Carroll Gardens: Rob and Robin have already noted that South Brooklyn Pizza owner Jim McGown transitioned from real-estate developer to pizzaiolo, but here are some more details about how he did it. [Business Week]
Greenwich Village: Akhtar Nawab might unveil some homemade breads at Elettaria that are like the ones he used to roll out in his mother's kitchen. [Restaurant Girl]
Midtown East: Alto has picked up the Grand Award from Wine Spectator. The honor, which only 72 other restaurants worldwide have, is only for restaurants with over 1,500 bottles on their lists. [Grub Street]
Nolita: Thanks to the soon-to-open Delicatessen, "the smell of bubbling cheese is everywhere" (around Prince and Lafayette streets). Someone call a CB meeting. [Eater]
Soho: A papered storefront on Sullivan Street, between Houston and Prince, has a sign painted on the window that says they will sell authentic "Liegé" Belgian waffles. They put the wrong accent on the town name Liège, but "Liegé" totally sounds more authentic. [Eater]
Williamsburg: Artist's space 3rd Ward, at 195 Morgan Avenue, is hosting a pig roast with help from Marlow and Bonita this Sunday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., with live music from 6 p.m. on. [Bushwick Is Beautiful]

Amagansett: Eli Zabar is going to operate the farmers' market from now on, but promises to "preserve the old-fashioned character of the property." [Gridskipper]
Chelsea: Tocqueville and Bouley alum chef George Mendes is opening an Iberian spot called Aldea, which will actually serve meals instead of tapas and open by the end of the year at 31 West 17th Street. [NYT]
East Village: Billy Joel told Details he likes Ballato for Italian food. It's the same answer his wife gave in an interview last November, so at least we know they're on the same page. [Detailsvia Eater]
Long Island: The first outlet of what will be Bobby Flay's burger chain, Bobby's Burger Palace, opened yesterday in a Lake Grove mall. [Hamburger Today]
Midtown East: A steakhouse called Club A has opened in the townhouse formerly occupied by Bruno's Restaurant, at 240 East 58th Street. There's a Bobby Van's–trained chef in the kitchen and an American Kobe Tomahawk rib eye on the menu. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Times Square: The original location of speakeasy turned steakhouse Frankie and Johnnie's is closing, though the owners haven't confirmed when. The spot's been open for more than 80 years. [Lost City]
Williamsburg: Tapas will enter the 'burg by the fall when Bar Celona opens at 98 South 4th Street. The cocktail program is in the hands of the team that created the beverages for new taqueria Mercadito Cantina. [NYS]

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]

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]

Coney Island: The shortening of the Nathan's hot-dog contest is causing a major stir. [City Room/NYT]
Hell's Kitchen: White Castle has a special kind of trash can out front with an ashtray attachment. [Lost City]
Midtown East: The Roosevelt Hotel's new rooftop bar, Mad46, sells bottles for around $300. [Down by the Hipster]
Red Hook: A beer-and-sausage spot called Grindhaus will have an outdoor garden and is opening at 275 Van Brunt Street. [NewYorkology via Eater]
And 354 Van Brunt Street will get a coal oven, so Anselmo's Bakery Restaurant can bake its pizza, pastas, pastries, and breads! [Slice]
West Village: Where there was a Yummy Shawarma there will be a Hummus Place. [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]

Coney Island: The new sand-stocked bar Beer Island has a lot of potential, but, so far, its hot-dog-only menu and non-view can't compare to the awesomeness that is Water Taxi Beach. [Eater]
Fort Greene: The people at 67 Burger makes a ridiculously juicy one. [Hamburger Today]
Midtown East: The Oyster Bar has scheduled a herring-and–Heineken Light festival running from June 3 to 20. Netherlands consul general Gajus Scheltema will be present at the opening ceremony. [Grub Street]
Park Slope: The food co-op has voted to ban plastic bags and will no longer stock them for customers, so don't forget your tote. [Brooklyn Paper]
Soho: Il Buco owner Donna Lennard's film about Italy's olive harvest will show at Water Taxi Beach's Food Film Festival on June 18. [Grub Street]

Astoria: Coffee Bar has finally been unveiled at 22-55 31st Street, plus it serves beer and is open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight. [Joey in Astoria]
Crown Heights: The new beer hall Franklin Park is low-key, but that doesn't mean it's not mobbed. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
East Village: Popular brunch spot 9th Street Market closed today; the bearded owner was just tired. [Eater]
Midtown East: Tao's executive chef, Sam Hazen, has left the restaurant group to concentrate on his own consulting business. [Strong Buzz]
Soho: The French Culinary Institute is hosting an all-day bread-baking class with help from Bouchon Bakery's Peter Endriss on June 14; proceeds go toward feeding kids. [Zagat Buzz]

Midtown East: Alto chef Michael White's junk food of choice? The cheeseburger at Veselka. [Restaurant Girl]
Gramercy: The reservationist at Wildwood Barbeque asks for your phone number before checking the restaurant for availability. Doesn't seem fair, but a lot of places do it. [Eater]
Jackson Heights: The Institute of Culinary Education leads tours of Little India in Queens. [NYS]
Sag Harbor: Tutto Il Giorno has reopened with help from Gabby Karan De Felice. (FYI: That's Donna Karen's daughter). [NYT]
West Village: No, that's not a slug in Cabrito's hot and dirty martini; it's a pickled jalapeño. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch] Bouley and Harrison alum chef Brian Bistrong is opening his own New American spot called Braeburn on Perry Street late this summer. [Zagat Buzz]

East Village: Telephone Bar & Grill is hosting a benefit for the children of Nepal on Sunday, June 1. [Grub Street]
Hell's Kitchen: Soho's Mooncake Foods has opened a second, much larger location at 263 West 30th Street. [Flickr]
Lower East Side: Good luck re-creating wd~50's recipe for almond-ice-cream "rocks," which calls for twenty grams of dextrose and bitter foam, among other ingredients. [Restaurant Girl]
Meatpacking District: Scarpetta's off to a strong start. Even if someone steals a slice of steak from you. [Eater]
Midtown East: The Pranzo pizza truck is missing, because it's up for sale. [Midtown Lunch]
Midtown West: On Monday, a theater company will perform bits from its upcoming adaptation of Molière's Monsieur de Pourceaugnac at D'Or, in the Dream Hotel. [Zagat Buzz]
Nolita: The bartenders at the reincarnated Randolph, which will open at 319 Broome Street this weekend, have a Milk & Honey pedigree and the best in specialty ice, which is made to melt slower, so your drink stays colder (and less watery) longer. [Grub Street]
Tribeca: West Broadway's getting a Le Pain Quotidien; this could fill the void of the Chambers Street Ceci-Cela, which closed late last year due to rising rents. [Eater]
West Village: Pichet Ong serves serves house-made ginger, passion fruit, and calamansi sodas at P*Ong. [Grub Street]

Astoria: Zenon Taverna offers a tasting of sixteen hot and cold meze for $17.95 per person and gives you fresh-cut apples and oranges at the end of the meal. [Foodista]
Dumbo: Sign-ups for the Summer-Fall CSA are this Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. [Dumbo NYC]
Midtown East: Gustavino's has been under extensive renovation, but reopens May 12. The palatial spot is still just available for private events, though. [Grub Street]
Nolita: West Village fave Jack's Stir Brew Coffee is opening an outpost in the restaurant Rice's front entrance, which used to be used for bar seating. [Grub Street]
Park Slope: Resident Eugene Mirman plans to include footage of "rude, entitled, self-righteous, and overdramatic" speakers at last night's community-board meeting on the fate of Union Hall in an upcoming documentary. He wants to show "democracy in action." [Gothamist]
Tribeca: The former Novo space on Hudson Street, near Spring, is under construction again. [Eater]

East Village: Song 7.2 took only five days to open in the American Grill space. Other restaurants should take a cue from them: Just change "signage in the window, implant a new menu and a new chef, and doneski." [Eater] A Japanese restaruant near 13th Street and Avenue A is collecting signatures for a liquor license and considering taking the name F-U. That should be a fun community-board meeting. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Flushing: At Indian markets, including New Subzi Mandi at 43-53 Main Street, you can find masala-flavored Cheetos called Kurkure, which may include a recipe "created by the Fab Four, a 'trendy Punjabi family.'" [Gothamist]
Midtown East: The Volstead, which is usually viewed as a bar, is offering Midtown Lunch readers free lunch every Tuesday in May to promote its new menu of sandwiches (including a lobster roll), salads, and sliders. You can even reserve a spot to eat for free. [Midtown Lunch]
Soho: Tiny dance club Sway is one of the few bars with a legit cabaret license. [Down by the Hipster]
Union Square: The former Steak Frites space has been transformed into Café Society, which serves pricey "fare ranging from sushi to spareribs." [Zagat Buzz]

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]

Central Park: Sheep Meadow Café has opened early this season, and it's a hidden-jewel breakfast spot, known mostly by dog walkers. [Diner's Journal/NYT]
Greenpoint: Make way for the garden: Studio B has started hoisting palm trees onto its roof with forklifts. [NYP]
Harlem: Harlem Vintage wineshop has opened up a bar annex. [Uptown Flavor]
Long Island City: Water Taxi Beach kicks off its season this Sunday with a D.J.-ed party from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. [Joey in Astoria]
Midtown East: Alto pastry chef Deborah Snyder reveals her recipe for cool lemon semifreddo. [Restaurant Girl]
Murray Hill: A Red Mango is coming to the northeast corner of 34th Street and Third Avenue. From a tipster: "I’ve lived a block from there for two and a half years, and that place has changed at least two or three times." Let's hope the frozen-yogurt trend sticks. [Grub Street]

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]

Astoria: Don't be shy about visiting the newly opened Vue Cafe at 12-14 31st Avenue; "the space is intimate and an upscale touch is felt but not so much that you'd feel awkward dressed in comfortable garb." [Joey in Astoria]
Midtown East: The idea for the popular crispy rabbit served at the bar at Mia Dona "with potato chips made from pickled potatoes and cucumber remoulade" came to Michael Psilakis while he pondered the ultimate bar food, chicken wings. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Midtown West: The Muse Hotel is hosting a cocktail mix-off this Thursday, and the winning team wins a cocktail party for ten at Silverleaf Tavern. [Zagat Buzz]
Williamsburg: Bonita makes a good version of tres leches, but they add chocolate. [Gridskipper]
West Village: Bobo has done well in selecting its new chefs after Nicholas Cantrel's departure; Jared Stafford-Hill of Hearth and Rick Jakobsen from Red Hook's 360 have found their groove. [Gastro Chic] Tasca may be doomed to close and be annexed to the restaurant opening next door, Sheridan Square. [Eater]

Bay Ridge: Symphonia Restaurant opens today at 6762 Fourth Avenue, with gyros! [Bay Ridge Blog]
Carroll Gardens: Jake Walk is already buzzing with drinkers, and "wine, cheese, and little snacks are keeping the yuppies happy," in a good way. [A Brooklyn Life]
Chelsea: Soul Fixin's Restaurant is open on West 28th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, whether or not you appreciate the apostrophe in its name. [East Village Idiot]
Long Island City: Hunter's Point Wines & Spirits is hosting an organic- and biodynamic-wine tasting tonight from 6 to 8, but you should RSVP. [Joey in Astoria]
Midtown East: Benjamin Steakhouse in Grand Central is open for late lunch from 3 to 6. [Grub Street]
Midtown West: Fred Dexheimer has been appointed national wine and beverage director for the BLT group. [Grub Street]
Soho: On April 1, Sanctuary T will start a monthly series on the origins and harvesting of tea. A $10 suggested donation goes to City Harvest. [Zagat Buzz]
West Village: True, this mint cookie from Milk and Cookies looks awesome, but better than a Thin Mint, blogger? Thin ice. [NewYorkology]
Williamsburg: Are Anytime's tots safe from Realtors?! [I'm not saying, I'm just saying]

Downtown Brooklyn: So much for a Valentine’s Day debut: Amy Ruth’s at the Fulton Mall isn’t even open yet. [Lost City]
Hamptons: Restaurant Week begins March 20. Bargain meals at close to 70 participating restaurants seems like a good excuse to take advantage of any lodging bargains before warm weather sets in. [Restaurant Girl]
Meatpacking District: Florent plans to give up the ghost on a high note, on Gay Pride Day at the end of June. [NYP]
Midtown East: Citysearch calls Ducasse’s food at Adour "comme ci, comme ça." [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
West Village: The Beatrice team might expand to L.A. [Down by the Hipster]

Bedford-Stuyvesant: Egg didn’t make this list of top southern eats, but Five Spot Soul Food at 459 Myrtle Avenue was picked as a fave since dishes like Kentucky Turkey Chops and Charleston Low Country Smothered Chicken "sound good" even if they’re not necessarily authentic classics. [Gridskipper]
Chelsea: Klee Brasserie's open for brunch and dinner on Easter, and you can order the "Thinly Sliced Easter Ham & Bio Egg," which combines honey-glazed ham, deviled eggs, and capers, at both seatings. [Grub Street]
Lower East Side: The new vegetarian restaurant Broadway East adds to its sustainability cred by featuring local beer and wine. [Zagat Buzz]
Midtown East: The first soft-shell crabs of the season are now available at the Oyster Bar