An Upper East Side woman named Anna Dove loves birds. How much? She had her last name changed to Dove, from Kugelmas (she's also behind National Pigeon Day). That much. But while the 63-year-old Dove may love birds, her fellow humans don't love her. In fact, a neighbor recently caught her feeding pigeons near his apartment on East 93rd Street and became so enraged that he grabbed her bag of seeds and tossed it; the confrontation was allegedly violent enough for a passerby to call 911. more ›

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. more ›

The gang at Flatbush Farm hosts a barbecue the last weekend of every month, including this one. Feast on grilled clams, barbecued chicken legs and ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, veggie chili and more. 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 76 Saint Marks Avenue, Brooklyn. Call 718-622-3276 for details. more ›

July 8: Red, White & Views! Sparkling Tasting more ›

Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food: An Opinionated History and More Than 100 Legendary Recipes, by Arthur Schwartz (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2004) more ›