Clinton Hill: A new brick-oven pizza joint and sidewalk café called Il Porto is making progress in its efforts to open up in the next few weeks. [ClintonHillBlog]
Flatiron: Although he grew up in Mexico, Tabla's wine director, Leo Barrera, has yet to introduce any Mexican wines to the menu. [NYS]
Lower East Side: You might not be able to make any quick, rhythmic movements at the Annex, as their bid for a cabaret license was recommended for denial. [Eater]
Park Slope: Someone had the time to map out places in the nabe to find a good slice of red velvet cake. We can already feel the sugar rush. [Gowanus Lounge/Brooklynian]
Williamsburg: The Blue Ribbon empire expands: This time, the restaurant group is taking their menu into a yet-to-be-open — that's right — bowling alley! [NYP]

Dumbo: An outpost of Clinton Hill's Choice Market will open on the corner of York and Jay streets (near the F subway stop at York Street). [Dumbo NYC]
Flatiron: Jay-Z's 40/40 Club turns five this summer and will start serving a new sports bar–type menu in August. [Grub Street]
Nolita: Elizabeth restaurant has let go executive chef John Iconomou, and former Ilili chef Ryan Grant is filling in for the time being. [Eater]
Red Hook: The 360 space should reopen as an Italian restaurant by September. [Eater]
West Village: Danyelle Freeman reviewed Sheridan Square this week and only noted in the last line that chef Gary Robbins, who created the menu she focused on, has left. [NYDN]
Upper East Side: The burger at J.G. Melon "is the epitome of aesthetic perfection: griddle-cooked fresh ground beef, American cheese, a toasted white bun, sliced red onions, and pickles. It is served straddling both sides of the bun, which is laid out with the two halves facing up." [Hamburger Today]

Astoria: Winegasm has some tasty bites, but the Gasm Dip has sort of a strange taste that might even have more to do with licorice flavoring than the bean spread's unfortunate name. [Joey in Astoria]
Clinton Hill: A beautiful fresh produce stop called Atlantic Tropics has opened on Atlantic Avenue near Grand, and it's not going to get much foot traffic so you'll have to search it out. [Clinton Hill Blog]
East Harlem: Patsy's will sell pizza for 60 cents all day on August 19 to celebrate its 75th anniversary. [Slice]
Flatiron: A surprising addition to this mostly ho-hum list of where to find the city's best cocktails is Craftbar, which serves a house margarita with fresh-squeezed grapefruit and orange juice, and a kumquat mimosa. [Restaurant Girl]
Little Italy: The reborn Randolph seems to be faring well since its speakeasy makeover: "The crowd is a good mix of creative hipster and young urbanite, with minimal bankers tossed in for good measure." [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Midtown East: Sushi Yasuda chef Naomichi Yasuda explains how his restaurant is a rare peek at "old Japan. Big cuts are seen as a positive thing in this new sushi world, which is not necessarily true. Also, people think that the fresher a fish is the better it is. This is generally true, but some fish are actually better after a day or two." [Zagat Buzz] Frank Bruni's compiled a list of the city's most attractive restaurants, and in the era of designer spaces, the Four Seasons holds its own for being "conventionally elegant." [NYT]
Park Slope: The last old-school butcher in the hood, A&S Pork Store, might be pushed out of its space in the next three months partly because of a family feud, according to a real estate blogger: "[T]he daughter of the former owner (still all family) is jacking their rent up b/c she knows she can get more money for that space and doesn’t care that the family business won’t be able to afford it." [Adventures of a Gal via Gowanus Lounge]
West Village: It's Bastille Day, and Paris Commune is one of many French restaurants around town promising festivities including live jazz and a cabaret act. [Grub Street]

Astoria: Fresh Start Market is hosting a fund-raiser Saturday night for a cleft-lip-surgery charity and will have wine, cheese, and live music. [Joey in Astoria]
East Flatbush: "Cool people" like Andrew Feinberg, of Franny’s, opt for the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket on Saturdays to pick up supplies from Ronnybrook Dairy and Blue Moon Trout. But it's not really shocking, since Franny's is in Brooklyn. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]
Flatiron: Former Le Cirque chef Alain Allegretti may be opening an eponymous restaurant on 22nd Street, off Fifth Avenue, as soon as this month. [Snack]
Lower East Side: The Rayuela team unveils its Latin-street-food spot, Macondo, on East Houston Street tonight, and they have funky cocktails on the menu like a frozen avocado-and-mescal colada. [Strong Buzz]
Midtown East: Zen Burger's now serving a few more vegetarian versions of McDonald's standards, including an off-menu Filet-O-Fish. [Midtown Lunch]
Union Square: The Village Pourhouse's owners have opened SideBar, their latest boozy pub in a line of many more to come across town. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
West Village: When you order the Spotted Pig's burger naked (without blue cheese), "the thing truly does taste like steak on a bun." [Hamburger Today]

Astoria: Despite its annoying name, Rést-âü-Ránt, at 35th Avenue and 30th Street, is a very pleasant spot to sip wine and eat cheese, especially when it opens the front wall to the sidewalk. [Joey in Astoria]
Clinton Hill: Grand 275 is rumored to be closing, but hopefully it's because the owners just want to do something new in the same space. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Flatiron: Swirl Events is hosting a class on July 9 at 16 West 23rd Street that aims to help you decipher a wine list and pick cheap-but-quaffable bottles. [Swirl Events]
Hell's Kitchen: Initial impressions of 5 Napkin Burger: It's already packed, and the namesake dish is a "snakejaw" burger. According to Ed Levine, it's "so thick you need a snake's hinged jaw to get your mouth around it." [A Hamburger Today]
Long Island City: Cafe Henri makes its own pretzel croissants, but no word on how they compare to City Bakery's or the other pretzels popping up around town. [Foodista]
Murray Hill: After 50 years open, Nicola Paone is closing for good. [Crain's]
South Street Seaport: New Amsterdam Public Market is open this Sunday from 11 a.m.–4 p.m., and there'll be lots of yummy stands to shop at once again, including nonprofit dairy cooperative Hudson Valley Fresh, whose reps will offer a milk tasting. [Grub Street]

Carroll Gardens: Former Asiate chef Eton Chan has opened a handmade-dumpling house with shaved ice on the menu at 205 Sackett Street, near Henry Street. [TONY]
Coney Island: Beer Island might not have a skyline view like Water Taxi Beach, but the new spot just got its very own BBQ truck, courtesy of Chris McGee, "a veteran of Blue Smoke and Jean Georges." [Strong Buzz]
East Village: Tasting Room chef Colin Alevras is not out of a job now that the restaurant has closed; he's opening a Cuban spot called La Otra, in a space that still holds a running restaurant. [Eater] La Zarza is trying to get a piece of the Monday-night party scene. [Down by the Hipster]
Greenpoint: The UnFancy Food people are hosting a backyard barbecue on Saturday, the night before the main event, so you can meet some of the producers. [Brooklyn Based]
Flatiron: Shake Shack vs. its West Coast counterpart, In-N-Out: "The patty is a lot thicker at the Shack...and...the Shack, unlike most L.A. burgers that I sampled, adds lettuce in a sparing manner." [A Hamburger Today]
Park Slope: A neighborhood pizza-slice guide, "Every Damn Slice Pizzeria in Park Slope," now can be yours. [Slice]
Prospect Heights: Flatbush Farm will cater your Fourth of July BBQ with raw, marinated meat, pasta and potato salads, and ready-to-serve pulled pork, all priced per selection. [Grub Street]
West Village: Sheridan Square will annex the former Tasca space, and have it open in July. [Zagat]

Bridgehampton: Tom Colicchio, Claudia Fleming, and the Ripper will be among the faces at the Great Chefs Dinner benefit on July 13. [Zagat Buzz]
East Village: Counter is hosting a tasting of organic and earth-friendly spirits and foods on Saturday afternoon to support green companies. [Local Wine Events]
Blue & Gold was robbed Monday, but don't worry — the burglars couldn't get the TVs off the wall. [Down by the Hipster]
Flatiron: Bill Clinton was at Hill Country last night. [Eater]
Long Island City: Mundo's specialty, Red Sonjas, are soft, red-lentil patties "flavored perfectly with parsley, scallions, and a hint of garlic" and served with fresh lettuce wraps. [Joey in Astoria]
Midtown East: Oceana is moving to a larger space next summer when its lease expires, and the new spot will have a raw bar. [NYS]
Midtown West: Dreamy-eyed Quality Meats pastry chef Cory Colton's ice creams are so good (he did study at Ice Cream University) that he's working on a trial run to retail a Quality Meats ice cream. [Restaurant Girl]
The Southside has abruptly closed. It was "no landmark, but Times Square has lost another affordable, independent restaurant. And that's not good." [Lost City]
Murray Hill: "Artisanal is like an uptown (really, midtown) Balthazar, with less noise, less crowding, and, true, much less of a frisson." Now with delicious aged steak. [NYT]

Astoria: A Brazilian spot called Samba Grill is opening soon at 29-17 23rd Avenue. [Foodista]
Chelsea: The waiters at new wine bar Bar Baresco could use a bit more training; somehow "the older one is probably better" doesn't really cut it. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Clinton Hill: Boca Soul on Fulton has closed, and a restaurant called Dajeh will take its place. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Flatiron: When ordering a pizza topped with chicken, bacon, and chipotle from Waldy's, you might want to try placing "two slices cheese side together" to pretend you're eating a sandwich, since the crust there is so tough. [Slice]
Gowanus: Work hasn't been done on the Whole Foods site in a year. [Gowanus Lounge]
Hell's Kitchen: NYC ICY opens Wednesday at 628 Tenth Avenue between 44th and 45th Streets with "flavors such as wild strawberries and cream (the berries, like the icy-making equipment, are imported from Italy), banana and dairy-free grape made from fresh Concords." But they've had an even larger shop open in the Kensington section of Brooklyn since last week. [TONY]
Lower East Side: Adam Kuban appreciates a slider list as much as the next burger lover, but "Shopsin's sliders are as good or better than many on Danyelle Freeman's list." [A Hamburger Today]
Tribeca: Matsugen's "menu ranges from the affordable (soba for $14) to the excessive (wagyu for $135)." [Eater]

Astoria: You can watch the Euro Cup at Bohemian Hall. [Joey in Astoria]
Dumbo: At least five different ice-cream and slush trucks have hit the streets so far this summer. [Dumbo NYC]
East Village: De Nova Café has opened in the former Furniture Place space, at 182 Avenue B, near 11th Street, and while it looks like a regular old coffee shop, you'll find nachos and Greek food on the menu. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Financial District: Zaitzeff really does make a great burger: "Everything points to a dry, disappointing burger here — grass-fed sirloin, nonstandard bun, cooked on a griddle under a weight — but the meat is surprisingly, amazingly juicy and hella flavorful." [Hamburger Today]
Flatiron: Chef Douglas Rodriguez (Patria) will transform Sapa into a Latin restaurant called Nuela by this summer. [Strong Buzz]
Earlier: Douglas Rodriguez May Be Headed to Sapa
Tribeca: Mangez Avec Moi has a bright new annex specializing in Vietnamese sandwiches, and you can get some Asian gourmet foods and bottled teas there now, too. [Grub Street]
Upper East Side: Dorrian's karaoke Tuesdays are gaining in popularity. Check out the pics of pink shirts and bottle blondes who've turned out thus far and see for yourself. [Guest of a Guest via Down by the Hipster]

Dumbo: J's Wine & Spirits has only been open for a few weeks, but the small business has already had its windows vandalized and broken. According to one commenter (and as further evidenced by one artist's vegan-cupcake experiment), Brooklyn is clearly "being overrun by vandals and thieves." [Dumbo NYC]
East Village: You can get a scoop at Cold Stone for 8 cents this Sunday by having a special coupon sent to your cell phone off this new discount site. [8coupons.com]
Back Forty's house cocktail, according to Peter Hoffman, was "born out of the classic sidecar and the whiskey sour." [Down by the Hipster]
Luca Lounge may have lost its lease, but the owners have relocated next door and hope to reopen their spot by the end of July. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Flatiron: If you'd rather not brave the crowds at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party this weekend, you could whip up Blue Smoke's baby-back-ribs recipe yourself. [Restaurant Girl]
Tribeca: Matsugen, Jean Georges's Japanese project in the old 66 space, is getting closer to opening. [Eater]
Earlier: Vongerichten May Deep-six 66, Serve Sushi and Soba Instead

Flatiron: This summer's Barbecue Block Party will have dark-horse representative from L.A., Mr. Cecil's California Ribs. [Zagat Buzz]
Harlem: El Morocco nightclub will be welcomed when it opens next month. "Since the closing of the Copacabana there is a shrinking number of places one could go to get their Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Reggaeton on!" [Uptown Flavor]
Midtown West: Hallo Berlin Express has opened at 744 Ninth Avenue, where it'll serve "meatballs, sauerkraut, sausages and potatoes" off the griddle. [Midtown Lunch via Eater]
Soho: SubMercer has a new cocktail called the Tequila Mockingbird with maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice, but we'd guess guests will spend more time analyzing the menu's emblem of a lady on her back straddling a martini glass than they will thinking of the literary connotations. [Down by the Hipster]

Flatiron: Zagat has paired with Continental Airlines to give away perks at some of the city's international restaurants like Tabla, where you can get a free signed cookbook. [Zagat]
Lower East Side: It looks like the bar Tut's is closed by court order. [Eater]
Midtown East: The Library Hotel at 299 Madison Avenue near 41st Street has opened its rooftop lounge, Bookmarks, for the season. [Grub Street] Benoit has its liquor license, and the brief BYOB window is now closed. [Eater]
Soho: The foodie movie Julie & Julia, with Meryl Streep as Julia Child, has been filming on location at Provence. [Making Ends Meat] Cipriani Downtown is downgrading its art. According to an onlooker: "They are loading the Peter Beards into the truck as if they were trash, banging them up...is this a renovation or another Cipriani scandal...." [Eater]
Williamsburg: When the sun comes out again, here's where to drink in open air. [Gridskipper]
West Village: At 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Corner Bistro was packed with tourists, serving poorly cooked burgers, and inedible fries. But, the chili was good. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch] If you're looking for a not-so-seasonal recipe during this not so warm weather, you could whip up Gusto's Housemade Brioche with Caramelized Apples. [Restaurant Girl]

Crown Heights: Southpaw owner Matt Roff opened a 2,000-square-foot beer garden called Franklin Park at 618 St. John's Place last Friday. It's only a few blocks from the Brooklyn Museum and will be grilling in the near future. [Gothamist]
East Village: John's of 12th Street is installing a brick oven, which we hope will turn out old-school pizzas to go with the red-sauce fare. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Starting this Friday, La Zarza, on First Avenue, will begin hosting flamenco dancers who will perform to live guitar music. [Strong Buzz]
Flatiron: Rock bar Snitch is closing, and the owner will transform the space into "an upscale lounge that will cater to the upscale social scenes of Manhattan." [Down by the Hipster]
Union Square: Construction is continuing on the north side of the park, but workers can't uproot any trees. [Fine Company]
West Village: Bruni hates being asked what his favorite restaurants are, because the category is a bit confusing: Favorite doesn't mean best, and he's not at liberty to be a regular anywhere. That said, little owl is one of his favorite casual spots. [Diner's Journal/NYT]

East Village: Chef-owner Jehangir Mehta's kitchen at Graffiti is 40 square feet. No more excuses for takeout: If he can make it work, so can you. [TONY]
Flatiron: Shake Shack won't close until 11 p.m. for the rest of the summer. [Grub Street]
Lower East Side: Freemans has a new spring menu. [Grub Street]
Midtown East: Aquavit will serve its traditional Sunday smorgasbord on Mother's Day (which is May 11). [Zagat Buzz]
Park Slope: A new restaurant called Eurotrip has opened at 667 Fifth Avenue, near 19th Street, and is serving dumplings, Hungarian flatbread, and sausage platters. The "kind of place [that] was common 50 years ago in Yorkville, on the Upper East Side." [NYT]
Another notable new spot, Barrio, is serving fancy Mexican fare from a former Rosa Mexicano chef and is offering a 15 percent discount during its soft opening, which concludes April 30. [Strong Buzz]
Rockefeller Center: The rink bar opens for the season on Mother's Day. [Grub Street]
Williamsburg: Marlow & Sons has launched lunch service, which is currently being prepared by Pies-N-Thighs partner Carolyn Bane. The special this week is fried chicken. [Brooklyn Based]
West Village: Socialista has reopened its sidewalk café. [Grub Street]

Astoria: Vine Wine, at 12-09 Jackson Avenue, is having a Kosher-wine tasting on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. [Joey in Astoria]
East Village: Artichoke opens at 3:30 p.m. today. Hopefully, the cousins are getting closer to finding an apartment. [Eater]
Midtown East: After a long, sunny day spent indoors, "you deserve a treat, a salty, sour, and sweet treat that comes in a glass as big as your head and can knock you on your ass." Zarela, on Second Avenue, might make the best margarita, according to this roundup, but there are eight other spots here where you can take that cute "co-worker who just so happens to love tequila." [Gridskipper]
Park Slope: A wine bar will open on Seventh Avenue to replace short-lived coffee shop Café Eleven. [Brooklyn Paper]
West Village: April Bloomfield admits that people might think her using condensed milk at the Spotted Pig is "kind of hokey…until you boil it for four hours, and then it becomes sex in a tin!" [Diner's Journal/NYT]
Mi Cocina has transformed its front dining room into a tequila bar with 80 brands of the spirit and specialty cocktails like the Besame Mucho, which combines tequila with the Mexican fertility flower damiana, and the less-dangerous Que Curvas, a simple mix of tequila, mango, and lime. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]

East Village: Minca is one "great and relatively unhyped" ramen spot left in the — at least according to this blogger — as-yet unsaturated noodle neighborhood. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]
Flatiron: Some of the desserts pastry chef Nancy Olson makes for Gramercy Tavern were inspired by her grandmother's German-Russian-American baking. [Restaurant Girl]
Greenpoint: A new shop called jan & äya sells local confections like baker Sarah Magid's gold-coated Twinkie-esque cakes. [Gridskipper]
Soho: Il Buco's getting in the Earth Day spirit next week by donating all proceeds from prix fixe lunches served on April 22–27 to Al Gore's latest global-warming campaign. [Zagat]
Tribeca: Jerry, of the now-closed Jerry’s in Soho, debuts his Pan-Asian spot, YourAsian, at 90 Chambers Street today. [NYT]
Williamsburg: Bean-to-bar chocolate makers the Mast Brothers are opening a retail shop (and will also replace a Greenpoint apartment building for their new factory!) on North 3rd Street, between Wythe and Berry. [NYS]

Astoria: If you're making a last-minute run to H&R Block for your taxes, you might as well head down the block after and celebrate at new Greek restaurant Akti. [Joey in Astoria]
East Village: Bruni has eaten at Ko. His first impression: "The median age was younger than it typically is at a restaurant in this price range." Does that reflect the age of the Internet savvy? [Diner's Journal/NYT]
Flatiron: Gramercy Tavern pastry chef Nancy Olsen reveals her recipe for chocolate-bread pudding. [Restaurant Girl]
Gramercy: The Denton brothers aspire to three stars for Bar Milano. [W via Eater]
Hell's Kitchen: Uncle Nick's will spawn a Greek cousin in early May at 29th Street and Eighth Avenue. [Zagat]

East 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]