♦ Just what you need in these lean times: a handy map of recession specials at restaurants across the city. [Eater]
♦ Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto went on a ramen tasting tour through the East Village and—surprise—gave David Chang's Momofuku top honors. [GS]
♦ Allen & Delancey chef Neil Ferguson has left his two-star home for "moral and personal reasons" to join Soho House as executive chef. [Eater]
♦ New York's Adam Platt visits Bobo and Bloomingdale Road this week, and while he isn't thrilled with Bobo chef Patrick Connolly's portions (they're "barely large enough to feed a flea"), it still earns a two-star review. Bloomingdale Road isn't quite as lucky: It gets a zero-star review thanks to its "bizarro conception and spotty technique." [NYM]
♦ A look inside Michael Huynh's new BarBao on West 82nd St. [Eater]
♦ Brussels chain Rouge Tomate and Tom Valenti's West Branch are both slated to open this week, while the Plaza's Oak Room is expected to open its doors "early next month." [NYM]
♦ New York is experiencing a "coffee renaissance," apparently. [NYT]
♦ Tips on how to create the perfect menu for your election night bash. [RG]
♦ Sirio Maccioni is already looking at replacements for Le Cirque chef Christophe Bellanca. [Page Six]
♦ Julian Niccolini says says his customers at the Four Seasons aren't skipping power lunches because of Wall Street's woes, although they do seem to be ordering cheaper wines. [GS]
♦ The Eldridge's Matt Levine confirms the existence of laser-engraved admissions cards; he won't comment on whether Prince has ever turned up at the nightspot. [The Feedbag]
♦ A preview of what you can expect from Dovetail's brunch service, which starts this weekend. [GS]
♦ Cain is re-opening tonight with a new look and a new name, Cain Luxe. [P6]
♦ The Chelsea club Citrine is opening tonight, too. [Eater]
♦ Le Cirque's chef, Christophe Bellanca, has parted ways with the Maccioni family. [Feedbag]
♦ A guide to the best ethnic bakeries in Manhattan. [NYT]
♦ Williamsburg's Kellogg's Diner reopens today. [GS]
♦ An early look at Supper Club, Bon Appetit's pop-up lunch spot that will be open through October 31st. [Eater]
♦ Katie Lee Joel defends her much-maligned, Burger Bash winning, patty melt. [YumSugar]
♦ The Limelight can be yours for a mere $60 million if you happen to be looking to buy a club and/or a church. [GS]
♦ APT has been shut down for "criminal sale or possession of controlled substances or marijuana." [Eater]
♦ Top Chef runner-up Dave Martin has bid goodbye to Crave on 42nd. [Feedbag]
♦ Lovely Day on Elizabeth Street was shuttered following a fire. [Eater]
♦ You missed it: Ivanka Trump was handing out microwavable meals on the street today. [MidtownLunch]
♦ Table 8 inside the Cooper Square Hotel isn't expected to open for another two months, but that didn't stop chef Govind Armstrong from giving a preview to 60 guests at hotelier Klaus Ortlieb's Tribeca loft last night. [NYO]
♦ The opening night of Tom Colicchio's Tuesday Dinner, went off without a hitch: Tom prepared a nine-course menu for 28 guests without breaking a sweat, and his wife showed up for moral support. [Forbes]
♦ Is 1OAK over? Richie Akiva and Scott Sartiano's club is now sending our email blasts asking to host your next party. [NYO]
♦ New York has a roundup of bars and restaurants where you can catch the debate tonight. [Daily Intel]
♦ How are restaurateurs coping with the recession? They're opening for breakfast and staying open later. [NYT]
♦ Frank Bruni checks out the UES vegan restaurant Candle 79 this week and gives it one star for its "top-notch produce." [NYT]
♦ Chef Charlie Palmer opened Aureole during the stock market crash of 1987, so it only makes sense that he's in the process of moving the eatery to a bigger venue right now. [NYO]
♦ A behind-the-scenes tour of Corton, courtesy of Drew Nieporent and Paul Liebrandt (left). [The Feedbag]
♦ Danny Meyer, Donald Trump, and Drew Nieporent are just some of the people possibly vying to take over Tavern on the Green when Jennifer LeRoy's lease expires at the end of the year. [P6 Mag via NYO]
♦ Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody and Nathan Connolly are two of the backers behind the Houndstooth Pub in Midtown. [GS]
♦ Nino Selimaj will not be stopped. The ubiquitous restaurateur is opening a new Nino's (imaginatively named Nino's 208) at—wait for it—208 on East 58th Street. [GS]
♦ The NYC Wine & Food Festival came to town this past weekend and just about every chef, foodie, and critic was on hand. Among the highlights: Rachael Ray hosted a Burger Bash on Friday (Katie Lee Joel took first prize); Tom Colicchio broke out his guitar and later chatted with Eater about his upcoming plans; Ferran Adria took the stage with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Asimov; Gordon Ramsay vented; Rocco DiSpirito showed off his dancing skills; Bobby Flay mentioned his plans to re-open Bolo; Scott Conant talked about his upcoming eatery in Miami; Marco Maccioni gave details on the restaurant he has planned for the Beekman Hotel; and everyone in attendance generally ate and drank way too much. More here and here.
The weekend looms, but hard times are already upon us. We made a handy guide on how to have fun and fight for your rights to party (and survive!) during the financial freakout. Ready for a rent party?
♦ The Observer picks its favorite pizza joints around town. [NYO]
♦ Andrew Carmellini has a new restaurant in the works, although he isn't sharing too many details. [GS]
♦ Trader Joe's may open a store on 72nd and Broadway next year. [GS]
♦ The meltdown is having an impact on the restaurant biz. Duh. [Time]
♦ The Times travel section spends 36 hours in NYC and offers up "plenty of reasons not to stay at home watching CNBC." [NYT]
♦ It seems the closure of Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg's Marquee this summer had more to do with a drug-related sting operation than a water main break. [NYO]
♦ Frank Bruni gives one star to Socarrat Paella Bar in today's Times: Although Socarrat's signature dish isn't perfect, it's "better than the paellas at many other Spanish restaurants in New York." [NYT]
♦ The fro-yo wars are heating up: Both Pinkberry and Red Mango have hired branding firms to help define their places in the fro-yo market. [AdAge]
♦ The East Village nightclub Mr. Black has been shut down after failing to pay taxes. [VV via Gawker]
Yet another club closing: Mr. Black—a New York gay institution—is to shut down for the second time. First it was for drugs, this time it's something about "non-payment of taxes," reports Michael Musto. The club was notable for being a democratic place where the A-gays and club kids would all drink and dance as one. It's not just Mr. Black: the Box and the Beatrice recently got yanked around by the State Liquor Authority, and Marquee's little shutdown was actually drug dealing problems disguised as a mysterious"water main break," says the Observer. “[Mr. Black] is so dark and anonymous," the New York Times once quoted a patron as saying. Dude, we're in a depression—can't you just leave us somewhere dark and anonymous?
♦ The 2009 Zagat guide to New York restaurants was released today. Momofuku Ko was named best newcomer, while Per Se led the pack in food and service. [Zagat]
♦ Vice just released a New York restaurant guide, too. [Vice via Eater]
♦ A list of bars where you can watch the debate. [NYM]
♦ What are Wall Streeters doing now that they have no money? They're skipping power lunches and opting for pizza instead. [NYP]
♦ The 2009 Michelin guide will hit bookstores tomorrow. Masa has moved up to three stars, joining Per Se, Jean Georges and Le Bernardin. And Momofuku Ko, Adour Alain Ducasse, and Gilt were all added to the two-star list. [NYT]
♦ David Burke is opening up a fish bar called Fishtail David Burke on East 62nd Street. He's also changing the name of restaurant he co-owned with Donatella Arpaia, david burke & donatella, to david burke townhouse. [Zagat]
♦ Anthony Bourdain's two favorite dive bars? Holland Bar and the Distinguished Wakamba Lounge, in case you feel stalking him. [Page Six Mag]
The New Yorker festival culminated in a rockin' dance party. (Our publisher offered us his spare tickets, which we sniffily rejected. "The New Yorker dance party?" snorted a friend.) IvyGate went, though, and they were scared for their future social life. "This could be you in eleven years," warned the headline. "It was mostly professionals in their late 20s to early 30s talking and grinding." Oh, no, not that! Yep, that's how us post-collegiate Olds party. And then we stumbled home, drifting off to sleep imagining what type of hit our Roth IRA took with the latest crash. [IvyGate]
The entire business model behind Girls Gone Wild, as well as party photosites like the CobraSnake and LastNightsParty, is now illegal in Scotland, reports the BBC. "A man who took a photograph of an ill woman outside an Edinburgh bar has been fined £100 after being branded "unchivalrous" by a sheriff... The woman had been drinking with friends in [a bar] when she felt unwell and went outside for air." Photos of drunk half-dressed girls is unchivalrous? Hey, nobody forced them to drink three Long Island Iced Teas. [Photo: Home of the Vain]
So what are you working on? If you're tax-cheating media-gatecrasher Priyantha Silva—known more for your sweaty drinking exploits than your fictional producing career—it's where things might go wrong. That's probably why he's chatting up aspiring actresses and sending them these upcoming "film projects." "Legend of Black Tom isn't a real [politically correct] title, but I believe some studio would throw it out," snarks the gal who sent them to us. We've also been deluged with memories from others: "He's had it in for me ever since this," said Star's Ben Widdicombe. "I saw him trying to get into the Calvin Klein 40th anniversary party during Fashion Week, and more recently at a Vanity Fair party for St John. He was trying to chat up Lauren Bush before the alert event organizer separated them. He has been in and out of prison and is more dangerous than just a harmless party crasher." Oh, great!From yet another lady:
