in NYC that is trying to influence what people eat (and smoke, and drink!)—this is going on in cities across America. Here in New York, some restaurants are required to display calorie info, and there's a ban on trans fat. Salt and soda are in the crosshairs too! In South LA, they've banned any new fast food restaurant from opening. Well, Stossel is here to defend people from the food cops; in this clip he starts with LA and finishes by busting Bloomberg for using salt and eating trans fat. more ›

We thought Sen. Chuck Schumer was being silly when he suggested "tapping into" NY's maple trees in answer to a global syrup shortage, but it turns out he was onto something big. This week The Local took us on a tour Brooklyn maple trees—turns out they're positively gushing with the stuff. So grab your hammer, drill bit, plastic tubing and bucket—it's time to tap this shit! more ›

In the near future, we will all drive our own food trucks. Restaurant Week is upon us, and now the Restaurant Week Truck has finally made its debut in Manhattan. Starting on Monday, the truck has been setting up on Broadway and 51st, and will be parked at three different corners over the next two weeks (track it on Twitter!). They'll be selling soups from 24 different eateries, including Chez Josephine, Kittichai and Blue Water Grill. All soups are priced at $6, and $1 from every soup sold will be donated to the Haiti Relief Fund at the Mayor's Fund to Advance NYC. more ›

Around midnight last night Ray Alvarez, owner of beloved East Village hole-in-the-wall Ray's Candy Store [MySpace], celebrated his 77th birthday with a cake, a clown, a stripper, and a spanking. (Photo #4 mildly NSFW) Bob Arihood took some stellar photos and reports, "These are very trying times for Ray and this party afforded a brief respite from his struggle and noticeably lifted his spirits." Slum Goddess writes that before blowing out the candles, Alvarez wished for his business to stay open until his 80th birthday. Many in the neighborhood view Ray's as one of the last relics of a funkier Alphabet City (it opened in 1974) and hope it survives longer than that. more ›

The latest Times trend piece looks at a new combination of exercise and indulgence that is taking the city by storm: foodie yoga. Yes, combining the ancient and often holy practice of yoga with bacon and wine has become extremely popular. One yoga teacher, Sadie Nardini, claims it is a backlash against the "yogier than thou" mentality that purists hold, but is eating while doing yoga pushing the "anything goes" idea a little too far? more ›

Like Jay Cheshes and Steve Cuozzo before him, NY Times critic Sam Sifton has panned haughty uptown restaurant Le Caprice, which is the first U.S. outpost of the equally exclusive Le Caprice in London. "Those taking advantage of online booking systems will discover that the restaurant generally allows customers tables only before 6 p.m. or after 10 p.m," writes Sifton in his first zero star review. "Telephone calls, meanwhile, can lead to holding patterns that rival those of the cable company. A walk-in diner may be told, despite the sparse crowd in attendance, that there is an hour’s wait for a table, and that seats at the bar are 'for reservations only.'" Which is too bad, because it's a pretty mod bar. more ›

Target announced in a press release today that they have eliminated all farm-raised salmon from their owned brands, replacing it with wild-caught Alaskan salmon instead. All house brands have changed over, and Target sushi will be changed over to wild salmon by the end of 2010. Target says they're "taking this important step to ensure that its salmon offerings are sourced in a sustainable way that helps to preserve abundance, species health and doesn't harm local habitats." Yes, people BUY SUSHI FROM TARGET, which better live up to its promise: In 2005 the Times tested the "wild salmon" at eight area stores, and found that six out of eight were actually farm raised! more ›

Starting today, the "Fatty Crew" is hiding prizes in a few of their house-made Fatty Chocolate Bars, sold at all three of Pelaccio's restaurants. According to the restaurants' publicist, a small number of the bars will contain special tickets in the wrapping redeemable for items like free cocktails, free Fatty T-Shirts, and free appetizers. The golden ticket will entitle the lucky winner (and a guest) to attend one of a handful of "exclusive" Fatty ‘Cue preview parties, and "meet NYC’s own Willy Wonka of Asian cuisine, Zak Pelaccio." Which can only mean one thing: Pelaccio is preparing to disappear into retirement and wants someone to take over his fatty empire. Don't fall into the bubbling pig fat river! more ›

Perhaps to help customers numb the pain and humiliation of dining in a Times Square Burger King, the fast food chain has announced that beer will (probably) be sold at the crossroads of the world. His Royal Highness is rolling out the precious mead starting next month in Miami Beach, at a "concept" called a Whopper Bar. To start with, suds on the menu will be limited to Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors beer products. "You can have America's favorite beers with America's favorite burger," promises Burger King's North American president Chuck Fallon, with a straight face. more ›

After three long weeks of desperation and despair, food enthusiasts who subscribe to Cablevision can finally watch their favorite Food Network programs again, like Worst Cooks in America, Mexican Made Easy, and Watching Bread Toast. (Okay, we made one of those up.) Earlier this month, Scripps Networks yanked FoodTV and HGTV off Cablevision because it wanted more money; Cablevision execs claimed that Scripps was demanding a 200 percent fee increase, which would drive up customer rates. Yesterday they reached an agreement, though the financial terms were not announced. But that's not important—all that matters is that 3.1 million Cablevision subscribers got their Rachael Ray back, without a single hostage executed. more ›

Not long ago we had time to kill before a Broadway show and stopped by our beloved theater district refuge, the cozy warren of a bar at Frankie & Johnnie's, which started out as a speakeasy back in 1926. But instead of finding asylum in the steakhouse's semi-secretive bar (accessed through the kitchen) we were dismayed to discover it reconfigured as a terribly-lit spot above the staircase, by the dishwasher, with sports on big TV screens! Ugh. The bartender (who was not the elderly, sagacious gentleman we'd come to expect) received a full white wine about it, and apologetically explained that because of structural problems, the bar had to be moved (and made soulless!) during renovations. Truly a terrible turn of events, but at least it's not all bad news. more ›

This week's openings include more tapas from Ñ, the first in a four part Cuban series with Carteles, Tom Colicchio's latest Colicchio & Sons, boardwalk goodness from Led Zeppole, No Plates in Williamsburg, RBC coffee in Tribeca, and some "smoked meat" all the way from Montreal, courtesy of Mile End.
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Heads up, delivery men and women: It's not enough anymore to just dash up the stairs to our apartments (being careful not to get mugged or killed on the way) and deliver our food in a timely manner. These days, people expect a little more show biz, a little more razzle dazzle. (In the musical theater world, it's called "eyes, tits and teeth.") Well, whatever you call it, this kid's got it. China Fun singing deliveryman Yang Yu Bao may be serenading Upper West Siders now, but it's only a matter of time before he's delivering dinner to the biggest theaters on Broadway. more ›

Note to all uber-progressive Brooklyn breeders and fans of edible education: Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard program will be opening its first outpost in the Gravesend neighborhood next year, so you better sign up today! Supporters will begin tearing down the asphalt parking lot behind P.S. 216 this summer, according to The Observer, in order to erect the first east coast affiliate of the Chez Panisse restaurateurs program, which enables public school children to explore the connection between what they eat and where it comes from through organic gardening and cooking classes. more ›

Brooklyn's first ever Arby's is thisclose to opening. The fast food chain has taken over the landmark Gage and Tollner building on Fulton Street — where a classy eatery once operated, even serving starlets like Mae West. But those days are over, and the roast beef peddler will be filling bellies in the borough starting tomorrow. Lost City got a sneak peek; check out more photos here. The historic gas light fixtures have been kept intact, so this isn't a complete sacrilege. more ›

This is not the first time the comforting taste sensation of Mac & Cheese has sexed up the flavor profile of the ubiquitous hamburger—Rachael Ray has a recipe on her site, for starters—but this is still vital information. Earlier this week, Burger Shoppe down on Wall Street began serving this bad boy. And it's not just some slapdash burger with mac piled awkwardly on top like a humiliating (edible) toupee! No, the call is coming from inside the building: the burger has a heart and soul of Mac n' Cheese, cooked from within. Sure, this is why you're fat, but this is also why you have something to look forward to in this world of frustration and edamame. more ›

Great, first that place The Smith came along and knocked Pizzeria Uno out of the East Village, then the one on Sixth Ave and 8th Street closed last week. Now the whole goddamn plane has crashed into the mountain: Uno Restaurant Holdings Corp. is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Last week Uno closed 16 "under-performing" restaurants, but the company's marketing guy swears the bankruptcy filing is a good thing, because its restructuring will eliminate a "burdensome" debt load. You know what else is burdensome? Food snobs' condescending attitude toward Uno's mouth-watering deep dish delicacies. Just because it's a sinister corporate chain doesn't mean it can't be deliciously evil. Go show your support at one of their remaining NYC locations today! more ›

With items like pigs feet and brains showing up on the menu at an increasing number of high-end eateries, offal has turned from butchers block reject to a trendy delicacy. The New York Observer writes that in this world of celebrity chefs, well crafted "offal is the perfect medium for showing off." The dishes are appealing to young and old alike, as most new foodies will dare themselves to try anything, and most older patrons remember when sweetbreads were homecooked dinners. So is this trend part of the ongoing de-vegetarianizing of New York? Or are our brain-favoring palates just further evidence of the coming zombie apocalypse? Until someone sends some fresh brains over to our office, we're withholding judgment! more ›

Pork "is at the heart of the menu" in the Gramercy Park Hotel's new Maialino, says Sam Sifton, in a two-star review. Danny Meyer's new trattoria "looks like a Pottery Barn. But the bar is custom work: elegant and spare. It’s as pleasant a place for a breakfast coffee or lunch salad as for an evening glass of Frascati." Maialino serves classics from spaghetti alla carbonara to stracciatella, but the showpieces are the pork-inspired dishes. "Loin, belly, ribs and shoulder, these become the restaurant’s centerpiece meal, maialino al forno, which appears only to be listed as a special to avoid having a $72 entree on a menu that otherwise tops out at $32....pork at its best." more ›

With Jets-AFC Championship Game fever spreading, it was only a matter of time before the media would settle in to examine coach Rex Ryan's diet. Yesterday, the Post reported that the inspirational, sometimes emotional rookie coach eats 7,000 calories a day to keep his 350-pound figure: "The coach celebrated Sunday's triumph over the San Diego Chargers by scarfing down a cheesesteak and a beer on the charter flight back home. He was then offered a choice of barbecue chicken, flank steak or a Cobb salad." Of course—a barbecue chaser is required after unlikely victories! more ›

It was not Nathan Handwerker—a Jewish immigrant from Poland who went on to start Nathan's Famous—who brought the hot dog to Coney Island, but rather Charles Feltman (1841-1910), a German butcher who's credited with the idea of selling pork sausages on a warm bun, sometime around 1867. Feltman reportedly sold 3,684 sausages on a roll during his first year in business, pushing around a wagon to hungry beachgoers. The popular item ultimately sold for ten cents a pop and enabled Feltman to build a mini-empire with a hotel, beer gardens, restaurants, food stands, and amusements. All hot dog money. And Nathan Handwerker? He slept on the floor of Feltman's kitchen, which is all that remains of Feltman's legacy, and it's going to be demolished. more ›

Fox 5 News is the latest media outlet to catch on to the plight of Ray's Candy Store, an Alphabet City hole-in-the-wall still selling classic New York concoctions (and where this blogger got her first egg cream for $1.50 in 1999). Ray is in danger of being booted from his space due to rising rents and the expensive repairs needed, but the neighborhood is rallying to help. more ›

A group of Queens residents is bringing its version of the Park Slope co-op to the "food desert" of Long Island City. Fifteen foodies are currently in the planning stages for the grocery cooperative, which they hope to have up and running by 2011. "People are very interested in food in this borough," said Leah McLaughlin, publisher and editor of the food magazine Edible Queens. Like its Brooklyn inspiration, the Queens Harvest Food Co-op will be staffed exclusively by members and funded by member contributions, as well as grants. "We hope the food co-op will increase access to affordable, fresh, healthy foods," organizer Maggie Ornstein told the NY Daily News. "The hope is to have what you'd find in your supermarket. The main difference is as a [co-op] member, you have decision-making ability." more ›

The NY Times is the latest media outlet to chime in on the dire fate looming over Ray’s Candy Store, the 24-hour burger/fries/shake hole-in-the-wall that's been in operation on Avenue A since 1974. Though there's not much new here for those who have been following the sad plight of 76-year-old owner Ray Alvarez—in 2000, the building's owner raised Ray's rent from $800 a month to $3,500, and is now threatening to evict him because he's two months behind—there are some sad quotes. "If they terminate this store, my life will be terminated, too," Alvarez tells the Times. "I like to be around people, and if I can’t be here it’s going to be sad, depressing." And one longtime regular who routinely holds court at Ray's observes that the store is one of the last remaining relics of Alphabet City's gritty past: "When there was nothing else around, Ray was around." more ›

The Fairway in Red Hook has some new customers: birds! Lost City spotted the feathery friends after hearing them chirping on a recent trip. Upon telling the clerk that there were at least two birds perched in the organic food section, he was met with a blank stare — but he managed to grab some photos. Do you think they invade the bread section at night? Oh well, better than rats. more ›

The war on Park Slope bar babies continues! The NY Times published a rant from 20-something year old Risa Chubinsky, who lives in the neighborhood and says she refuses to share her bar space with infants. She opines, "No matter what breeders might think, bars are not family-friendly. If I am out drinking and sobbing about a bad breakup, I don’t want my cries to compete with those of an infant sitting next to me. If I go to the bathroom to correct my wayward mascara at the end of a long weekend night, I don’t want to watch a baby being wiped down on the soggy sink counter." more ›

What's your favorite bar bathroom in town? The website Asylum.com recently performed a vital service by profiling some of their favorite men's rooms, with an emphasis on classic urinals, like the grand 140-year-old marble jobs at Foley's Irish pub, where restaurant staffers often give tours of the bathroom. But what really caught our eye is the high-tech new urinal at City Winery, which features a motion-activated water wall framing a 50-inch plasma screen at waist level. more ›

After suspicious pasta salad (allegedly) took out fifteen New York Times employees who ate it in the paper's cafeteria, The Daily Finance had the bright idea to peruse the health inspection records of the Gray Lady's fancy office eatery. While the cafeteria's most recent inspection resulted in 10 violation points (lower than the city-wide average of 14 points), it's a horse of a different putrid color over at their printing plant in Queens. In February of last year it was cited for "evidence of roaches or live roaches in food and/or non-food areas," "conditions conducive to vermin" and improperly installed or maintained plumbing, earning it 18 violation points. That's not enough to shut it down, but apparently the Times thinks that's good enough for their blue collar workers. more ›

He came for our cigarettes, he came for our sugar, but Bloomberg's new National Salt Reduction Initiative has got New Yorkers pissed. During NY1's "Political Rundown" last night, Guardian Angel Curtis Sliwa and co-host Gerson Borrero locked horns over the issue, which resulted in Sliwa pouring Morton's down his throat and declaring "You're gonna have to pry this salt out of my cold, dead hand." He keeps it in his mouth for at least a minute before most likely spitting it out, but either way, he's still alive. Watch the full video here. The salt clip starts around 9:10, complete with "nazi" accusations and Sliwa confusing Borrero for a Mexican. more ›

New this week, check out some inventive contemporary American at Recette, fresh Lebanese cuisine at Balade, Choptank's salute to Mid-Atlantic seafood (involving lots of Old Bay), and Beppe's new brunch. more ›

A lawsuit was filed yesterday claiming that restaurateur and hotelier Eric Goode's B Bar and Grill on 4th Street violates federal and state labor laws. Behind the suit are four current and former employees — who work(ed) as cooks, dishwashers and bussers. Their lawyers hope to have it certified as a class action which will help the employees recover wages they were cheated out of. One of their attorneys says, "We hope that this lawsuit will convince Mr. Goode's hospitality enterprise and B Bar and Grill to change their policies and practices. Like all other workers, restaurant workers deserve to be paid all of the wages they are due, including overtime at time and a half, and not just at the straight-time rate." more ›

A recent study showed that greedy Starbucks eaters shaped up when faced with the calories they were consuming—but during the holidays, all bets were off. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas New Yorkers ate largely and indiscriminately at Starbucks, according to the very same study, the Times reports. Turns out, holiday gluttony is an annual event as predictable as the tree at Rockefeller Center and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But what drives self-destructive Christmas binge eating? more ›

The bitters crisis we heard about last week that threatened to wreak havoc and chaos throughout the cocktail world is doing just that. Anecdotal evidence—the best kind—suggests that NYC bartenders are hoarding bottles of Angostura bitters, one of the key ingredients to make a Manhattan, after a production shortfall hit late last year. One skeptical cocktail enthusiast and blogger went on a haphazard journey between Brooklyn and Manhattan grocery stores futilely searching for a bottle of the stuff. And wholesome barkeep Tracy Westmoreland, owner of the defunct Siberia Bar and The Manhattans in Brooklyn, told the Post how serious this shortage is: "I believe it is the end of civilization as we know it if we can't have bitters. It's like when the saber-tooth tiger went extinct. It's a terrible thing...There is no replacement. Trying to replace bitters is like trying to replace mother's milk." more ›

A classic kosher luncheonette may have closed last month, but in grocery stores, kosher is all the rage. According to a Cornell University research project, 40 percent of the food sold at grocery stores is kosher. “It’s keyed into the issues of food safety and consumer fear,” said Larry Finkel of Packaged Facts, a consumer market research company. “The reputation of kosher is stretching beyond chicken, whether there is truth to it or not.” According to a NY Times piece, people think kosher products are healthier, fresher and taste better. There’s also the perception that kosher butchering is less cruel. Fact or fiction, kosher food has found its market. And according to the study, the majority—about 85 percent—of those who shop kosher don’t do it because their religion compels them. more ›

An eagle-eyed reader noticed that Google Maps has placed US Airways Flight 1549 at West 42nd Street and 10th Avenue. Not only is Google's version of Sullenberger's landing a much more tragic one, blocks from the real watery landing spot in the Hudson... it's also listed as an eatery! more ›

"It’s Hogwarts for hipsters," writes the Times's Sam Sifton in his favorable review of The Breslin, a gastropub in the Ace Hotel that's operated by April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman, both of The Spotted Pig fame. Over multiple visits (including room service—nice work if you can get it!) Sifton is charmed by all the fatty comfort food like smoked pork belly "that’s been roasted to tender goo, for instance, over a drift of buttery mashed potatoes, with cabbage and bacon on the side"; and "the pig’s foot...a non-negotiable one-time order for those who eat feet." But then there are the delayed after-effects: "The Breslin is the sort of restaurant you end up thinking about a lot, not always pleasantly, staring up at the ceiling at 3 in the morning in cold sweat and mild panic... Excess can become wretched, and fast. It’s cool to hook up with the Breslin, especially if you’re lucky enough to sit in one of the semiprivate nooks near the open kitchen. But we should see other people. It would be death to be a regular there." more ›

If your mouth is watering for a big, juicy roast beef sandwich, you only have one more week until you can sink your teeth into some processed meat... Arby's opens inside of the gorgeous Gage & Tollner space next Thursday! For almost a year now there's been chatter about the fast food joint taking over the landmarked space — many opposed to the franchise moving in to such fancy digs for its first outpost in the borough. more ›

Zach Brooks, the founder of the trailblazing website Midtown Lunch has confirmed that he's moving to LA. For love. (His lawyer wife is taking a job there.) In announcing his abandonment of Manhattan's lost and hungry lunchers, Brooks announced that his exhaustive coverage of midtown's midday grub options will not only continue in his absence, but expand to cover downtown and even Philadelphia, full time, at the end of this week. And on the left coast, Brooks will have his mouth wide open for LA's lunch and street food scene. He promises to keep it real out there, too: "I will say here and now, even in L.A., the no salad rule still stands." You'll be back, Zach! more ›

Though it's not "officially" kicking off until tomorrow, this morning NYC & Company's Twitter followers got an early heads up on which restaurants are participating in NYC Restaurant Week Winter 2010. The two-week event will run from January 25th to February 7th, with participating eateries offering three-course prix-fixe lunches for $24.07 and three-course prix-fixe dinners for $35 (excluding beverages, tax and gratuity). If you want to get a jump on reservations, now's the time—some of the more expensive and trendy restaurants get booked fast, and there are some appetizing newcomers this year, such as The Breslin and A Voce Columbus. more ›

Another day, another Bloomberg health initiative: This time it's salt's turn in the mayor's crosshairs. Today the city is launching a broad new effort to reduce the amount of salt in packaged and restaurant food by 25 percent over the next five years. Unlike Bloomberg's controversial calorie count law, the plan is voluntary for food companies and involves no legislation. (It's hoped that companies will cut salt so gradually that consumers won't even notice.) Food Emporium and Subway have already pledged their allegiance to the anti-salt crusade, but naturally the Salt Institute (yes, there is such a thing) is fuming. more ›

What makes NYC pizza so great? According to Serious Eats (the same maniacal food lovers who set out to find the best bagel in NY) it may be the water. An unbiased taste test, hosted by Mathieu Palombino, the chef/owner of Motorino, put six different pies, varying only in the water used (which ranged from Dasani, to regular tap water, to Evian) in front of a carefully selected panel of pizza lovers. Science never tasted so good! more ›

Check out the newest openings of the new year. This time, we've got Japan invading Koreatown, some health food for all you resolutionaries, and the continued chainification of Union Square. more ›

For over three decades, Ray's Candy Store [MySpace], the burger, shake, etc. joint, has occupied a hole-in-the-wall on Avenue A across the street from Tompkins Square Park. As you may recall, the past year has been extremely tough on elderly owner Ray Alvarez, who's got health problems, has fallen behind on his rent, and had to deal with Muslim fundamentalists shaking him down for free coffee. Today Neither More Nor Less reports that one of the last vestiges of the old Alphabet City is on the verge of closing. more ›

Doubtful—nothing short of rehab will quench New Yorkers' thirst for fastidiously prepared cocktails in the Prohibition-era style. But there is a slight problem: The House of Angostura, maker of the bitters favored by many of the most meticulous mixologists, has fallen way behind schedule because of a shortage in ingredients and a financial restructuring. In London, at least one bartender has already started hoarding, and in NYC, Freemans owner William Tigertt tweeted yesterday, "Panic! Angostura bitter plant shutdown. NYC distributors rationing 3 bottles per account. Hording begins as cocktail doomsday clock hits 11." Eater also fears the day of reckoning is at hand, but at least there are other brands of bitters. more ›

The new proprietors of Casa Lever, the Milanese reboot of the defunct Lever House in midtown, have made the restaurant "warmer," and "Lever House’s spaceship vibe has been highlighted with wood trim, chandeliers, little red tables up front, soft carpets beneath the feet," says Sam Sifton at the Times in a two star review. "Is an appetizer of seared scallops with white asparagus and black truffle a good use of $18? That’s a question to wrestle, and there’s no correct answer. It’s the culinary equivalent of wondering whether Ferragamo shoes are worth the scratch. If they are to you, they are. The scallops are certainly well cooked." The Times also reports that Dos Toros Taqueria by Union Square "brings to mind the sort of fresh, quick and cheap eating found at Mexican joints in the San Francisco Bay Area." more ›

After 30 years in business, Frank's Deli on Ninth Avenue near 20th Street is closing, and the locals are bereft. "People have been coming in in tears," local Nick Fritsch tells Chelsea Now. Coffee still costs 25 cents, and you can get a sandwich for under four bucks. The building's new owner has informed the deli's eponymous 80-year-old operator, Francisco Lobelle, a.k.a. Frank, that his lease would not be renewed. "It’s just devastating for the neighborhood," says Barney Karpfinger, a local literary agent. "One of the things that makes New York great are these small, personal places. Frank’s was gathering place for everybody in the neighborhood—people from projects, rich people who own fancy apartments, people from the seminary and everybody in between. He is just a decent, unfailingly polite, kind and funny guy." more ›

If that depressing article in the Sunday Times about Americans living on nothing but food stamps bummed you out, here's a silver lining: This month the indigent also qualify for Jewish comedy. The Jewish Theater of New York announced today that anyone on food stamps or Medicaid can see its upcoming production for just $5. (Full-price tickets cost $50.) Wait, it gets better—this play sounds genius. It's called Press 93 For Kosher Jewish Girls In Krakow, and the troupe describes it as "a modern play about smartphones in the ultra-Orthodox community and how rabbis use advanced technology to repress their followers' most intimate thoughts and desires." more ›

In November, Soho's popular French-Moroccan mainstay Cafe Gitane opened up a new location in the controversial Jane Hotel. Things started out slowly with breakfast and lunch, but now the cheery cafe is open for dinner, starting tonight. The West Village outpost, which boasts lovely views of the Hudson River, is serving many of the favorites from the original Mott Street location, such as the appetizing Smoked Trout Salad with black lentils, walnuts, arugula, dried cranberries, avocado, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, shallots and vinaigrette ($14). more ›