Photograph of Mark Simmons, Top Chef contestant and sous-chef at Public, and WD-50 chef and owner Wylie Dufresne The festive factor was running high at last night's Taste of the Lower East Side, the 8th Annual fundraiser for the Grand Street Settlement. Forty neighborhood eateries pitched in to benefit Grand Street's programs that assist low-income Lower East Side residents, and they showcased some of their best dishes for the crowd of well over 1,000......

- When our work colleague showed us this in his copy of the Post yesterday he said the below described sandwich was for sale at McDonald's: A new steak sandwich going on sale today in London will make your mouth water and your wallet cry - because it costs a whopping $148. The McDonald sandwich consists of pricey Wagyu beef, Brie de Meaux cheese, 24-hour fermented sourdough bread, and foie gras-flavored mayonnaise. Turns out it......

May 10: A Taste of the Good Life, Une Soirée en Provence Transport yourself to the sunny lavender fields of Provence, if only for one night, while learning about the local wines and helping support a great cause. CancerCare provides free professional support services to people affected by cancer, and all proceeds from this event support their programs. Taste three of the region’s celebrated appellations: Côtes de Provence, Côteaux D’Aix en Provence, and Côteaux Varois......

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. April 5: Take A Bite Out of the Big Apple. This event, featuring Marco Canora of Hearth, Ed Witt......

Photo by Lars Klove for The New York Times Gothamist was somewhat dismayed when we saw Kuma Inn in today's $25 and Under NYT column, as it has long been one of our just-under-the-radar favorites. Sure, we let our close friends know about it, but now we're worried that the publicity will make it much harder to stop by for the Chinese sausage with sticy rice, caramelized onions, and fiery hot sauce (in the......

Foodies, LES-ers, everyone, here's an excellent way for you to put your mouth where your heart is: The Taste of the Lower East Side next Thursday, April 15, which has thirty-four restaurants raising money for the Grand Street Settlement. The Grand Street Settlement offers a number of programs for the Lower East Side community's kids, teens, and seniors, ranging from after-school to career help. Restaurants include: 71 Clinton Fresh Food, AKA Café, Alias Restaurant, Apizz,......

After reading raves from Below 14th and NYCEats, Gothamist decided to try Kuma Inn for ourselves. And after the visit, we are glad we did. What better than some Southeast Asian tapas, sake and Tsingtao, and a mellow environment on a dreary night? Some of our favorites were the crab cakes (above left), a grilled tuna accompanied by delicious sauces (above right), and the wasabi pork shumai (right, after Gothamist dug in). The chicken......

Time to get that monkey on your back: It's the Lunar Year 4072, the Year of the Monkey, also known as Chinese New Year, as well as Korean, Vietnamese, and Malaysian New Year. Asian (and other) peoples will be celebrating tonight and for the next two weeks, eating, wearing red, eating, paying respect to their elders, eating, and eating some more. There are plenty of superstitions and traditions that take place, but the best......