When an engagement doesn’t follow its due course, who gets custody of the ring? The question is central in a lawsuit filed by a man who says his onetime fiancée “rushed” him into marriage, all the while planning to drop him and keep the rock. Rena Hope Friedman and Roger Adler were introduced by their mothers at a Hamptons Labor Day Party. Friedman fell hard for the clinical ophthalmologist, or so he thought, and just six weeks later he spent $58,000 on a ring to mark their engagement. Twelve days after that the whirlwind romance spun to a stop, but Friedman held on to her diamond. Adler thinks he should it get it back; not only that, he accuses his former love of pulling the same scam on other would-be husbands. more ›

Cops have arrested the “person of interest” suspected in a heist that left the 71-year-old owner of an upper Manhattan jewelry store dead. On Wednesday police found 37 pieces of jewelry in Edmond Alma’s apartment including 14 rings, seven necklaces and some bracelets, earrings and charms. They also found a bullet-resistant vest and 9 mm bullets—the very same type used to shoot the shop's proprietor. Against all that evidence Alma’s lawyer said "My client is not the shooter, he was not in that jewelry store." more ›

Investigators questioning a man thought to be involved in a deadly Upper East Side jewelry store robbery recovered a bulletproof vest and a safe containing stolen jewelry in the Washington Heights resident's apartment. Police have not charged the "person of interest," but according to the Post they've "spent nearly 24 hours quizzing him at the 19th Precinct station house about the $1.2 million heist" that resulted in the death of 71-year-old employee Henry Menahem. more ›

In the wake of the deaths of three children on Saturday, apparently killed by their mother, the Nassau County Children's Protection Services supervisor was suspended today. more ›

This week Bruni visits Keith McNally's Morandi, which has been getting creamed by critics of late. He awards the restaurant one star, says "the food has been getting a worse rap than it deserves," but also that it's erratic. He doesn't love the desserts, but doesn't hate them; same goes for the wine list. Overall, McNally has "miscalculated with this restaurant," says Bruni, "which doesn't have enough atmospheric magic to distract you from the insane decibel level, absence of elbow room and uncomfortable chairs." 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 ›

Bruni re-reviews Eleven Madison Park and the Bar Room at the Modern, bumping each up a star to three. He raves about chef Daniel Humm, who took over the kitchen at Eleven Madison Park early last year. Finds the beef tenderloin with bordelaise sauce thickened with marrow "druggy." As for the Bar Room, it's "an unpretentious character study," he says. more ›

Bruni one-stars Chinatown Brasserie; it's uneven, but he loves the dim sum. Especially the dumplings. "What's better than dumplings?" asks Frank. Gothamist has at times asked ourselves that same question. more ›

Bruni two-stars Degustation. The restaurant is the latest incarnation of Jewel Bako Robato, which had previously morphed into Grace's Kalbi Bar, and is a part of the Grace & Jack Lamb East Village empire. Creativity "courses through the concise lineup of dishes," says Bruni. more ›

On Sundays Gothamist runs opinion pieces relevant to life in New York and reviews of recent books and performances. The judgments expressed below are entirely those of the author. more ›

Ooh, via Capn Design (via The Go Figure), Adidas is turning up the marketing for its adicolor shoes with some cool in-store displays. Only the stores are not Adidas stores but regular ol' bodegas. Here's a photo of a shoe in a plexiglass case. Our question: Are they bolted down, because if not, they seem like very steal-worthy. more ›

- The poster couple for cute East Village restaurants, Jack and Grace Lamb, brings us Degustation in the 16 seat spot next to Jewel Bako. The menu is small plate-style, with Spanish and French influences. 239 East Fifth Street, (212) 979-1012. [via NYT, Thrillist] more ›

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Charlie Suisman over at Manhattan User's Guide broke the French omerta on the New York City restaurants Michelin guide and listed the restaurants receiving 1, 2 or 3 stars. Only thirty-nine restaurants were reviewed. Here's a quick analysis: more ›

Between the accelerating AC bill, the boredom of August and the depression of knowing we don't summer anywhere, Gothamist has been more and more interested in revisiting the idea of cheap. Fish Bar is not what we'd technically call a dive (we're not afraid to let our feet touch the floor). It is an adorable and filled with kitsch: mermaids, tackle, shells, and buoys line the walls and compete with the Stoli for room on the bar. On a block dominated by Grace & Jack Lamb (the bar shares a wall with very elegant Jewel Bako), Fish Bar is easy to get comfortable in, without pretense. more ›

Tonight, be sure to catch a sneak peak at this summer’s upcoming movies: MoMA’s Department of Film and Media presents Gus Van Sant’s Last Days, inspired and "loosely" based on Kurt Cobain’s last days before his suicide (with Michael Pitt as the struggling, Seattle-based grungy musician), at 9:00 PM, as well as Van Sant’s Elephant at 7:00 PM. $10 more ›

Summer crept up on us this year - one day 40 degrees and rain, next a sweltering 87 degrees. Ok, maybe sweltering is a little dramatic, but after trekking 30 minutes across town to the 6 train, down the never-ending stairs and waiting “patiently” for the train to come – all we wanted was a cold refreshing beverage (or three). So we made a little detour to the wine store. more ›

It has also earned a certain renown among chefs. "When I went to check out Sui with a friend," the author says, "the chef overheard our conversation and asked if I was Lippmann-san. He said his friend at Riingo told him about the sheet and that I would be coming by, and hopefully I'd add him." Lippmann obliged.

The Corner Table posts their current top five restaurants in NYC: more ›

The readers at sushi NYC love Jewel Bako. And the Lambs' other restaurant, Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar, is a great place for some oysters and drinks or for a decadent tasting menu. more ›

Gothamist's favorite sushi experiences thus far have been at Sugiyama and Jewel Bako. What are yours? And more about raw fish eating at Sushi NYC. more ›

Learn more about what the Food and Drug Administration is up to. And check out their Office of Seafood. more ›

The Times' Alex Kuczynski gives the local color, calling it an event in a "Federico Fellini-meets-Michael Bloomberg kind of way," which, as Gothamist understands it, means the night involved lots of adulterous men, hookers, clowns, and billionaires turned civil servants. Cool! more ›

she loves ny breaks its sushi issue. Raw fish fanatics can get the scoop on "New and of Note," The Top Top," "Top Sashimi," "Top Dives," and "Who's Who Of Maki Rolls" plus the resy low-down. slny says "The Top Top" "however should be had on expense accounts only," Gothamist offers, "should be had on dates with sugar daddies or sugar mommies...or with real mommies and daddies." At any rate, Gothamist loves she loves ny...glslny. more ›

Gothamist headed to the Blue Goose Cafe on Second Avenue and 6th Street for an afternoon snack with T, who, not so coincidentally, was our companion when we frequented owners Jack and Grace Lamb's other East Village venture, the wonderful Jewel Bako. With pastries from Payard, Ceci Cela, and Sullivan Street Bakery, the Blue Goose is as close to a sure thing a simple cafe can be, but the Lambs have added their elegant touch. more ›

Looks like "alternative" music festival Field Day Fest is happening at Giants Stadium, at least according to Ticketmaster. Gothamist thinks it's funny how last weekend, Giants Stadium held Zootopia, the pop-hit heavy concert thrown by Z100 that had, according to their site, "Aerosmith, Kelly Clarkson, TLC, Mariah Carey, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Jewel, Third Eye Blind, Wayne Wonder, Simple Plan, Tanto Metro & Devonte, Daniel Bedingfield, JC Chasez, Bowling For Soup, Ginuwine... your American Idol's Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, PLUS special guest-hosts BRITNEY SPEARS and LISA MARIE PRESLEY!" more ›