The Food Network has an idea for a “very different culinary competition show,” and, wow, does it look original! It pushes the envelope so much, in fact, that we’re amazed the creators are showing their cards by trolling Craigslist for applicants. Get ready for it now; the ad goes like this.

Attorneys Rebecca and Linda, who hit Craigslist searching for a couple of guys to accompany them to Ko, wrote in to assure us that they weren’t the party that canceled there on Monday — in fact, they were so giddy about their meal that (shocker!) they blogged about it. At first, their blind dates, a Wall Street guy and his friend, “seemed like adequate dining companions but nothing to write home about,” but that changed when (after being served by Chang himself!) they failed to thank the Ko girls for scoring the resy: “Okay, so these guys have now been downgraded from Adequate to Totally Lame, but we still enjoyed our dinner immensely.” The account is a bit of a snooze (at least they spared us the 5,000th description of the foie gras dish), but you know that won’t prevent Darren Star from turning it into a scene in the Sex and the City sequel.

Update: And here we go all over again...

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Ko Girls! [Eater]
Related: Were the Latest Craigslisters a No-Ko Last Night?

There was nary a surprise at Ko last night — the menu was pretty much the same as it was a couple of months ago — except for this one: empty seats! A note to Eater confirms there was a cancellation: “I was at Momofuku Ssäm last night with my cousin, and a guy who hooked us up when we all went there a few months ago came over and told me they had a cancellation at Ko and asked if we wanted to go.” (Sort of like those street pushers who beg you to sit in on a taping of the Letterman show at the last second.) Could the no-show have come from the “Ko girls” — “one blonde gal, age 28, and one sassy brunette, age 32” — who, inspired by our own Ko-thario, trolled Craigslist for “a handsome gent from Manhattan available on the evening of Monday, June 30th, and capable of fantastic dinner conversation”?

The saga of the Momofuku Ko-thario — the man who used Craigslist to leverage his extra seat at Ko into a date with Dominique of Dominique Eats Out — has come to an end, with the Ko-thario revealing himself as Seth Gordon, an experimental musician who has soundtracked gay pornos. Being suckers for he-said/she-said stuff like Blind Date, we were thrilled to see both parties blog about their rendezvous, though in true foodie form, it’s the foie gras dish they get hot and heavy about: Dominique gives it a twelve out of ten, saying it’s “so orgasmic, J and S went outside for cigarettes afterward,” and Gordon says it’s “like eating dirty sex,” giving it a five out of five (yes, Ko has inspired amateur reviewers to give each course a star rating). The kids seem smitten with each other (Dominique is “lovely,” Seth is a “good guy”), though nowhere near as passionately in love as they are with Ko (“amazing,” they agree). Maybe they’ll return there for their anniversary — though they’ll have to approach some Craigslist swingers to get in.

Review of Momofuku Ko, Saturday May 2008 [Dominique Eats Out]
Seth Gordon’s blog [MySpace]

Our favorite Craigslister recently checked in to let us know that his ad offering a seat at Ko had sparked interest from a “dominatrix/food blogger” and “atheist carnivore.” Hm. Also in the running, according to her blog, Maggie is Restless, was Magdalena Kennedy. She describes the Ko-thario as “funny, charming, lots in common, cute. Looks like a tall dark Jewish Michael Cera,” and goes on to post her letter to him in which she says she’s an “omnivore / recipe anthologist / windowbox gardener / online journalist.” Somehow, however, the Ko-thario wasn’t convinced— his ultimate choice was Dominique of Dominique Eats Out. Quite a score, but he’s keeping a level head. “I don't think for a second that food-loving women are competing to go out with me,” he tells us. “I know full well that they’re ‘competing’ to go to Ko to eat foie gras and pork fat. I am, admittedly, just shy of extraneous in this equation.” Now that's modesty worthy of David Chang himself.

Ko-thario and Me: More Banter [Maggie is Restless]

Earlier: Craiglist Ko-thario Reveals Himself As Creator of $12,000 Knish

Momofuku Ko is now taking Tuesday reservations, meaning it’s open seven days a week. Will people care about this? We suspect so. Witness the latest e-mail received by the Craigslister who’s offering up a seat at the place: “If you're romantically forking foie gras into [my] mug, I'll let you cop a feel. Left or right breast, your choice — each is magnificent. Feed me uni too, and you can touch both.” To this woman, we suggest you try your luck again now, unless you want to be this guy’s “foig buddy.”

Ko-BOOM BLOCKBUSTER: Momo' Ko Now Open 7 Days a Week [Eater]

Ah, the wonders of the Internet — after we reprinted a Craigslist ad in which an anonymous foodie gloated about his Ko reservations and offered a seat up to any takers (preferably Brazilian porn stars or Padma Lakshmi), the author of the ad wrote to us and confessed that he was the selfsame person who sent us a tirade about a $12,000 knish being served at the “Suffolk Kitchen.” You’ll remember that satire was so flawlessly executed that pundit Andrew Sullivan fell for it. So how many responses did “Chef Suffolk” get and how passionate were they in their love of Ko? He tells us himself. (Bolding ours.)

A reader sends us a Craigslist posting from a Momo-freako who is really hard up to go to Ko with a fellow foodie, preferably a Brazilian porn star. This is easily the best ad we’ve seen since Tom Dubrowski seduced Gael — in fact if we didn’t know any better, we’d think it was Dubrowski again, hoping for an even comelier dining companion (this guy has his sights set on Padma).

Gael Greene’s and a Craigslister’s dinner at Ko has turned into a matter of he said, she isn’t saying yet, and now, Eater said (we weren’t kidding about Momofuku essentially being a satellite office: They’ve now produced computer records which they say show that Dobrowski canceled his resy about a half an hour after making it). Clearly a witness needs to come forward, and that one has. A diner who says he ate at Ko that fateful night has emailed us to offer his account of events.

Gael Greene still hasn’t followed up on yesterday’s post revealing that she took a Craigslister up on his offer of a seat at Momofuku Ko, and she still hasn’t refuted Eater’s speculation that the Craigslister might’ve canceled his resy only to show up at the restaurant and pretend he hadn’t. But Frank Bruni has weighed in, refuting claims that he was turned down as a dining companion, and now the Craigslister himself, Thomas Dobrowski, who doesn’t appreciate Bruni calling him a “weird guy,” writes in to tell us his side of the story.

The guy who posted a Craiglist ad asking for someone to pay for his dinner at Momofuku Ko actually got some takers — and some high-profile ones, at that. He told our own Gael Greene, his ultimate choice, that he turned down Frank Bruni for her (Burt Reynolds, Clint Eastwood, and Elvis certainly would’ve done the same.) In a post, Gael says she’ll tell us about the “shocking farewell” she received from David Chang in a follow-up, but, in the meantime, Eater offers juicy speculation.

We saw this one on Craiglist over the weekend. We might not take him up on it. But you can!

MOMOFUKU KO DINNER - Weds

Reply to: pers-658615295@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-04-27, 7:06PM

I recently achieved what most have found impossible. I have a resi for two (2) at Ko this Weds at 9:15pm. I am offering my one extra seat to anyone who wants to treat me to this most coveted dining celebration. You pay for the food, if we have fun I will pick up the tab for the booze.

Just tell me why this will work for us and the seat is yours.
Best,
tom

Momofuku Ko Dinner - Weds. [Craigslist]

A certain “well-known food writer/personality” is looking for an intern on Craigslist. Before we can even start to guess who it is (clue: he or she is based in Brooklyn), we have to ask: What exactly is a food personality? Are we talking about Andrea Strong or, like, Cap'n Crunch? Also, there are perks! You'll “get to work with an established food communications professional.” Potentially exciting, but — food communications? Why does this make us think of the guy from Close Encounters who plays with his mashed potatoes? While we’re scratching our heads, why don't you read the ad and help us figure out who this well-known food writer/personality/communications professional might actually be? Comments are below; we eagerly await the reveal on this one.

Intern to Food Writer/Personality [Craigslist]

The era of Ditmas Park boasting two good New American restaurants may be coming to a close. According to a Craigslist ad posted today, picket fence, the neighborhood’s pioneering New American restaurant, is for sale. (The other favorite is the Farm on Adderley.) It was with great sadness that we read the following line: “Visit picketfencebrooklyn.com and see for yourself what a great opportunity this is.” (We’re easily moved.) The restaurant helped spark the Ditmas Park revival; we’re sorry to see it go, but curious as to what will come in its place.

Cozy Restaurant for Sale [Craigslist]

Gordon Ramsay has a problem or two of his own — neighbors outraged over his noise and stink, namely — but that’s not stopping him from lending a helping hand to restaurateurs in need. In the name of middling-to-bad television, that is. The producers of his new show in the U.S., Kitchen Nightmares (the series originated in England), have put out a call for hapless reality subjects seeking scorn and humiliation. Ramsay’s people even manage to produce an exceptionally obnoxious Craigslist ad: “LOOKING FOR RESTAURANTS THAT ARE HAVING problems & NEED GORDON RAMSAY to help turn their restaurants into an overnight success.” Can you speak up, Gordo? We can’t hear you above these exhaust fans.

Fox TV-New Gordon Ramsay Show-Looking 4 Restaurants That Need Help! [Craigslist]