Platt’s Deadliest CatchPlatt goes on a fugu hunt in Japan, the Robs tell of a spate of Village openings, and Commerce gets reviewed in this week’s issue.
Hill Country’s Pit-Smoked Easter; Commerce Bartender No FoolEast Village: The dishes in Rhong-Tiam’s spice challenge (the prize for finishing the tasting menu is free dinner at a different Thai restaurant) aren’t as unbearably spicy as you’d expect, and the chef will give you a beer when you’re finished. [Gothamist]
Flatiron: Hill Country’s serving up a pit-smoked Easter dinner this Sunday. [Strong Buzz]
Fort Greene: A boatload of restaurants in the neighborhood are offering prix fixe dinners for $23 next week for Dine in Brooklyn, including Chez Oskar, Olea, and Scopello. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Harlem: A reader feels that Slice NY severely underrates Patsy’s. [Slice NY]
West Village: Commerce’s bartender deals adeptly with douche bags. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Neighborhood Watch
Don’t Skip the Bread at Commerce; Oh, Yoko, Save Café La Fortuna!Bay Ridge: One of the city’s greenest cake shops, Little Cupcake Bake Shop, actually makes awesome cupcakes, too. [NewYorkology]
Carroll Gardens: Frankies’ third location is sizable, but still at least a few months from being completed. [Eater]
Upper West Side: Blossom at 466 Columbus Avenue is a candlelit vegan restaurant with a fireplace. [Gridskipper]
Former John Lennon and Yoko Ono favorite Café La Fortuna is closing this Sunday. [Lost City]
West Village: At newly opened Commerce, Andrea Strong “had the bread basket of the century,” which included “about a half-dozen types of bread, all fresh baked in house that morning. There was a buttery mini brioche, an sourdough olive roll the shape of a fat bullet, a ciabatta and a sesame roll, and my favorite, and one that I think they should turn into a bar snack with mustards and cheese—the soft malt pretzel.” Sounds like a good start. [The Strong Buzz]
Neighborhood Watch
Sparkling-Pink Sake Might Tickle Your V-Day Fancy in Hell’s Kitchen; CommerceChelsea: RUB and Swich are just two under-$10 lunch options in this list devoted to the nabe. [Gridskipper]
East Village: A Spanish wine bar called Pata Negra opens Friday at 345 East 12th Street. [NYT]
Flatiron: A Voce pastry chef Josh Gripper classifies himself as single and dangerous. [Restaurant Girl]
Fort Greene: Don’t hold your breath waiting for lamb sliders from the French-Moroccan restaurant that was supposed to open on DeKalb Avenue; the space wasn’t completed, and the sign and menu have already been taken down. [Eat for Victory/VV]
Hell’s Kitchen: If you want to explore dining options outside our comprehensive Valentine’s Day Guide, you could look to Kyotofu, which is serving a three-course dessert prix fixe promising a raspberry Valrhona-dark-chocolate fondue and Hou Hou Shu pink-sparkling sake. [Kyotofu]
West Village: Commerce opens tomorrow in the former Blue Mill Tavern space and there will be a 20 percent discount on food through Monday. [NYT]; the last outlet of Flor’s Kitchen will shut itself down this Sunday citing problems with the landlord. [Eater]
Neighborhood Watch
Tribecans Don’t Want Buster’s Garage Back; Drink and Win Big in Park SlopeChelsea: The Bright Food Shop space will become a Qdoba, part of a chain of Mexican restaurants. [Crazy Fingers via Blog Chelsea]
Midtown West: In honor of Rockefeller Center’s 75th anniversary, the ice rink and the Rock Center Café are running a special that includes a two-course dinner and skate rental for $75. [Grub Street]
Park Slope: Pacific Standard now offers a Frequent Drinker program, which awards points that can be traded for prizes like an All-Expenses-Paid Trip to Williamsburg including a subway ride and dinner at Fette Sau, a membership to BAM, or a Pacific Standard Tattoo. Yes, a real tattoo. [Gothamist]
Tribeca: Residents are fighting the return of rowdy Texan haunt Buster’s Garage. [Fight Busters via Eater]
Upper East Side: Steven Salsberg and Erminia owner Nikola Camaj are opening a “socially and environmentally” correct wine bar on Monday in the former DT UT space. [Restaurant Girl]
Mediavore
Seinfeld Sued Over Cookbook; Goldman Employees to Eat SteakSneaky Chef author Missy Chase Lapine has sued Jerry Seinfeld for defamation after he called her a “wacko” in response to her allegations that his wife plagiarized her cookbook. [NYDN]
The beloved Moondance Diner, which survived a trek from New York to Wyoming, has partially collapsed under the weight of fresh snow. [Casper Star-Tribune via Eater]
Related: The Moondance Diner, Neglected in Wyoming, Now a Shell of Itself
Commerce, chef Harold Moore’s forthcoming restaurant, is slated to open in February, but still no word on the cuisine. [The Feed/TONY]
Related: Harold Moore of March to Take Over Grange Hall–Blue Mill Space
