If you’ve got a sweet tooth and a couple hundred bucks to blow, you’ll want to mark your calendar for Friday November 16th, when the Food Network throws New York’s “largest dessert party ever.” Called Sweet, the event will unleash a massive tsunami of temptations from some of NewYork’s top pastry chefs, confectioners, cheese makers, bakers and chocolatiers. To wash it all down there’ll be a wide selection of champagne and wine, including samples from......

We got ourselves a note in the inbox from the folks who run the Big Apple BBQ to let us know that Bubba FastPasses are currently on sale from now till May 25 for the June 9 & 10 event. Gothamist was all over this event last year; look for more great coverage and photos coming up soon. This year should provide a bit of a pre-show glimpse of what local pitmaster Robbie Richter has......

May 3: Cheezapolooza III: Naked vs Cooked Nolita House hosts cheese gurus Waldemar & Nadia as they feature six of spring's best artisanal cheese both unadulterated and then all hot and melty. Nibbles include Piave Vecchio and Pancetta Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches; Mini Valdeon Blue Cheese Burgers on Brioche and Four Year Aged Gouda Mini Mac & Cheese. You'll get drink tickets for a glass of wine or beer selected to pair with the each......

Being Bled Dry Thanks to the long awaited storm that hit us last week, the New York Blood Center reports that its supplies reached a "critically low" level this week. As of yesterday, for three particular blood types, the Center had less than a two-day supply. This is apparently less than half of what they consider a safe amount of reserve. This is a result of canceled donations last Wednesday where the Center received less......

Hungry for some good gluten, Gothamist booked it to the three-month-old Kate’s Brooklyn Joint in Williamsburg, an outpost of the East Village mainstay. Despite its vibrant grafitti façade, Kate’s is a dismal sort of place. The restaurant’s gloomy flooring and rhythmically flickering lights recall the lesser charms of an auto body shop. It’s aggressively without frills but that’s fine by us—the food, for Billyburg vegans anyway, makes decent work of picking up the slack.......

Interesting fact: it's legal to use campaign money to pay off personal legal debts. Case in point: Hevesi has spent $750,000+ out of his campaign treasury on defense lawyers. The New York Inquirer takes a bafflingly close look a New York hot dogs-- but still can't figure out exactly where the name comes from. Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an "all hands" call at 400 West 43rd Street, a School Hazmat situation on Bedford......

December 7: Alex Prud’homme at O&CO. Join Alex Prud’homme, Julia Child's grandnephew, as he recounts stories about Julia and reads from her memoir, My Life in France, which he co-authored. He will also be available to sign books, which might make a great present for someone on your holiday shopping list. O&CO. store, Grand Central Terminal, Graybar Passage--Lexington Ave & 42nd St. (212-973-1472), 6:00 pm, Free. December 8 - 17: Gingerbread Homes for Animals Pastry......

A prosciutto that plays soccer, a Szechwan pepper who's a karate master, and a chocolate lollipop that bears a striking resemblance to Mr. Hanky. These are but a few of the colorful characters inhabiting the Javits Center during the past few days. It's the 52nd Annual Fancy Food Show, when producers from around the world converge to hawk their goods to buyers. Not everything is gimcrackery though. Some of the next big trends in food......

Yesterday, Jason Kottke posted what he felt is necessary to the perfect sandwich. After going back to the sandwich's humble beginings, he states: The keys to a good sandwich are the three Bs: bread, balance, and...ok, there's only two Bs, but they're important. Aside from the main ingredient (turkey, tuna, chicken salad, etc.), the bread has the power to make or break a sandwich. The first thing you taste when you take a bite is......

Joe Schumacher headed to the Shake Shack for a little Shacktoberfest, ordered up some tasty sausage and beer, and then noticed a the Shake Shack's smallest customer: A little field mouse. Now, a customer of this size should be expected, given the Shake Shack's Madison Square Park location, and Gothamist can only assume that this mouse is a discerning conoisseur of not only food but also architecture, as he has a nice view of the......

On hot summer nights Gothamist adores hunkering down in an air-conditioned movie theater to watch the latest flick o' the moment. And, what's a trip to the cinema without a trip to the concession stand? Who can resist the traditional combo of a gargantuan barrel of soda complimented by a trough of buttery, salty popcorn? Apparently, plenty of folk. Gothamist is noticing that more and more gourmand fare is finding its way onto local movie......

Hip-Hop dominates this week with at least three recommended shows. Some of the best acts in indie hip-hop play Irving Plaza tonight (Monday). It’s one of the only stops on the Stone Throw Records Tour featuring Madlib, M.E.D, Peanut Butter Wolf, and J-Rocc. On Tuesday Madlib and M.E.D. will also perform for free at Fat Beats. [Listen to some music Madlib put out on Blue Note.] Last year Madlib joined MF DOOM to release......

Brooklyn Heights' Montague Street can finally claim its very own Tasti D-Lite. The Haagen-Daz up the street can eat its heart - and hips - out. Already, brownstone Brooklyn gals are lining up at the newest branch in Tasti D-Lite's franchise family to indulge in frozen confections flavored with Oreo, Peanut Butter, Rice Pudding and more. And, if the chain's marketing materials are to be believed, it's actually low in calories, 100% natural, cholesterol free......

Just what the city has been waiting for: A fight between a cupcake shop and an ice cream shop! Crumbs Bake Shop and Crema Lita taking it to the cupcakes. Crumbs used to supply cupcakes to Crema Lita, the ice cream chain which had to change its "low-fat" claims when it was found their ice cream was fatty, but then Crema Lita CEO Jeffrey Britz decided to use cupcakes from his own bakery, the SoHo......

Much to do this weekend. Much to do. Rothko, recently overhauled and much improved, has been on a roll as of late--if you can actually get in the door. Tomorrow night, there's yet another great show at the Lower East Side club: Bad Wizard and the Izzys. As is always the case, expect a lot of amped-up '70s rock, beer, whiskey and wailing guitar solos when the mighty Bad Wizard takes the stage. It's a......

[Ed: Gothamist is lucky to present some more music picks for the weekend from Coolfer.] Some of underground hip hop's finest stop by Southpaw on Friday night. The prolific Madlib (who isn't too underground anymore) is joined by Peanut Butter Wolf and J.Rocc (of the Beat Junkies). You may know Madlib for his album Shades of Blue (on Blue Note), or you may know his as one-half of Jaylib, or you may know him as......