Eater has a letter that restaurateur Keith McNally (Balthazar, Pastis) sent to New York magazine critic Adam Platt. Platt wasn't that enthusiastic about McNally's new endeavor, Pulinio's Bar & Pizzeria, and McNally fires back: "The fact is, you're as out of touch describing young downtown New Yorkers as you are at understanding the restaurants where they like to eat. For in your middle-aged world it's axiomatic that busy, exuberant restaurants cannot and will not serve great food. This, unfortunately, is no less a form of prejudice than restaurateurs believing that bald, over-weight reviewers are incapable of reviewing lively downtown restaurants impartially." more ›

Keith McNally, the unassuming media darling behind such influential restaurants as Odeon, Balthazar, and the impenetrable new Minetta Tavern, this week opened his latest venture, Pulino's Bar and Pizzeria. Located at the corner of Bowery and Houston, the spacious, sun-drenched restaurant is helmed by Chef Nate Appleman, one of the few American pizzaiolos certified by the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association. For those mortals who can't get into Minetta, or would prefer not to spend a bundle at Balthazar or Pastis, Pulino's looks to be a slightly more approachable addition to the ever-charming McNally portfolio. Don't be discouraged by the crime scene theme—"Don’t Cross the Line" is emblazoned on servers' T-shirts, and some tables are made from wooden police barricades—reservations are accepted here. more ›

On Wednesday three former waiters filed suit against Keith McNally, owner of upscale eateries Pastis and Balthazar. The AP reports that the "restaurants had failed to pay minimum wage and overtime while letting non-tipped employees share in their tips." more ›

This week Bruni goes to P*ong, the dessert/savory restaurant brought to us by pastry chef Pichet Ong (formerly of Perry Street and Spice Market), awards the restaurant one star. Finds the restaurant "tantalizing, often irritating," and says it challenges one's ideas of what should be sweet and what should be savory. But the desserts are the restaurant's strenth, says Bruni, and also it's too crowded and the service is not good enough to make staying for a longer meal worth while. He likes the special cocktails, though. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting on Davidson Ave. in the Bronx, an armed robbery on Prospect Park West in Brooklyn, and a shooting at 40th Ave. and 10th St. in Queens.
• Bye-bye, birdie: Ziggy, the 6-week old red-tail hawk who fell and was saved in Midtown last week, was released into Central Park today.
• “When voters get confused, they vote no.” That almost seems like a sensible tack to take if you overlook just abstaining while in a voting booth. Abstaining is exactly what residents of an upstate community will be doing soon, because they were voting on a resolution regarding whether or not beer should be allowed to be sold in their town. Now it’s a dry town.
• Come on Down Rosie O’Donnell! She may be the next host of game show “The Price Is Right” now that Bob Barker has retired.
• Streetsblog notes a new street feature: the bike box. It’s a designated space at intersections reserved for cyclists so they’re the first moving at a green light. Seems like a good idea, but will probably just add another meaning to the traffic term “blocking the box.”
• Eater reports that restaurateur Keith McNally is again calling out The New York Times’ restaurant critic Frank Bruni, accusing him of favoritism and shilling for friends.
• Pete Hamill reviewed “TAXI! A Social History of the New York City Cabdriver” in The Times’ Sunday Book Review.
• WNBC’s Gabe Pressman muses on the question: “Do Public Authorities Really Care About the Public?”

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 one-stars E.U., finds the restaurant with the tortured history "eclectic not only in terms of its national influences but also in the quality of different dishes." He loves some of the food, as well as the design and the wine list, but dislikes the desserts. Says "you're taking a chance every time you walk in." more ›

Bruni goes to Varietal, calls it "an epicurean Advanced Placement exam" and awards the restaurant one star. He says, "Varietal can become so entraced with the unusual ingredients it's deploying, the unconventional ideas it's hatching and the uncommon pose it's striking that it seems not to ponder the off-kilter or underwhelming results." He does love the wine selection, and, when combined with the best dishes, says eating there can be an exciting experience. Just order carefully, and skip dessert. more ›

Just ask Jean Georges, Mario Batali or Tom Colicchio and they’ll tell you there is no need to re-invent the cheese-wheel, so to speak. They’ve built multi-million dollar culinary empires on a single concept, with a few tweaks here or there for freshness. But we’re sure they would warn, as they’ve learned in varying degrees, that the key is not to spread yourself too thin. They’d say to maintain high standards and consistency because your name can only carry you for so long. At least this is what we expect is the advice they would offer Keith McNally on his latest venture, Morandi, an Italian bistro-style eatery in the West Village. more ›

• The Port Authority has officially agreed to fund $1 billion of the Freedom Tower's construction
• Dr. Denton Sayer Cox, whose patients have included Andy Warhol and John Steinbeck, told police he was beaten and burned with a chemical at York and East 73rd Street but police believe he was the "victim of a gay pickup gone wrong" in his Upper East Side apartment. Either way, he's fighting for his life.
• A corrections officer gets a $1 million settlement because his female boss said things like "You better come and get some of this. My stuff is not going to wait for you forever." and "Why don't you let me make a man out of you?"
• Admissions for NYC public schools are "much more difficult" than college according to parents
• Bickfords, Corvingtons, and bishop crooks: Forgotten NY looks at old-fashioned street lamp design
• A 12-year-old boy died yesterday morning, after falling out the window of his 5th floor apartment in Harlem. His father believes his son pushed the air conditioner and may have tried to retrieve it, but the police are investigating.
• New anti-outdoor advertising poster boy: Restaurateur Keith McNally who picketed the Hotel Gansevoort today
• And in days old news, the Law & Order episode based on the Adrienne Shelly murder was came in second last Friday night, beaten by an episode of Numb3rs.
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In case you've been cut off from the outside world, we wanted to let you know that Keith McNally's Morandi (named after the painter, Giorgio Morandi) is officially opening tonight in the West Village. The man behind Balthazar, Pastis, and Schiller's Liquor Bar has teamed up with Chef Jody Williams, most recently at Gusto, for an Italian extravaganza. more ›

Bruni one-stars Cafe Cluny: it's "a beguiling neighborhood place," he says, and not much else. Cluny is partly-owned by Lynn Wagenkneckt, ex-wife of Keith McNally (the man who bought us Odeon, Cafe Luxembourg, Balthazar & Pastis), and Bruni sees something of their successful formulas here. Doesn’t make up for the "unimaginative" menu or "erratic" service, though. more ›

- As part of your National Hamburger Month celebration, make sure you eat these 20. The boys at A Hamburger Today revisit Alan Richman's GQ article from last summer. At least three are in New York -- you may have to travel a bit more for the others. more ›

The only subterranean venue of Keith McNally's creations, Pravda's Russian streetlamp inspired lights offer an inviting glow for 9-5'ers hunting down Beluga caviar and one or two or seventy types of vodka. On the main level, club chairs, whitewashed chairs, and low, bathhouse ceilings envelope the dining floor while upstairs, barstools are perched against the bar, just steps away from the bathroom where the stainless steel stalls and chicken wire are just inspiring enough to encourage the vodka and caviar happy folk to loosen their ties and indulge in another round. more ›

The Balthazar Cookbook, by Keith McNally, Riad Nasr, and Lee Hanson (Clarkson Potter, 2003) more ›

This summer has been one docu after another in the art house theaters. If you've seen enough talking heads, soft money and political intrigue to last you until the next election cycle, might we recommend a documentary on a topic near and dear to the Gothamist heart: New York restaurants. more ›

Other Nominees: more ›

Movies that make you hungry: Big Night, Eat Drink Man Woman, Babette's Feast, Like Water for Chocolate.
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