Matthew Settle seems to be following in the footsteps of his Gossip Girl counterpart, Rufus Humphrey. Newly separated from his wife, the actor was seen dining with a younger woman at Hotel Griffou and was supposedly reduced to name-dropping in an effort to impress her. (Dan would be so ashamed). Meanwhile, Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss showed she too bears similarities to her strong-minded character, Peggy Olson. The actress stuck with what she liked, eating at the Smith in the East Village with the same pal two nights in a row. Read our complete roundup of boldface dining, below.

21 Club: Late-night funnyman Jimmy Fallon took a break from beer pong and spent a night out at the famous midtown restaurant, where he kept both the staff and fellow diners laughing. [Gawker]

The Anchor : Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban partied hard at the Soho bar surrounded by beautiful girls, drinking and dancing well into the morning. [Page Six/NYP]

Black Door: CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric brought a younger date to a birthday celebration at the media mogul–filled Chelsea bar. [Page Six/NYP]

Bocca di Bacco : Rosario Dawson shopped while she ate at the popular wine bar. The young actress’s waiter played auctioneer when one of his paintings hanging in the restaurant caught her eye. [Page Six/NYP]

Cosí: The redheaded star of this summer’s Sex and the City 2, Cynthia Nixon, was seen taking a break, sipping coffee with her girlfriend. [Gawker]

Hotel Griffou: Gossip Girl’s brooding dad, the newly separated Matthew Settle, wined, dined, and tried his hardest to impress a younger-looking mystery brunette. [NYDN]

King’s Cross: Scrubs alum Zach Braff spent his Thursday night at the popular Bowery bar where he was seen leaving with supermodel Jessica Stam. [Gawker]

The Maritime Hotel : Ethan Hawke enjoyed the great outdoors with director Sam Mendes and his pooch while eating lunch at the hotel. [Page Six/NYP]

Nobu: Multitasking queen Kate Gosselin found time to sneak away from her whirlwind of hair appointments, DWTS prep, and “motherly” duties, to join four male companions for dinner at the sushi hot spot. [NYP/Page Six]

The Smith : Just like her Mad Men alter ego Peggy Olson, Elisabeth Moss showed she has strong loyalties by dining at the East Village eatery on back-to-back nights. [NYDN]

Read more posts by Sally Holmes

Filed Under: celebrity settings, black door, bocca di bacco, hotel griffou, maritime hotel, nobu, the smith

Before there was the Ryan Adams–themed pizzeria and the Wilco-themed sandwich shop, there was the menu inspired by Weezer. Now, in Williamsburg, former journalist Thomas Hudson has opened Pinkerton, named after the Weezer album and the Madame Butterfly character (and because, hey, it just sounds cool). Having written for The New Yorker and the Times, Hudson is following the path of writer turned tavern-keeper St. John Frizell in parlaying his amateur love of drink (wine, in Hudson’s case) into a place of his own.

Photo: Courtesy of Pinkerton

Forty-two-year-old Hudson says he originally wanted to open something closer to his home on the Upper East Side, but the Community Board there didn’t welcome him with open arms, and rents were cheaper in Williamsburg anyway, so he took over the former home of N.6, left it largely unchanged (see his camera-phone shots above), and this week started quietly serving five wines by the glass (that number will eventually grow to about a dozen, along with a reserve list) as well as a half-dozen local and West Coast microbrews. Hudson is concentrating on “interesting, fun, good wines that are affordable,” with a focus on Washington, Oregon, California, and Australia. “I like New World wines that are kind of bigger and fruitier,” he says. Next week, he’ll add simple small plates like cheese spreads, olives, and maybe panini to the mix, and eventually he’ll make use of his full kitchen. There’ll also be about a dozen sidewalk chairs. As of now, hours are from 5 p.m. till midnight on the weekdays (closed Mondays), and till 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. on weekends.

Pinkerton Wine Bar, 263 N 6th St., nr. Havemeyer St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-782-7171

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: openings, nightlife, pinkerton wine bar, thomas hudson, williamsburg

Chelsea: Customers’ financial woes are partly to blame in Tom Colicchio’s decision to ditch the Colicchio & Sons prix fixe menu. [Fork in the Road/VV]
East Village: Vietnamese joint Le Da Nang will replace SEA at 75 Second Avenue. [EV Grieve]
Once rumored to become jazz café Rokara, the former Cosmos Parcels space will soon house a P.J. Hanley’s pizza shop, possibly complete with backyard garden. [Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York]
Financial District: Despite undergoing renovations early last year, the Blarney Stone has been court ordered to close for good. [EV Grieve/Eater]

Midtown East: The three-day, five-mile “Luck of the Irish” St. Patrick’s Pub Crawl (the world’s largest, according to the Guiness Book of World Records) commences tonight with the Leprechaun Happy Hour Crawl. Registration opens at 5 p.m. at T.G. Whitney’s. [EV Grieve]
Meatpacking District: March is Milkshake Month at Bill’s Bar & Burger. Get into the St. Paddy’s spirit with the $6.95 Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake, on the menu through the 17th. Add a $4 shot of Maker’s Mark (or your favorite liquor) to make your celebration really authentic. [Grub Street]
Park Slope: Noisy Hotel Le Bleu rooftop lounge Vue will be taken over by a “classy” (and hopefully quieter) Italian restaurant. [The Brooklyn Paper]
Upper West Side: After serving as a consulting chef, Patricia Williams is now working full-time at Smoke jazz club; her new menu debuted this week.

Read more posts by Stefanie Roberts

Filed Under: neighborhood watch, abc kitchen, bill’s bar & burger, blarney stone, chelsea, colicchio & sons, cosmos parcels, east village, financial district, flatiron district, hotel le bleu, jean-georges vongerichten, kyochon, le da nang, meatpacking district, midtown east, midtown west, p.j. hanley’s, park slope, sea, t.g. whitney’s, tom colicchio, vue

After finally obtaining its wine and beer license earlier this year, the once narrow and cramped Antibes Bistro has more than doubled the size of its dining room, expanding into what had been vintage store Fox & Fawn. Owners David Shemesh (the chef) and Eyal Tov (the GM) did the build-out largely by themselves, giving the basement dining room exposed dark-wood beams, white walls, simple wooden tables, and mismatched rustic chandeliers. "Now we can spread out the tables and people can feel more comfortable," Shemesh says, "and we can maintain a better and larger menu."

The expanded menu should debut next month. "I'm trying to bring a more Mediterranean style into the restaurant," says Shemesh, who is Israeli, explaining that he's been trying out potential new dishes as nightly specials since the new space opened last Friday. So far, a broiled dorade royale with garlic and thyme has been well received, as has lamb shank braised in red wine and herbs, served with couscous. The wine list is receiving an overhaul as well. The owners will add several organic wines, "more refined" French wines, and a few more sparkling wines for summer. These will be appropriate for diners who claim one of the spot's four outdoor tables in front or one of 30 seats in the back garden, expected to open this summer if permitting goes as planned.

Read more posts by Jenny Miller

Filed Under: expansions, antibes bistro, david, eyal tov, lower east side, shemesh

It's 4 p.m., and that means it's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they could squeeze in a couple for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: Notable Italian.

A Voce Columbus (Menu)
212-823-2523
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9:45 p.m.

Babbo (Menu)
212-777-0303
Two for eight? No
Best available: 11 p.m.

Convivio (Menu)
212-599-5045
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:15 p.m.

Del Posto (Menu)
212-497-8090
Two for eight? No
Best available: 10:00 p.m.

Faustina (Menu)
212-475-3400
Two for eight? No
Best available: 10:30 p.m.

Locanda Verde (Menu)
212-925-3797
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Maialino (Menu)
212-777-2410
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Scarpetta (Menu)
212-691-0555
Two for eight? No
Best available: 11 p.m.

SD26 (Menu)
212-265-5959
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:30 p.m.

Sfoglia (Menu)
212-831-1402
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Filed Under: a voce columbus, babbo, convivio, del posto, faustina, locanda verde, maialino, scarpetta, sd26, sfoglia

Nevia No, former friendly face of South Jersey’s Yuno’s Farm, indefatigable ambassador of avocado squash and Korean cucumbers, and chefs’ favorite, has been absent from the Greenmarket circuit since last June. Much has happened since then: No and her former partner split up, Yuno’s changed its name to Lani’s, and No rented 70 acres in Burlington County, New Jersey, to launch Bodhitree Farm, what she calls “almost a one-woman show.” The farm made its New York debut last Saturday at Abingdon Square, with hoop-house greens like Tuscan kale, collard greens, tatsoi, and red mizuna, plus fresh farm eggs. And she’s at Union Square right now, damp but happy, with the fruits of her labor — or what she’s started branding as “Veggies with spirit.”

Read more posts by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Filed Under: at the greenmarket, bodhitree farm, nevia no, yuno’s farm

When we told you about Uo's live-sushi nights a few months back, we had no idea the specialty might be construed as cruelty to animals. Yet a complaint was evidently filed to the ASPCA, and on Tuesday night, two officers appeared at the LES restaurant to investigate. "I had just gone home to change and I got a call from the restaurant to go back," recalls owner Frannie Marchese. "I walk in, and it's two officers standing there taking down my license information." Marchese says the officers seemed less concerned when they understood what the restaurant was serving. "They saw the tentacle on the board. They saw it’s not actually that you’re cutting into a fish and its heart is still beating on the plate" she explained. "We’re talking about mollusks that don’t have a central nervous system. What about raw bars, and lobsters dropped into pots of boiling water? If you cite us, you could cite every raw bar first."

Though they were “really nice” about it, ASPCA officer John Akdikmen and his colleague told Marchese they would be back in touch this coming week and that she might receive a letter of disapproval from the organization, or that a hearing would possibly be required. Marchese, who is a regular volunteer at the Center for Animal Cruelty and Control, and who raises foster dogs, is trying to remain sanguine. "On the one hand, I’m so bemused, because it’s ridiculous," she told us. "On the other hand, it might cost me thousands of dollars in lawyers' fees."

Despite the disruption, Marchese plans to continue with live sushi. Customers love it, she says, and she's now serving it Tuesday through Thursday nights, and occasionally on other nights depending on supply. She says that the quality of Uo's fish in general has gone up since John Daley replaced David Bouhadana as sushi chef last month. "John has connections with distributors even more than David did, so our quality has jumped up. He'll put things in front of you that you go home thinking about."

Read more posts by Jenny Miller

Filed Under: health concerns, aspca, david bouhadana, frannie marchese, john daley, sushi, uo

On Monday, Murray Hill newcomer Marcony grand opens after a week of flying under the radar. Chef-owner Marco Pipolo (formerly a partner at Scalinatella) has given the onetime Prespa space a white-washed makeover inspired by yachting off the isle of Carpi. Pastas like tortellini are made fresh, while others are imported from Naples, and the house specialty is Vin Santo sauce (the dessert-wine sauce tops the boldly unfashionable Chilean sea bass). Check out the bi-level space (soon to be augmented with a twenty-seat outdoor café) and the menu. Italian bottles go from $40 to $90. Lunch is served Monday through Saturday from noon till 3 p.m., and dinner runs from 5 p.m. till 11 p.m.

ANTIPASTI
Parmigiana Di Melanzane
Marcony style Eggplant Parmigiana 121/2

Tagliata Di Tonno
Thin sliced Sesami seared Tuna with Armorini pasta 181/2

Trio Di Profiteroles
Rabe & Sausage, Mushrooms, Zucchini with mint & Ricotta cheese 141/2

Carciofi Alla Giudea
Pan fried baby Artichokes & Micro green salad 131/2

Polipo Alla Griglia
Grilled Octopus with baby Arugula & Fennel salad 121/2

Assaggio Di Mozarrelle
Bufala, Straciatella & Burrata served with Prosciutto Di Parma 161/2

Rissotto Alla Griglia
Grilled Rissotto with melted Italian imported cheeses 141/2

Calamari Alla Luciana
Slowly cooked fresh Tomato ragu with Garlic & Basil 121/2

Cozze Alla Griglia
Grilled mussels with Thyme & Garlic 111/2

INSALATE
Insalata D’Astice
Lobster with Saffron Potatoes, frisee & Truffle dressing 191/2

Insalata Marcony
Baby Spinach with roasted garlic, grilled Scallops & sweet Balsamic dressing 151/2

Insalata Di Pomodorini
Cherry Tomatoes, Celery & Scallions 101/2

Insalata Di Barbabietola
Tricolor Beet salad 121/2

Insalata Classica
Mixed green salad with Heart of Palm, Baby Corn & Cherry Tomato 101/2
Insalata Di Faggiolini
String Beans, Cherry Tomato & red Onions 121/2

PRIMI PIATTI
Spaghetti Alla Chitarra
With fresh Cherry Tomatoes and Basil 151/2

Linguine Alle Vongole
Manila clams & fresh Tomatoes 181/2

Occhi Di Lupo Bolognese
Bolognese sauce with Mushrooms 181/2

Gnocchi Alla Taormina
Tricolor Gnocchi with Sundried tomatoes & Almond Pesto sauce 181/2

Ditaloni Alla Capri
Mix Seafood in a Marinara sauce 191/2

Tortelloni
With Truffle cream sauce 191/2

Ravioli of the Day M/P

PRINCIPALI
Pollo Rollatina
Chicken breast stuffed with Spinach, Smoked Mozzarella, Carrots in a Wine sauce 181/2

Pollo San Marino
Chicken breast, Artichokes, Sundried tomatoes with White Wine & Lemon sauce 171/2

Stinco D’Agnello
Braised Lamb Shank & mashed Potatoes 221/2

Brasato Di Manzo
Baby Short ribs with Barolo sauce & Risotto with Parmigianino 221/2

Costoletta Di Vitello Alla Milanese
Breaded Veal chop with baby Arugula & Cherry Tomatoes 361/2

Scaloppine Alla Marcony
Veal Medallion, Fontina cheese & Prosciutto in a cream Truffle sauce 221/2

Spigola Dell’Atlantico
Chilean Sea Bass with Zucchini, Onions & Tomatoes in a Vinsanto sauce 301/2

Dentice In Crosta
Potato crusted Red Snapper with White Wine & Lemon sauce 281/2

Salmone Alla Griglia
With mix Vegetables, Ginger & Lentils 191/2

Branzino Striato
Striped Sea Bass with Fava beans & Cherry Tomatoes 221/2

Marcony, 184 Lexington Ave., nr. 31st Street; 646-837-6020

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: slideshow, italian, marco pipolo, marcony, murray hill, openings

This week Brick Lane Curry House owner Sati Sharma and manager Vivek Deora teamed up with Raj Dodani (partner in Newark sister restaurant Partha Junction) to open a sixteen-seat Indonesian joint at 28 Greenwich Avenue (clearly they weren’t dissuaded by former tenant Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez of bygone Lassi calling the landlord a “schmuck”). As you might guess, the new place specializes in meat, fish, and veggies on a stick, and other street foods as interpreted by chef Durayati Djunaedi, who grew up in Jakarta and has spent her most recent years cooking traditional made-from-scratch Indonesian food for weddings and events in Israel. Hours are Sunday to Thursday, noon till 11 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from noon till 1 a.m. Prices (as listed on the menu) are decidedly NYU-friendly.

HIDANGAN PEMBUKA (SOUPS & SALADS)
Mee Bakso (cup/bowl) 4/7
meatball soup, noodles
have it as an entrée 9

Soto Ayam (cup/bowl) 4/7
spicy chicken soup, vermicelli
Sop Tofu (cup/bowl) 4/7
Gado Gado 6
steamed vegetables, medium spicy peanut sauce

Siomay 7
steamed vegetables, fish balls, peanut sauce
SATAYS

Satay’s served w/peanut sauce and acar
Vegetarian $7/Meat $9/ Seafood $11
Satay Combos
Pick any three 5
Pick any five 9

Satay Choices: chicken, beef, pork, fish (MP), lamb, shrimp, vegetable, tofu

NASI dan MEE (RICE & NOODLES)

Nasi Goreng 4 / 6 / 6 / 9 / 11
fried rice - choice of vegetable, chicken, beef, pork or shrimp

Mee Goreng 4 / 6 / 6 / 9 / 11
pan seared flat noodles - choice of vegetable, chicken, beef, pork or shrimp

HIDANGAN AKHIR (DESSERTS)
Pisang Goreng 3
fried banana, vanilla ice cream, honey
Cassava cake 3
baked cassava, grated coconut

MINUMAN (BEVERAGES)
Es Alpukat 4
avocado juice, splash of chocolate
Es Kelapa Muda 3
tender coconut juice
Es Teller 3
young coconut juice, seaweed jelly, jack fruit, coconut milk

Es Teh Manis 2
jasmine tea, sugar, ice
Beer 5
Wine 6

MAKANAN LAINYA (SIDES)

Trio 3
Sweet sambal, spicy sambal, acar

Krupuk Udang/Putih 2
shrimp/plain tapioca crackers

Tahu Goreng 3
crispy tofu

Bumbu Kacang 3
peanut sauce

Seasonal Greens 3
Usually simply garlic sautéed

28 Greenwich Ave., nr. W. 10th St.; 212-929-9400

Read more posts by Daneil Maurer

Filed Under: slideshow, brick lane curry house, durayati djunaedi, indonesian, lassi, partha junction, raj dodani, satay junction, sati sharma, vivek deora

Restauranteurs who already have a sour taste in their mouth about mandatory sick leave, letter grading, and wage crackdowns can add this to the list of unsavory developments: The tax man is getting more bullish about auditing cash businesses such as bars and demanding they produce all of their guest checks. Operators object that they often don’t use guest checks in the first place, and when the state proposes a settlement, it’s often not in the bounds of reality.

The owner of Mothers in Buffalo tells WGRZ, "The methods they use are very similar to methods that were used by La Cosa Nostra ... also known as the mob. What they do is come up with a figure that will really scare you then they settle for a lesser figure so basically it's an extortion practice which is really quite effective because the figures they come up with are pretty scary.” Supples was able to avoid paying the $1.8 million he was told he owed going back six years by taking his case before the State Tax Tribunal, which ruled in his favor: “It found that for Supples to have done the volume of business and made the kind of money the state had estimated, every table in his restaurant would have had to have been full for eleven hours a day, seven days a week, for six years.”

Buffalo Restaurant Owner Compares State Tax Department to "The Mafia" [WGRZ]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: financial woes, taxes

While Avenue A mainstay Lucy returns from vacation in Poland and reopens Lucy’s, the Observer revisits the saga of Ray’s and reports that a recent benefit raised $3,000 — far from the $20,000 he needs to install a ventilation system for making fries, but at least he made rent. [NYO]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: endangered, east village, lucy's, ray's candy store

from Grub Street Boston

Lady Gaga and Beyonce's video for "Telephone" is chock full of food imagery: the climactic scene takes place in a diner, a Food Network-esque recipe for a poison cocktail appears on screen, Beyonce feeds Gaga a honey bun, and a man uses a head of lettuce as a telephone. Perhaps the high point, however, is when the chyron "Let's Make a Sandwich" appears on the screen and Gaga and her backup boys dance while holding spatulas, whisks, and knives. As the Lady herself puts it, "You know what they say: once you kill a cow, you gotta make a burger." Indeed! Check out the full video over at The Cut.

The Ten Best Things About Lady Gaga and Beyonce's 'Telephone' Video [The Cut]

Read more posts by Leila Cohan

Filed Under: funnies, beyonce, lady gaga, let's make a sandwich, telephone

As you surely know, Blue Bottle Coffee, the Bay Area outfit with a cult following, opened its doors in Williamsburg on Wednesday. James Freeman, Blue Bottle’s founder, was inside the airy, minimalist space overseeing the launch. “It’s incredibly stressful opening a place in New York,” he told us, “so it’s good to see that people are showing up.” Among the attendees were a mother and her toddler. “This is how they make iced coffee!” the mother whispered in her tyke’s ear, pointing at the shop’s most theatrical coffee-making gadget: the five Japanese “slow-drip” devices that line the shop’s rear wall. “And see back there?” she continued, gesturing toward the roped-off area in the rear of the place. “That’s where they roast their beans.” The baby yawned.

Beverage production at Blue Bottle is a complex process. On weekends, for instance, the shop will offer customers something called “nel drip” coffee, which is filtered through Japanese flannel. And even a cup of basic drip coffee takes five minutes to produce, because the beans are individually ground and (individually) filtered with the help of a “swan neck” kettle.

Is the elaborate process just a way for Freeman to show up his artisanal-coffee competitors, like Café Grumpy and Abraço? Freeman actually sees himself as part of a united front against blander options like Starbucks. “When I’m in New York, I stay at the Ace Hotel so I can have Stumptown in the morning,” he told us. “And you know what excites me? When I see a line of twenty people there, and then go around the corner and see five people at Dunkin’ Donuts. Being part of that shift — that’s really what this is all about.” At just that moment, Freeman was greeted by Oren Bloostein, the founder of Oren’s Daily Roast, who had stopped by to congratulate him.

Later, we called Matt Lounsbury, the director of operations at Stumptown, to see how he felt about Blue Bottle’s arrival in New York. “Maybe it’s a West Coast thing,” he told us, “but we’re not competitive the way you guys are. New York is a huge city, and it’s kind of ridiculous that it’s been so hard to get good coffee until recently. We’re a fan of anyone who wants to help out.” Could all this caffeine be making the coffee-making vanguard more … mellow?

Earlier: The Messiah Hails From Portland [NYM]

Read more posts by David Amsden

Filed Under: buzz, blue bottle coffee, coffee, williamsburg

Add this to yesterday’s intel that Top Chef starts filming again next month: The Washington Post says the new season, apparently taking a cue from Real World, will be set in D.C. [WP]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: top chef, tv land, washington dc

• A homeless man was crushed to death by a sidewalk freight elevator outside of Japonais. [NYP]

• The town of Champagne is concerned after job cuts at bubbly company Piper & Charles Heidsieck. [Decanter]

• Japanese mixologist (and creator of the "hard shake") Kazuo Uyeda is coming to New York to demonstrate his technique in a workshop for a cool $675. [Diner's Journal/NYT]

• In case The Cove got you wondering what whale tastes like, it's "similar to reindeer or moose." [Slate]

• A trailer for a soft-core porn version of Top Chef has hit YouTube. Painful to watch. [Eater National]

Read more posts by Leila Cohan

Filed Under: mediavore, japonais, katie lee, the breslin, the cove

"I loved working on that show so much," said actor Bryan Batt of his star-making turn as Sal on Mad Men. His use of past tense is ominous for the hordes of fans mourning Sal’s apparently permanent departure from the show, but for Batt (who notes, optimistically, that "Matthew Weiner said 'we don't kill people on Mad Men'"), it means more time for everything else in his life. Besides acting, he's a furniture designer; the owner of Hazelnut, a home-goods shop in New Orleans; and a memoirist — his "very Auntie Mame, Steel Magnolias" book of stories about his mom, She Ain't Heavy, She's My Mother, comes out in May. He couldn't be happier with the multi-hyphenate lifestyle: "I think it's fun to diversify and do other things. So many people put you in a category and decide what you're going to do. I like to have a little control over my own life." After a month of food-centric celebrations — the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras among them — Batt put himself on a weight-loss regimen. See if he sticks to it in this week's edition of the New York Diet.

Friday, March 5
I had two cups of coffee with skim milk and artificial sweetener. I alternate with sweeteners, it's usually the yellow one, Splenda — I've been Sweet & Low forever, but I recently switched to Splenda because it’s supposed to be healthier. I did an egg-white-and-onion omelette. I fixed that at home in New Orleans.

My partner and I have a store called Hazelnut, down on Magazine Street, and down the block there's a wonderful Whole Foods. I like to go through and do the tastings, which I call doing the Stations of the Cross. And they have a wonderful tekka roll, it’s spicy salmon with brown rice, which I picked up for lunch. I use a low-sodium soy sauce with that.

That afternoon I had a little snack of toasted almonds, and through the day I had at least three or four iced teas and a few Tabs. I love the old Tab.

My best friend Chuck and his wife Margaret live in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, about an hour-fifteen, hour-twenty drive away. Their daughter was playing the lead in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. When we got there, there was a seafood bacchanal, since it was a Friday during Lent. I had a few boiled crabs, at least a dozen raw oysters, and a bowl of gumbo. I hadn't seen them in a long time. That was great fun.

Saturday, March 6
I flew to New York, but before I left I had, of course, two cups of coffee, and four little thin slices of smoked turkey.

I had a lovely chef's salad at the airport which I brought on the plane, along with a fat-free dressing. I also had two little packs of peanuts on the plane. I had a Diet Coke.

That night I kind of crashed a dinner party that my friends invited me to, and as it turned out, it was with some friends of mine that I did Cats with years ago, Johnny Anzalone and George Smyros. I stayed on my diet as much as I could — crudités with guacamole, they had a lovely kale and jicama with sautéed shrimp, baked salmon with mango chutney, a pepper-and-sausage thing. I did not have the polenta.

Sunday, March 7
I had Fage Greek yogurt with a scoop of Smucker's sugar-free preserves, and I went down the street and I had a venti skinny latte from Starbucks. Once in a blue moon I'll treat myself.

I had little meals throughout the day — a little lean hamburger patty, chicken breast with egg whites.

That night I went to the Lincoln Center Oscar party. I had two little caviar hors d’oeuvres and a small little plate of the beef and chicken kebabs, and that was it. I did have a glass of wine that night, but I'm trying to stick to this Lent thing, plus alcohol has so many empty calories. You get a nice little buzz from it, but I’d rather have a pork chop. It’s not the same euphoria, but it's comparable.

Monday, March 8
I had another venti skim latte, and the same yogurt with sugar-free preserves.

For lunch I was at Caffé Grazie — it's really lovely, it's not pretentious, it’s just really good Italian fare. I had a little bowl of the most delicious minestrone soup, which was great, and I had a tropical salad with grilled chicken which had hearts of palm and just this wonderful dressing, so that was great too. I had iced tea, and a sweetened cappuccino at the end.

That night I hosted a benefit for the Play Company. It was at the American Airlines Theater penthouse, which is a really interesting, beautiful space for an event. They had all theses great chefs, and I had a chicken pot pie, but I took the pie part off, and a couple little dollops of a tuna tartare. I had a few Swedish meatballs, and I splurged and had one chocolate and mint brownie from Gramercy Tavern, made by the wonderful pastry chef Nancy Olson, which was amazing. She just loves Mad Men and we had a wonderful conversation. Love that mint brownie.

Tuesday, March 9
Another Fage yogurt and another venti cappuccino. I was filming Ugly Betty, so when I got there they made me a turkey-and-cheddar egg-white omelette.

I shot two segments of Emeril Lagasse's new show. I've known him for years because he started in New Orleans. While I was waiting, I had a wonderful little Cobb salad from I don't know where, plus the bacon from my publicist's Cobb salad. On the show we made and I tasted — though not a lot — this lobster stew, which was absolutely incredible. It had a lot of cream, and milk and lobster and paprika and onions — it was just fantastic. He called it a JFK lobster stew, and then they had drinks accompanying that. We made pasta primavera, too, and I didn't have that, but I did have a Manhattan with the lobster stew and a tequila sunrise. You just can't refuse when you're on a television show.

That evening there was a screening of one of the episodes of Mad Men at the Screen Actors’ Guild, and there was a talk back with all the people who came to see it. Before I went on it was crudités with cheese. No crackers.

Wednesday, March 10
In the morning I didn't have anything else in my fridge but egg whites, so I had a plain egg-white omelette and two cups of coffee

I was at Lionsgate [the studio behind Mad Men] and they ordered a lot of Cobb salad. I'm boring — lots of Cobb salad, coffee, and egg whites. I went home after and changed and went to 21, to the Harbor Room. It was a launch for the new Orion Expedition Cruises, a wonderful cruise line out of, I think, Australia. I had a really good crab cake, tons of wonderful lump crab meat, and then one of the best filet mignons I’ve ever had. You could cut it with your fork. I love it rare; I love any meat rare. I had some beautiful haricot vert with that.

I met up with some friends afterward who I hadn't seen in a while, and we went to Five Napkin Burger. I didn't get a hamburger, I got a spicy tuna roll, though I usually get the hamburger salad, which is quite wonderful.

Read more posts by Helen Rosner

Filed Under: the new york diet, 21 club, bryan batt, caffe grazie, five napkin burger, gramercy tavern, mad men, nancy olson

Lower East Side: Michael Huynh, the chef behind the Baoguette empire, is opening a "high-volume bakery" in the old Kebab House on the corner of Orchard and Rivington Streets. [Fork in the Road/VV]

Midtown East: Barros Luco will host a fund-raiser at Niall's Pub to support the Chilean Red Cross and its hurricane relief efforts. [Midtown Lunch]

Midtown West: Chef Rose Levy Beranbaum was charged a $25 "forkage fee" by the Breslin to eat two slices of chocolate cake leftover from a television segment she had taped earlier. [Real Baking With Rose via Diner's Journal/NYT]

Noho: Faustina at the Cooper Square Hotel is now serving lunch daily. The menu includes the Cooper Square Burger ($21), a first for Chef Scott Conant, made from LaFrieda beef, taleggio cheese, caramelized onions, and pickled mustard seeds. [Grub Street]

Prospect-Lefferts: Gandhi, a new Indian restaurant, opened yesterday. It's run by the same team behind Joy in Prospect Heights. [Hawthorne Street]

Soho: L'ulivo reopens today as Chicca. The restaurant, at 184 Spring Street, will serve traditional Roman cuisine using mostly locally sourced ingredients. [Grub Street]

Upper East Side: 92nd Street Y hosts Chocolate Fest: A Walk-Around Tasting this Sunday night at Buttenwieser Hall. Tickets ($37) are available here. [Grub Street]

Windsor Terrace: Residents are planning to turn the vacant lot below the Seeley Street Bridge into a farm that will produce fresh vegetables for the community. For more information or to get involved, contact Tom Angotti at tangotti@nyc.rr.com or 347-226-0100. [Kensington Prospect]

Read more posts by Sam Dangremond

Filed Under: neighborhood watch, 92nd street y, baoguette, bedford, chicca, cooper square hhotel, east village, fautina, gandhi, l'ulivo, lower east side, michael huynh, noho, porchetta, scott conant, soho, upper east side

If you were wondering why the seventh season of Top Chef wasn’t on a list of upcoming Bravo programming, here’s the reason: Tom Colicchio tells the Post that Padma’s pregnancy has pushed the filming of season seven from January to April. No word on the location, but Kate Winslet wants in.

Kate Winslet's salivating at the thought of judging on 'Top Chef' [NYP]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: top chef, kate winslet, padma lakshmi, tom colicchio, tv land

If the Meat Hook’s sausage-making video wasn’t loaded with enough innuendo for you, check out the Atlantic’s video on “the peeling, puncturing, roasting, and slicing of a pair of deer testicles,” complete with tasteful Nine Inch Nails soundtrack. Be careful when roasting, because the testicles “tend to explode.” And for more advice, seek out Joe Dobias, who has taken to selling fried lamb testicles at JoeDoe: “Man am I excited! The Balls are in the marinade!”

What's Next in Nose-to-Tail Cooking? Testicles [Food/Atlantic]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: what to eat, deer, home cookin', joe dobias, joedoe, lamb, testicles

Feast reports that the company behind JFK’s Terminal Five is planning an “Italian-centric food mecca” for LaGuardia Airport. Michael White and Andrew Carmellini haven’t commented on rumors of their involvement, but Dom De Marco has confirmed he’s in talks to open a branch of Di Fara. If the master insists on manning the stand himself, make sure to show up for your flight five hours in advance.

Is There A Massive Italian Food Project Planned For LaGuardia Airport? [Feast]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: openings, andrew carmellini, di fara, dom de marco, italian, laguardia airport, michael white

A couple of days ago Justin Ross Lee penned a highly subjective list of the “Top Ten Most Hated People in New York Nightlife” for Clubplanet, including himself, fellow promoters, and “rope rat” doormen. The most prominent figure was Noah Tepperberg of Marquee and Avenue, who was described as “Dr. Evil” and compared to Dick Cheney. Just like when Down by the Hipster pondered “The Least Important People in Nightlife,” clubland fixture Steve Lewis had something to say: “Noah loves what he does and has quietly been a friend to so many in need.” Now Tepperberg’s slot on the list reads “Number 8 has been removed due to technical difficulties,” and Chi Chi 212 thinks she knows why.

After being featured at number 8 on Justin Ross Lee’s list of Top 10 Most Hated People In Nightlife, Noah Tepperberg called up Track Entertainment and threw the biggest fit … ever. In fact this fit was so big the column now reads “Number 8 has been removed due to technical difficulties.” He even asked to have JRL fired.

Actually, we’ve been on the receiving end of one of these phone calls, though Tepperberg was mostly civil in objecting to a Grub Street item that implied people were dancing at Avenue (the “gastrolounge” doesn't have a cabaret license and we all know the city pooh-poohs these things). The irony is that in addition to a birthday party at La Esquina, the most recent episode of HBO show How to Make It in America depicted a raging dance party at Avenue! Guess Tepperberg decided to let the secret out …

Why Is Noah Tepperberg Afraid Of Justin Ross Lee? [Chi Chi 212]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: personalities, avenue, how to make it in america, nightlife, noah tepperberg

It's time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don't guarantee the results.) Today: Seasonal American.

10 Downing (Menu)
212-255-0300
Two for eight? Yes

BLT Market (Menu)
212-521-6125
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:15 p.m.

Blue Hill (Menu)
212-539-1776
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:30 p.m.

Cookshop (Menu)
212-924-4440
Two for eight? Yes

Craft (Menu)
212-780-0880
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:30

Eighty One (Menu)
212-873-8181
Two for eight? Yes

Park Avenue Winter (Menu)
212-644-1900
Two for eight? Yes

Mas (farmhouse) (Menu)
212-255-1790
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:30 p.m.

Telepan (Menu)
212-580-4300
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:30 p.m.

The Wright
212-427-5690
Two for eight? Yes

Filed Under: two for eight, 10 downing, blt market, blue hill, cookshop, craft, eighty one, mas, park avenue winter, telepas, the wright

Awhile back it was announced that Magical Elves, the company behind Top Chef, is bringing a new Amazing Race–style cooking-competition show, Around the World in 80 Plates, to Bravo. Now a release from Bravo indicates that Commander in Chef is also on the horizon. No host has been named, but here’s the pitch.

COMMANDER IN CHEF (wt)
This self-contained, weekly one-hour competition series tests established chefs with a series of intense culinary challenges before a live studio audience. The chefs must survive five consecutive head-to-head battles, ultimately taking on the chef host in a final showdown. The longer they stay in the game, the more money they can win. But with just one single defeat, they are out. This series is being developed by Stone & Co. Entertainment with executive producer Scott Stone.

Think of it as Iron Chef meets The Next Iron Chef meets Top Chef meets Top Chef Masters meets Hell's Kitchen meets Throwdown meets Chopped.

Bravo Announces Pick-Ups and Series in Development [Bravo]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: tv land, bravo, commander in chef, cooking shows, reality television

Michael Psilakis tells Diner’s Journal more about his possible Williamsburg project in a 10,000 square-foot-space where “he might put one or more casual restaurants along the lines of Kefi and Gus & Gabriel,” and also reveals that after leaving Mia Dona to his partner Donatella Arpaia last year, he has now also broken from Michelin-starred Anthos. He’ll still be involved in Kefi but Arpaia says of their partnership “we’re both heading in different directions.”

Michael Psilakis Has Left Anthos [NYT/Diner’s Journal]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: chef shuffle, anthos, gus & gabriel, kefi, mia dona, michael psilakis

Ice cream is having an excellent preseason, what with the recent arrival of a stationary Van Leeuwen in Greenpoint, the impending mega-expansion of Il Laboratorio del Gelato to Houston Street, and the belated addition of soft serve to the repertoire at the new Cobble Hill branch of Blue Marble (which, incidentally, has become a wild weekday-afternoon rave of sorts spilling out onto the sidewalk with infant sugar addicts, chocolate-mustachioed toddlers, and menacing stroller-moms). More good news on the horizon: Next month, the General Greene’s Nick Morgenstern plans to strategically position a Greene Ice Cream cart outside Five Leaves, a mere cone’s throw from Van Leeuwen. And just this week, a Philly import has landed on the dessert menus of a few local restaurants, and should not be overlooked, even by the staunchest lacto-locavore.

Capogiro Gelato Artisans, Philadelphia’s highly acclaimed gelateria, has just introduced its tartufo, the baseball-size Italian classic that typically encases a fruit filling and two flavors of ice cream in a chocolate shell. Why is this news, exactly? In most cases, the dessert, an ice-cream truffle of sorts, is made with industrial-grade ice cream and is practically impossible to eat, or at least not worth the effort, its outer casing so impervious to the spoon’s assault that the whole mess goes flying. In Capogiro’s version — which can currently be sampled at Gottino, Fornino, Essex, and Inatteso Pizzabar Casano — the fruit is an amarena cherry, the gelati are characteristically dense, but creamy chocolate and hazelnut, and instead of a shell, the outer coating is a flurry of deep, dark Valrhona cocoa powder, allowing for effortless (if still fairly messy) eating.

Read more posts by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Filed Under: we all scream, capogiro gelato artisans, ice cream