Midtown West: Alain Ducasse lets septuagenarian chef Jean-Jacques Rachou (who owned La Côte Basque, which once occupied the Benoit space) cook the quenelles de brochet (classic pike dumplings) and cassoulet served at Benoit. He does this for free from 9 a.m. to noon. [Diner's Journal/NYT]
Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation event still has tickets available; visit the event site to get in on tomorrow's huge tasting. [Grub Street]
Nolita: Small, quality bar the Randolph might be opening up its basement to drinkers. [Down by the Hipster]
Red Hook: The Pioneer Inn, which was shuttered on Van Brunt Street, has changed hands and will reopen as the Brooklyn Ice House. The 360 space isn't so fortunate: Since the owner "cracked," the spot's "for rent. Still looks like 360 inside. But there's a new message, emblazoned on a t-shirt, hanging in the window: 'Stop and Think.' Stop and think about what? About renting the place?...About life?" [Lost City]
West Village: The new "Mr. Skewer (at 43 West 14th Street) has about as much in common with a Brazilian churrascaria as its neighbor Quizno’s does," but the chorizo plate is pretty tasty. [Gothamist]
The Rusty Knot has pros (like the space) and cons (sugary cocktails). [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]

East Village: Wine bar Bowery Wine Co., which opens this weekend at the Avalon, is backed by Bruce Willis, but no promises that he'll be behind the bar this Saturday as he did at his own private party last week. [Eater]
The late-night menu that made Ssäm Bar famous is now a shadow of its former self; you can't even actually get ssäm. [Down by the Hipster]
Midtown: Joel Robuchon will be in the house at Atelier for four or five days starting April 11. [Insatiable Critic]
Midwood: Di Fara pizza now has a Facebook page, thanks to Adam Kuban. [Slice]
Soho: The Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR) industry group is hosting the Times' own Florence Fabricant and Kate Krader of Food & Wine magazine tonight at the French Culinary Institute as part of a panel set to discuss how restaurateurs and chefs should deal with Grub Street (well, all forms of media). [WCR]
Fabio Trabocchi has launched a series of Saturday cooking classes beginning this week at Fiamma . [The Strong Buzz]
Tribeca: The evolved Duane Park now has a New Orleans accent. [Zagat]
West Village: Will other bars catch on to Rusty Knot's move to serve frozen drinks? We hope so. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]