Here's our big bad roundup of all our favorite, New York-centric (or otherwise notable) food books published this year: more ›

In the year 2009, omelettes and their cheesy fillings will be delivered in vaporized streams emanating from subway grates like lasers; hickory bacon vapor will only be available through the Astor 6 subway grate closest to Starbucks. Pastrami sandwiches from Katz's will travel through the city's long-abandoned pneumatic tube system to old police call boxes. more ›

This past year, both coal oven SoHo institution Vesuvio Bakery and greatly loved restaurant Florent closed, along with scores of other restaurants and cafes throughout the city. A number of Harlem establishments seemingly disappeared overnight. In terms of historic restaurant reboots, 2008 was equally bad: Gage and Tollner was set to re-open, but the new tenants just disappeared. Elsewhere, the return of the O.G. speakeasy was delayed: Chumley’s 2.0 is still planned for 2009, its reopening to coincide with the two-year anniversary of its original structural collapse. more ›