More Sex From Gael Greene; TKettle's Veggie Dumplings

Gael Greene returns to her sexy-tables topic after an influx of reader mail: "Several romantics agreed with Francesco that 'Jean Georges at lunch could not be more sexy.'" A reformed Madame Bovary concluded: "It was a lot of bang for the buck." [Insatiable Critic] Even the Brits are buzzing over the prospect of Charlie Trotter opening a restaurant overlooking Madison Square Park. [Caterer Search, UK] Related: New York to Charlie Trotter: Bring It On! This hefty roundup of book recommendations for foodies includes such Grub-approved picks as the Food Snob's Dictionary and My Last Supper (where you can see Wylie Dufesne lounging like Lady Godiva, but with cheese). [Zagat] Related: Meet the Original Food Snobs David Kamp Brings Aid to Would-Be Food Snobs Eating the Last Supper

Posted 12/04/07 in Grub Street : Mediavore

Tags: beatrice inn, charlie trotter, donuts, food snob's dictionary, gael greene, jean georges, julian medina, latkes, mediavore, my last supper, one madison park

Bourdain Blasts Rachael Ray, and It's Not Yum-O

According to "Page Six" today, Anthony Bourdain has a serious problem with Rachael Ray endorsing Dunkin’ Donuts. Yes, the man who waxed nostalgic about the “the bitter, delicious taste of heroin in the back of my throat” in last month’s Spin believes Ray is being “evil” and “over the line” in endorsing what he considers “crack for kids.” But should Bourdain really be running his mouth? Never mind that he smoked Marlboros while telling GQ’s Website about his favorite old-man dive bars — he’s also the guy who told Powells.com, “Is there anything better than a maple bacon donut? I don’t think so.” Apparently it’s perfectly okay to endorse doughnuts as long as they have life-giving bacon in them! Related: Rachael’s Dunkin’ Gig “Evil” [NYP] PBR, Strippers, and Kitsch [Style.com] Earlier: Bourdain’s “Spin” Essay Is Pretty Thin Soup

Posted 10/11/07 in Grub Street : Beef

Tags: anthony bourdain, beef, donuts, rachael ray

The Box Back in Action; Smith & Wollensky Sold at Last

The Box is back in action and even hosted a corporate event last night for Virgin America airline, clearly meant to bring the venue one step closer to becoming a "cultural institution." [Down by the Hipster] The $94.7 million sale of New York–based Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, which includes Quality Meats and Park Avenue Summer, to the national corporation Patina has been finalized, but there's still no word on a timetable for Park Avenue's fall makeover. [Nation's Restaurant News] Related: The Secrets of Steakhouse Riches Is Top Chef’s Brian into threesomes? Of the kind less celebrated in popular culture? [Amuse Biatch]

Posted 08/30/07 in Grub Street : Mediavore

Tags: brian malarkey, cocktails, david rabin, donuts, lotus, mediavore, park avenue summer, pinkberry, quality meats, smith & wollensky, steve cuozzo, top chef

City Council Might Tackle Labor Violations; Drunks Abound at High-End Restaurants

Customers get drunk, carry on, and throw up even at the finest restaurants. Especially at the finest restaurants: “More people throw up in the dining room of Per Se than your average college bar.” [NYT] The City Council is considering a law that would put labor violations on par with health violations, in an effort to protect vulnerable immigrant workers. [NPR] Mocktails are on the rise, thanks to “the whole rehab thing,” and nowhere more successfully than at Indochine. [NYP]

Posted 08/01/07 in Grub Street : Mediavore

Tags: balthazar, bryant park grill, donuts, julian medina, labor, mediavore, mexican, mocktails, per se, sandro frioriti, sandro's, senegalese, toloache, zocalo

Mr. Chow Sued for $5 Million; Loans Crush Wannabe Chefs

Michael Chow of Mr. Chow is hit with a $5 million lawsuit for skimming tips, demanding “cult-like attention” from staff, and utilizing “degradation as a management technique.” [NYP] Cooking-school graduates are being crushed by their student-loan debts: “The story is always the same. The school convinces the student they are going to be the next Julia Child or Wolfgang Puck, and the student will sign anything.” [NYT] The Smith and Wollensky Restaurant Group finally agrees to be bought out by Patina Restaurant Group [NYT] Related: The Secrets of Steakhouse Riches [Grub Street]

Posted 05/08/07 in Grub Street : Mediavore

Tags: cafe grumpy, coffee, desserts, donuts, james beard awards, mediavore, michael chow, michael laskonis, mr. chow, pork, smith & wollensky, thomas keller