James Beard was a profoundly orotund sensualist who got famous in the '50s promoting gourmet French food to middlebrow America through a number of cookbooks and essays—he also co-founded Citymeals-on-Wheels, which delivers food to the home-bound elderly in NYC, as well as an eponymous cooking school. He died in the '80s, and now there's a James Beard Foundation that carries on his foodie legacy, operating out of his old West Village townhouse. (To give you a sense of Beard's flamboyant personality, the upstairs bathroom is floor-to-ceiling mirrors.) Every year the Foundation gives out a bunch of awards at a big pretentious event the food blogs breathlessly fawn over. more ›

A few short weeks ago, Jimmy Fallon's favorite restaurant, Gramercy Tavern, racked a whopping 35 points on their Health Department inspection, getting docked for things like roaches, flies and poor employee cleanliness. However, they've now earned themselves an A grade. After their second inspection yesterday they scored just 7 points, with the only "critical" violation being that food was not protected from a potential source of contamination. We also feel like they should fix that "sewage disposal system in disrepair." One false move and that would get them back to 35 in a heartbeat. [Via Grub Street] more ›

Yesterday, it was reported by many (including us) that the city's most popular restaurant, Gramercy Tavern, didn't do so well on their last Heath Department inspection. They scored 35 points for violations like live roaches and flies, which falls in to C grade territory. However, the restaurant wants to stress that they didn't actually receive a C grade, because (as we pointed out yesterday) they have not yet received a second inspection: more ›

In accordance with the relatively new restaurant grades, restaurants with grades lower than a B do not have to immediately post their score. They are allowed a chance to improve their conditions, and the Health Department generally returns to check on them within a month. However, there are more loopholes! Loopholes which are allowing 88% of the 650 Manhattan restaurants with C grades to keep that "Grade Pending" sign posted proudly in their windows. Among the sneaks is Gramercy Tavern, the city's most popular restaurant. more ›

Park Slope bars may still be fighting the war on babies, but many upscale Manhattan eateries have decided that allowing children is their ticket to winning over the hearts and wallets of the city's parents. Shivani Vora at the Times said she noticed an uptick in tots at Fred's in Barney's one day, a surprise after repeatedly frequenting "family friendly" restaurants where the staff didn't even help her with her stroller. She decided to take her two-year-old on a test of some of the city's finest restaurants to see what the staff would do were they faced with client who may prefer buttered spaghetti to truffle aioli. The results? People are actually nice. more ›

A new restaurant on 6th Avenue in Brooklyn called Lot 2 opens tonight but is already gaining very positive, word-of-mouth (and Twitter) reviews from diners who attended previews last week designed to tweak the menu and service. Like its similarly number-named Brooklyn neighbors Char No. 4 and No. 7, Lot 2 will focus on seasonal, market produce and sustainable meats. It will serve an eclectic wine list. Scott Bridi, who trained under the megatalented chef Michael Anthony at Gramercy Tavern, is in the kitchen here, and his menu includes the homey-sounding buttered noodles, snap peas, summer squash, and lemon ($16) and something called "lipstick on a pig," served with pickled mushrooms ($12). For those seeking more meat and potatoes, Bridi has assembled a sort of slow food combo plate consisting of low-temperature cooked brisket, pork jowl, and lamb ribs, which comes with carrots and potatoes for $22. There are also vegetarian options. more ›

With more than 575 people sick in 43 states, public fears over salmonella-tainted peanuts are affecting restaurant menu offerings in the city. The Times reports that peanut-based desserts made by Gramercy Tavern’s Nancy Olson and Dovetail’s Vera Tong have been removed at least temporarily from dessert menus, and more customers want to know the origin of peanut products served by restaurants. The salmonella crisis allegedly stems from tainted peanuts sold by Peanut Corp. of America, a Virginia-based company, to an assortment of manufacturers and food producers like Clif Bar and Little Debbie. more ›

Last night at the somewhat not completed luxury condo project 15 Union Square West (guests rode a construction elevator up to the entrance), chefs Daniel Boulud and Marco Moreira hosted a book party for Dining in New York City, a new, compact hardcover guide to the city’s restaurants by Dutch photographer Jan Bartelsman. Proceeds from the evening benefitted Citymeals-on-Wheels. Fifteen local restaurants—plus the 3 Michelin starred De Librije (Netherlands)—were on hand, offering small plate cityscapes of their best dishes. As the night progressed, chef Daniel Boulud appeared smiling, apparently happy with the four star re-review of Daniel published yesterday in the Times. Elsewhere, food writer Josh Ozersky—who announced to the world yesterday he has gout—showed up wearing a foot brace, albeit triumphantly. more ›

is an incredibly thorough and well-researched reference guide for home and professional cooks alike. more ›

More about tomorrow's Futurehood benefit to help PS 41 convert its plain old rooftop into a environmentally-beneficent green roof: A measly $10 gets you assorted snacks and a sampling of chef Michael Anthony's food from Gramercy Tavern, Bobo, Murray’s Bagels, and Royal Café + Pastry. GELL project founder Vicki Sando and Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer will speak. Proponents believe that wider adoption of green roof systems in urban areas lead to decreased storm drain run-off and help scrub the air clean. Organizer Carlos Suarez envisions future outdoor events like the “Mozart series they have in Provence, maybe a biweekly opera series featuring the participation of neighborhood restaurants.” For tomorrow’s benefit, however, Southpaw co-owner Mikey Palms has enlisted slightly louder performances from bands including the Hungry March Band, Care Bears on Fire, and Tiny Masters of Today to round out the bill. 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 ›

Ladies and gentlemen, Chef Tom Colicchio is coming back to the kitchen. Starting two weeks from tomorrow, Colicchio will cook at Tom: Tuesday Dinner in the 32-seat private dining room space at Craft, offering a seasonally-driven, seven to eight course tasting menu for a limited number of guests every other Tuesday. (Set-price starting at $150.) Though Colicchio insists he's never really left the kitchen—despite the vastness of the Craft empire and his Top Chef judging duties—the new venture will certainly afford him the creativity that comes with plating individual dishes (as opposed to the family-style service of Craft). more ›

Nominees for the 2008 James Beard Foundation Awards, which are kind of like the Academy Awards for chefs, have just been announced. This year’s ceremony will take place on June 8 at Avery Fischer Hall; New York contenders include Gavin Keysen of Café Boulud, up for Rising Star Chef. For the nationwide awards, Gothamist interviewees Dan Barber and Michael Psilakis have been nominated for Outstanding Chef and Best New Restaurant, respectively. Gramercy Tavern, owned by Danny Meyer, is up for Outstanding Restaurant. The full list is here. 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 ›

Get to a phone, frugal foodies – New York’s winter Restaurant Week goes down next month, but reservations are being accepted starting today. And since these places tend to fill up fast, now is not the time to let any fear of commitment hold you back. more ›

The entrée is so over, the top chefs tell us. Yesterday Times reporter Kim Severson sunk her teeth into the long decline of the entrée and the increasing dominance of side dishes and tapas at many fine restaurants. As former Gramercy Tavern chef Tom Colicchio tells her, “Eating an entrée is too many bites of one thing, and it’s boring.” Amid all the evidence of diminishing entrée options at restaurants nationwide (at Gemma, entrées are... 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 ›

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 ›

Earlier this week, StarChefs held its 2nd International Chef’s Congress on the top two floors of 7 World Trade Center. Open to industry professionals only, this annual event draws notable chefs from all over the world and provides the opportunity to honor its Rising Stars, an award the culinary organization gives to young professionals. A full list of this year’s winners, including Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern, Chris Lee of Gilt, and Daniel Eardley of Brooklyn’s Chestnut can be found here. This year’s winners were celebrated during the Rising Stars Revue Tuesday night at The Mansion on West 28th Street, which capped off the proceedings. more ›

Given the conspicuous absence of farmers in New York City, the decision to stage a Farm Aid benefit here may seem surprising. But when one considers the booming popularity of Greenmarkets throughout the city, the metropolitan locale makes a certain sense. This year’s Farm Aid will feature an abundance of organic food on sale from local farms, so health-conscious New Yorkers are sure to feel right at home. And for one week starting today, top city restaurants like Angelica Kitchen and Gramercy Tavern will offer family farm meals using sustainable, humane farming practices. The all-day event takes place this Sunday on Randall's Island; the line-up boasts Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, and many more. (Buy tickets here.) more ›

There's an excellent Vows column in this week's NY Times Weddings & Celebrations. It's the one for Fran Boyd and Donnie Andrews, two Baltimore residents whose difficult lives were the basis for the HBO dramas The Corner and The Wire. Boyd and Andrews were featured in a page one story in the Times last week, and the Vows column explains more of how they met and how they supported each other during prison sentences, while overcoming addiction, and as they tried to put their lives back together. more ›

Got some Hot Sake for us? Send it our way, credit will be given...or not if you prefer. more ›

">Bruni goes to Gramercy Tavern, awards the restaurant--now helmed by chef Michael Anthony--three stars. It was last reviewed by William Grimes, when Tom Colicchio was cooking and when it also received three stars. Bruni says the restaurant delivers what diners want: “a kind of unstrained graciousness and unlabored sophistication.” Nearly everything he tasted was “exquisitely cooked,” and while the desserts aren’t the best ever, “there are some fine choices.” more ›

We were fortunate enough to be at the Time Out New York Eat Out Awards last night to watch the winners of both the Readers' Choice awards, chosen by readers who made over 14,000 submissions, and the Critics' Picks awards, selected by the TONY staff. The coveted plates hang on restaurant and bar walls throughout the city. more ›

Bruni visits Nish (the former March) on the Upper East Side, awards the restaurant two stars. The restaurant is "March minus some of the manners and mannerisms," says Bruni, more casual and more accessible. While he likes most of the food, as well as the affordable wine, he finds that it "isn't so dazzling as to guarantee the kind of success that’s eluded [chef Wayne Nish] over the last few years." more ›

The great divide between New York City restaurant chefs and serious home cooks is becoming narrower by the day. Chefs pen guest columns for the New York Times telling us what to look for when buying turnips and get interviewed by bloggers about where the most durable knives can be found, all in the name of improving the home cook’s game. A chef might even be followed around the city in order for us to learn, for example, which Chinatown street vendor has the best charcoal-grilled chicken hearts. These things all are well and good, but here is one product used in many high-end restaurant kitchens- up until now a well-kept secret, really- that isn’t available in many, if any, New York gourmet food stores, despite the breadth of all the cold-pressed, virgin, and refined choices to be found. Yes, it’s a type of olive oil, one that chefs don’t want you to know about. more ›

- Hungry for a late night snack in Williamsburg? The tamale girl to the rescue, and on rollerskates, no less! more ›

Tim, Nina and the gang are at it again. This year's NYC Zagat Restaurant Guide is now available, compiling surveys from 31,604 participants and covering 2,014 restaurants. First off, although we generally do most of our restaurant research online, we definitely appreciate two additional features that are part of the new physical guide: a foldout map listing the 50 "New Yorkers' Favorite Restaurants," and sticky arrow tabs designed for users to place throughout the book, with labels like "Must Try," "Never Again," and "Love it!" more ›

-- Surprising: Lieberman has bounced back and is now leading Ned Lamont in Connecticut's senate race-- the latest poll says he's up 10%. more ›