We thought the whole stalking saga of Law & Order: Criminal Intent star Kathryn Erbe was an open and shut creepy-dude-on-the-internet-is-obsessed-with-mid-level-TV-actress case. But the testimony yesterday by superfan Charles Nagel has opened our eyes. See, Nagel was "Internet friends" with Erbe via MySpace, and the two had been trading friendly messages. So you can understand how upset he was when he found out that the account was being run by a teenage imposter! more ›

The Bronx's Jimmy Groves came forward yesterday to hold his Mega Millions press conference, his first public appearance since winning $168 million in the big drawing a few weeks back. After reports of Groves boozing up and bumming out fearing the downsides of his big paycheck, yesterday he was all smiles, telling of his big first meal as New York's biggest jackpot winner ever (a hamburger) and about his mom rushing up from Tennessee once she heard. The self-described "homebody" has retired from his job stacking chairs at MSG and said he wants to buy a home with a yard, possibly in the Bronx or Harlem or "places in Brooklyn that are having a resurgence." He said, "I went to Germany. I came back, and New York is the only place for me right now." Like 96% of ticket buyers, Groves said he always chooses the lump sum option, but switched to the annuity on the winning ticket "because it might bring a change of luck." The 49-year-old grandfather tried to downplay his newfound status saying, "I still got to pay my rent, I still got to pay my lights and gas. I'm still just a regular Joe like everybody else. It's just that I got lucky." more ›

While the West Coast based In-N-Out Burger isn’t likely to be coming to the city anytime soon, another out of state burger chain has set its sights on Manhattan. The 4-year-old, Northern Virginia-based Elevation Burger has signed a “multi-unit franchising deal” with local business partners Fabian Rosario and John Harris. The franchise is frequently compared to Five Guys, so it might be speculated that the business will grow just as fast here: two years ago—almost to the day—there was only one Five Guys in New York; there are currently eight in the five boroughs and about a gazillion more scattered in the suburbs like chargrilled fallout. more ›

There was a smorgasbord of inter-borough hamburger love last night at the chandelier-bedazzled Astoria World Manor in Queens for the inaugural Burger Battle of the Boroughs. Representing good taste in general at event sponsor Pat LaFrieda Meats's table, Seymour Burton chef de cuisine (and non-competitor) Josh Shuffman cooked the restaurant’s signature burger for spectators while the event was judged. more ›

At the Ethnic Market highlights international specialty foods and ingredients you're very unlikely to find at your local Gristedes. more ›

Imagine that final beach scene in Planet of the Apes, but substitute every small patch of sand for a chain restaurant and that’ll give you an idea of where the NY restaurant scene might be heading – all blown up, with Charlton Heston eventually smashing his fists into a huge pile of thermal cardboard coffee cup sleeves instead of foamy surf. more ›