Restaurants add brunch to their menu repertoire seemingly everyday and it is really no big deal. But when that restaurant is 25-years-old and is considered, hands down, to be one of the best places to eat in the city? Worth noting. And so, we'd like to point out that starting on September 3rd Danny Meyer's much-loved Union Square Cafe is adding brunch. more ›

There are lots of things you can hate about the "vampire squid sucking the face of humanity" that is Goldman Sachs (their desserts being one innocuous example) but having a private grill at the new Shack Shake in Battery Park City is, unfortunately, not one of them. more ›

Restaurateur Danny Meyer sat down with the Wall Street Journal to talk about the future of the restaurant industry. A number of Meyer’s competitors have gone out of business this year because of the recession, and while the USHG boss has been asked about cost-cutting maneuvers before, here Meyer specifically addresses the future of high-end dining in New York:

“I don’t think there’s going to be sustainable demand for restaurants that force you to spend hours there. Long tasting menus will continue to be elected by some but cannot be legislated by the restaurant. We’re going to have more bistros and trattorias. People will have luxury items—caviar, foie gras, truffles—less frequently, having done without them for a year and a half, but they will come to appreciate them more because it won’t be at every bar and grill in the city.”

Mix Shake Stir, Danny Meyer's recently released book of cocktail recipes, contains a bunch of quasi-unattributed but helpful quotes from bartenders at Union Square Hospitality Group restaurants like Blue Smoke, The Modern, Eleven Madison Park, and Tabla. For example: "'Like a good cook, an experienced bartender tastes everything before serving it to guests. A cache of straws comes in handy!' — Union Square Bartender." more ›

Chef Michael Anthony can be incredibly emphatic about the farmers who supply Gramercy Tavern’s kitchen. He may tell you how he thinks the soil conditions at a particular farm influenced the flavors of certain vegetables. He might talk about baby turnips as if they’re long lost friends, but Anthony is also realistic about the purpose of food in our lives. more ›

Sterling In-Seat Service: waiter service will feature "Best of Ballpark" food from the outfield concourse Apparently, Meyer is a Mets fan and has been a season ticket holder for quite some time, and is very pleased to be putting his mark on the new stadium. "What you eat and drink – and how it's all served – has become a major part of the ballpark experience, and we are eager to contribute as much as we can to why people will love going to Citi Field." According to the Times, the Mets owner and Aramark are negotiating with other noteable local restaurateurs. We'd like to see a NYC Icy stand (or maybe even the Lemon Ice King of Corona), an outpost of Caracas Arepa Bar, and perhaps a Dosa cart for the vegan fans. Plus, it'd be a shame to lose Mama's; hopefully there will be space for them as well. more ›

A year ago, waiters at Chinatown restaurant Jing Fong accused management of taking tip money to pay dim sum cart ladies. Now, another restaurant's managers are under fire for taking tips from servers, but the restaurant is decidedly more upscale. Waiters at Telepan, which got a 25 for food in the most recent Zagat guide, tell NY1 that managers have been helping themselves to tips, which is illegal in NY State: Waiters can be paid below minimum wage (at Telepan, they make $4.60/hour) as long as they receive the tips.

[Former water Femi] Joseph showed NY1 a stack of tip sheets that detail how the tips are divided each night. Looking at this blank tip sheet one can see that managers are boldly listed as one of the groups that get a cut of the tips at the end of the night. more ›

Between the New York Times barbecue cover story last week and the giveaway pulled pork yesterday in Madison Square Park, it would seem as though New York is going all kinds of rubbed and sauce-slathered crazy (don’t forget to free up the second week of June for the mammoth Big Apple Barbecue). While the current media blitz over toasted bones and brash pit masters inevitably continues, Gothamist would like to divert just a little of your attention to some barbecue-appropriate side dishes and accoutrements, in particular, from the Carolinas and Georgia. more ›

Well, it looks like the Shake Shack is listening to our blathering! Peep this email we just got from Kelly Moss: more ›

- Waterford Wedgwood Outstanding Restauranteur Award: Danny Meyer, Union Square Hospitality Group more ›

Big Apple Barbecue
Gothamist tries barbecue from around the country without leaving Manhattan. more ›

Aaron mentioned this way back, but since the event is tomorrow and Sunday, we'll mention it again: The 1st Annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, presented by Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, Blue Smoke, and The Jazz Standard. It's all happening on East 27th Street, between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue. And as Gothamist loves to eat, we'll be there. With digital cameras, even though Lockhart Steele is afraid of our pictures. more ›