“We normally associate cooking with exposing protein to flame,” said Anthony Bourdain at the Times Center, introducing chef Ferran Adrià of elBulli, who rarely cooks proteins by exposing them to flame, and even more rarely appears at food festivals like the one that took place in the meatpacking district this past weekend. more ›

Today the Times’s Keith Dixon, a self-described “clumsy, overambitious cook,” offers tips for cooking dinner in a crowded city apartment made even more cramped by a newborn baby. Dixon has adapted his cooking technique to accommodate a light-sleeping baby who, awakened by a clattering spatula, derails dinner plans as he and his wife “labor to get her back to sleep.” So he’s evolved into a “Silent Chef” with “ninja stealth” and suggests, among other things, avoiding meats that tend to smoke the place up, trading metal utensils for plastic, and using the stove’s exhaust fan as “a makeshift white-noise machine.” more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Alto and L’Impero, both now run by chef Michael White (formerly of Fiamma Osteria). He finds Alto “better than ever” and bumps it up from two stars to three. “Alto is now a full throttle dining experience, no matter where on the menu you turn,” he says. L’Impero doesn’t fare so well, and receives two stars (down from the three it received from Eric Asimov in 2002). “Its menu harbors more disappointments than Alto’s, and its kitchen is less polished,” says Bruni. more ›

• We got ourselves a note in the inbox from the folks who run the Big Apple BBQ to let us know that Bubba FastPasses are currently on sale from now till May 25 for the June 9 & 10 event. Gothamist was all over this event last year; look for more great coverage and photos coming up soon. This year should provide a bit of a pre-show glimpse of what local pitmaster Robbie Richter has in store for his new spot Hill Country - a place that should have you very excited. Hit the site to review other pitmasters participating as well as the impressive panelists for seminar series.
• Reading on Grub Street about Cones ice cream and one patron's fight to get Dulce de Leche con Brownie stocked as a regular flavor prompted a pop-in. After spotting the flavor and knowing we needed to order it to see what it was all about, we blew our test tries on corn (not good, very different from Claudia Fleming's seminal version) and pistachio (have you had Ronnybrook ?). Walking home we reflected back that this was probably not the best ice cream we have had and was not even up to snuff with Peanut Butter Ripple the ole' Shake Shack had earlier in the weekend.
• Congratulations to Ganda, who recently grabbed Ed Levine for her “You Are What You Eat” column, on her inclusion on a food blogging panel this Fall for the Gourmet Institute. With a wide variety of panels full of heavy hitter chefs and food personalities, this is a great opportunity for a fantastic food blogger.

December 7: Alex Prud’homme at O&CO. more ›

- Tomatoes and watermelon together, really? One blogger thinks yes really. Just add it to the list of things to try sometime. more ›

It’s about 1:15 in the morning and your friend who is swaying like wind chimes during a tropical depression, yells a little too enthusiastically, “Tequila shots!” Flashbacks of that vile alcohol in the handle, labeled tequila, quickly flood your memory. No way. You’ll stick to your Bombay martini, thank you very much. more ›

Bruni two-stars Degustation. The restaurant is the latest incarnation of Jewel Bako Robato, which had previously morphed into Grace's Kalbi Bar, and is a part of the Grace & Jack Lamb East Village empire. Creativity "courses through the concise lineup of dishes," says Bruni. more ›

What lucky little New Yorkers we are. First the grand opening of the new and improved Astor Wines and Spirits and now, we get Trader Joe’s Wine Shop. It’s a wine cornucopia all packed neatly in one square mile. With such great options, so close (or conveniently located next to subways), we realized there was only one thing to do – hold a wine-off. May the best wine purveyor win. more ›

Not to be outdone by his colleague, Frank Bruni, Eric Asimov has now joined the blogerati (who's next, Amanda Hesser? Peter Meehan?) with his new blog, The Pour. He welcomes us quite cordially:

Welcome to The Pour. Sit down, fill a glass, have a drink, please. [Why thank you, Eric, don't mind if we do.] more ›

When Gothamist got to the restaurant, it was crowded. We had Saturday night reservations for 7:30PM, but there were three parties waiting for tables, with the restaurant packed full of diners. That's a good sign. But maybe a result of the excellent Times review. As Eric Asimov pointed out, the room is a departure from the usual Chinese restaurant decor - stylish and sleek, versus being simply functional. After waiting for 15 minutes (and many apologies), we were seated. more ›

Two of Lutece's signature dishes were an Alsatian tart and a sauteed foie gras with dark chocolate sauce and bitter orange marmalade. Gothamist never had the chance to dine there, but now we can think about what it must have been like the next time we eat foie gras...or some dark chocolate or toast with marmalade. more ›

Holy headrush, the Times has a feature on the cupcaking of New York! Reporter Julia Moskin calls the sight people toting cupcakes around, the way one would a hot dog, a sign of a trend that entrenched itself, and covers how NY bakeries are making bank off teeny little cakes. Cupcakes analyzed come from Magnolia, Cupcake Cafe, Buttercup, Amy Sedaris, Polka Dot, William Greenburg, Yura, Kitchenette, Crumbs, and Downtown Atlantic, and who better to analyze them but food critics Eric Asimov and William Grimes (though Grimes admits "A 10 year-old should be able to handle the assignment"). The best cupcakes? Mitchel London, Amy's Bread, and Sage Caterers (pictured above, left to right) won out, but as Gothamist knows, if you eat your cupcakes cake first, then frosting, you're not thinking perfect marriage of cake and frosting, you're thinking "Mmm...sugar and butter..." 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 ›