This week Sam Sifton at the Times pens a muted love letter to Chin Chin, an upscale Chinese restaurant on East 49th Street that's been in business since 1987. And although "a certain roughness to the plating of the food makes the place a little more casual than perhaps was the idea in the original business plan," Sifton says the old dowager's still got it: "Order a dry martini and allow the pressures of the city to recede in its glow. Chin Chin is as American as pork dumplings and sticky spareribs, cold noodles with sesame sauce, three-glass chicken and fried rice." In the Times's $25 and Under column, Ligaya Mishan enjoys "an all-star lineup of soups" at Pilar, a tiny Cuban restaurant on the border of Clinton Hill and Bed-Stuy. more ›

Chef Michael Anthony can be incredibly emphatic about the farmers who supply Gramercy Tavern’s kitchen. He may tell you how he thinks the soil conditions at a particular farm influenced the flavors of certain vegetables. He might talk about baby turnips as if they’re long lost friends, but Anthony is also realistic about the purpose of food in our lives. more ›

might do to you. Other traditional bake-books operate within the wholly confined orbit of strudel and streusels; A Baker’s Odyssey has strudels galore but is also about forgotten or esoteric American immigrant recipes, so it also covers kulich and chin chin cookies, shoofly pie and puran poori. Recipes involve techniques and ingredients that have sort of fallen by the wayside in an age of 30 minute meals: The book’s cannoli shell dough is made with Madeira, and ANZAC cookies are made with Lyle’s Golden Syrup. more ›

READING: Tonight at 192 Books, Marisha Pessl reads from Special Topics in Calamity Physics, her buzzy and well-received first novel. Seating is usually limited at 192 Books so call (212) 255-4022 to reserve a spot. - Krissa Corbett Cavouras more ›

EVENT: It's the first Friday in April, which means one thing (to us at least): the Guggenheim! The Flavorpill curated event has Rjd2 and MC Beans bringing their style to the turntables tonight. Drink and dance the night away, but don't touch the art please. more ›

Kick-Off Party with DJ L’il Shalimar more ›

Gothamist doesn't really like New Years Eve, it's overhyped and too expensive. So short of suggesting you just stay at home here's a little list of things you could do to ring in '05. more ›

9) How many gift baskets does Martha need to make for you to find her not guilty? more ›