Despite the rain, the crowds poured in at Citymeals-on-Wheels Chef's Tribute fundraiser in Rockefeller Center last night. This year's theme -- Crème de la Crème, a tribute to the great French masters, many of whom were in attendance. As one might expect, honoring the world's best French chefs includes a large quantity of foie gras, caviar, duck, and truffles, and America's top chefs certainly put them all to good use. Each chef prepared two dishes: one classic dish as a tribute to a French master, and one of his/her own that was a variation on a French classic. more ›

To bring the Momofuku Ko Craigslist reservation controversy full circle, Insatiable Critic Gael Greene (pictured incognito) has finally published her side of the story. more ›

That Momofuku Ko "resi" that hit Craigslist recently, where the poster was looking for a culinary companion, was not only filled -- but the story gets juicier than kimchi consommé with pork belly. more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Lebanese Ilili, saying “Ilili is probably the atmospherically grandest excursion into Middle Eastern cooking that New York has ever seen.” While much of the menu is inconsistent, he loves the kebabs and kaftas. Says the service is “occasionally confused.” And get the essmalieh for dessert. more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni two-stars Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill (the new one, at Columbus Circle). After a few rocky meals immediately after the opening, “the food has been consistently first-rate,” says Bruni. “Much of it also reflects the [owners’, Eric and Bruce] Bromberg’s winning playfulness.” He also says that while the sushi isn't the best in town, the fried chicken may be. more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Irving Mill (pictured). Says, “It’s a self-conscious heir to Gramercy Tavern…if only it performed that way.” He does like some of the food, and the wine list. “At Irving Mill’s finest moments, with its finest dishes, it’s decidedly more than pleasant,” he says. But the cooking is inconsistent, the menu sounds more flavorful than it tastes, the desserts are only so-so, and the space too big, says Bruni. more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Primehouse New York . Calls it “an estimable [steakhouse], with virtues that will rightly earn it the affection of many discerning carnivores and give it a solid chance in a competitive field.” On the downside, the quality of the meats isn’t always quite what it should be, service is uneven, and beyond the steaks, the menu doesn’t have much to offer. more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni two-stars Allen & Delancey. Loves the atmosphere; says “the food at Allen & Delancey is at once sophisticated and accessible, reliant on fail-safe luxuries deployed in a modestly creative and occasionally playful manner.” Says that in some ways it’s similar to what he did uptown (at Gordon Ramsay at the London) but it works much better in this context. In $25 and Under, "> Peter Meehan goes to Food... more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Grayz, gives the restaurant one star. He says of the restaurant that refuses to call itself a restaurant (it’s a ‘cocktail lounge that serves small dishes’): “These dishes demand fuller attention than the setting allows, and the prices—$39 for the short ribs—only make total sense if eating is the point of a visit.” In Dining Briefs, Bruni goes to Belcourt, which he says is much better than... more ›

This week in the Times, Bruni three stars Fiamma and rates it a top pick. Says that the restaurant is not, by any means, classically Italian, but “when a restaurant turns out this many dishes that make you stop mid-chew, nudge a companion and nod your head vigorously—because you’re excited; because you need to start working off the calories any way you can—it needn’t worry about fitting into a tidy box.” Also in the Times,... more ›

Last week at the 92nd Street Y some people took time to hear the fantastic Mike Colameco host the legendary chef Jacques Pepin, critic Gael Greene (now of the Insatiable Critic blog), food maven Arthur Schwartz, and old-school restaurant mogul Michael Whiteman hash out whether NYC dining scene was better then ever. Pretty cut and dry, no? Schwartz and Greene mostly argued that it is not a better scene today, lamenting the arrival of the $44 lamb chop and the teardown it apparently heralded for their beloved old neighborhood joints with solid value, good food and owned by a chef who cooked. more ›

Join Saxelby Cheesemongers for a day trip to the Valley Shepherd Creamery in New Jersey to see a sheep dairy in action. Learn about the cheesemaking process from start to finish and end the day with a picnic on the farm. 11 am to 7 pm. Tickets are $75 and are available online. more ›

The gang at Flatbush Farm hosts a barbecue the last weekend of every month, including this one. Feast on grilled clams, barbecued chicken legs and ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, veggie chili and more. 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 76 Saint Marks Avenue, Brooklyn. Call 718-622-3276 for details. more ›

Got a tidbit for us? Sent it to the feedbag. more ›

The 25 year old program was started by New York magazine restaurant critic Gael Greene, who also got James Beard involved, and Citymeals on Wheels supports agencies that provide "weekend, holiday, emergency and weekday meals to homebound elderly New Yorkers who can no longer shop or cook for themselves." Greene told NY1, "How can I as a restaurant critic, eating the way I eat, living the life I live, accept that there are people on my block who don't have enough to eat?"



You can donate to Citymeals on Wheels. (Earlier this week, the NY Times had a feature about Citymeals on Wheels.) NY1 also noted that 400 volunteers from God's Love We Deliver were working to bring holiday meals to men, women and children with HIV, AIDS, cancer and other illnesses - here's more information about GLWD.



And if you haven't gotten around to donating in some way, big or small, this season, don't worry, there are always opportunities. For instance, you can still donate a coat through NY Cares Coat Drive until December 31. City Harvest's canned food drive ends in mid-January. And here are some more ways to volunteer, via the city's volunteer website, Volunteer NYC.



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Today in the Times, Frank Bruni gives Greek-Italian Dona two stars, says it reaches high and far--too high at times. As predicted by the oddsmakers at Eater. more ›

Set your TiVo's, kids. "Celebrity Cooking Showdown" is scheduled for the week of April 17th on NBC. This week-long competition pits various "celebrities" against each other in a culinary smackdown of sorts, judged by food critic Gael Greene and high-end event planner Colin Cowie. The motley crew of celebs includes Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, Ja Rule, Tom Arnold, Gabrielle Reece, Days of Our Lives' Allison Sweeney, supermodel Naomi Campbell, reigning Miss USA Chelsea Cooley and country singer Big Kenny. The show is hosted by none other than Alan Thicke from Growing Pains and the Food Network's Sandra Lee (who hosts Semi-Homemade, not high on the Gothamist love-list) will host the show (at least she's not judging). more ›

Gothamist wonders how Thomas Keller (pictured, right) feels about being fate's bitch, but we guess he's probably cool with it since French Laundry was named the world's best restaurant by Restaurant Magazine (although we feel the list is definitely UK-biased). [via kottke] more ›