Want a foraged meal for free in Brooklyn? Issue Project Room is offering up seats to an odd and mysterious dinner party on February 4th. They say, "Seated with us at the table are our fellow humans, plants, mushrooms, bacteria and other animals... some of these visitors eat and some are eaten." We're pretty sure they don't mean this in a Hannibal Lecter way. more ›

Sure, we're spending billions on holiday season shopping, but food is expensive in NYC and incomes aren't rising. Which is why there are enterprising individuals like one 23-year-old who used Match.com to find men to take her out to fancy restaurants five days a week. more ›

Last week, it seemed that a Columbia University group— CIRCA (Columbia International Relations Council and Association)—would be dining with Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week—prompting the National Review to call Columbia "Jihad University." But now it seems like the Iranian Embassy has rescinded the invitation to CIRCA... but is inviting a different Columbia group. more ›

A group of Columbia University students better brush up on their 9/11 conspiracy theories, because they may be dining with Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad soon. According to the Columbia Spectator, Columbia International Relations Council and Association "members are invited to a private, Sept. 21 dinner in Midtown with the man whom University President Lee Bollinger introduced as “a petty and cruel dictator” when he spoke on campus in 2007." more ›

The first Dîner en Blanc to happen in the U.S. is scheduled to go on tonight, somewhere in New York City. The event (described as bringing together "the elegance and glamour of court society") is part of a 23-year-old French tradition, which brings thousands together for a massive dinner party. Everyone wears white, brings a white table, white chairs, and tonight: a white umbrellla. The 1,000 New Yorkers who registered and were chosen to be a part of the picnic have been told: "The Dîner en Blanc is an outdoor event. If it rains, just bring an umbrella or a transparent raincoat. If it's 'pouring buckets' we will move under a covered space until showers pass." Organizers have confirmed with us that the event will be happening as of now, despite those foreboding skies out there. more ›

Last night Pete Seeger, the legendary folk singer (born May 3rd, 1919 in Manhattan's French Hospital), was honored by the WhyHunger organization at their 35th anniversary dinner. The event, held at Gotham Hall, featured performances by Ashford & Simpson, Tom Chapin, and a host of others—all of whom joined the guest of honor on stage at the end of the night. The highlight of the night came when the 91-year-old smiling Seeger led the crowd in a sing-a-long of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," which brought even the grown men in the audience to tears. (Get some tissues, we're trying to get a hold of video.) more ›

Did you know that in Japan, restaurants waste virtually nothing, and cooks transform unused ingredients like fish heads, bones, vegetable peels and scraps of wagyu beef into dishes eaten during the staff meals, or "makanai"? Supposedly, this act of extraneous alchemy yields delicious results, and EN Japanese Brasserie in the West Village is starting a regular series of special feasts using all these leftover bits. more ›

In November, Soho's popular French-Moroccan mainstay Cafe Gitane opened up a new location in the controversial Jane Hotel. Things started out slowly with breakfast and lunch, but now the cheery cafe is open for dinner, starting tonight. The West Village outpost, which boasts lovely views of the Hudson River, is serving many of the favorites from the original Mott Street location, such as the appetizing Smoked Trout Salad with black lentils, walnuts, arugula, dried cranberries, avocado, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, shallots and vinaigrette ($14). more ›

The gorgeous and funky Macao Trading Co. in Tribeca is throwing a "decadent" party with no cover. The fun-sounding shebang is intended to evoke the red light district of 1930s Macao, created by set designer Adam Aleksander (check it out). Starting at 11 p.m., there will be DJs on both floors, a burlesque performance and a midnight Fernet Branca toast. Before all that, they'll be serving their regular Chinese vs. Portuguese menu; details here. more ›

Don’t feel so smug if you belong to that tiny percentage of Americans who earn $400,000 a year (or more); to astonishingly wealthy plutocrats like Mayor Bloomberg, you’re still just small potatoes. Asked about the manufactured Republican outcry over Barack Obama’s allegedly extravagant date night in New York, Bloomberg defended the First Couple’s getaway, telling reporters, “The president does not get paid that much. He is on a budget, too.” Well, from Bloomberg’s rarefied perch atop Mount Moneypiles, we probably all look like Dickensian waifs struggling to sell our hair to the wig maker for halfpence, but to the average American, Obama’s hardly “on a budget.” City Room breaks down Obama’s current income: $400,000 a year salary, a $50,000 expense account, a $100,000 nontaxable travel account and a $19,000 entertainment budget. His total compensation package, $569,000 a year, is 11 times the median household income in the U.S., which is around $50,000. Of course, when you've got two private jets; homes in Bermuda, Florida, Colorado and London; and $16 billion in walking around money, you must wonder how poor souls like the President make do on half a million. more ›

Sure, you probably know by now that the First Couple dined at locally-sourced Greenwich Village restaurant Blue Hill on Saturday night, but there are still lots of juicy details to pore over! Like the wine: a 2007 Hirsch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, according to Eater. Besides the vino, the First Lady was also observed knocking back two martinis! (It's unclear if she had any of the Pinot.) more ›

reBar: This spacious bar/restaurant isn't new, but the chef and the menu are, so it's worth a mention for those making dinner plans in somewhat dining-deprived DUMBO. Self-described hippie owner Jason Stevens, who quit his job trading mortgage-backed securities at Merrill Lynch just before the crash, opened reBar in December 2006 in an old tea warehouse dating back the later 19th century. With an elegantly weathered, post-industrial design by the same guy who did the Zipper Factory Theater (RIP), the place has become a favorite watering hole for the locals. ($2 pints from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.!) more ›

Here's the latest installment in our ongoing quest to find a good, cheap meal that won't kill us or our budget. more ›

Here's the latest installment in our ongoing quest to find a good, cheap meal that won't kill us or our budget. more ›

Here's the latest installment in our ongoing quest to find a decent cheap meal that won't kill us or our budget. more ›

Last night Robert Thurman's annual Tibet House benefit concert took to Carnegie Hall, featuring performances by Antibalas, The National (who performed two new, untitled songs), Vampire Weekend, Patti Smith, Steve Earle, Angelique Kidjo, Keb' Mo', Philip Glass, and his son Zack (whose performance served as an alternate answer to that age old question, how does one get to Carnegie Hall). more ›

Ladies, if your husband is taking you to the Four Seasons on February 14th, you might want to consider staking out the restaurant on the 13th. Co-owner Julian Niccolini tells Gourmet that night is always just as busy as V-Day, because that's when high rollers bring in the other women for an adulterous dinner. The article is full of other V-Day dos and don'ts, such as please don't make your marriage proposal in a restaurant! At Gramercy Tavern, a woman once asked a man to marry her, and when he said no, she stood up, started cursing, and began throwing plates. A waiter tells Gourmet, "Clearly, he made the right choice." And if you must propose while dining, don't hide the ring in the food! An engagement ring embedded in a woman's crème brûlée was swallowed before her boyfriend could pop the question. "Our first hug was the Heimlich maneuver," he recalls. more ›

Five of New York's secret supper clubs joined forces over the weekend for the epic Undergrounds Unite dinner party at a capacious, bi-level loft in the shadow of the Empire State Building. On Saturday night the place was packed with 165 gourmands who had found their way there in the rain by following a series of cryptic instructions—enter a bar on 35th Street, look for the man learning how to cook everything, ask him for a map. more ›

Well, we now know why Tom Colicchio wasn't at the New York Taste event last night (as promised); he skipped the shindig to hang with fellow celeb chef Mario Batali at a private dinner at the Rockefeller Center rooftop garden. The event, put together by Absolut, was all about cooking with local ingredients grown on eco-friendly farms, and was hosted by chef Jim Denevan, who runs Outstanding in the Field, a "roving culinary adventure" that promotes the locavore lifestyle. Deborah Greig of East New York Farms in Brooklyn, and Michael Hurwitz, director of the GreenMarket, were also in the house. more ›

18 days until the election and one day after their final debate, Barack Obama and John McCain traded zingers at the 63rd Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, held at The Waldorf-Astoria last night. (The Daily News says the event raised $2.5 million, which goes toward underprivileged children.) more ›

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Those retro TV dinners with the pre-formulated portions aren’t just for Eisenhower-era loners anymore; the factory-made frozen meals have been cleverly revived for big city sophisticates dining at the Regency Hotel's 540 Park restaurant. The first Swanson TV Brand Frozen Dinner sold for 98 cents in 1953; at the Regency it’s been brought up to date for $30. more ›

The specialty beverage industry – particularly Smart Water – is now the recipient of a clever parody from Brooklyn designer/photographer Till Krautkramer, who’s rolled out an elaborate marketing campaign for a line of beverages called MeatWater. The website proudly declares that the drink uses “only the finest protein” for such “High Efficiency Survival Beverages” as Dirty Hot Dog, “an authentic taste of the Big Apple you can sip through a straw!” and Italian Sausage:

Mangia! You’ll feel like youse is at da famous San Gennaro festival in New Yawk’s Little Italy after drinkin’ dis. But widdout the annoying bridge-and-tunnel crowds askin’ “How much is doze zeppoles? Tree fuh a dollah? I’ll take tree.”

The coveted Momofuku Ko reservation has reached Craigslist (again), where all in-demand items are eventually available if you're willing to pay the price (which isn't always monetary). A gentleman named "Tom" seems to have found himself a "resi" for two at Ko this week, but is lacking both funds and friends in order to properly enjoy it.

I recently achieved what most have found impossible. I have a resi for two (2) at Ko this Weds. I am offering my one extra seat to anyone who wants to treat me to this most coveted dining celebration. You pay for the food, if we have fun I will pick up the tab for the booze. more ›

The Food Bank for New York City held their 5th Annual Can-Do Awards Dinner and fund raiser last night at Chelsea Piers. For the past 25 years, the Food Bank has worked to end hunger by giving low-income New Yorkers access to affordable and healthy food. Last night's dinner was hosted by classy actor Stanley Tucci and attended by celebrities like Michael Stipe, Gwyneth Paltrow and Mike D; musical performances were by Angela McCluskey, Jill Hennessey, Joseph Arthur and Mike Mills. more ›