Astoria: Restaurant Week is happening in Queens too, you know. Among others, the superexpensive Water's Edge is participating. [Joey in Astoria]
Gramercy: A weekly Wii boxing tournament will begin next month at Wildwood Barbeque. The gig will play to their young-male demographic. That's for sure. [Strong Buzz]
Park Slope: Despite rumors of a DOH shutdown, the Dominican greasy spoon El Gran Castillo is in business. [Grub Street]
Union Square: The "turf wars" continue in this overly populated food-truck area. Luckily, a food fight is yet to break out. [Eater]
West Village: Yategan Kebab gets the occasional celeb stop in, including Bill Cosby and Colin Farrell. At least, according to the pics they've posted on the wall. [GoaG]
Williamsburg: It's a good thing new pizza joints are on the horizon, because the Brick Oven Gallery is closed. [FREE Williamsburg]

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]

Cobble Hill: Cube 63, on Court Street, serves lovely little tea sets, which include four small plates, during lunch. [Brooklyn Life]
East Village: Has Iron Chang started banning cameras at Ko? [eGullet via Eater]
Murray Hill/Kips Bay: Pamplona will have its own celebration of the running of the bulls from July 7 through the 12th by offering a meaty prix fixe that ends with fried milk topped with dulce de leche ice cream. [Grub Street]
Red Hook: When the Grindhaus opens, according to its owner, the spot will be "a boisterous sausage parlor." To prepare for the debauchery, she's getting front-of-the-house training at Ssäm Bar. [Eater]
Union Square: Blue Water Grill will kick off a series of live-jazz nights next Wednesday, aimed at people who don't want to stay out too late. That's the spirit. [Zagat Buzz]
West Village: Stand has swapped its too-tough burger bun for a soft, complementing briochelike version. So keep that in mind if you were b-unhappy in the beginning and haven't stopped in since. [Hamburger Today]

Hamptons: Sounds like the poor state of the economy is weeding out this year's batch of beachgoers. [Down by the Hipster]
Park Slope: Lookout Hill Smokehouse needs to work on its pulled pork, but its beer and bourbon selection is legit. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]
Soho: Tailor launches its late-night menu tonight, which runs from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. and includes plated dishes like grilled asparagus with poached-and-fried quail eggs and chorizo hollandaise, skate frites with purple potato tots, and the always-popular Tailor wings. [Grub Street]
A scathing crowd assessment at SubMercer: "The crowd itself isn't always up to par; you may find yourself mingling with the white v-neck-wearing Jersey set." Ouch. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Union Square: Savoy chef and Haute Barnyard guru Peter Hoffman is hosting a Greenmarket tour on June 25. [Zagat Buzz]
Williamsburg: The corner of Driggs Avenue and North 7th Street is getting a "Fiambreria and Queseria." Think it's "flaming cheese and fondue"? Let us know in comments. [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]

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]

Astoria: The Sparrow and Fatty's serve two very different takes on burgers. If you like a traditional patty, choose the latter though, as the jalapeño turkey burger at Fatty's is relatively "glitzy." [Joey in Astoria]
East Village: A cool-looking spot called Black Iron Burger Shop is opening at 5th Street between Avenues A and B. Start looking forward to grilled burgers; "How can you name a place that and not grill them?" [A Hamburger Today]
Fort Greene: Brooklyn Flea–goers on Sunday may have noticed the waffles being reheated and sold by the Wafels & Dinges stand were from Augustin's Waffles in New Jersey. But don't worry! The Jersey prepackaged waffles were just a temporary fix. Normally, they'll have Belgian prepackaged waffles. [Eater]
Midtown West: The Treats Truck, which does sell homemade goodies, will be in the area Tuesday through Thursday. [Treats Truck] A cool street vendor named Osman sells knishes and chicken shawarma on the western fringes of 42nd Street. [Cakehead]
Times Square: Chef Julian Medina is hosting a free guacamole demo and tasting at Toloache this evening to kick off a weeklong celebration of Cinco de Mayo highlighting Hass avocados in special dishes like avocado-and-jícama ravioli, fried avocado, and avocado cheesecake. [Zagat Buzz]
Union Square: The Union Square Cafe is one of a handful of restaurants that will have peanut-fed Berkshire Pork on the menu for the next two weeks. [Strong Buzz]

Fort Greene: This handy guide compares prices and selection for the neighborhood coffee options. [General Greene via Clinton Hill Blog]
Park Slope: The latest Pinkberry clone, Yogo Monster, has opened on Seventh Avenue. [Gowanus Lounge]
Tribeca: Brushstrokes will serve delicious, healthy food, so give David Bouley that liquor license already! [Shecky's via Eater]
Union Square: Trader Joe's beat out Whole Foods in a store-brand tortilla taste-off. [Serious Eats]
Williamsburg: The Fat Pack doesn't seem to be losing any tread just yet. Brooklyn Brewery is hosting Scott Gold on Thursday to read from his book, The Shameless Carnivore, which "documents eating feats like a 31-day carnivorous feast of goat, guinea pig, ostrich and snake." And Brooklyn Kitchen's April 1 class on pig butchering, led by meatspert Tom Mylan of Diner, Marlow & Sons and Bonita, still has a few spots left (the first date already sold out). [Brooklyn Based]

Astoria: Sunswick is having an Abitas beer promotion on Sunday with drink specials, but if you’re less concerned about game day, you could check out the renovation at Il Bambino. [Joey in Astoria]
Carroll Gardens: Naturally Delicious caterers, who also did this blogger’s wedding, will deliver a V-Day menu that includes baked oysters, lobster bisque, tenderloin, a cheese plate, and a Valrhona flourless chocolate cake to those who want to stay in but aren’t able to whip up our sexy stash of recipes. [A Brooklyn Life]
Flatiron: City Bakery kicks off its monthlong hot-chocolate festival tomorrow, which highlights rotating "additional flavors, from Caramel or Banana Peel to the Chili Pepper or even Beer varieties." [Restaurant Girl]
Midtown East: If you show up at Sakae Sushi and find that it’s closed for a couple of days, you can stop into nearby Yakitori East on 44th Street. Just remember: The winter specialty shirako that their menu dubs as "soft cod roe" is "rather beige globules of sperm sacs." [Gothamist] On February 12, eliminate "menstrual and sexual health concerns" through food at D’Or; let’s hope there’s chocolate involved. [Love Your Femme via Gridskipper]
Union Square: Mesa Grill impresario Bobby Flay just got back from Greece and would fly there again for all that "delicious Greek olive oil and some lemon and some potatoes and Greek salad," but if he would just stay in New York, maybe Mesa Grill would have been able to hold on to more of its stars. [Diner’s Journal/NYT]

Chelsea: The owner of the Cuban restaurant that replaced Havana Chelsea says he’s not trying to copy the former tenant: "It took years of grease to get on those walls and the smell of rotten wood and mice and stale water and dirt. We gutted the entire place, not even a tooth pick was worth saving." [Eat for Victory/VV]
Clinton Hill: Greene Grape Provisions has opened with fresh fish and meats, and if you bring a receipt to their nearby wine store, the owners will take 5 percent off your purchase of their recommended pairings. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Midtown East: Chocolatier Charbonnel Et Walker on the eighth floor of Saks sells a rich chocolate cupcake drenched in sticky toffee, which is well worth its $6 price tag and still "way cheaper than a pair of Chanel pumps" sold nearby. [NewYorkology]
Midtown West: Brasserie Cognac is coming to 55th Street and Broadway. [Grub Street]
Tribeca: Dekk seems closed indefinitely. [Grub Street]
Union Square: In an unsurprising conclusion, Bruni finds that Indian and Italian restaurants are better equipped to satisfy vegetarians. Dévi is one example where even meat eaters may want to eat those vegetable-based dishes. [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
Upper East Side: Barbejew Steven Levy hopes his new BBQ joint, Smokin’ Q, which opens this week at 206 East 63rd Street, will succeed where twelve restaurants have failed since 1977. Levy may have an edge against predecessors, however, since writer Gay Talese, who included the doomed space in his memoir, plans to be the writer-in-residence. [NYT]
Upper West Side: The Magnolia and Mermaid Inn uptown aren’t the first companies the Abrams brothers have introduced to the nabe; cupcake guru Steve owns "a construction company, high-end residential construction, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous sort of stuff. My clients are Samuel Jackson, Annie Leibovitz, Jeff Gordon." [NYO]

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]

Astoria: A new Venezuelan spot called the Arepas Cafe has opened at 33-07 36th Avenue. [Joey in Astoria]
Boerum Hill: Canteen, a new deli-café aspiring to unite cappuccino with pastrami, opens today on Fourth Avenue and Bergen Street. [Brownstoner]
Chelsea: The name Potluck may conjure “the image of weird recipes like lentils with nutmeg or noodles drenched in canned soup served up in a covered dish” for some, but this new eatery on West 26th Street between Seventh and Eighth is actually an Asian restaurant with Japanese and Thai influences. [Blog Chelsea]
Dumbo: Today is the deadline for ordering pies from Jacques Torres’s Almondine and Bubby’s. [Dumbo NYC]
East Village: Starting this Sunday, Una Pizza Napoletana will start serving pies at noon on weekends. [Slice]
Union Square: DiPaola Turkey Farms will bring extra birds to the Greenmarket Wednesday, but if you don’t want to abandon Thanksgiving’s main course to chance, you may still be able to order a size in advance. [Eat for Victory/VV]

Brighton Beach: Brooklyn firefighter Jeffrey Scotto won the sixth-annual World Cares Center Iron Skillet Cook Off this week with this recipe for boneless rib-eye braciola and escarole salad. [NYDN]
Chinatown: Zagat might recommend the soup dumplings at Goodies, but you’re in for a treat if you opt for something the staff is eating like “winter melon soup and a plate of stir-fried pork liver and stomach.” [VV]
Midtown West: Danny Meyer has appointed a new executive sommelier, Belinda Chang, to oversee the wine program at the Modern and his restaurants in the Met. [NYS]
Tribeca: Apparently Craig Béro has opened a Tribeca Time Machine called the Cosmopolitan Cafe around the corner from his other restaurant, the Soda Shop. [NYT]
Union Square: From Quattro’s Game Farm’s stand at the Union Square Greenmarket on Saturdays, “you can place an order, leave a deposit, and pick up your fresh bird on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.” [NYS]
Upper West Side: Danny Abrams's second outlet of the East Village’s Mermaid Inn has opened on 568 Amsterdam Avenue near 88th Street, and you get a free cup of puddin’ with dinner. [NYT]
West Village: Pichet Ong will give a demonstration at the next 4foodies, tasting on November 19. [4foodies]

Astoria: Tonight is trivia night at Dillinger’s on 30th Avenue, which means $5 pitchers. [Joey in Astoria]
Brooklyn Heights: Uncommon Grounds is closed for renovations, and it looks like the coffee shop’s application to set up outdoor seating will get approved. [Brooklyn Heights Blog]
Coney Island: Since Thor Equities can’t start developing any time soon, the company has handed out leases to eight vendors to keep the fryers operating until next fall. [Lost City]
East Village: Some pork hater tagged the entrance of Vanessa Dumpling with the word "LARD." [East Village Idiot]
Red Hook: LeNell’s is hosting a bourbon festival on the 23rd with a tasting, discounts, and even alky ice-cream made on the spot. [LeNell's]
SoHo: Wondering how to get those kernels off the cob? Sur La Table sells a Corn Stripper that actually works. [Serious Eats]
Tribeca: Ceci-Cela may still be cranking out croissants on Chambers Street, but there’s a "Store for Lease" sign in its window. [Grub Street]
Union Square: Bruni extols the virtues of BLT Fish, but warns would-be diners that the upstairs and downstairs spaces differ greatly, and the Laurent-Tourondel cookbook listing on the menu is tacky. [Diner’s Journal]

Astoria: Spanking-new spot La Dolce Italia Bakery has, ironically, replaced the old Modern Italian Bakery. [Joey in Astoria]
Boerum Hill: Five recent openings have contributed to the neighborhood’s growing food cred. [NYT]
Union Square: The Greenmarket is selling teeny baby peaches that were too sweet and adorable to just get knocked-off their trees. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]
Upper East Side: Aureole reopens this Friday and will treat each diner on Friday and Saturday night to a glass of house wine. [Eater]
West Village: Joey Campanaro is hiring staff who will serve and sell Pat LaFrieda ground beef at Market Table. [Eat for Victory/VV] Day-O has been closed for months with no signs of progress on blamed "repairs." [Blog Chelsea]

Chelsea: Izakaya Ten now serves weekend brunch featuring shrimp-fried-rice omelettes, wasabi Bloody Marys, and “Chu-Hais” made with shochu and citrus juices. [NYS]
Southampton: The owners of a Murray Hill fondue parlor are behind the Hamptons’ hottest new club. [Down by the Hipster]
Lower East Side: Spitzer’s Corner, having been spurned by Sam Talbot, has finally gotten around to installing a chef: Le Bernardin veteran Michael Cooperman. [Restaurant Girl]
Union Square: Reserve a spot for Italian Wine Merchants’ Saturday wine tasting dedicated to women winemakers; Batali-approved antipasti are sure to be served. [Eat for Victory/VV]
Upper West Side: The ten-year-old dining room at Jean Georges will close for renovations August 20 through 28. [NYT]

Carroll Gardens: Faan has average food but festive décor, and it’s the only decent delivery in the neighborhood. [Brooklyn Record] But a new French bistro is coming to town. [Lost City]
Fort Greene: The Greene Grape showcases its rosé selection with a series of tastings tonight through Sunday. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Midtown East: A photomontage of Bon Chon’s Korean fried chicken. [Gothamist]
Union Square : Mario Batali will team with Crocs, the maker of his trademark rubber clogs, and come up with an even more durable line to debut later this summer. Until then, the regula