Pizza and waiting-forever-for-pizza lovers, rejoice! Di Fara pizzeria in Midwood has officially re-opened, following a nasty little spat with the Health Department over some less-than-savory conditions in the legendary restaurant. more ›

Roseland Ballroom will be open as of tomorrow, according to a woman who just answered the phone there. Last night the venue caught fire, and while there were no shows happening and the building was vacant, the FDNY's Frank Dwyer tells us that seven firefighters were injured while battling the flames (all with minor non-life threatening injuries). He added that the cause remains under investigation by the FDNY Fire Marshals. more ›

The Bryant Park lawn is now officially open (with their Summer Film Festival starting on June 21st). At the grand opening yesterday the Bryant Park Corporation warned humans that the green space was "open for wolves only," at which point a giant furry ran out and started doing yoga. Eventually, however, the humans were invited to join in as well. Wonder if this sort of animal opening ritual will summon coyotes to the area. 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 ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Hey old man, time to drop that flat, boring slice of pizza and get a clue: It's 2010 and the tyranny of the slice has at last come to an end in Manhattan, where K! Pizzacone opened in midtown today! Pizzacones, which reportedly taste more like a calzone, start at $4.90 each, but isn't it worth paying a little more not to look like a passé Poindexter with oil drizzling down your shirt? After seeing the revolutionary concept gain popularity in Brazil, Portugal, and Italy, Ingo Pinto, a former banker in Lisbon, decided the time had come for New Yorkers to get coned. more ›

The owner of Williamsburg's Monkey Town tells us there's "the tiniest pinprick of light under the door" suggesting that he may not have to close down his eclectic restaurant and performance space on January 24th. According to owner Montgomery Knott, his landlords—a group of four artists who own the building—violated an agreement made over the summer, and he's suing them in state Supreme Court for $1.2 million. If his lawyer can persuade a judge that the landlords violated a signed stipulation, Monkey Town's demise could be delayed. But if that happens, Knott will be in a bind because he stopped programming acts after January 24th. And that's where musician Yoko Ono might come in. more ›

Last week we noted the opening of a charming new restaurant/cocktail lounge/jazz bar called The Manhattan Inn in Greenpoint (located on Manhattan between Bedford and Nassau); but as you can see this place is so good looking it merits its own feature. This weekend we were actually lured there twice; the first visit was occasioned by our desire to wait out the Saturday afternoon rain and read over cocktails. The back room was uniquely suited for our purposes, and the Manhattan's Manhattan ($9) was as big and inviting as a heated private lap pool. (The classic specialty cocktail menu is from James Endicott, formerly of Per Se and Allen & Delancey, and there is also wine and craft beer on tap.) more ›

Mari Vanna: The latest addition to New York's niche dining market this week comes to us all the way from Russia. Mari Vanna opened last Wednesday after a soft opening all through July, bringing authentic Russian cuisine and all the vodka you can stomach. Inspired by the mythical Mari Vanna (think Max Brenner, but with Borscht), the restaurant feels more like an immigrant kitchen, complete with tchotchke on the bookshelves and ottomans on the floor. And with the winter months approaching, Mari Vanna offers Russian classics like Blinis and Beef Stroganoff on homey yet extravagant china and linens, and gives you the opportunity to wash down that stew with over 70 types of vodka, including a couple dozen imported bottles from Russia. The emphasis, however, is on their in-house infused vodkas, with flavors like Oats & Honey and Dill & Garlic. No word yet on if those flavors are actually successful. 41 E 20th St; (212)-777-1955 more ›

Anyone who strolls along Greenpoint's desolate West Street—just one tantalizing block from the East River—is familiar with the frustration of finding many streets leading to the water gated off. It's not as if there's some waterside idyll waiting on the other end of the block, but there's still something refreshing about being able to stand by the river and watch the sunset or fish (shudder). more ›

O' Barone: A few months back, some new activity was spotted taking place in the old 360 restaurant on Van Brunt Street in Red Hook. Italian language cookbooks popped up in the front window, only to be replaced a few weeks later with a copper zabaglione pan with a clip-on electric mixer and a map of Piedmont. It turns out all the props were really just hints of menus to come: an Italian chef named Fulvio Leone has gotten together with a few close friends and finally reopened the restaurant as O'Barone. The short menu features small plates, salads, and fresh pasta dishes, and there's also a full wine list. A sampling of salumi and cheese is $14, and a plate of melted tomino and pancetta over grilled radicchio is $8. The salads—like barley with tuna, tomato, and celery ($8)—favor lighter, summery flavors. Getting heavier, a plate of casarecce with sausage Bolognese is among the entrees. The sausage comes from nearby Carroll Gardens pork institution Esposito and Sons. Prices are typically $8 for appetizers and $12 for mains; nothing costs more than $16. 360 Van Brunt Street, Red Hook; (347) 599-2758 (Hugh Merwin) more ›

To paraphrase Mel Brooks, "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when a Staten Island teen falls down an open manhole while text-messaging." 15-year-old Alexa Longueira was walking with a friend around 5 p.m. yesterday and was about to send a text when she felt the ground give way: "She literally just handed me the phone and I opened it [and] I felt this big drop. It was four or five feet, it was very painful. I kind of crawled out and the DEP guys came running and helped me. ... They were just, like, 'I'm sorry! I'm sorry!'" Longueira got some scrapes on her arms and back (pictured), but doctors are concerned about possible spine damage and want a follow-up MRI. A DEP spokesperson says workers left the manhole momentarily to retrieve cones from the truck and expressed "regret." But Alexa's mother is determined to sue the city, and argues that it doesn't matter whether Alexa was texting or not; the manhole shouldn't have been left open. She tells the Staten Island Advance that even though the sewer wasn't full, "Oh my God, it was putrid. One of her sneakers is still down there." more ›

We haven't tried the food yet, but The Standard Grill—the new restaurant that officially opened last week on the ground floor of The Standard Hotel—seems to have a lot going for it. Besides being really ridiculously good looking, the joint's timing and location are prime indeed, coinciding with the first section of the High Line park to open to the public. The restaurant, designed by Roman and Williams, is comprised of three distinct spaces: an outdoor dining section, a sun-soaked bistro with tiled floor and a full bar, and a white-tablecloth, fine dining room with red banquettes and orange leather armchairs. more ›

Last September the Manhattan Bridge Archway in DUMBO reopened after 17 years, only to be promptly closed again with further renovations for the $500K project. Yesterday the gates were finally taken down for an unofficial unveiling. The safety orange adornments that lined the walls upon last glance are now down (phew), and there's likely some more work to be done, but now locals won't have to pass through Stabber Alley anymore. Upon completion the archway is accessible 24 hours a day, will house some special events and is "for public, non-vehicular use" (ahem). more ›

Rye: If there's a softer mode than "soft opening," a more friendly and familial "friends and family," it's embodied by this new Williamsburg restaurant from chef Cal Elliott (Dressler, Dumont). Though word of the new establishment, located in a former bodega, began trickling out several weeks ago, it is still very much a work in progress, albeit a gorgeous one. During a visit to Rye yesterday, an admittedly exhausted Elliott declined to reveal anything about his menu, which he would only describe as "contemporary American." He told us that a recent photo spread on Grub Street and menu reveal on Eater were done without his approval, and he may soon close the kitchen for a week to reevaluate. more ›

Ha, remember how last spring that poor guy fell through Ruby's floor into a filthy, rat-infested basement? If this photo is any indication, patrons at the quintessential Coney Island dive should also use caution when stepping out of the bar. Or, at least they would if the place was actually open; after ongoing negotiations with controversial landlord Joe Sitt, the owners of Ruby's still do not have a lease. more ›

The Coney Island that you know and love, um, sans Astroland, is back for one more season. As we mentioned yesterday, John Strong and his freaks will be setting up shop, and The NY Post reports that before the massive overhaul of the area goes down, amusement operators are optimistic they'll draw big crowds (before they build it, they will come?). more ›

Isn't it irritating how when you take the subway or PATH to Herald Square en route to Penn Station you have to clamber up to the street and wade through the mob scene just to schlep a block over to Seventh Avenue and go back underground again? Why can't there be a tunnel connecting the two stations? Turns out there is; it's just that it was closed sometime around 1990, possibly because nobody wanted to pay for its maintenance. more ›

This week Frank Bruni at the Times tells Zak Pelaccio (Fatty Crab) to get his shit together at the West Village's Cabrito: "On its best nights and judged by its best dishes, Cabrito is the Mexican restaurant so many of us dreamed about for so long. It has just enough sophistication and upscale trappings, manifest in the quality of its cocktails and length of its tequila and mezcal list, to be the plausible cynosure of a fun night out, not just a grubby refueling station where the price of dauntless, authentic flavors is a spartan atmosphere." BUT: "Cabrito is afflicted by an inconsistency that’s puzzling, even maddening. There are dishes that don’t seem, by nature, to rise to the caliber of others, and dishes that aren’t dependable from one visit to the next." more ›

The focal point of Trigo, a big 150-seat Mediterranean-inspired brasserie in TriBeCa, is the earth-stone hearth, where chef Michael Garrett bakes new twists on rustic flatbreads, which include a French-inspired Onion and Tart Green Apple. As you can see, the 20-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, elegant iron latticework, and monumental columns make this quite the ambitious enterprise. Only time will tell if it can stare recession in the eyes and laugh, but the all-day breakfast, lunch and dinner service could help Trigo make regulars out of the locals. more ›

Onda: Raymond Mohan (Plantain in Midtown, Colors on Lafayette) has brought his "refined Latin comfort food" to the South Street Seaport, where he's cooking up Mushroom Ceviche ($9), Churrasco grilled skirt steak with chimichurri ($23), Lima-style chicken ($18), yucca fries ($6), etc. We stopped in Onda (Spanish for vibe) the other night and liked the warm, dimly-lit lounge ambiance, accented by light fixtures constructed of colored wine glasses and bottles. Though we were too late to try much of the food, we highly recommend their superb Peruvian Pisco Sour at the bar to start things off (or finish things off). Pizzeria Uno, our usual Seaport go-to, will definitely have some competition come spring. 229 Front Street, (212) 513-0770 more ›

Good news for budget gourmands on the Upper West Side; after being closed for two days by the Department of Health, Kefi will reopen tonight at 5 p.m. The wildly popular Greek restaurant, which recently moved to a bigger space with the same high-quality, low-priced menu, was closed Wednesday after a health inspector cited them for missing paperwork, improper food storage, and not having a sink in the basement where prep work is done. A publicist for Michelin-starred chef Michael Psilakis tells us "the proper paperwork has been filed and an inspection this afternoon resulted in zero violations. Opa!" That last bit, according to the internets, is a Greek exclamation used to express joy. more ›

Back in September, 77-year-old Charlie Campbell learned that The Emerald Inn—the beloved Columbus Avenue dive bar that's been in his family since the '30s—was finally doomed when he saw the location advertised for lease on a website. At the time, the landlord was demanding more than double the $15,700 monthly rent. Fast-forward to 2009, and suddenly Campbell has been allowed to stay on because, as the property manager puts it, "of the kind of people the Campbells are." Oh, and also the economy. One Emerald regular speaks for all of us when she tells the Times, "Columbus Avenue has been turning into a strip mall, with chain stores and restaurants. Maybe the recession will help the mom-and-pops stay in business." But has the meltdown come too late to save indispensable St. Mark's Place dive Holiday Cocktail Lounge? more ›

There is actually quite a lot out there for tourists and locals seeking diversion in New York City today. Many Broadway shows are still performing, though at different times than usual, and TKTS in Times Square will be selling discounted theater tickets from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (The Brooklyn and South Street Seaport locations are closed.) There are also a couple performances of The Big Apple Circus scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. And the Radio City Christmas Spectacular isn't about to let a national holiday get those gams down; there are three performances today at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. more ›

Chef Michael Psilakis (friend of Gothamist) and partner Donatella Arpaia have finally opened the hotly anticipated, bigger location of Kefi, the Greek restaurant hailed by the Times in 2007 as "immensely appealing." The cozy original on 79th Street is regarded as one of the best deals in town, and the new location on Columbus Avenue, between 84th and 85th Streets, has miraculously not instituted a price hike. The $16.95 prix fixe is shockingly reasonable, especially considering the culinary talents of Psilakis, who has also won raves for Anthos and Mia Dona. more ›

This cute little brasserie is the latest venture for Chef Cyril Renaud, whose Michelin-starred restaurant Fleur de Sel is well-regarded for his approachable presentation of cuisine from Brittany, emphasizing seasonal ingredients. Hence Bar Breton, envisioned as Fleur de Sel's casual counterpart. more ›

Seäsonal: This sleek new midtown restaurant (pictured) uses Austrian and German classics as a springboard into lighter iterations of typically heavy Kraut cuisine. Chefs and co-owners Wolfgang Ban and Eduard Frauneder—if those even are their real names—are intent on making traditional staples like Schweinsbauch (Crispy Pork Belly) new again with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Other items include Wiener Schnitzel (Breaded Veal cutlet) served with a potato and cucumber salad, and Monkfish Medallions served on Szegediner Kraut. The wine list emphasizes regional bottles such as Riesling, Rivaner, and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), and the atmosphere is comfy and clean; Thrillist likens the white curves and latticework to "the getaway nook on the cruise ship from The Fifth Element." 132 West 58th Street, (212) 957-5550 more ›

The guys behind the smallish, always packed Dell'Anima in the West Village have expanded with L'Artusi, named after Pellegrino Artusi, the celebrated (and long dead) Italian cookbook author. Chef/owner Gabe Thompson and owner/wine director Joe Campanale have taken the sit-at-the-open-kitchen concept that's so popular at Dell'Anima and run with it, with even more seats at the L'Artusi counter to watch the sparks fly. The new 110-seat restaurant (which used to be Maremma) emphasizes seasonal Italian cuisine. And though it may be a lot bigger than Dell'Anima, you probably won't notice because all those stripes are very slimming. more ›

The fourth New York City location of The Palm restaurant opened on Friday in Tribeca. This outpost is located in a luxury condo on 200 Chambers Street, and some residents there are none too thrilled about their proximity to the popular steakhouse. One gripes on the Wired New York board: "The Palm Restaurant is ruining my life...The entire lobby smells of the exhaust of the Palm Restaurant. Also certain hallways in the building and interiors of apts are also complaining about the smell." more ›

Boqueria Soho is the spacious new outpost of the decidedly smaller Flatiron district tapas joint, named for a food market in Barcelona and beloved by Times critic Frank Bruni for its "charismatically bustling, remarkably warm scene." The second location keeps the warm vibe while more than doubling in size, with room for 70 diners in the 2,300-square foot room. But the focal point here is the open kitchen, which is surrounded by a 12-seat chef’s counter made available to walk-ins only. (Plus WiFi for the antisocial!) more ›

OH: Don't expect the Times's Frank Bruni to review it—Portfolio theorizes he HATES going to Harlem—but for everyone else, this three story restaurant/bar seems worth a try. Well, maybe not everyone; the top floor is a member's only club where $500 gets you "top notch service" and discount food and drinks. ($1000 gets you "full VIP access" to the cigar terrace.) Greasy Guide has a full review and reports that the menu features mini catfish sliders, mini turkey burgers with bbq sauce, gourmet pizza, and champagne sauteed shrimp: "It was also a great place to network. I gave out all of my business cards that I brought with me and everyone was super nice and talkative. So thank God that Harlem has all of these new places…Harlem is the place to be in NYC right now." Sure, he said the N word, but he's got a point about Harlem. 458 West 145th Street more ›