- Paris Commune, the West Village eatery that moved into new space at 99 Bank Street last year, is celebrating its anniversary by opening the Rouge Wine Bar. Quaff wines from France, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Chile while you wait for a table upstairs, or finish off your night by sipping on a glass of cognac while you gaze at the original fresco covering two walls. Look closely and you might see Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld, and a certain editor of Vogue among the romantic couples, sulky gamines, and Paris Commune regulars worked into the mural. Rouge Wine Bar at Paris Commune, 99 Bank Street, the corner of Bank Street and Greenwich Street, 212-929-0509. more ›

Some of our best memories of New Orleans involve the rich Cajun and Creole culinary traditions of its people and its restaurants. The New York Times lists several upcoming restaurant-related fundraisers, several of which are designed specifically to assist those in the New Orleans restaurant industry: more ›

Witnessing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi, many Gothamist readers have asked what they can do to help. The most important thing for many of the Gulf Coast's residents right now is basic services: clean water, food, and medicine, all of which costs money. more ›

Yesterday, President Bush pledged $350 million to the tsunami relief efforts in South Asia; this is a huge increase from the last aid commitment of $35 million, which had been increased from an initial $15 million right after the disaster. Whether or not putting the aid package in the hundreds of millions is a way for President Bush to deflect criticism that the U.S. was being "stingy" or to show that the U.S. is interested in other countries' welfares, Gothamist is glad that the U.S. is finally stepping up. We were amused that White House spokesman Trent Duffy had to say the funds are "not coming from Iraq money, if that's what you're asking," because it shows that even a force of nature can't get our President to budge. more ›

Even half way around the world, seismic sensors in New York felt the reverbations of the earthquake. President Bush has pledged support to the countries, as other nations in the world has. Gothamist is very saddened by the news and we'll be sending some money to charities. You can donate to disaster relief funds through the American Red Cross or British charity Oxfam. more ›