A veteran of Nobu and Ruby Foo’s, Chris Cheung was hired 5 months ago to replace Patricia Yeo at Monkey Bar, the red satin and black lacquer midtown institution known primarily for its, well, monkey theme. In an effort to reemphasize the food quotient of the restaurant, the 38 year-old chef maintains an inventory of global tastes and reassembles them using the template of traditional Chinese food: The curly fries, for example, that come with......

This week in the Times, Bruni two-stars Soto, calls the restaurant “an unipalooza like none I’ve encountered.” Don’t stick to the sushi and sashimi; if you do, you’re “missing not only the best of this restaurant but also the point of it.” The service? “Sluggish and absent-minded.” In $25 and Under, Peter Meehan goes to Go! Go! Curry where he finds the curry sauce gloopy and sludgy, but ultimately “beguiling.” And they have a mascot......

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Café Boulud, reaffirms its three-star status. Says that under Chef Bertrand Chemel (who replaced Andrew Carmellini after his departure in 2005), the restaurant “promises about as much pleasure in the present as it did in the past.” He likes the traditional section of the menu best, but also loves the pastas. Doesn’t love the desserts, excepting the soufflés. In Dining Briefs, Bruni goes to Benjamin Steak......

Bruni visits the recently reopened Provence (now owned and run by Cookshop & Five Points’ Marc Meyer and Vicki Freeman), awards the restaurant one star. He likes the minimal changes they’ve made to the design; the food, not so much: “Provence’s is inconsistent and dull,” he says. He does like the wine and the cheese selection though. Also in the Times, ">Peter Meehan goes to Grand Sichuan East Village for $25 and Under. Says, “Of......

- The Daily News explores the world of the NYC gastropub, including the Spotted Pig, E.U., Spike Hill, recently opened Alchemy and the Inn LW12 (Augieland gives us a preview), and soon-to-come Borough Food & Drink, a Chodorow creation. - A hearty bowl of ramen will keep you warm, and Manhattan Users Guide has highlighted some of the best. - After being on Eater's Deathwatch for a while now, The Lonesome Dove is officially dead.......

June 29: At the Table: Celebrating Women Chefs & Restaurateurs It's all about the ladies at this benefit for the scholarship fund of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, an organization that promotes the advancement of women in the restaurant industry. Join top women chefs and sommeliers at this five-course dinner and reception, including Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez of Lassi, Rebecca Charles of Pearl Oyster Bar, and Patricia Yeo of Sapa, among others. Gourmet's Sara Moulton, the Honorary Chair......

Last week, The Delancey played host to the launch of Taste NY, a new TV show about eating in New York. As a co-production of NYC TV and Time Out New York, the connection is obvious from the venue (one of the rooftop bars featured in last week's cover story ahem Drink Up, ahem) to the premiere episode about cheap eats (this week's TONY cover story). The host, Kelly Choi, was on hand to ask......

Everyone we know is doing something, however small, in response to the devastating disaster, but some are doing what they do best: cook and eat. We've heard of a few food events to benefit the tsunami relief effort, but please let us know if you've heard of any others. - On January 11th, five chefs specializing in Asian Cuisine will be holding a five course dinner at Sapa, 43 West 24th Street. Sapa's chef Patricia......

New York Cookbook, by Molly O'Neill (Workman, 1992) Patricia Yeo: Cooking from A to Z, by Patricia Yeo (St. Martin's, 2002) One of the hard things about holiday entertaining is thinking of good appetizers that everyone isn't tired of, and that seem somewhat healthy so that people will actually eat them. Sometimes all that heavy holiday food is overwhelming and you just want something that tases like it would be good for you, but isn't......

Girlynyc, Panty Blogger...

Gothamist Cooks (Kind of) by the Book About Gothamist Cooks (Kind of) by the Book is a weekly column written by Girlynyc, featuring a tasty, easy-to-make recipe featured in a New York-related cookbook. This week features New York Cooks: The 100 Best Recipes from New York Magazine, by Gillian Duffy (Primedia, 2003). Gillian Duffy raided fifteen years of back issues of New York Magazine for its best recipes, so you can throw out all those......

Gothamist will leave Amanda Hesser critiquing to Eurotrash and, instead, we'd like to take a look at Katy Sparks, the new chef at Upper West Side restaurant Compass, which received 1 star in Hesser's review today. Sparks seemed to be the only reason why Compass received any stars at all, because while Hesser notes the atmosphere, once "clean and cool," is "worn," the sound level is loud and service is "[a]t its worst, like a......