Hakkasan, a giant upscale Chinese restaurant in Hell's Kitchen, opens to the public tonight. Consider this New York's Chinese cuisine answer to Nobu, the chic Japanese restaurant in Tribeca. There are a number of Hakkasan locations the world over, including in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Mumbai, and the flagship in London, and the restaurant is Michelin-rated, so open wide for what promises to be a world class menu, with everything from an $888 Braised Japanese abalone with black truffle (made to share) to Mongolian style venison ($42). more ›

A few weeks ago, we posted the menu for Talde, the new Asian fusion joint in Park Slope from former Top Cheffer Dale Talde and neighborhood favorites David Massoni and John Bush (of Thistle Hill Tavern). The restaurant is now officially up and running, turning out plates of Hawaiian pork buns, oyster-bacon pad Thai, Korean fried chicken and more, plus wine, beer and cocktails like Brooklyn Sling (gin, Luxardo, pineapple, house-made grenadine and bitters) and the Pacquiao Punch, a top-secret recipe that pays homage to Manny Pacquiao, the Filipino boxing champion, statesman and Talde’s personal hero. more ›

Restaurateur extraordinaire Danny Meyer is heading downtown this week with the opening of North End Grill, a handsome new Battery Park City restaurant helmed by Top Chef Masters winner and former Tabla chef Floyd Cardoz. Sure is pretty, isn't it? more ›

Fans of the Bourgeois Pig, the extremely romantical East Village bar known for their half-priced wine bottles and bubbling fondue pots can now enjoy the bordello-lite vibe in Carroll Gardens, too, with the opening of Bourgeois Pig Brooklyn. If vintage chandeliers, plush velvet banquettes and fleur de lis everything is your preferred aesthetic—run, don't walk. more ›

Of all of the many, many foods representative of New York City, perhaps none have remained so deeply tied to tradition than appetizings. Not appetizers, mind you—appetizings (noun), from an appetizing shop—things like smoked salmon, cream cheese spreads, and salads; or, as Wikipedia puts it, "the foods one eats with bagels." They arrived in New York with the huge wave of Jewish immigrants in the early 20th century, and owe their strange name to a kosher dietary law stating that meat and dairy can't be eaten or sold together. As a result, two different types of food stores cropped up: delicatessens (delis), which serve pickled, cured and smoked meats, and appetizings (appys), which handled the fish and dairy goods. more ›

Maybe it's because Frances Bean Cobain is all grown up, but we've been feeling a little nostalgic for the early '90s lately. Beyond getting misty-eyed for plaid shirts and Doc Martens (oh wait, just kidding!), we also miss the abundance of zines that enjoyed semi-mainstream popularity for a hot second. In fact, small-press, self-published fanzines started way back in '30s, mainly for sci-fi geeks, eventually evolving to a form of communication for politically-inclined '70s punks and, later, '90s riot grrls. Sadly, in the past decade, the popularity of zines was waned, thanks mainly to The Internet. Lately, however, there's been something of a zine resurgence, where readers blinded by a constant technological onslaught seek out anything that's genuinely handcrafted. Here's a quick look at six local zines that are worth hunting down. more ›

Hey guys, did you make it to the third annual American Kennel Club/The International Cat Association "Meet the Breeds" event at the Javits Center this weekend? Were you inspired by our preview on Friday and needed to see the cuteness for yourself? Perhaps you wanted to catch a glimpse of the highly competitive cat agility contests? No? Oh, well, we were there, and it was pretty gosh-darn adorable. more ›

The third annual American Kennel Club "Meet the Breeds" event is coming up at the Javits Center this weekend, the weekend-long celebration of all things ridiculously cute. Photographer Katie Sokoler got a sneak peek of the adorableness yesterday, reporting back with a first look at sphynx cats dressed as princesses, chihuahuas with perfect manicures, and cairn terriers (aka Toto dogs) with their Wizard-ly owners. more ›

Last week, Open House New York announced a special last-minute addition to their schedule—JFK Airport's fabulously modern, Eero Saarinen-designed TWA Terminal. Architecture and aero-buffs were thrilled at the announcement, since the much-loved terminal has been closed to the public since 2001. Open House New York reps tell us that over 1,000 people came through the terminal, which is currently being renovated, during the one afternoon that it was open. more ›

New York Comic Con, the annual gathering of hobbits, Han Solos and She-Hulks, strolled into the Javits Center with costumes galore this weekend—and it's by no means not just for nerds and geeks. Photographer Jim Kiernan was there to document some of the crazy costumes, and you can view all his photos from the event here. Above, click through to check out some highlights, including Lord Dark Helmet, Wonder Woman and Emma Frost. more ›

This week, the NYPD told members of Community Board 1's Financial District Committee that the executives of Brookfield Properties, who manage Zuccotti Park, are the only ones who can kick out Occupy Wall Street protesters—not Mayor Bloomberg, not the police. But it seems even Brookfield may not have the authority to remove people from the park just yet. more ›

For all too long, Peruvian food in New York has been mainly associated with the (admittedly delicious) rotisserie chicken from Pio Pio Rico and its imitators. Now, Peruvian restaurant king Gastón Acurio, who owns some 30 joints around the world, is bringing a more refined take on Peruvian cuisine to the Flatiron space formerly occupied by Danny Meyer's Tabla with opening of La Mar Cebicheria Peruana. more ›

Remember a few years ago,when Citi Field and Yankee Stadium classed up their menus to go with their new looks? Well, the Knicks will not be left to sulk in the corner—Madison Square Garden is getting a menu makeover, too. more ›

Fashion’s Night Out descended upon the city last night, turning the streets of Soho (and the Meatpacking District, and 5th Avenue) into a veritable circus of models, scenesters, and the shoppers who love them. We stopped by the Helmut Lang party in Soho to check out some of the action and chat with some of the well-heeled revelers—click through for their fabulous words of wisdom. more ›

With Jane's Carousel set to open on September 16th, the finishing touches are now being put into place. Yesterday we took a look inside of the horse-less carousel and its $9 million acrylic jewel box, and this morning we received photos of the horses rolling through DUMBO, en route to their final destination on the waterfront. But their new home is also the scene of a controversial arborcide, for their arrival meant the untimely demise of a "majestic" weeping willow tree. more ›

Last week, we took a look at the somewhat controversial Jane Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park from a bit of a distance. This week, since Hurricane Irene didn't destroy it, we get a more detailed look. Photographer Stephen Murray got up close to the "action," snapping a few shots of the Carousel's interior—check out those hyper-detailed paintings below the spokes! No horses (or other animals) appear to have been installed yet, but the Carousel's opening date remains September 16th, after which point it will be running from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily (closed Tuesdays), with rides going for $2 a pop. [via DUMBO NYC] more ›

Yes, the MTV VMAs happened again this year, despite having no host. The show was relatively tame (at least compared to years past)—as the Times notes, perhaps the most shocking aspect was how quickly the network's censors hit the bleep button during potty-mouthed scenes with Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne and... Cloris Leachman. more ›

If you're Cardiff School of Art & Design student Rachel Walsh, who was given an assignment to "explain something modern/internet based to someone who lived and died before 1900," you make this clever, visually illustrative guide. The larger book, representing the Kindle, has space carved out for forty miniature books, each rendered with tiny, perfect attention to detail. Dickens himself would surely approve. Well done! This deserves an A. Bonus: it would probably also help us explain the Kindle to our grandparents. [via Laughing Squid] more ›

It's not often that we post about a specific product, but every once in a while, something just weird or precious enough comes along, like this little guy. Capture the sweet memory of your forgotten childhood and whatever desperate, drunken antics you get yourself into these days all in one quick click with this adorable juice box camera! more ›