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Fat Tuesday in Park Slope; Dining Near the Tents

Coney Island: Schmaltz Brewing Co. will begin serving Luna Lager this summer. [Grub Street]
Jackson Heights: Coming soon: Ambala Sweet & Bakery Chat House on 37th Avenue and 72nd Street. [Fork in the Road/VV]
Lower East Side: Fête the Chinese New Year at the Taiwanese restaurant Baohaus with a $38 eight-course meal. [Feed/TONY]
Park Slope: Fifth Avenue has lots of Fat Tuesday dinner specials tonight. [All About Fifth]
Times Square: If you manage to eat during Fashion Week, Bryant Park boasts numerous restaurant options. [Zagat Buzz]

First Look Inside Kenmare

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Now that we’ve seen the exterior of Kenmare, let’s take a look inside, shall we? These photos come courtesy of Patrick McMullan, who hit up the Purple party. He didn’t make it to the basement, but we hear it’s been painted white. What do you think — an improvement over Civetta? Not that it’s going to matter all that much in determining the fate of this place.

Street Food Aggregators Battle for Your Affection

Roaming Hunger marketed itself at this weekend's street food fest in L.A.Photo: Roaming Hunger

A war is brewing amongst street food aggregators, both web- and app-based. There's the Taco Loco iPhone app, and TruxMap, which boasts a real-time, Google-Map-based food truck locator. Now there's Roaming Hunger, which aggregates tweets from food carts and trucks in seven cities including NYC, L.A., and San Francisco, ranks vendor by popularity, and features a blog. As the battle for street-foodie traffic wages on, please watch out for stray, projectile empanadas and the like.

Roaming Hunger [via SF Weekly]

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On the Merits of Ostentatious Cooking Competitions

A couple of industry types (one a blogger, the other a chef) are pondering food TV today. First, Raymond Blanc, the acclaimed chef who hosted the BBC's The Restaurant (a.k.a. Last Restaurant Standing), has come out against what he says is the “sensationalism” of current-day food programs (he had a chance to host Hell’s Kitchen but declined). "I did a lot of shows in the 1980s,” he told the Independent, “but I chose to stop because TV started sensationalising food.” Meanwhile, Josh Ozersky is perhaps more sympathetic to hype in a Time essay. He ponders whether the Bocuse d’Or (a “monstrosity” that is “basically just a bigger, more elaborate version of [Top Chef]”) is worth all the pageantry and decides: It’s “the gastronomic version of the Apollo program. There’s no real reason to do it, the difficulties are nearly insoluble, and the cost in time and money is prohibitive. But to plant the flag on the alien surface of European haute cuisine! To beat the Frenchies at their own game! The chef that pulls that off will be a hero to his peers, and will make his career overnight.”

What the Bocuse d'Or Says About Culinary Culture [Time]
Top chef Raymond Blanc slams 'TV sensationalism' [Independent UK]

Top Chef: Spike Mendelsohn Readies Pizza Joint, Kevin Gillespie Pens Book

Remember when Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsohn came to New York on a pizza-eating odyssey and told us he was planning to open a Napolean [sic] pizza joint? Well, NBC Washington reports that We the Pizza will begin selling thin-crust slices next to his burger joint, Good Stuff Eatery, at 305 Pennsylvania Avenue S.E. in mid-April. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Buzz blog reports that last season’s fan favorite Kevin Gillespie is working on a book (though they don’t say much about it) in addition to planning a barbecue restaurant in his native Hotlanta.

Checking in with Kevin Gillespie, post “Top Chef” [Buzz]
Good Stuff, Better Stuff: Spike Moves to Pizza [NBC Washington]

Tables Available at Minetta Tavern, Seasonal Restaurant & Weinbar; Maialino Fully Booked

It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked seven restaurants the best time they could squeeze in a couple for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: Platt's Best New Restaurants.

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Kenmare Shows Itself to World (As Does Naked Partier)

Photo: Cooper Marshall

The Cut has a report on the Purple magazine party at Paul Sevigny and Nur Khan’s Kenmare (you’ll recall Purple threw a party at the Beatrice in 2008 — but again, this is “not a new Beatrice”). Of course, some guy got naked and dripped candle wax on himself in return for a cigarette that he then accidentally burned himself with. Wait, really this isn’t the new Beatrice? Oh, but there was food: We hear chef Joey Campanaro prepared meatball sliders, risotto, artichoke heart salad, steak, and grilled swordfish for the occasion. Here’s a look at the restaurant’s exterior, complete with La Esquina/Indochine–esque neon signage.

Purple Magazine Dinner Results in Nudity, Hot-Wax Pouring [The Cut]

Hearth Saves Sundays for Spaghetti and Meatballs

Photo: Courtesy of Hearth

Marco Canora and Paul Greico are having some fun while they gear up for the April 1 opening of Terroir Tribeca. Perhaps inspired by Locanda Verde's pastapalooza, they’re now offering a “red sauce” prix fixe that will essentially turn Hearth into the Mulberry Street restaurant of your dreams — on Sundays, anyway. $39 (same as pastapalooza!) gets you a choice of first course (fried calamari, Caesar salad with anchovies, beef carpaccio, tre colori salad, or escarole soup), a choice of second (spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna Bolognese, rigatoni with Sunday meat ragu, eggplant parm, or gnocchi), and a dessert (affogatto, tiramisu, torta della nonna, biscotti, or panna cotta). What, no “New York’s best cannoli”?

Spanish Explorer Jesús Nuñez Docks on Upper West Side

Deconstructed potato omelet.

Last month we told you that Spain’s Jesús Nuñez (known for his “interactive dishes” and exotic preparations, such as shark and deer carpaccio) was looking for a space. The Observer now reports that a 69th Street brownstone between Broadway and Columbus Avenue (formerly home to a kosher restaurant) “will undergo a drastic renovation” and reopen as Graffit. No date set yet.

Spanish Foodie Phenom Picks West Side Brownstone for First City Spot [NYO]
Earlier: Spanish Enfant Terrible Jesús Nuñez Hopes to Bring Shark Carpaccio to New York

The ‘Best Pizza in America’ Is in … Phoenix?

Photo: Courtesy of Every Day with Rachael Ray

Earlier we reported that Ed Levine and Adam Kuban, writing for Every Day with Rachael Ray, had narrowed their favorite pizza in the country down to four: Pizzeria Mozza, Great Lake, Motorino, and Pizzeria Bianco. And the winner is: Phoenix’s Pizzeria Bianco, which Levine had already said was his national favorite in A Slice of Heaven (so much for all the money Rachael Ray blew shuttling these guys around the country). Diner’s Journal describes this as “a tough loss for New York pizza supremacy,” but the truth is, Chris Bianco is actually a Bronx native, so Levine and Kuban don’t have to feel like they betrayed their hometown.

It’s Pizza Oscar for Bianco, Says Rachael Ray [Diner’s Journal/NYT]

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Plan Your Valentine's Day with the Chandon Concierge

valentine.chandon.com

Valentine's Day is about Perfect Pairs (you and your sweetheart, wine and chocolate). Whether you are staying in or stepping out, Chandon Sparkling Wines is on call to help you plan a memorable evening. Visit valentine.chandon.com to plan a perfect food and wine pairing for Valentine's Day. For those planning a night on the town, find and book restaurant reservations in one place. For those staying in, you can print out ingredients lists, recipes, and a wine pairing for a perfect evening. This service is also available on your mobile device at m.chandon.com.

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French Seafood Eatery May Replace Country Grill in Carlton Hotel

Steve Cuozzo reports that the space currently housing the Country Grill (and that once housed Jeffrey Zacharian’s Country) in the Carlton will soon give way to a two-level French-inspired seafood eatery, Millesime. According to a rep, the lease hasn’t been signed yet, but a Community Board appearance indicates that it will be run by Collective Hospitality, which includes chef Laurent Manrique. Gael Greene had reported that the Gascon chef (most recently an executive chef at San Francisco’s Aqua) was in talks with the Carlton Hotel about a consulting gig.

Mosler plans C&W; dream team [NYP]

Zucco Dies of Apparent Heart Attack at Eponymous French Diner

A tipster brought sad news this weekend: “Zucco, owner of Le French Diner passed away on Feb 13. [They’re] trying to raise money to send his body back to France to be buried next to his mother. Sad story.” Sadder still, our tipster says that Zucco (who never used a last name) collapsed behind the counter. We’ve been unable to reach the restaurant, but another source has heard Zucco died of “an apparent heart attack” and confirms, “there are signs outside the restaurant (which is still open) asking for donations to help pay to send his body back to France. His girlfriend was outside the restaurant yesterday kind of explaining all this to passersby.” This much is certain: We’ve lost a beloved host and proprietor.

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Video: Make John DeLucie’s Macaroni and Cheese

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Waverly Inn chef John DeLucie got a plug in for the yet-to-open Lion during a baked-macaroni-and-cheese demo yesterday on CBS's Early Show. If you're tired of snow but not cold-weather food, watch the video and plan tonight's dinner. Quoth the chef: "It's not the blue box."

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Bruce Buschel Seeks Chef for Hamptons Restaurant

Aspiring Hamptons restaurateur Bruce Buschel is chronicling his efforts for the Times, and yesterday posted that he's having trouble finding, or keeping, a chef. He planned to partner with the Almond team of chef Jason Weiner and co-owner Eric Lemonides, but that triumvirate has apparently dissolved. "Restaurant people can be very touchy," Beschel writes. But could that be because he expected so much of his chef? "A chef would help finish the kitchen design, the menu, selection of plates and silverware; a chef would help complete the Web site, commence the public relations campaign, allow me some sleep again." At least three of those items are not necessarily in a chef's job description, even if he is an equity partner. Now Buschel is publicly wooing former Oceana chef Rick Moonen, who is now cooking fish in Las Vegas.

Too Many Chefs Spoil the Dream [You're the Boss/NYT]

Frank Bruni Calls Out Restaurant Snobs

There's some debate about whether El Bulli will close for good or morph into the world's most exclusive dining hall if Ferran Adria opens a cooking academy. But the Times' Frank Bruni takes the restaurant to task for abetting everything annoying about avid eaters:

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The Consequences of Low-Fat Food; Healing With Cheese

• The sugar content of foods like bread, cereal, and fruit has risen over the past 30 years, and the crackdown on fat may be partially to blame. [Salon]

• Lindsey Vonn has been rubbing topfen, an Austrian cheese, onto her injured leg in an effort to reduce swelling. [Slate]

• A group of Dutch dairy farmers are suing a businessman who promised to help them build new farms in America. [WSJ]

• It is difficult to be year-round locavore, especially in the snow belt. [NYT]

• Midtown nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot advocates a diet plan that's reminiscent of a gussied-up Weight Watchers. [NYP]

02/15/10

The Storm Over Salt; Platt Goes to the Museums

Photo: Hannah Whitaker/New York Magazine

In the magazine this week, we consider the now-maligned salt. Prune chef Gabrielle Hamilton puts up an impassioned defense of sodium, noting that "salt makes everything it touches taste more like itself." Adam Platt tries seven varieties, from pink to black, and realizes that there really is a difference. After a week of salty living, guinea pig Joshua David Stein is thirsty, bloated, and down a weekend in life expectancy. But how salty are your favorite dishes? We sent a few to the lab to find out. (Fans of ramen, hot dogs, and other delicious things may want to cover their eyes.)

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02/12/10

Bryanboy Compliments His Waiter at Balthazar via Twitter; Katie Holmes Brings Suri to Magnolia Bakery

Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images Entertainment

Between all the wild movements of Fashion Week — pushing past Anna Wintour for a front-row seat, asking Christian Siriano if your outfit is fierce, and so on — all those boldfaced names need a place to sit down, relax, and, well, eat. And sometimes it's not the pomp or majesty of the fashion shows that creates those magical little moments; sometimes those moments happen in the downtime, like, say, at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Celebrated fashion blogger Bryanboy, for example, took to Balthazar at the crack of dawn on Tuesday morning and complimented his "super friendly and lovely waiter" via Twitter. After the waiter noticed the blogger's kind message and tweeted back, Bryanboy showered him with even more praise. On the celebrity side of things, the love was flowing, too, perhaps in early anticipation of Valentine's Day: Katie Holmes and her adorable child Suri shared a midday treat from Magnolia Bakery, while Paris Hilton dashed out of Serafina with some highbrow takeout for her boyfriend in tow. Below, this wondrous week in celebrity dining.

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‘City of Hamburgers’ Puppet Show; Brooklyn’s Best Wings

Carroll Gardens: What's the most romantic spot in the neighborhood? [Pardon Me for Asking]
Chelsea: Watch a puppet show called "City of Hamburgers." How can you not? [Eating in Translation]
Cobble Hill: Ceol is hosting a "Theology on Tap" series. [McBrooklyn]
Greenpoint: The "Best Wings in Brooklyn" will be determined on Saturday at the Red Star Bar. [Ditmas Park Blog]
Midtown West: Café Bounjour on 38th and 5th now offers a $5 lunch special. [Midtown Lunch]
West Village: Kingswood is closed until February 15, owing to a fire next door. [Eater NY]

Times Will Blow the Roof Off Tweeting Toques

We’ve just learned that Julie Moskin of the Times is working on a story about tweeting chefs that is sure to bring down many food-industry players. Ha, okay, fine: We’re just trying to drum up drama along the lines of that Governor Paterson exposé — who can blame us? Even lowly “barnacles” like to feel like Bob Woodward sometimes. But seriously, we’ve heard that both Joe Dobias and Ryan Skeen have been interviewed about the Twitter flare-ups that Grub Street spotted back in November. And who knows, maybe there’ll be mention of Marcus Samuelsson announcing his new restaurant via Twitter. This should be good! As for Skeen, he tells us that he is indeed working on something new, but isn’t yet ready to share details. In any case, good to hear he’s still plugging away in NYC.

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