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All Posts Tagged: ‘gael greene’

In the Magazine

8/ 4/08

9:30 AM

The Farmer As Cult Hero; Four Stars for General Greene

the general greene

Brooklyn's The General Greene.Photo: iStockphoto

In the magazine this week, Susan Burton profiles Amy Hepworth, an upstate farmer who supplies the Park Slope Coop with produce and an obsessed following. The Underground Gourmet gave a whopping four stars to Brooklyn newcomer the General Greene, and Gael Greene writes that “excitement definitely scents the air” at Convivio. In "Openings," Rob and Robin herald the debut of Alain Alegretti's luxe Flatiron French restaurant Allegretti as well as a gluten-free pasta restaurant called Opus. Rob and Robin also explore new products this week, including a gelato and a salami, as well as identify a new food trendlet: variations on affogato al caffè, or ice cream drowned in hot espresso. Clip out the "In Season" tabbouleh recipe from Ilili's Philippe Massoud and be sure to read the news on Le Cirque's Maccioni family and their plans for an affordable pasta restaurant in the Beekman Towers.

More: In the Magazine »convivio, farms, gael greene, gelato, general greene, ilili, phillipe massoud, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, tabbouleh

NewsFeed

7/24/08

4:30 PM

Will Alain Ducasse Take Over Restaurant Paul Bocuse?

paul bocuse and alain ducasse

From left, Paul Bocuse and Alain Ducasse.Photo: Getty Images

If you're into the titans of French gastronomy, Gael Green has a rumor for you: Alain Ducasse will take over Restaurant Paul Bocuse when the eponymous founder dies. The restaurant will be “an homage to the charismatic revolutionary,” says Greene, and will serve as both a museum and restaurant. Bocuse, the towering figure of the previous generation of French chefs, is today regarded with profound reverence. Given that Ducasse is the leading figure in contemporary haute cuisine, this is the kind of ceremonial passing of the torch that the French love to celebrate.

Short Order [Insatiable Critic]

More: NewsFeed »alain ducasse, french, gael greene, paul bocuse

Mediavore

7/15/08

10:00 AM

Vertical Farms Coming to New York?; Manhattan Immune to Starbucks Closings (for Now)

• Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer is apparently taken by the idea of “vertical farms,” skyscrapers that produce food, and is putting together a feasibility report for the mayor to review. [NYT]
Related: Skyfarming [NYM]

• Gael Greene traveled to France to attend a lunch made by Paul Bocuse, the legendary chef now in his 42nd year of cooking with three Michelin stars, in part because he wasn’t well enough to attend the Citymeals-on-Wheels benefit here last month. [Insatiable Critic]

• Sometimes Top Chef fans go too far. One of Spike Mendelsohn’s admirers drove almost an hour to try a burger at Good Stuff Eatery, and then he posted a note to Spike on Craigslist’s Missed Connections, asking, “Can i see for myself if the carpet matches the drapes?” Shudder. [Eater]

More: Mediavore »ammos estiatorio, craigslist, gael greene, hell's kitchen, paul bocuse, scott stringer, spike mendelsohn, starbucks, top chef, vertical farms

Mediavore

6/10/08

10:00 AM

President Looks to Increase FDA Budget After Latest Scare; Pelaccio Eats Salad

• The Bush administration appealed to Congress yesterday to add $275 million to the Food & Drug Administration’s budget, so that they can try to prevent incidents like this salmonella-tomato situation. [NYT]

• Gael Greene has created an over-the-top, decadent sundae for Serendipity 3 that uses crème fraîche and 24-karat gold as ingredients. But those who indulge in it will have a sound conscience, as proceeds from the sundae’s sale go to Citymeals-on-Wheels. [NYP]

• Fatty Crab chef Zak Pelaccio eats salad with his fingers. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]

More: Mediavore »bar pitti, crops, ed brown, eighty one, fatty crab, fda, gael greene, mcdonald's, rocco dispirito, salmonella, serendipity 3, zak pelaccio

In the Magazine

6/ 9/08

9:30 AM

Eat Pizza in Brooklyn and Buy Meat in Union Square

Brooklyn pizza beyond Di Fara and Totonno's.Photo: Noah Kalina

In this week's magazine, Rob and Robin deliver the definitive guide to buying meat and dairy in the Union Square Greenmarket, along with welcome news of a pizza renaissance in Brooklyn. The Robs also manage to find a decent boxed wine and deliver news of two new restaurants, in Harlem and on the Upper East Side. You'll also find a recipe for fluke and Gael Greene's notes on Hundred Acres. In the "Intelligencer section," read about a former West Village diner destined to be a high-end chophouse.

More: In the Magazine »gael greene, hundred acres, pizza, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, union square greenmarket, west village, wine

NewsFeed

6/ 4/08

1:00 PM

Brooklyn Not Good Enough for Rockefeller Center

rockefeller center

Rockefeller Center is in Manhattan, thank you.Photo: Getty Images

Brooklyn has been dissed yet again, this time by Rockefeller Center. Gael Greene reports on Insatiable Critic that Shelly Fireman wanted to put a Brooklyn Diner in the space that used to house Tuscan Square. The only problem was that Tishman-Speyer, who manages the property, considered the Brooklyn Diner to be too downscale! “Would you be willing to give up using Brooklyn in the name?” Fireman was asked. (We guess it couldn't match the Battlestar Galactica "Frak Off" shirts in the NBC store for class.) In Dubai, apparently, they’re not so squeamish; Greene reports that a Brooklyn Diner franchise is ready to go at the Vegas of the Middle East.

Short Order [Insatiable Critic]

More: NewsFeed »brooklyn diner, gael greene, midtown, shelly fireman

Foodievents

6/ 2/08

2:30 PM

New Taste of the UWS Reminds Us to Eat Uptown

Cesare Casella slices prosciutto, and Landmarc's Marc Murphy spins cotton candy.Photo: Michael Alan Connelly

Saturday’s New Taste of the Upper West Side was a coming-out party of sorts for the neighborhood, having regained its identity as a celebrated food district. Chef Michael Psilakis expressed gratitude for Kefi’s “cult status” in the neighborhood and its resulting full dining room. But the opening of Kefi 2.0 on Columbus Avenue has been delayed, Psilakis says. He hopes the new space will open in August, but don't expect any changes to the menu. “We’re not looking to change the concept,” says the chef. “We just want a place where we can take reservations, take credit cards, and not make people wait an hour for dinner.”

More: Foodievents »bar boulud, cesca, eighty one, fatty crab, gael greene, kefi, landmarc, madaleine may, magnolia bakery, michael psilakis, new taste of the upper west side, nina zagat, randy garutti, shake shack, telepan, tim zagat, upper west side, zak pelaccio

Mediavore

5/12/08

10:00 AM

Imagining Cipriani Without Liquor; Gael Greene's Double Date

• Will the next season of Top Chef be filmed in Toronto? [Snack]

• Gael Greene went on a double date at Cacio e Vino with the guy who took her to a controversial dinner at Momofuku Ko. [Insatiable Critic]
Related: Gael Greene Takes David Chang to School

• Where have the spoons at place settings gone? [Zagat Buzz]

More: Mediavore »allen and delancey, bar tabac, bloomberg, bobo, casa mono, cipriani, elettaria, gael greene, guest house, home, momofuku ko, the barbecue bible, top chef

The In-box

5/ 5/08

5:45 PM

Gael Greene's Ko Conspirator Goes on the Defensive

By now you might be almost as sick of hearing about Gael Greene's and Tom Dobrowski's Ko reservation debacle as you are of, say, trying to get a reservation at the place (thanks to the guy who e-mailed us today offering us his time slot, but we’ll pass) — but we thought we'd post Dobrowski's latest e-mail to us by way of a coda. Let the record show that one of his co-workers may have canceled his reservation after he forwarded it around, and an IT guy at Momofuku may have leaked the log of his reservation activity to Eater despite assurances that he wouldn’t.

More: The In-box »craigslist, eater, gael greene, momofuku ko, tom dobrowski

NewsFeed

5/ 5/08

12:15 PM

Gael Greene Takes David Chang to School

Tom Dobrowski, Momofuku escort.Photo: Courtesy of Gael Greene

Gael Greene finally weighs in on her date with Tom Dobrowski, the Craigslister who was accused of canceling his reservation at Momofuku Ko only to show up playing dumb. Following in the steps of The Wall Street Journal reviewer, the Insatiable Critic bemoans the dour chefs, or “Stepford cooks” as she describes them: “Too joyless, rushed, indifferent, possibly bored.” Nevertheless — with the exception of finding the desserts more interesting than delicious and downright hating the bowl of foie gras shavings, Riesling gelée, pine-nut brittle and nuggets of litchi — she admires much of their output as “provocative and delicious.” But let’s face it, it’s not the food we're dying to hear about. What was the “shocking farewell” from Chef Chang that Gael promised to tell us about?

More: NewsFeed »craiglist, david chang, gael greene, insatiable critic, momofuku ko, tom dobrowski

NewsFeed

5/ 2/08

3:44 PM

Ko Controversy: A Witness Emerges From the Shadows

david chang and david chan

Exhibit A.

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.

More: NewsFeed »craigslist, gael greene, momofuku ko

Beef

5/ 2/08

9:30 AM

Gael Greene's Craigslist Date Keeps Getting Shadier

Photo: Patrick McMullan

It 's been a rare mix of bad luck for Gael Greene. First, our Insatiable Critic is misled by her Craigslist date into thinking that she has a legit reservation at Ko; then she gets read the riot act at the end of the meal by the famously prickly David Chang (“If the confusion was our fault, please accept our apologies. If you tried to sneak your way into Ko, we don't want your money”). And then, not realizing that the tiny restaurant is essentially an Eater satellite office, she has to sit and watch as the whole thing is broadcast to the world. Now it turns out that the Craigslist guy was lying to her about having turned down Frank Bruni, too, clearly in an attempt to fluff the ego. The critic writes us to say, “I'm not doubting that weird guy told Gael what he told her, but he didn't turn me/us down. That's so not true! I have e-mails to prove it.” Welcome to the world of Craigslist dating, Gael. It's even worse than you thought.

Earlier: Gael Greene Goes on a Craigslist Date at Ko, Stirs Controversy

More: Beef »eater, frank bruni, gael greene, momofuku ko

NewsFeed

5/ 1/08

1:35 PM

Gael Greene Goes on a Craigslist Date at Ko, Stirs Controversy

Photo: Patrick McMullan

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.

More: NewsFeed »craigslist, east village, frank bruni, gael greene, momofuku ko

Back of the House

4/25/08

2:00 PM

Realtor Puts $5,000 Bounty on Midtown Restaurant Space

Easy money for you.Photo courtesy Insatiable Critic

The demand for midtown restaurant space seems to be greater than we thought: A Realtor has actually taken out an ad on Gael Greene’s Website, putting out a $5,000 bounty for a tip leading to a good location. “Our posse has been hunting for a sizable midtown restaurant location for a while for now,” Jon-Bentley Wiggins, of Kamenitzer Real Estate Group, explains. “[It’s] time to get the townsfolk involved.” Apparently, neither a recession, nor zooming food costs, nor even the astronomical cost of real estate is enough to slow the restaurant juggernaut down. Or, if it is, don't let that get in the way of your finder's fee, should you know about something.

More: Back of the House »gael greene, midtown, real estate

NewsFeed

4/14/08

1:30 PM

Eli Zabar Sells Grocery for $10

Eli Zabar, tzadik (righteous man).Photo: Getty Images

Talk about your fire sales! Bowing to pressure brought by Almighty God, Moses, Maimonides, and other powerful figures in the New York kosher-food establishment, Eli Zabar will sell his kosher bakery for the far-below-market-value sum of ten dollars as part of a religious ritual this Passover, Gael Greene reports. (Though legally binding, the sale is a token one, and Zabar will buy the place back at the end of Passover.) Now if only he could be persuaded to sell his coffee, lox, and rugalach for ten dollars! That would be an act of piety we could get behind.

Eli Sells the Store [Insatiable Critic]

More: NewsFeed »eli zabar, gael greene, passover, zabar's

In the Magazine

4/14/08

9:30 AM

The Fruits of Ingenuity, in This Week's Issue

grilled cheese sandwiches

Really, what's better than a good grilled cheese sandwich? Or four?Photo: Noah Sheldon

The theme of this week’s issue, at least that of its food content, was immediately obvious to us: ingenuity. In a city so stocked and teeming with restaurants, how can chefs find niches to fill? A noodle bar is reconfigured as a poor man’s Masa and earns four stars from Adam Platt; a wine bar forbidden from hard liquor uses wine, port, and sherry to create cocktails; and a restaurant catering to wealthy clients produces foie gras–flavored dog biscuits. Rob and Robin, in their tireless rounds, suss out such acts of creativity but also stop to appreciate the simple things, like the chocolate cookies at Payard Patisserie, say, or a promising Japanese restaurant opening on 8th Street, or the grilled-cheese-sandwich program at the bar at Smith’s. Add to this an inexpensive Argentine grill encountered by Gael Greene, and it’s another week in the life of New York, and New York.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, cho cho san, dog biscuits, gael greene, ko, payard patisserie, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, smiths

Back of the House

3/24/08

3:25 PM

Eric Ripert Hobnobs With the Dalai Lama

Over at her blog, Insatiable Gourmet, our own Gael Greene delivers news of Eric Ripert’s pilgrimage to India to meet with his holiness, the Dalai Lama. Yes, as Carl Spackler says in Caddyshack, “the Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald … striking.” But did the Ripper get, you know, a little something for the effort? Even if it’s just total consciousness when he dies? Apparently not. While Ripert did get to hear the Lama speak, the chef's plan to train the refugees who run the Norbulingka Institute in India, which was founded by the Lama to preserve Tibetan culture, has run aground on the rocks of Sino-Tibetan political strife. Ripert had hoped to start a foundation to send American chefs there, but that's on hold for the moment, as you might expect. Ripert, we are happy to report, is back safe and sound at his post at Le Bernardin.

Short Order [Insatiable Critic]

More: Back of the House »eric ripert, gael greene, le bernardin

In the Magazine

3/24/08

9:30 AM

Spanning the Globe, From Africa to Connecticut

If you can get Adam Platt to give you two stars for African food, you're doing something right.Photo: Zach Desart

This week's issue goes far and wide, from the past to the future, from Connecticut to remotest Africa. Rob and Robin have worked up a foodie spring break: four can't-miss restaurants that will compel you to rent a car and head out of town. No such effort is required to sample the cooking of Africa, via the kitchen at Merkato 55, which Adam Platt enjoys to the tune of two stars. On more familiar European ground, Gael Greene stops in at Mia Dona and finds much (though not everything) to her liking. There's a warm review of Arthur “the food maven” Schwartz's new cookbook, a definitive source on the story of Jewish foodways in New York. In "Openings" this week, Rob and Robin do us no favors by introducing an NYU-area cookie store catering to night owls. The Robs also mark the opening of Pomme de Terre, a bistro welcomed by residents of Ditmas Park.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, arthur schwartz, connecticut, gael greene, insomnia cookie, merkato 55, mia dona, pomme de terre, rob patronite, robin raisfeld

Back of the House

3/21/08

2:30 PM

Giancarlo Quadalti to Spring Viola on New York

On Insatiable Critic today, Gael Greene gets the scoop on Giancarlo Quadalti’s latest restaurant: It's to be called Viola and will have a Tuscan theme. Quadalti specializes in no-frills, authentic, moderately priced regional Italian restaurants, such as Teodora in midtown, Celeste on the Upper West Side, Bianca in the Village, and Fiore in Williamsburg. Viola is still in the planning stages, Quadalti tells us. “It’s not concrete yet. It’s still a little far away. We’re looking at three different locations.” The guy hasn't produced a bad restaurant yet, so this definitely qualifies as good news. Or will, once the lease is signed.

Short Orders [Insatiable Critic]

More: Back of the House »bianco, celeste, fiore, gael greene, giancarlo quadalti, italian, teodora

In the Magazine

3/17/08

9:30 AM

Good Times for High and Low in This Week's Issue

This is what a three-star restaurant looks like.Photo: Eric Laignel/Courtesy of Adour Alain Ducasse at the St. Regis New York

These are high times we’re living in. Every stratum of society has something going for it. On the tippy top, the wine-swilling swells who frequent Adour can enjoy what, in Adam Platt’s view, is three-star cuisine. And their fellow plutocrats will enjoy South Gate’s posh but lively room and Gael Greene–approved food (well, except for the clams). But for the rest of us, Rob and Robin have a panoply of awarding options: There are the spring-inspired rhubarb hamantaschen made by Emily Isaac at Trois Pommes Patisserie; an interview the Robs did with Momofuku man Joaquin Baca, who now is doing the menu for world-class dive bar the Rusty Knot; and, adding to this embarrassment of riches, takeout sweets from Pichet Ong’s Batch, and a very appealing-sounding little Tuscan restaurant on Bleecker Street. On top of everything else, crackling is the latest snack trend. Good times, friends. Good times.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, adour, emily issac, gael greene, joaquin baca, momofuku, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, the rusty knot, trois pommes patisserie

Mediavore

3/ 4/08

10:00 AM

Socialista Back in Business; 2nd Avenue Deli Still Delivers

Socialista, now rid of that pesky hepatitis-A problem, is once again hosting celebs like Sting and Josh Hartnett. [NYP]

Conflict-of-interest alert! The soon-to-be-new president of the Obesity Society had to step down after drawing criticism for his paid consultant work for the restaurant industry, for whom he produced a puzzling affidavit asserting that posting calorie info on menus could have a negative effect on obesity. [NYT]

Good news: The 2nd Avenue Deli still delivers anywhere in town. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]

More: Mediavore »anthos, bar boulud, dovetail, eisenberg's sandwich shop, gael greene, hepatitis, palm court, plaza, second avenue deli, socialista

In the Magazine

2/18/08

9:00 AM

Platt Disses Daniel, and Other Holiday Tales

Platt is ready to admit that the room is handsome, but…Photo courtesy Bar Boulud

Presidents’ Day is a holiday for Grub Street, but, thankfully, there’s enough in this week’s magazine to read till we return tomorrow. Daniel Boulud, whom Adam Platt respects as the Last Great French Chef, falls down in his new restaurant and gets only one star. In this week's "Openings," Rob and Robin introduce us to Olana (American with Italian influences) and marvel at Akhtar Nawab and Noel Cruz for putting a restaurant where Jimi Hendrix used to (reportedly) play. At Momofuku Ssäm Bar, Rob and Robin find the mind-bending “Frankensteak”: hanger steak that is literally glued to world-class rib-eye deckle. The Insatiable Critic falls for Fiore, a funky, rustic Italian place in Williamsburg; for those at risk of scurvy, pickled lemon is in "In Season" this week. But if you want a drink, you’ll find a guide to the city’s top boutique wineshops by the Gastropoda herself, Regina Schrambling.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, daniel boulud, elettaria, fiore, gael greene, momofuku ssam bar, olana, rob patronite, robin raisfeld

Mediavore

2/11/08

10:00 AM

Joe Chirico Allegedly Served As Mob Extortionist; Femme Fatale's Clubhouse to Be Called Come

Brooklyn Restaurant Association president Joe Chirico, indicted last week along with the Gambino clan, allegedly lived a secret life in which he served as an extortionist for the mob. [NYP]
Related: New York Restaurant Association Big Netted in Gambino Roundup

Foodies all over the country are willing to drop serious money to sit at chefs’ tables, but is it worth the hefty price tag at a place like Café Gray? [WSJ]

If insects aren’t dirty or disease-ridden and they are packed with protein, then why aren’t we eating them? [NYT]
Related: What’s It Take to Get a Decent Grasshopper Around Here?

More: Mediavore »burger king, cafe gray, calorie posting, chef's tables, come, emma cleary, femme fatale, gael greene, insects, joseph chirico

In the Magazine

2/11/08

9:30 AM

We Haven't Had That Spirit Here Since 1968

The good old days.Illustration by Wes Duvall

Though it may be New York's 40th anniversary, 1968 was a rough year: the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, the Tet Offensive, riots in Newark and Detroit. But one area no one could complain about was food in New York, as this week’s anniversary issue attests. Gael Greene, who was then — as now — a potent force in the city’s restaurant culture, conjures up one of the era’s most vivid restaurant scenes at Orsini's, complete with a cast ranging from Yul Brynner to Porfirio Rubirosa, the era’s greatest playboy. Rob and Robin, scoping out the city’s treats circa 1968, find everything from Japanese raw-fish sandwiches called “sushi” to quenelles at La Côte Basque. And, in a fitting tribute to an era when “fine dining” meant French food, a recipe for “ze Soufflé” at La Grenouille.

More: In the Magazine »gael greene, rob patronite, robin raisfeld

In the Magazine

2/ 4/08

10:30 AM

Dovetail Takes Flight, Merkato 55 Opens, and All Is Well

Dovetail's three-star review, coming right up.Photo: Noah Sheldon

Well, here’s some news the food world will find welcome: Adam Platt is so won over by the Upper West Side’s Dovetail that he has gone and awarded the place three stars. And in further good news, Merkato 55, Marcus Samuelsson’s much-awaited African restaurant, finally opens its doors in the meatpacking district, as Rob and Robin report in this week’s Openings. On the other side of the trendiness spectrum, the 2nd Avenue Deli comes under the gaze of Gael Greene, and the Insatiable Critic likes what she sees. Add in the mysteries of the Tasting Table and a fine sangria recipe, and you have plenty to chew on in this week’s magazine.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, dovetail, gael greene, rob patronite, robin raisfeld, second avenue deli

NewsFeed

1/29/08

6:05 PM

Huynh Still In at Bun, But Reluctantly So

Yesterday Bret Thorn seemingly debunked Gael Greene’s assertion that Michael Huynh left Bun because he wasn’t getting along with his partners and was opening a noodle shop near his other joint Mai House. Thorn had it from the restaurant that Huynh was merely on vacation. Bun’s publicist, Sam Firer, e-mailed something to that effect: “Michael just came back from Vietnam last night and he's a wee bit surprised to find out he's left two of his restaurants. He hasn't. Just a malicious rumor.” However now the Insatiable Critic, who started all of this in the first place, hears from Huynh that although he considered leaving the restaurant, he decided he didn't want to lose his investment.

More: NewsFeed »bret thorn, bun, gael greene, michael huynh

In the Magazine

1/28/08

9:30 AM

Platt Pans Brasserie 44; Make Your Own Guacamole

Inside Bar BlancPhoto: Noah Sheldon

Reading this week’s magazine — or at least the food-related parts of it — had its own special rhythm. First came the shock and guilty excitement of reading Adam Platt’s review of Bar Blanc, which he liked, and Brasserie 44, which he didn't — zero stars. In a week with only one opening (Bridge Vineyards Tasting Room), Rob and Robin taught us how to make guacamole (there's a video, too!) and turned us on to the rebellious risotto at Dell’anima. They also found local treats that are globally inspired and clued us in on the rabbits multiplying across city menus. Gael Greene managed to get a table in the early days of Chop Suey, and her pre-pre-pre-review is favorable.

More: In the Magazine »adam platt, bar blanc, brasserie 44, dell'anima, gael greene, risotto, rob patronite, robin raisfeld

Mediavore

1/ 2/08

10:00 AM

Demi and Ashton Not the Box's Favorite Patrons; PM Closing for January

Box owner Simon Hammerstein is happy one of his performers spilled a drink on Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher this week. [NYP]

2008 probably won’t be the year that sees the establishment of a large, indoor public market along the lines of London’s Borough Market or San Francisco’s farmer’s market. [NYT]
Related: Batali Shows a Little Leg to Sex Up New Amsterdam Public

Gael Greene puts forth her list of culinary predictions for the New Year, including this gem: “Jeffrey Chodorow and Frank Bruni will have a food fight in Madison Square Park televised by the Food Network. If Bruni loses he will be required to review restaurants in Des Moines for six months. If Chodorow is the loser he will be forbidden to open a new restaurant for three weeks.” [Insatiable Critic]

More: Mediavore »ashton kutcher, clubland, demi moore, frank bruni, gael greene, jeffrey chodorow, pm, reservations, simon hammerstein, steve cuozzo, the box, veal

Back of the House

12/18/07

9:30 AM

Nobu Looks for an Opulent Suitor

Nobu 75 could spawn Nobu Exit 13W.Photo: Corbis

Do you have a valuable brand name? A blue-chip reputation sanctified by the food media? Do you need ready capital — for expansion, debt reduction, or even retirement in your golden years? Just sell out to the nearest major conglomerate looking to add a bit of class! On her Website’s new gossip page, New York’s Insatiable Critic, Gael Greene, reveals the details of the latest rumored arranged marriage: this one between Nobu and Colony Capital, “the force behind Xanadu, the 2.2.-million-square-foot sports, leisure, shopping and family entertainment complex sprouting in the Meadowlands.” Is Nobu Matsuhisa playing Kubla Kahn?

Insatiable Critic: Short Order

More: Back of the House »colony capital, gael greene, meadowlands, nobu, nobu matsuhisa

In the Magazine

12/17/07

9:30 AM

Plenty of Edible Reasons to Love New York

Why even leave the curb when you want crème anglaise?Photo: Richard J. Velasco

This week, in what has become an annual tradition, the magazine identifies more reasons to love New York. The city’s edibles are justification enough, and this year Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld present two: our enthusiasm for frying and the Dessert Truck. The Robs continue to indulge by listing some of the city’s richest dishes, like WD-50’s eggs Benedict or foie gras meat loaf from Café Gray, as well as suggesting some places for New Year’s Eve dinner. Gael Greene does not speak of Crave on 42nd with such reckless abandon, but there’s nascent hope for this week’s openings: a wine bar, a vegetarian burger joint, and an eclectic East Village bistro. Finally, Rob and Robin give us one last at-home indulgence: baked Vacherin Mont d’Or. And after twelve months of tsuris, we’ve all got it coming.

More: In the Magazine »crave on 42nd, dessert truck, frying, gael greene, new year's eve

Neighborhood Watch

12/10/07

3:00 PM

Sexy East Villager Open for New Year's; Bar Blanc Opening Not Imminent

East Village: One of Gael Greene’s sexy-restaurant-picks, Strip House, made this list of New Year’s Eve dining options. [Restaurant Girl] Sakaya and its daily tastings are now just a day away. [Down by the Hipster]
Fort Greene: The new trattoria Caffe e’ Vino’s menu is so standard that it’s not doing a good jobs of tempting potential diners. [Eat for Victory/VV]
Union Square: The area "centered on Broadway south of Madison Square" was called Ladies Mile in the 1800s because of its concentration of retails shops. Nowadays, restaurants like Tocqueville, BLT Fish, and Bar Stuzzichini have made the locale a culinary destination. [NYT]
West Village: Bar Blanc is supposed to open on Saturday, but these pics of the unfinished space might tell a different story. [Eater]

More: Neighborhood Watch »bar blanc, bar stuzzichini, blt fish, caffe e vino, east village, fort greene, gael greene, ladies mile,