Clinton Hill: Bar Olivino has opened at 899 Fulton Street, making it a good stop for a glass of wine when you get off the C train. Plus, they've been giving away cheese plates while they ready a larger menu. [Clinton Hill Blog]
East Village: Arlo and Esme seems to have found a winning formula: "Come during the day and you'll savor strong coffee and plenty of space to sprawl out; after dark, you'll sip expertly prepared classic cocktails and dance until the wee hours." Though some nights are crazy fun, others can be strangely slow. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Flushing: Max & Mina’s Ice Cream, at 7126 Main Street, is known for eccentric flavors like lox, potato-chip fudge, and beer and nuts.
Greenpoint: Lomzynianka is the Polish pick in this list of the nabe's diverse, cheap restaurants. [NYT]
Meatpacking District: The former Sascha space at 55 Gansevoort is now home to Merkato 55, but one of the restaurant's club-inclined partners just opened a secret lounge downstairs called Bijou. [Down by the Hipster]
South Street Seaport: Sunday's New Amsterdam Market featured delicious, artisanal bites like "pistachio rhubarb bread from Bouchon Bakery, birch beer from Heartland Brewery, sauerkraut sourdough-esque bread from AQ Cafe, sweet basil ice cream from The Bent Spoon," and frozen rhubarb pops from a start-up called People's Popsicle. [Serious Eats]
Tribeca: The opening of Le Pain Quotidien on West Broadway at Murray Street seems imminent; pastries and bread have been put on display, but staff was still in training on Saturday. [Grub Street]
West Village: The new Corrado Bread shop on Christopher Street opens July 1. [Grub Street]

East Village: The Chocolate Bar has moved across town to 127 East 7th Street, near First Avenue. [Strong Buzz]
Murray Hill: Bar Milano might not be getting raves yet for its food, but Frank Bruni considers a specialty cocktail of "rosemary-infused Hendrick’s gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, a touch of reduced Balsamic vinegar, fresh basil and strawberries...a lively dance of flavors, and it’s not excessively sweet." It also didn't taste excessively alcoholic when we tried it. [Diner's Journal/NYT]
Park Slope: Applewood's annex, Applewares, now sells house-made sweets, and will soon carry savory items from the restaurant team. [NYS]
Soho: Former Top Cheftestant Nikki Cascone's first food job was slicing meat at a pork store in Staten Island. [Restaurant Girl]
Upper East Side: Serendipity's latest cookbook focuses on party planning. [NYDN]
Upper West Side: A former Frederick’s chef has opened his own Mediterranean restaurant called Vai, at 225 West 77th Street. [NYT]
Williamsburg: A new spot called Bedford and Berry serves house-made cookies and milky cocktails, like the "Sixto" (French press coffee, Baileys, Kahlua and Drambuie) until 4 a.m. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Metropolitan Bar has been closed by the Department of Health. [Eater]

Chelsea: Appellation Wine & Spirits is hosting a summer-solstice wine tasting tonight, with help from Chelsea Market's Green Table restaurant, who'll provide the "duck rillettes on house-made blue-corn crackers, organic fresh crudités with seasonal dips, [and] cheese and grilled bread." [Strong Buzz]
Cobble Hill: The pop of the owner of Sam's Restaurant, at 238 Court Street, talks about pizza-making in this video about some of the neighborhood's old-school spots. [Slice]
East Village: Mercadito Cantina is opening on Monday at 172 Avenue B with a taco-centric menu that lets you make your own and pay by the kilo, plus specialty cocktails. [Grub Street]
Midtown West: To tenderize octopus for Kellari Taverna owner Gregory Zapantis's grilled recipe (which seems to be missing the grilling step), you should place it "in a washing machine, putting it through one cycle. Five octopuses can be done at one time in the machine." Who knew? [Restaurant Girl]
Tribeca: A potential diner is taking issue with Matsugen for not being able to hold his 11 p.m. reservation, even though the receptionist explained that "at that point [11 p.m.], it's going to be really awkward — you'll be the only people in the restaurant." [Eater]
Upper West Side: Eighty One has created a special summer prix fixe that's only $42, for two courses. [Zagat Buzz]

East Village: Back Forty served a "lightly sweet strawberry Red and Black tequila cocktail with a black-pepper-and-sugar rim" at the James Beard Awards, and it was a hit. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]
Fort Greene: King Phojanakong of Kuma Inn is on a roll: First Talay this summer, and now he plans to open a second Kuma Inn on Myrtle Avenue this fall. [NYS]
Midtown West: If chef Waldy Malouf had to pick one dish he always enjoys at Beacon, "it would be wood-roasted oysters, because they are unique, light, flavorful, and taste great." [Restaurant Girl]
South Harlem: An outlet of the chain Ottomanelli will bring Italian food to Fifth Avenue at 111th Street. [NYP via Uptown Flavor]
Upper West Side: Barney Greengrass is now 100 years old, so they're selling food today at 1908 prices. Borscht is 50 cents, and a meal of "Nova Scotia salmon and sturgeon on a bagel, plus orange juice and coffee, came to a whopping $3.25." [TONY]
Williamsburg: A painfully hip doughnut shop planned for the hood is looking for a managing partner. [Eater]
West Village: Maybe it's to offset guilt over his beautifully scathing review of Ago this morning, but Bruni has blogged about Dell'Anima and how it's now better than he once noted. [Diner's Journal/NYT]

Columbia Street Waterfront District: French-African restaurant Korhogo 126 serves a special barbecue prix fixe Thursdays and Saturday nights featuring lamb brochette, their specialty burger, and a whole grilled lobster. [Grub Street]
Coney Island: Two minutes have been shaved from the normal time limit for the Nathan’s hot-dog-eating contest. Major-league eaters now only have ten minutes to force-feed themselves. [Brooklyn Paper]
Flatiron: Old Town Bar is a "great bar with a great history, but the burger is not great. Have a pint instead." [Hamburger Today]
Harlem: A benefit on Father's Day called Real Men Cook will host "celebrity cooks and tasters" and include plenty of food. [Uptown Flavor]
Upper West Side: The Aix space will have a new design and serve "seasonal American small plates and shareable entrées in the Stanton Social–style of eating." [Strong Buzz]

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]

Astoria: Joey and Foodista discover Winegasm. [Joey in Astoria]
Plus, Foodista has some ideas on where to take Mom this Sunday. [Foodista]
East Village: The E.U. will roast a suckling pig every Wednesday through the spring. [Grub Street]
Greenpoint: Why can Studio B throw parties on its rooftop, when the average resident who wants to have friends on his roof would get grief from neighbors and cops? We don't know. [New York Shitty via Down by the Hipster]
Soho: The new outpost of Tisserie has opened at the Thompson Street entrance of DKNY, and while the cute shop isn't selling its delicious macaroons just yet, you can order some in advance to be brought over from the Union Square flagship. [Grub Street]
Upper West Side: Nanoosh, on Broadway at 69th Street, is calling itself a hummus bar, but this isn't a new concept to anyone who's been to Hummus Place, downtown. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
West Village: The host at Centro Vinoteca, "who spent his whole evening kissing people's cheeks and kissing ass instead of helping get people out the door," should just tell people the wait will be two hours instead of saying ten more minutes throughout the night. [Eater]

Central Park: The Picnic Club's first picnic is this Sunday, at 1 p.m., in Sheep Meadow. [Picnic Club via Down by the Hipster]
Chinatown: Try pairing Tribeca Film Festival flicks with not-inconvenient, quasi-relevant meals, like going to the Peking Duck House before checking out Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, in which "three ancient Chinese kingdoms battle for control of the country." You and your date can fight over the crispiest skin. [Zagat]
Dumbo: It's comedy night at Water Street Restaurant, and in honor of Earth Day the comedians will try to make facial hair funny. There's no cover, though. [Dumbo NYC]
East Village: Arlo & Esme might actually succeed at being a "coffee geek's cafe/'speakeasy' bar." [Eater]
Midtown West: If you think a Manhattan cocktail is too sweet, try swapping the bourbon for rye, as suggested by the expert bartender at Keens. It's thought to be the original recipe, and it's damn good. [Diner's Journal/NYT]
Nolita: Former Country chef Doug Psaltis is behind the menu at the new small-plate spot Elizabeth in the old Rialto space, which also features a large garden with a retractable roof. [TONY]
Upper West Side: El Malecon's rotisserie could win a chicken competition any day. There were no actual other chickens to which to compare the tasty bird, but "anytime you can walk right into a restaurant without a reservation or a wait, and find spectacularly delicious food, cheap prices, and on-the-ball service despite a full house—that's a very happy, very rare night in NYC." [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]

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]

Dumbo: Forager's Market now has a juice bar serving house-made ginger ale and the Aphrodite: ginger, melon, parsley, and pineapple. [Dumbo NYC]
East Village: Frank and Sal are looking for an apartment in Manhattan, and if more consistent hours at Artichoke don't inspire you to help, the cousins are offering "a slice a day for a month." [Eater]
Hell's Kitchen: Kyotofu has a new spring menu that incorporates seasonal Japanese ingredients like the mountain peach, which is used in a dessert of blueberry-blood-orange-tofu cheesecake. [Grub Street]
Midtown West: Alain Ducasse should have the Stateside outpost of his casual Paris bistro Benoit open by April 21 in the space that was formerly La Côte Basque. [Flickr]
Upper West Side: Picholine is serving an Asian- and Hawaiian-inspired three-course prix fixe in honor of the revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center. Why? Because it's spring and chef Terrance Brennan tells us he's "having fun in the kitchen these days." [Grub Street]
West Village: Good opened its sidewalk seating over the weekend just in time for a sunny Saturday brunch. [Grub Street] Citarella is selling prepared Passover foods like matzo meal and tsimmes. [Grub Street]

Astoria: When he's not at his restaurant, Il Bambino chef Darren Lawless likes ordering takeout tacos from La Cabana at 33-18 30th Avenue. [Joey in Astoria]
Ozone Park: David Burke is planning on opening a Burke in a Box sometime later this year at JFK. [Grub Street]
Upper West Side: Madaleine Mae serves $10 shots of Rhum Cures: There’s a cure designed to "increase virility" with the aid of vanilla and cinnamon and another with passion fruit and mango that supposedly "induces desire and decreases inhibition." And Frank Bruni guesses "if one half of a couple belts down the former and the other half the latter, the duo is really in business." [Diner's Journal/NYT]
Williamsburg: A new cooking show is looking for attractive singles to cook for a blind date on camera at Brooklyn Photo Studio. [Gothamist]
West Village: Insomnia Cookies gets points for being a unique late-night delivery option, but the service still needs to work out a few kinks: "At 9:53 pm, [Food & Wine] placed an order for a half-dozen assorted cookies and brownies (minimum order is $6) and was told to expect delivery within 45 minutes. At 10:40 pm, someone from Insomnia called to say they were out of brownies," and after another hour the cookies arrived, smooshed. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]

Midtown West: 4-Foodies heads to Kellari Taverna Monday for a tasting of chef Gregory Zapantis's mezedes including skewered scallops, spinach pie puffs, and chicken and lamb brochettes. [4Foodies]
Upper East Side: The Roof Garden Cafe at the Metropolitan Museum is number one on one of the season's first roof-top bar round-ups. [Gridskipper]
Upper West Side: La Creperie will be going out of business next week. [Kosher-NY]
Williamsburg: The owners of Pies-N-Thighs might have their new three-section space (that includes a back garden) open by June and serving a slightly expanded menu, but they'd also be satisfied with a July opening. [Eater]
West Village: If you have a pound of ground duck hanging around you should whip up Perilla's duck burger recipe. [Restaurant Girl]

East Village: Nomad on Second Avenue at 4th Street will spotlight Algerian wines and meze pairings for a month starting March 20, in honor of the restaurants third anniversary. [Grub Street]
Flatiron: Lunetta will serve a prix fixe Easter supper that offers roasted-beet salad with fennel and orange, and braised rabbit with Robiola agnolotti. [Grub Street]
Hell’s Kitchen: If the prices of your Broadway tickets get you down, a delicious, cheap meal at the new wine bar Gallo Nero is a good follow-up to a show. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Upper East Side: A new Persian restaurant called Shalizar is opening at 1420 Third Avenue between 80th and 81st streets. [Upper East Side Informer]
Upper West Side: The Empire Hotel plans to unveil a China Grill Management–renovated rooftop bar by this May. [Zagat Buzz]

Clinton Hill: Some people like Sushi Okdol on Myrtle Avenue, others find it "meh," but the place will host children’s birthday parties. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Midtown East: The owners of Burger Kings at 485 Fifth Avenue and 129 East 47th Street refused to sell $1 value meals because they say they were losing money on the company’s specials. The locations have been shuttered, but they’re suing BK for the right to charge more in Manhattan. [NYDN]
Soho: Always wanted to make a "collective memory sausage"? You can on April 8, when the Umami Food and Art Festival kicks off at Roulette, 20 Greene Street. [Strong Buzz]
Upper West Side: Michael Psilakis plans to move Kefi around July to open his fourth restaurant. [Gothamist]
West Village: Anito Lo expects to have her barbecue spot, Q, around April. [Eater] Something’s happening to Minetta Tavern, but it might not be Keith McNally's doing. [Eater]

Astoria: Wow, cheap-eats prices may be going up in elsewhere, but at Omonia (the café that baked the elaborate wedding cake for My Big Fat Greek Wedding), you can get a $12 brunch that includes an entrée, dessert, a morning cocktail, and coffee, tea, or juice. (And it’s good.) [Foodista]
Bronx: Peter Meehan found someone to drive him to Trattoria Zero Otto Nove on Arthur Avenue to try the margherita that’s been getting blog buzz as "the best Neapolitan pizza in New York City.” It’s good, he says, but needs work (and less sweet sauce). [