Last night's episode of Mad Men was seriously lacking in Joan (whom the creators of said show better bring back) — but the real Joan, actress Christina Hendricks, was at Il Buco getting hitched to hubby, actor Geoffrey Arend. People reports back from the scene, but NBC explains why the Bond Street restaurant was chosen as a venue. more ›

Most visiting chefs making special appearances in New York kitchens hail from countries like Spain and France, and accordingly, bring foams and terrines aplenty. The Argentine chef Francis Mallman, however, will be packing one thing only with him later this month when he arrives for his guest chef stint at Bond Street restaurant Il Buco, and that one thing is Special Techniques in Advanced Patagonian Grilling. Hopefully, it clears customs. more ›

28 year-old chef Ignacio Mattos started work at 6 am today to get the coals hot enough to roast a pig in the middle of Bond Street this afternoon. The annual Sagra del Maiale event at Il Buco is a celebration of the autumnal equinox and at its center is a whole roasted heritage breed pig. From 1-6 pm, $20 gets you a plate of cross-Ossabaw meat and sides like panzanella with greenmarket vegetables, sausage made from Flying Pig Farms pork, and apple fritters doused with saba. From 6pm to midnight, the festival moves indoors and the menu expands to include charcuterie plates and pasta with walnut pesto. Beer and wine are extra, but look for apple wine from local Wölffer Estates. We asked Uruguayan-born chef Mattos about his mentor Francis Mallman, being a vegetarian, and what it might be like to go live amongst the pigs on Ossabaw Island. more ›

The most eco-friendly way to eat on Earth Day – and any day – is by growing your own food, eating it raw and composting the scraps. But for those of us who aren’t urban farmers, there are some good green options happening on or around April 22nd. more ›

For those not wanting to hit the big Halloween parade (led by today's interviewee) there are other options: Park Slope's Halloween Parade (info here), Clinton Hill's Halloween Walk (info here) Prospect Park South's Halloween Parade (info here) and Williamsburg's Witches Walk (info here). more ›

A few weeks ago when we learned that Noho eatery Il Buco would be roasting Ossabaw hogs for its fourth annual "Sagra del Maiale," or outdoor pig roast, we knew there was no way in hell that Gothamist could stay away from the cobblestone block that is Bond Street. The Ossabaw is the very pig that Peter Kaminsky sang the praises of in his book Pig Perfect. And it is indeed quite a special piggy, for it is descended from Spain's legendary black-footed pigs, which are the source of the mindshatteringly luscious Jamon Iberico. more ›

Celebrate the extension of the vendors' permit through the end of their season in October and add on extra festivities for Mexican and Central American Independence Day. Caesar Fuentes, the organizing force behind the vendors, promises that "the food vendors committee will host a livelier than usual weekend event - more soccer games, pinatas, music, and a 2 day art exhibit featuring photographs taken by the food vendors." Sounds good to us. 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.

Bruni doubles up this week, visiting both Pera in midtown and Dennis Foy in Tribeca. Each restaurant receives one star and the summation that they're worth stopping by if you're in the neighborhood. At Pera, the grilled meats stand out, though Bruni warns, "Stray far from 'tradition' and you risk disappointment, or at least boredom." He likes Dennis Foy's "French-inflected" food, particularly the gnocchi and the crab tian. Calls the restaurant "a worthy but low-wattage addition to the New York dining scene." more ›

In case you've been caught up in your holiday shopping, we wanted to let you know about some recent restaurant openings: more ›

- Ed Levine has a short round up of the Il Buco annual pig roast; looks like it should be on the calendar next year. more ›

The man stabbed on an uptown 2 train early Saturday morning tells the Post what happened. A strange man was "throwing potato chips at a passed out drunk woman," and when the chips hit Antonio Ramirez, who was headed back to Washington Heights after working at Il Buco, Ramirez asked the man if he was all right.

"Do I look OK?" the maniac snarled back at him. more ›

September 21: Sagra del Maiale more ›

Today: Danny Meyer's Shake Shack re-opens. People are all in a tizzy about this place. We have to admit, we like the burgers at the Burger Joint more, but we haven't tried the famed dogs and custard yet. It's only open from 11-4 through April, but extended hours start May 1st. Madison Square Park, Southeast Corner. more ›