In case you haven't noticed, 'tis the season for giving and all that jazz. You've got a friend/relative/other loved one who can't get enough of the epicurean lifestyle, and you're looking for the perfect gift. Never fear -- 'tis also the season of gift guides, which will steer you to gifts that will guarantee a smile. First, our own five gifts for the foodie under $50, all available online, including a beautiful olive wood mortar......

Bon Appétit , in an attempt to appeal to a broader, younger, and theoretically "hipper" audience, has recently revamped its logo. Taunting came in full force, via Grub Street, who concluded, "[t]he truth is that Bon Appétit will never be any hipper or friskier than it is, because no magazine about upscale entertaining can ever speak to people that don’t have big houses and plenty of time on their hands." Adam Roberts, the Amateur Gourmet,......

This month's Bon Appetit is the restaurant issue, highlighting recipes from restaurants all across the world, but our own Little Owl made the cover photo with their delectable meatball sliders. Other hometown shout-outs went to The Good Fork, for their Korean-style steak and eggs, a spiced plum chutney from Tabla, and WD-50's music playlist (including one of our current obsessions, Hall & Oates). A feature article focuses on some of our finest pastry chefs, who......

Gothamist received some very distressing news in our inbox moments ago -- it appears that Dona is closing. The building in which Dona is currently located is being sold to a real estate developer and Donatella Arpaia is actively searching for a new spot in which to showcase Chef Michael Psilakis' cooking. Dona received two stars from the Times and has been regarded by many critics as one of the best newcomers of 2006, with......

- We can't even begin to tell you how excited that Michal Psilakis' gnudi recipe was featured in January's Bon Appetit, which arrived in our mailbox last night. We've been to dona a handful of times, and have been compelled to order it each time. The gnudi themselves are pillowy and light, while the earthiness of the truffle and mushroom-infused sauce is a perfect match for the sage and crisp pancetta. We can't wait to......

We recently got the opportunity to take a peek at Japonais, the much-anticipated Chicago import from partners Rick Wahlstedt, Miae Lim, and Jeffrey Beers. A great deal of detail went into the majestic space -- approximately 11,350 square feet (includes both inside and outside areas), which seats close to 300 patrons -- decked out with gold banquettes, red plush chairs, and multiple seating areas, including the bar and lounge, main dining room, an upstairs......

Whether you want to go out: * Manhattan User's Guide * Open Table * New York Magazine * Strong Buzz Order in: * New York Magazine * Fresh Direct Cook yourself: * Epicurious Or can't decide: * Citysearch There's a Thanksgiving roundup for you. Gothamist is heading off to spend the holiday with family, and we're bummed that we're not getting to town early enough to help with cooking for the big day. We will,......

Gothamist has been a fan of the Julie/Julia Project for quite some time. We were sad to see it come to an end, but at least we knew that Julie had gotten a book deal, so we had something to look forward to. And now, we can revisit our favorite Julie/Julia moments in the form of Julie's new book, Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen: How One Girl Risked Her......

The September issue of Bon Appetit (which has already hit local mailboxes) features the country's five best restaurant cities, and topping the bill is good old NYC, naturally. It includes recipes from New York's "neighborhood haunts" (even thoughtfully including Brooklyn and Queens in the mix) that we treat like "extensions of [our] own kitchens." Damn, our cooking has gotten good, considering the cramped quarters. Look for recipes from Sripraphai (we're definitely making the drunken noodles......

Daniel's Dish: Entertaining at Home With a Four-Star Chef by Daniel Boulud (Filipacchi Publishing, 2003) Ah, the holidays. Parties to go to, drinks to drink. Gothamist's friends always have great potlucks where we get to eat all kinds of different foods, all lovingly prepared by our friends. But there's only so much time in the day, especially around the holidays, so multitasking is key. In this case, multitasking takes the form of making a pound......

Regina Schrambling, Food Writer...

Bon Appetit's 11th Annual Restaurant Issue showcases several of Gothamist's favorite New York restaurants: Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, Casa Mono, 'inoteca, Pampano, Per Se, The Flatiron Lounge, and Chikalicious. RSVP, Gothamist's favorite section of the magazine, has a recipe for a fantastic local dessert, Chikalicious's Warm Chocolate Tart with Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream and Red Wine Sauce (anyone want to buy us an ice cream maker?), but no recipe for the oh-so-addictive Coconut Marshmallow petit......

Gothamist was thrilled to see Law and Order's own Jerry Orbach gracing the inside cover of the newly released August issue of Bon Appetit. He mentions Judson Grill as one of his favorite NYC restaurants, (which is a shame, since it just closed) and admits that "once or twice a year, I'll indulge in a hot pastrami sandwich at the Carnegie Deli." Gothamist would happily meet up with you for your next scheduled indulgence.......

Laurie Woolever, Cook/Food Writer...

Our penchant not reading Page Six word for word (there are bold names, subtitles and pictures!) caught up with our immature side when we thought that the story about New York chefs in Times Square posing for a Bon Appetit photo spread was more along the lines of some elaborate, bawdy/British joke to be pulled on Conde Nast staffers. Hey, you read "Mario Batali hauling a 100-pound sausage into 4 Times Square" and not have......