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]

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]

Clinton Hill: Tamboril's hosting a post-fireworks party on Friday with live music and D.J.'s. [Clinton Hill Blog]
East Village: Artichoke Pizza was actually open by 12:30 p.m. today. Maybe the cousins found a Manhattan apartment? [Eater]
Lower East Side: When Freemans opened, it was "looking for an accessible brown cocktail that worked with our fall menu." The resulting mix of rye, orange bitters, and pomegranate has become the spot's house cocktail. [Down by the Hipster]
Prospect Heights: A 55-year-old klepto was collared by police outside a supermarket on Washington Avenue after she swiped some packaged roast beef, but, alas, the fuzz was one step behind: "The sandwich meat was not recovered intact." [Brooklyn Paper]
Tribeca: The Knitting Factory building has sold for $12 million, but the venue hasn't decided where it's moving yet. [Real Deal]
Upper East Side: James Beard Rising-Star Chef Gavid Kaysen, of Café Boulud, was once "a certified sandwich artist for Subway.…I even had a really cool tricolored shirt!" [Restaurant Girl]

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]

Bedford-Stuyvesant: The owners of the Smoke Joint hope to have their new southern spot, Peaches, open by July 4. [Eater]
Carroll Gardens: Marco Polo Restaurant is serving bargain prix fixe lunches and dinners to celebrate its 25th anniversary. [Bergen Carroll]
Harlem: The owner of Kuma Inn is onboard as a chef at Talay, a Southeast Asian and Latin restaurant opening tomorrow at 701 West 135th Street. [NYT]
Lower East Side: Broadway East is one of a few restaurants making artisan sodas, and the organic eatery has some especially unique flavors, such as "ginger and kaffir lime; hibiscus and rhubarb; cola with a base of kukicha, a kind of Japanese tea." [NYT]
Midtown East: Solera only serves Spanish wine. And why not? French and Italian restaurants do it, and Spanish wines are as good as ever. [NYS]

East Village: There's a chance, however slim, that Ko could start serving lunch, thereby doubling its available weekly covers. [Eater] Bar Carrera has actually expanded and taken over the deli space next door, though for bodega lovers this isn't necessarily a good thing. [Jeremiah's Vanishing New York via Eater]
Lower East Side: If Kampuchea's good reviews don't lure you in, its open windows will now that the weather's warming up. [Gothamist]
Nolita: From a tipster: Josh Hartnett hosted a private party at the Randolph Friday. [Grub Street]
Times Square: Illi chef-owner Philippe Massoud's most memorable meal was at Le Bernardin, in the eighties. [Diner's Journal/NYT]
West Village: The FDNY was poking around Beatrice Inn Friday and stayed for a while. It's starting to sound like New York's Bravest are just trying to bypass the line. [Down by the Hipster]

Boerum Hill: Now that Trader Joe's has finally amped up construction in the former Independence Bank space, they've papered the windows so you can't see the progress. [Lost City]
Central Park: The Picnic Club's inaugural lunch was rained out Sunday, again. [Down by the Hipster]
Dumbo: A film company is sponsoring an event on Front Street this Thursday night when you can meet artists and architects, and local "businesses will be … dishing up local food and entertainment." [Dumbo NYC]
East Village: The live berry cheesecake at Caravan of Dreams satisfies non-vegans, as might some of the other sweets on this vegan-dessert roundup. [Restaurant Girl]
Harlem: The W is opening an Aloft hotel at 124th Street in 2010. No word yet on restaurants planned for the snazzy spot. [Uptown Flavor]
Lower East Side: Spitzer's Corner has three variations of burgers on its menu, but none of them is really great. [A Hamburger Today]
Soho: Fr.Og has dropped the period from its name in an attempt to not be empty all the time. Let's hope this transformation doesn't alienate the few French promoters who do show up. [Eater]
Upper West Side: Café des Artistes has "most likely the city’s oldest and most refined barfly," 93-year-old Claire Oesch, "whose skin is still remarkably soft" and who has been a presence there since the forties. [NYT via Eater]

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]

Astoria: Ovelia's added its lunchtime fav, the Kobe Beef slider, to its happy hour menu. [Joey in Astoria]
Chelsea: 1 Oak is hosting a fundraiser tonight for pint-size victims of AIDS in Africa, and one of the raffle prizes is a session with Diddy's stylist. Way to help while keeping it trendy guys. [Down by the Hipster]
Coney Island: The Island is about to get cheesier, but in a bad way, with help from the Hard Rock Cafe, Virgin Records, and Madame Tussaud's. [Brownstoner]
East Village: The American Grill/GoGo Curry hybrid has given up its space to new owners and Asian cuisine, but is there any hope for the next incarnation of the corner spot with a "Kiev Curse?" [Eater]
Lower East Side: A poll of over 100 people concludes the Box has become sort of lame with one commenter noting "I know clubland regulars who get hassled at the door, while friggin Russians and Lithuanians who can barely speak English have bribed their way in." Not cool. [Down by the Hipster]

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]

Bensonhurst: L&B Spumoni Gardens has upped its slice price (for Sicilian and regular pieces) to $2.25. [Slice]
Gramercy: According to this poll, which attracted a whopping 195 voters, the Rose Bar has the best-looking female clientele in NYC (as compared with six other nightclubs). Sadly, no one answered our call to add Lucky Cheng's to the list. [Down by the Hipster]
Lower East Side: Broadway East has a simple recipe for cooking spring's first pea shoots, available now at the Greenmarket. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Red Hook: The former 360 space is up for rent. [Eater]
Tribeca: Chambers Street Wines has lured 22 "natural" winemakers (who are either organic and/or sustainable) to Cercle Rouge this Saturday for an afternoon tasting. Show up with $5 for a tasting glass, which you can even keep when all is drunk and done. [Grub Street]
Upper West Side: A new trattoria called Campo, from Nonna owner Jeremy Wladis, opens today on Broadway between 112th and 113th Streets and will serve grilled pizzas from Gonzo alum David Rotter. [Strong Buzz]

Bryant Park: Right at this moment, Starbucks is giving away bags of its new roast, Pike Place, which reminds a Chicago Tribune reporter of Dunkin' Donuts' house coffee. Will Rachael Ray start spitting out Starbucks, too? [Gothamist]
Dumbo: Get to know the hood's new CSA (and its farmer) tonight at 7:30 at the Phoenix House. [Dumbo NYC]
Harlem: The neighborhood that literally begged for a Starbucks finally got its misguided wish. [Uptown Flavor]
Lower East Side: WD-50 will start a Wednesday-through-Friday lunch service on April 23 that features a seven-course tasting menu for $75, in addition to special lunch dishes. [Grub Street]
West Village: A second outlet of Sakae Sushi (and its conveyor-belt Japanese ) is coming to West 3rd Street. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]