Chefs Are All Over ‘Ratatouille’; Allen and Delancey May Open AfterChefs say “Ratatouille gets it, it totally gets chef culture.” Even Tony Bourdain is onboard, calling it “the best restaurant movie ever made — the best chef movie.” [Ruhlman]
Related: How Much Thomas Keller Is Really in ‘Ratatouille’’s Remy?
Allen and Delancey may be coming back. Or rather, opening for the first time. [Eater]
Related: Allen and Delancey Tripped at the Finish Line, Won’t Open
The good people of Iowa may not get the whole niche-pork thing, but they are happy to supply the product. [Des Moines Register]
Mediavore
King Kobayashi Dethroned; Per Se Chef Moves OnJoey Jaws skewers Kobayashi in hot-dog contest, downing 66 HDBs for new record. [Major League Eating]
Per Se’s Mark Twersky becomes top chef at Alfama; Brian Goodman named exec chef at Parea. [NYT]
Is the controversial farm bill responsible for childhood obesity and diabetes? [NYT]
Daily News survey of two restaurants, writer’s own eating habits indicates that servings of ratatouille may be on the uptick. [NYDN]
Flushing is a hotbed of Korean chicken joints. [VV]
Mediavore
New York Rated Top BBQ City in the U.S.; Kobayashi Making Bookies SkittishNew York is listed as the No. 1 destination for BBQ in the U.S.(Memphis, in case you were wondering, was No. 10.) [BizJournal]
World-champion competitive eater Joey Chestnut isn’t buying talk of Takeru Kobayashi being hurt: The Tsunami “could come to the Fourth of July with his jaws wired shut, and I’m sure he could still do all right; he’s that good of an eater.” [NYT]
Related: Hot-Dog-Eating Champ Struck With Jaw Arthritis Determined to Gulp On
The odds-makers, though, aren’t as confident about a crippled Kobayashi, and the board shows it. [McBrooklyn]
NewsFeed
Hot-Dog-Eating Champ Struck With Jaw Arthritis Determined to Gulp OnThe 2007 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest should have been one for the ages – the Ali-Foreman of competitive eating. After an uninterrupted six-year run, Japan’s Takeru Kobayashi was about to meet his match in American Joey Chestnut, who broke “The Tsunami”’s world record earlier this month in Phoenix. But as you may know, Kobayashi came down with jaw arthritis and can barely open his mouth — and, to make matters worse, the trophy the two nations are jousting for, the Mustard Yellow Belt, has been lost.
Neighborhood Watch
Gertel’s Baked Goods Still to Be Had on the Lower East SideAstoria: Greek restaurant Stamatis’s expansion across the street finally looks near completion, and the place looks nice. [Joey in Astoria]
Coney Island: Takeru Kobayashi may have lockjaw, but you can still show your support on July 4 by wearing one of these Kobayashi T-shirts inspired by the Nathan’s and Bob’s Big Boy logos. [The Food Section]
Hell’s Kitchen: Rumor has it that Dunkin’ Donuts on Eighth Avenue near 36th Street is giving away free coffee and doughnuts while training its new staff today. [Grub Street]
Lower East Side: You can still get Gertel’s pastries at Flicker’s Coffee and Tea Shop around the corner. [Lost City]
Tribeca: Blue Crab Mondays are back at the Hideaway. [Gastro Chic]
Upper East Side: Park Avenue Summer now boasts a create-your-own-cocktail bar. [Restaurant Girl]
Mediavore
Kobayashi May Not Defend His Hot-Dog Title; Oyster Bar Has Best Year EverKobayashi is suffering from arthritis in his jaw and may not be able to compete in the Hot Dog Battle of the Century on the Fourth of July. [Gothamist]
Related: New York Hot-Dog Eaters Take It to the Next Level
Chefs debate what Paris Hilton’s first post-release meal should be: Amalia’s Ivy Stark says salmon, but Wolfgang Puck says pasta. [E!]
Grand Central Oyster Bar had the best year in its history, raking in $14.2 million. A post-fire renovation in 1997 helped a lot. [NYP]
NewsFeed
New York Hot-Dog Eaters Take It to the Next Level
At the Nathan’s hot-dog eating contest July 4, competitive-eating fans across the world will be watching to see if Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi can defend his title against the American upstart Joey Chestnut. But here at Grub Street, we’re always more interested in the local angle. New York is representing with two of the country’s top eaters, East Village roommates Tim “Eater X” Janus and Crazy Legs Conti.
Mediavore
American Reclaims World Hot-Dog Record; Bruni Calls Out SietsemaAt a Nathan’s hot-dog-eating contest qualifier in Phoenix, American Joey Chestnut shatters the world record set by Takeru “the Tsunami” Kobayashi. [NYP]
In a rare critic-on-critic showdown, Frank Bruni comes down hard on Il Brigante, whose pizza the Voice’s Robert Sietsema called “the city’s most perfect evocation of the true Naples style.” Hardly, Bruni says. “Nothing about this pizza argued strongly for a trip outside your own neighborhood.” [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
Related: New Restaurant Not Just for Lonely Mountain People [Grub Street]
A critical roundup of the city’s lobster rolls decrees Ed’s Lobster Bar “the world’s best.” [NYP]
Related: Consider the Lobster Roll [NYM]
