Bruni one-stars Cafe Cluny: it's "a beguiling neighborhood place," he says, and not much else. Cluny is partly-owned by Lynn Wagenkneckt, ex-wife of Keith McNally (the man who bought us Odeon, Cafe Luxembourg, Balthazar & Pastis), and Bruni sees something of their successful formulas here. Doesn’t make up for the "unimaginative" menu or "erratic" service, though. more ›

Ex-Gawker editor Jesse Oxfeld joins New York just in time for the magazine's big story on where celebs are in the city! Well, he's only quoted (as is current Gawker editor Jessica Coen), but given that yesterday's Post went ga-ga over Brooklyn celebs and where you might see them, forget the locusts, it's the day of the celebs. For the record, Gothamist's favorite star-sighting is not seeing Harrison Ford (with, ugh, that earring!) have dinner at Cafe Luxembourg or Nicole Richie at Balthazar Bakery (so tiny - and with DJ AM!), but it was seeing Elaine Orbach at the Vitamin Shoppe on Broadway and West 72nd Street. It was just the combination of famous, obscure, and Jerry Orbach-related that makes us tick. more ›

Ask.Metafilter is our favorite answer site-- the NYC tag provides a weekly dose of New York questions and answers. This week, the theme seems to be food: more ›

With Thanksgiving just over a week away, Ask Gothamist is still getting a lot of questions from people whose tiny apartments can't handle hosting such a big meal. If you can't cook so much as Stove Stop stuffing in your closet-sized kitchen, today's Manhattan User's Guide offers a handy list of restaurants still accepting reservations for the holiday dinner. Cafe Luxembourg on the Upper West Side and Thor on the Lower East Side are among the picks. While space may still be available as of this posting, you'll need to act quickly if you want to get your turkey on next Thursday. more ›

The Times also has a Julian–Niccolini drawn seating chart for the Four Seasons and while we expected to see Anna Wintour, Harvey Weinstein, and G.Pa(ltrow) on it, we were surprised to see Kerry Kittles, Nets guard. For some reason, basketball players seem more steak–oriented, like at Smith and Wollensky, Sparks, or Michael Jordan's. more ›

Some might think being voted Zagat's Best Newcomer Restaurant would make the owners aware, with all the i's dotted and t's crossed. But, no, the restaurant Compass on West 70th was closed last night, for operating without a permit. A gaggle of Upper West Siders were dumbfounded at the closing, wondering if the closing was really due some suspicious meat or rodents. One man said incredulously, "Compass? Closed? Are you kidding me?" while his small son cried, "But I see people inside! There are people inside!" However, the only people inside were the pouting and sheepish staff members, who said Compass would be open today. Luckily for the hungry, neighborhood institution Cafe Luxembourg was brimming with business as usual next door. Hmm, owners & managing partners Lewis Pell and Leonard Schwartz better get their act together, because even Rocco's managed to have a permit. more ›

- Glasses make me look smart. () more ›

to feel she's a kindred spirit of sorts. But the jury is still out because of Ephron's increasingly treacly efforts (When Harry Met Sally to You've Got Mail - you do the math)...if there's another Meg Ryan-Tom Hanks pairing in the future, all bets are off. more ›

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