We knew the Waverly Inn was accepting reservations on OpenTable, but have they stooped so low as to offer those "Mystery Interactive Theater" dinners that your uncle Lonnie always INSISTS on paying for? At around 5 a.m. Friday morning, two men broke into the restaurant and punched a 28-year-old employee in the face before stealing bottles of "tequila, whiskey and gin, valued at $900," the Post reports. The victim was treated at Bellevue Hospital and is "OK." When asked for comment, Waverly Inn owner and Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter probably looked like a surprised/pleased elephant, as usual. more ›

Marilyn Dorato, president of the Greenwich Village Block Association and next-door neighbor of Waverly Inn, used to be a vocal critic of the celebrity haunt because of all the idling limos, paparazzi and all-around obstreperousness erupting from the exclusive restaurant. But some locals who still hate the place say she changed her tune once co-owner Graydon Carter hooked her up with a regular table and put her photo in his magazine, a little publication called Vanity Fair. Of course, Dorato insists it isn't the star treatment that won her over, but the security firm hired by Carter to control the limo traffic, and the new late morning garbage pick-up time. She tells the Post, "I'm treated very well, but I don't think it's a payoff." Obviously not! Note to Graydon: We too want to destroy the Waverly Inn, and have no dinner plans tonight. more ›

Permanent residents of the The Jane Hotel in the West Village say conditions at the shabby-chic reinvention of the old Hotel Riverview are so horrid that they've no choice but to picket outside the landlords' other establishments, which include celebrity favorite The Waverly Inn. On Wednesday night they made quite a scene outside the restaurant, and apparently won the sympathy of Hugh Jackman. The Post reports that as they chanted "Slumlords!" and "Rats!" outside, Jackman approached them to talk. Looking at photos depicting the dilapidated conditions at The Jane, he reportedly gasped, "Oh, my God." Diane von Furstenberg also showed some pity, asking, "Who are the slumlords?" That would be Eric Goode and Sean McPherson, who also run the Bowery Hotel, where the group protested last night over what publicist Ronn Torossian, their representative, calls "appalling conditions. Rats run [around] daily, asbestos lingers and 99 complaints have been filed in recent months with city housing authorities." more ›

John DeLucie has been entrenched in New York's restaurant scene for well over a decade, with stints at three-star restaurants and high end hotel kitchens along the way. Most recently running the show at La Bottega, he is currently a partner and the chef at the Waverly Inn, where New York's celebs go to see and be seen while dining on haute versions of comfort food classics. more ›

This week Bruni goes to P*ong, the dessert/savory restaurant brought to us by pastry chef Pichet Ong (formerly of Perry Street and Spice Market), awards the restaurant one star. Finds the restaurant "tantalizing, often irritating," and says it challenges one's ideas of what should be sweet and what should be savory. But the desserts are the restaurant's strenth, says Bruni, and also it's too crowded and the service is not good enough to make staying for a longer meal worth while. He likes the special cocktails, though. more ›

Sidecar: This new Park Slope spot is run by a former Blue Ribbon chef, features a contemporary American menu and is designed to be reminiscent of an old railroad dining car. The cocktail menu consists of classics like the gin fizz, interspersed with originals like "Dr. Tucker's 59," Plymouth gin with lemon and ginger. For now, however, the cocktails are only on the menu, not in the glasses -- they're still awaiting a liquor license, so feel free to BYO. 560 Fifth Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets 718-369-0077. more ›

New York Shitty's Miss Heather let us know that this adorable cat named Julie needs a new home. Miss Heather rescued the husky and healthy adult cat from terrible conditions last December and found a temporary home for her. Miss Heather writes:

Well, her temporary home (a local bodega) ended up being just that: temporary. Although the owners of this store (and their landlord) love her dearly, the decision to let her go was not theirs to make: someone saw fit to call the Department of Consumer Affairs and complain about her. more ›

9.) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.The latest inspection, which took placed on Thursday, which gave the Waverly Inn passing marks is not online yet. Carter assured the Times that there were many signs now, "I think this is probably part of the game, the kind of thing that all restaurants have to go through. They don’t have health inspections at magazine offices. They probably should.” And he spoke of ways the Waverly would be branching out: A Waverly cat, perhaps, and maybe even a children's book. Above all, Carter expressed an appreciation for health inspectors: “I like clean food and that sort of thing.” more ›

We were fortunate enough to be at the Time Out New York Eat Out Awards last night to watch the winners of both the Readers' Choice awards, chosen by readers who made over 14,000 submissions, and the Critics' Picks awards, selected by the TONY staff. The coveted plates hang on restaurant and bar walls throughout the city. more ›

"Those thinking of opening restaurants in the West Village have especially stiff competition these days with Little Owl and Waverly Inn among the notable newbies in the neighborhood. Throw two-week-old Blue Ribbon Bar into the mix and the the field only gets tougher, especially for those coveting tasty fare with an ever-so-chic atmosphere gracing the dining room. more ›

This is sure: Jennifer Connelly is breathtakingly beautiful and her husband, Paul Bettany, is no slouch himself. And from all gossip, they seem very cute when they are living their lives in Brooklyn with their kids. That said, we were amused to read in the Post that Bettany freaked out at the Waverly Inn when another patron made some comments about Connelly. Various witnesses tell the Post that some dude as making "lewd comments" or comments that weren't insulting but more "objectifying."

Bettany - who was about 10 feet from Connelly, his Academy Award-winning co-star in "A Beautiful Mind" - heard what was going on and "completely lost his temper" with the man who approached her, the witnesses said. more ›

Chimney, by Sixeight. more ›

Like many New Yorkers, Graydon Carter could care less about noise caused by new development, renovations, and all the like. But who knew he'd be up for throwing scaffolding down in extreme frustration while wearing shorts in 36 degree weather? Luckily, the Post has the "photo exclusive" that shows the Vanity Fair editor get up in a construction worker's business. more ›

Bruni one-stars The Waverly Inn, writing the review in the form of a letter to Graydon Carter. He doesn't get to the food until about halfway into it, first covering the space (cozy), the scene, the $55 mac and cheese (no, you can't order it without the truffles) and the difficultly in getting a reservation. While "it's not attention-getting cuisine," he likes it. Calls it "a modest menu of comforting favorites." more ›

Bruni goes to Brooklyn this week and one-stars Porchetta. He says the Italian restaurant is "chasing an edginess that other Italian restaurants in its area don't have in their sights." Also that chef Jason Neroni has "got the goods." more ›

Bruni re-reviews Eleven Madison Park and the Bar Room at the Modern, bumping each up a star to three. He raves about chef Daniel Humm, who took over the kitchen at Eleven Madison Park early last year. Finds the beef tenderloin with bordelaise sauce thickened with marrow "druggy." As for the Bar Room, it's "an unpretentious character study," he says. more ›

- We can't even begin to tell you how excited that Michal Psilakis' gnudi recipe was featured in January's Bon Appetit, which arrived in our mailbox last night. We've been to dona a handful of times, and have been compelled to order it each time. The gnudi themselves are pillowy and light, while the earthiness of the truffle and mushroom-infused sauce is a perfect match for the sage and crisp pancetta. We can't wait to try it at home! more ›

Bruni three-stars the recently renovated Picholine. Though he doesnt much like the physical changes-"still too quiet and sadistically bright"-the renovation "reinvigorated this restaurants soul," he says. In fact, he now likes it so much he celebrated his recent birthday there. more ›

- Augieland has a food pornrific post on the late night scene at Momofuku Ssäm Bar. Please note the disclaimer in the second paragraph – it was his birthday and he had been well served. more ›