Photo by Youngna Park It's a dark day for South Billyburg lovers of southern comfort food – dark as blackened catfish on a moonless Brooklyn night. Eater points out Peter Meehan's discovery that the beloved hole in the wall Pies 'n' Thighs, in the shadow of the Williamsburg bridge, will close tomorrow night. Party, or wake, to follow. The closure has to do with some gripes on behalf of the reactionaries at the health......

Bruni ponders the differences between the outdoor dining cultures of New York and Europe: "they eat outdoors because it’s pretty. We eat outdoors even though it’s not." He revisits the issue in the Diner's Journal as he was innundated with email in response. Although many agree with his take on the issue, some did not: "I’ve lived both in New York and in Europe, and I admit, the distinctions you’ve made in your article are......

There was a big fire at Bond Street Sushi this morning (MANHATTAN: 75-365, BOND ST X LAFFAYETTE ST, FIRE IN A 4 STY 25 X 80 MD, MAIN BODY FIRE K/D --MNS, 5:32am.) Our tipster, who lives across the street, reports the restaurant was gutted. Too bad-- though expensive, that's long been one of the best sushi spots downtown. Update-- Eater went down to the scene, and says it's just the front rooms that......

The NY Times article about Calvin Klein's perfume division's attempts to gain market share from twenty-somethings with a new perfume made us wonder many things. For starters, why did Calvin Klein Inc. (actual Calvin Klein the human is not involved) allow its marketing and positioning strategy to be exposed to so much ridicule? The new fragrance, the "millennial" version of ckOne, is called CK in2u, which has its own online community website. THis would......

It's busy today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a water main break on Bergen Street in Carroll Gardens, a "fall victim in a hole" in Queens, a carjacking in Bay Ridge (and another one in Staten Island!), and an armed robbery with possible stabbing in Chinatown. Now that the Democrats have recaptured Congress, Charles Rangel is setting his sights on a new goal: standup comedy. Everyone likes the holidays: even rapists! Youngna Park, our little......

Two men were stabbed at the northwest corner of Union Square at 17th Street around 4PM. WNBC says it occurred inside the farmer's market - did it involve fresh produce? The police are looking for the attacker; the victims were taken to area hospitals; one was expected to recover. Photograph taken at the Union Square Farmer's Market by Youngna Park......

You know how we know it's almost winter, besides feeling the chill in the air? The fact that Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park is opening today. This year happens to be the 20th anniversary of the rink's re-opening, thanks to Donald Trump's chutzpah and swooping in to take over renovations from the city (the city had been "working" on the rink for 6 years). Admission to the rink is $9.50 weekdays/ $12 holidays/weekend......

The City's Greenmarkets turn 30 this week. They've become such an integral part of our culinary landscape, with 45 locations across all five boroughs, that it's hard to imagine that there was a time we didn't have ready access to ramps, heirloom tomatoes, and locally grown berries (and neither did our chefs). According to New York Mag, the Greenmarkets were set up as a way to preserve farmland by lowering the costs involved in......

This is an open call to artists! Jen Dunlap and Youngna Park are holding an event called The Art Auction, which is part silent auction, part party. We wanted to give you emerging artists a nice heads up (the event itself isn't until June 9th) so you could submit your work. The open call is for works of all mediums to be included in a silent auction (with bids starting at $30 up to $250).......

Kasadela, an unassuming sake bar, sushi house, and Japanese snack shop on the corner of 11th St. and Avenue C is the low-budget, high-flavor hotspot born of a former Nobu employee. Like Chibi's Sake Bar in Soho, Kasadela offers an abundance of authentic Japanese snacks from edamame and tebasaki (Japanese-style chicken wings) to tempura and sashimi. Far enough east to avoid downtown crowds, Kasadela sets a comfortable, but intimate mood with its brick-walls and......

Selling itself as both "earthy" and "sexy," ONE Little West 12 offers a dim, lounge-like setting with a menu that invites diners to get intimate on plush couches while indulging in cocktails and the fusion cuisine of chef Gavin Citron. With a menu that offers serving sizes for you, for me, and for all, options range from "Wild Salmon Paillard with Pickled Beets, Marinated Chick Peas and Yoghurt" all the way to "Erica's Bad......

The maroon awning outside Five Points Restaurant hides one of downtown's hidden gems -- an American-Mediterranean gastro-haven whose menu changes seasonally, according to what chef-owner Marc Meyer can find is freshest at the market. The fall menu offers fire-roasted Maine razor clams, wood oven roasted Montauk squid, and Hudson Valley Duck Breast, a testament to why it's good to eat local food. At brunch, Five Points features sweet treats of lemon-ricotta pancakes, dulce de......

If the electic orange exterior of Great Jones Cafe doesn't reel you in, their reputed cajun-inspired menu featuring seafood jambalaya, shrimp po-boys, and cajun-fried oysters -- ought to. Rumored to be a former hangout of street-kid and graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, these days Great Jones Cafe caters less to starving artists and more to local East and West Villagers in search of a stellar juke box and one of the best burgers in town.......

East village hideaway, Gnocco Caffe, offers a sumptuous menu and one of Gothamist's favorite outdoor dining gardens downtown. Owners Pierluggi Palazzo and his wife, Rossella Tedesco, have hired chefs directly from Modena, talented natives who make a proper gnocchi and maccheroncini. A meal at Gnocco Caffe begins with a serving of their namesake dish -- rectangles of crisp, blistered, fried dough served in a basket with slats of prosciutto and an assortment of dried,......

Just across from Tompkins Square Park on Avenue A, Flea Market Cafe offers traditional French Bistro fare in a comfortable, yet date-friendly space littered with tchotchkes and classic knick-knacks. The daily menu offers a reliably tasty steak frites and duck confit; Gothamist also highly recommends the pistachio-crusted salmon and mussels mariniere. On weekends, Flea Market offers one of the East Village's best brunches from 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. for $9.95, a prime selection......

Noho Star sits on the busy southwest corner of Lafayette and Bleecker Streets, offering a capacious dining space along with a gargantuan food selection reputed as American/Chinese fare. Nightly dinner specials range from vichyssoise to "Szechuan Classic: Ants climing trees!," and the gastronomic space between is filled with an assortment of noodles, omelettes, burgers, grilled fish, organic poultry dishes, and a range of sandwiches from paninis to BLT's. If skeptical of clashing flavors, fear......

Quhnia, derived from the Polish word "kuchnia," meaning "kitchen," offers a medley of Eastern European style dishes, from blini and beef stroganoff to pielemini, or small, Russian meat dumplings served with spicy honey mustard and sour cream. Tucked in a cozy space on the same East Village street as The Elephant, Prune, and Starfoods, Quhnia's menu also boasts nightly specials and offers homemade infused vodka or a plethora of sipping wines. A good pick......

With a custom built brick oven donning Napolitan lava from Mount Vesuvius, Lil' Frankie's thin-crusted pizzas are memorable and deliciously fresh, despite skewing from the destinctive chew of New York's signature pizza dough. Straight from the oven and onto your plate, the restaurant's menu offers nearly a dozen classic pizza combinations by mixing and matching an endless number of delectable meats, cheeses, and vegetables. The capacious dining room features a tenement garden; one room......

The only subterranean venue of Keith McNally's creations, Pravda's Russian streetlamp inspired lights offer an inviting glow for 9-5'ers hunting down Beluga caviar and one or two or seventy types of vodka. On the main level, club chairs, whitewashed chairs, and low, bathhouse ceilings envelope the dining floor while upstairs, barstools are perched against the bar, just steps away from the bathroom where the stainless steel stalls and chicken wire are just inspiring enough......

Though often touted as "American Bistro" fare, Barmarche's eclectic menu strives for greatness through creatively executed seasonal fusions. Adding cherry salsa and avacado puree to their ceviche appetizer, and spring peas and lemon cream to their seared skate wing entree, Barmarche synthesizes old favorites -- angus steaks, roast chicken, scallops, and ravioli -- with eclectic sauces, and seasonal fruits and vegetables, beautifully presented in an unpretentious dining room. Touting itself as "downtown chic," Barmarche......

Gas station turned B-Bar & Grill stands as both an old favorite and new discovery for Manhattanites in search of a spacious outdoor garden with traditional American bistro fare. Highlighted by the generous and playful garden, on summer nights when the city isn't drowning in rain, the B-Bar garden can be the perfect place for raw oysters and a beer. B Bar and Grill is located at 40 East 4th Street (& Bowery) for......

Patrons of Cucina di Pesce range from young to old, faithful to the comforts of contemporary Italian cuisine in a spacious, East Village setting unfettered by attempts to be too hip. There's no fusion and no foam, just a classic, comprehensive menu offering old favorites like shrimp scampi and fettucini primavera, and more contemporary concoctions such as pumpkin ravioli and fusilli sun-dried tomato. Selecting a bottle off the modest wine list (most bottles fall......

A stroll through the West Village might find you at the beaming blue doors of Paradou, who, on their website, claim to be "a little bit of Provencal paradise in Manhattan's Meatpacking district." In the backyard garden, candle-topped tables are surrounded by ivy-covered trellises -- not a bad place to snack on tuna tartare or chicken provencal. Additionally, with an extensive selection of French wines, many showcased on floor-to-ceiling display capped by a brilliant......

This is the first in a photography series exposing some of New York's favorite restaurants -- their dining areas, their chefs, their food. Markt, the Belgian bistro at the heart of the Meatpacking district, offers a seafood-heavy menu complete with raw bar and myriad beers on tap. With an open dining room and outdoor seating that's perfect for the summer, Markt boasts a comfortable yet elegant atmosphere to enjoy a bucket of mussels, pommes......

A recent Mexican-food-filled trip to Texas left Gothamist craving delicious chips and guacamole upon our return to New York. When we heard about the homemade guacamole at Café El Portal on Elizabeth Street, we couldn’t refrain from making a visit to taste it ourselves. In a teal-painted room with just a handful of tables and low ceilings, the restaurant's casual atmosphere was warming as we sat down for lunch last week. We ordered a basket......

Tucked away in Cobble Hill, west of the BQE, Alma's skyline views of Manhattan, reputably delicious margaritas, and lantern-lit rooftop ought to draw you in even before you’ve tasted the food. Add the Dine-in-Brooklyn bargain offering a 3-course-meal for $19.55, and Gothamist couldn’t help but drag a crew to the Mexican-inspired locale for our fill of tamales, enchiladas, and homemade chips and salsa, brought in baskets and served with salsa verde and a spicy pico......

Walk into Oznot’s Dish, the Mediterranean and Spanish-inspired restaurant at the corner of N.9th & Berry in Williamsburg, and you’re greeted by colorful mosaics, faux Eames chairs, and $5 wine-by-the-glass during happy hour. Gothamist picked up a glass of shiraz at the bar, then sat down with our dining companion, indulging in the Dine-In-Brooklyn offering prix fix ($19.55) three-course meals throughout the borough until April 20th. Pulling from both its regular menu and seasonal specials,......

It's Monday, it's raining...don't let it keep you inside though. We encourage you to run through the wet streets and get yourself to one of these events. First up, in Brooklyn, local photoblogger Youngna Park will be exhibiting some works at the new Landscape Cafe [434 Union Ave in W'burg] tonight from 7-9 p.m. It's a great opportunity on this rainy evening to enjoy some Butternut Squash Ginger soup and look at some great photographs.......

Tonight, Gothamist encourages everyone to check out the New York City Photobloggers 3 event at the Apple Store, featuring: - Work from Adam Pantozzi, Jesse Chan-Norris, Joseph Holmes, Redrick Deleon, Youngna Park, and Zach Klein; - And presentations from Flickr and Fotolog. Thanks to rion and Mike for designing the great gallery of past presenters' work. And Gothamist will be sponsoring drinks after the talk. See you there. NYC Photobloggers 3 Apple Store -......

Tucked away under the Williamsburg bridge, the generically named “Diner,” pays homage to the simple menu done right showing that sometimes, less really can be more. A deceptively short menu that reads: soup, salad, hamburger, cheeseburger, ½ chicken, and hangar steak might not sound enticing at first, but sticking to classic diner favorites is all part of the nook's charm. Gothamist and three dining companions found comfort in the oblong booth in the back of......