Chelsea: Donatella's new lunch menu now features "pizza sandwiches" made with the award-winning meatballs from Donatella Arpaia's Meatball Wagon. Both the lunch and dinner menus are now available for delivery. [Grub Street]
East Village: King Gyro plans to open soon on First Avenue between East 3rd and 4th Streets, offering Middle Eastern-themed fast food. [Fork in the Road/VV]
Lower East Side: 'inoteca hosts its second Raven & Boar Whole Hog Dinner tonight at 8 p.m. The event will feature five courses of pork dishes inspired by the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, plus wine pairings. Tickets are $160 and can be purchased at 212-614-0473. [Grub Street]
Midtown: The Green Truck will serve free veggie burgers and tea this week in honor of Green Week NBC. [Midtown Lunch]
Grub Street Grub Street New York
Kin Shop Launches a Lunch Menu; Donatella Now Serves Meatballs
FCI Rising: French Culinary Institute Takes First Step Toward Global Domination
By Alan SytsmaWhat started as The French Culinary Institute in 1984 has, in just the last couple of years, grown into The International Culinary Center, which encompasses things like the Italian Culinary Academy and Champagne-sabering demos. Now they're headed west! According to a press release, they're "assuming ownership" of the Professional Culinary Institute in Campbell, CA. The name of the new center will be (seriously) The French Culinary Institute of The International Culinary Center in California. Not only that: the school says it's "exploring potential expansion of international operations to Europe and Asia." In fact, we hear they've already told students they're getting their mise en place prepped for a Paris location. Maybe Grant Achatz was right when he sang the praises of "uber uber French classic" food.
Ai Fiori Opening November 29
We gave you a first look at the menu earlier today, and now we're hearing that Michael White's Ai Fiori will officially open to the public on Monday, November 29. (It’s been bumped back from the 22.) That's just four days after Thanksgiving — you'll probably want to go easy on the takeout turkey and pumpkin pie if you hope to have room for that scallop, black truffle, and bone marrow appetizer.
SLA Denies Dumping Xiao Ye’s Four Loko in Raid
By Daniel MaurerIf the primer on starter booze in this week’s issue of New York, or news that Four Loko is soon to be unavailable here, has you determined to finally try the stuff, don’t bother going to Xiao Ye. Owner Eddie Huang had originally planned an unlimited Four Loko deal, but when he got word that all-you-can-drink deals are illegal, he decided to simply sell the alcoholic energy drink for $3 a pop. According to Huang’s blog, that didn’t stop the SLA and NYPD from paying an unexpected visit on Friday night: “We followed the law, we were in line with the SLA requirements,” Huang writes. “But basically, it was understood that if we kept selling four loko, we would be seeing a lot of raids.” He continues: “All four loko in the house was destroyed on site, it was taken off the menu, and four loko thursdays is cancelled.” Sounds like the task force took some extreme measures — except the SLA tells us it wasn’t the one who destroyed the Four Loko.
Tables Available at Adour Alain Ducasse and Oceana; Per Se Fully Booked
It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.)
Today: Splurge.
What Grant Achatz Cooked in L.A.
By Hadley TomickiFollowing a late dinner at Animal the night before, Grant Achatz and his team from Alinea took over the seventh floor of a loft overlooking Downtown Los Angeles last Friday. There, they cooked and served a meal for the elite of L.A.'s bar-tending scene (among them 213 owner Cedd Moses, as well as mixologists like Aidan Demarest, Marcos Tello, and Eric Alperin) in conjunction with Absolut's Sensory Analysis Workshop. Achatz showed why he's considered one of the country's most creative, sense-shocking chefs by trotting out some of Alinea's greatest hits: pheasant tempura skewered with an oak branch, powdered gin-and-tonic, a truffled white chocolate milkshake, and a dessert that used the entire table as a plate. Take a look at the proceedings in our slideshow.
First Look at the Darby, Alex Guarnaschelli’s Supper Club in the Old Nell’s Space
By Daniel MaurerAfter a considerable delay (it was originally slated to open in time for last year’s Christmas parties), Scott Sartiano and Richie Akiva of Butter (plus their 1 Oak partner Ronnie Madra) are finally taking reservations for the Darby’s opening night this Wednesday. It opens just a stone’s throw from the Bunker (which gets some love from the Post today) and has already drawn a similar array of celebs: For starters, John Mayer took the stage during Gerard Butler’s birthday dinner and Chris Rock got on the mike during Beyoncé’s bash.
Rats! Is This the Last Time We’ll See Anything Like This on the Boardwalk?
By Daniel MaurerPhoto: Daniel Maurer
We weren’t the only ones who made it to Paul’s Daughter on Saturday for free hot dogs, lemonade, and bags of cotton candy. Lawyer Marc Aronson was on the boardwalk telling NY1 that he expects to be in court in early December, though according to WNYC, “current tenants have been informed that if they're not out by Thursday, eviction proceedings and fines will begin.” Over the weekend, NPR ran its report on last Saturday’s closing party at Ruby’s. Said a burlesque dancer who had her wedding reception there: “Coney Island is history — you can't preserve this one thing?" Fifty-year regular Jim Shannon’s voice cracked as he asked, “Ruby's is gone; who the hell wants to go to Coney Island?" As anticipated, Ruby’s opened again (this time without its grill) this past weekend, and gave out free cookies and bar snacks. The crowd ran the gamut from octogenarians boogieing down to the Stones, to dancing tots, to this woman’s pet rat — and we all know a domesticated rodent is the sign of a good bar.
Iconic Boardwalk Eatery Bids Coney Island Farewall [NY1]
What's Coney Island Without Ruby's? [NPR]
Not Exactly a Man-Bites-Dog Story: Roaches Found at Gray’s Papaya
By Daniel MaurerBy the way, on the same day that El Quinto Pino was closed by the Health Department, inspectors dropped in on the Hell’s Kitchen location of Gray’s Papaya and docked it 35 points for live roaches and flies — that’s enough for a C if it doesn’t improve during a follow-up. But here’s what we really care about: The hot dogs, which were temporarily reduced to 50 cents, are back up to $1.50, which means we’ll only be able to treat ourselves to a couple of them when we stop by later today.
Kobayashi Goes From ‘Champ to Chump’
Judging by the Brooklyn Paper’s account, watching the troubled Takeru Kobayashi fail to break the Guinness world record for eating a twelve-inch pizza in under 105.37 seconds was kind of like watching Mike Tyson get pummeled by Kevin McBride. It’s only a matter of time before he speed-eats someone’s ear off. [Brooklyn Paper]
What to Eat at Ai Fiori at the Setai Fifth Avenue
By Rob Patronite and Robin RaisfeldThe iron is definitely hot for expansion-minded Michael White, whose next tactical strike will be Ai Fiori, his first (but presumably not last) hotel restaurant, with drinks by Eben (Tailor) Freeman, desserts by Robert (Corton) Truitt, and a coterie of front-of-the-house talent snagged from Jean Georges and Del Posto. A preview party Thursday night will reveal the space, which might open to the public as soon as next Monday, or, according to the front desk, as late as early December. In the meantime, we've got a peek at the dinner menu, with post-recessionary entrée prices ranging from $29 to $43.
What Happens When the World’s Best French Chefs Cook a Dinner Together?
By Jada YuanThe master chefs.
Shocking but true: French master chefs Joël Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Alain Ducasse, Jean-Georges Vongrichten, and François Payard have never spent a night in a kitchen cooking a meal ensemble ... until last week. On Wednesday, the longtime friends gladly joined forces to raise money for the James Beard Foundation's annual benefit gala and auction at The Four Seasons, which was being labeled as a "historic" meal. Keep reading for a report from the dinner, interviews with the chefs, and a look at everything they served.
Chelsea Favorite El Quinto Pino Is Closed by Health Department
By Daniel MaurerPhoto: Jay Hanna for New York Magazine
Perennially packed tapas joint El Quinto Pino has been closed by the Health Department after racking up 44 demerit points during a November 12 inspection. As you can see below, violations include evidence of rats and mice, improper plumbing, and failure to post “Choking first aid” and “Alcohol and pregnancy” signs. We haven’t yet gotten the official story from the restaurant, but an employee tells us it’s still closed while they repair rain damage in the basement. It should be noted that the Health Department got the restaurant’s phone number wrong — so much for the health inspector’s celebrated attention to detail.
She’s Getting a Little Sick of Hearing About This Guy, Okay?
By Mike Vilensky"We're here to talk about the charity, not Andrew." —Sandra Lee, staying on-topic at Friday's Citymeals-on-Wheels Power Lunch for Women event, when asked how she maintains her relationship with Governor-Elect Andrew Cuomo.
Cab Interrupts Dinner at Café Habana
Upstate, it was deer running wild through a Wegmans, and here in the city last night, it was a cab slamming into Café Habana and injuring three. Add it to our timeline of cars attacking restaurants. [NYP]
April Bloomfield Won’t Hire White Guys With Dreadlocks, and Eleven Other Things You Should Know
By Daniel MaurerIt’s been a couple of months since New York’s profile of April Bloomfield, so how about another one? Lauren Collins has penned a glowing piece about the otherwise undercelebrated toque in The New Yorker’s "Food" issue, complete with plaudits from Tom Colicchio: “It’s refreshing to me to see someone succeed who doesn’t think the only way to get ahead is by backstabbing and hiring a publicist and going out there and getting drunk every night and getting on Page Six.” Funny thing is, he and Bloomfield share a publicist, but either way — you get his point. Conveniently timed with the opening of the John Dory Oyster Bar, here now are the twelve things we took away from the piece.
Platt Finds Lincoln Lacking; Totes for All
By Alan SytsmaPhoto: Roxanne Behr/New York Magazine
In this week's New York, Adam Platt heads to Lincoln Ristorante, chef Jonathan Benno's much-touted $20 million Italian restaurant. There, he finds a "dazzling postmodern dining palace," but with expectations raised, is disappointed by the inconsistencies in service and food. In the end, he says, "Lincoln may become a culinary destination one day. But right now, it feels more like … a place for the midtown cultural hordes to stop and gawk (and complain about the prices) before moving on to a night at the opera or ballet."
Bodega Owners Cheer Four Loko’s Ban; Fashion Sorts Obsessed With Food
• Bodega owners are the latest group that's happy about the Four Loko ban. [NYDN]
• David Chang appearing in Vogue, Barneys New York doing edibles-themed holiday windows: The fashion world is obsessed with food. "Our customers want to eat at the new Batali place as much as they want the new Céline bag," says Barneys' creative director Simon Doonan. [WSJ]
• While other industries suffered during the recession, many food producers saw business grow over the past few years. [AP]
11/14/10
New Yorkers Have Approximately One More Month to Get Drunk on Four Loko
By Mike VilenskyMakers of the "blackout in a can" have agreed to stop shipping it to New York by November 19, and the state's biggest beer distributors agreed to stop delivering the drink, and other caffeinated alcoholic beverages, to New York retailers by December 10. After that, shop owners found selling Four Loko without proof it was ordered by the deadline will be fined, so it'll only be available in very sketchy underground markets. Senator Chuck Schumer, who called for the action, said he favored an outright ban but called the move "a giant step forward in keeping our kids safe from these dangerous brews." That's only about four more weeks, guys, so let the Four Loko parties begin.
Beer distributors, Four Loko manufacturer, will halt shipping of caffeinated, alcoholic drink to NY [NYDN]
11/12/10
Rachel Roy Helps Out Regular Folk at Forty Four; Rainn Wilson Just Jokes With Them at the Oak Room
By Alex ReesAfter the premiere of the new film The King's Speech this week, guests dined at Forty Four, the Royalton Hotel's restaurant. An unfortunate Champagne spillage doused a guest's dress, but Rachel Roy came to the rescue in the ladies' bathroom: She dabbed the dress dry and suggested the now just-a-little-bit-damp lady play off the slightly alcoholic odor as a designer perfume (the YSL scent, Champagne, to be specific). Meanwhile, at another post-premiere party for The Next Three Days, a fan of Rainn Wilson's Office alter ego Dwight Shrute showed him the stack of pancakes a Virginia diner had produced in his honor — the Shrute Stack. Rainn loved the photo, but asked the fan to send the image to his assistant's e-mail, refusing to give out his own address because he "didn't trust" her. We think he was joking. The rest of this week's celeb spotting straight ahead.
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