Earlier today we heard that the Top Chef Masters lineup was due to be released tomorrow— actually, the news just broke on Entertainment Weekly’s site, which reports that new chefs will include Govind Armstrong, Jimmy Bradley (the Red Cat), David Burke (David Burke Townhouse), Susan Feniger (Street), Jody Adams (Rialto), Obama favorite Tony Mantuano (Spiaggia), and returning chefs will include Graham Elliot Bowles, Wylie Dufresne, Ludo Lefebvre, Rick Moonen, Mark Peel, and Jonathan Waxman. Among the guest stars: Matt Groening and Hank Azaria of The Simpsons! Here’s the interesting thing— Marcus Samuelsson is identified not as the chef of Aquavit, but of The Red Rooster in New York. Is this a future project, or perhaps just a mistake? Maybe it’s his rumored Harlem restaurant? We’re looking into it. In the meantime, here’s the lineup.

* — returning from season 1
Jody Adams – Rialto Restaurant, Cambridge, Mass.
Govind Armstrong – 8 oz Burger Bar, Los Angeles, Calif.
Graham Elliot Bowles – Graham Elliot Restaurant, Chicago, Ill. *
Jimmy Bradley – The Red Cat, New York, N.Y.
David Burke – David Burke Townhouse, New York, N.Y.
Wylie Dufresne – wd~50, New York, N.Y. *
Susan Feniger – Street, Los Angeles, Calif.
Debbie Gold – The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Mo.
Carmen Gonzalez – Chef Consultant, New York, N.Y.
Maria Hines – Tilth, Seattle, Wash.
Susur Lee – Madeline’s, Toronto, Canada
Ludo Lefebvre – Ludo Bites, Los Angeles, Calif. *
Tony Mantuano – Spiaggia, Chicago, Ill.
Rick Moonen – Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nev. *
Mark Peel – Campanile, Los Angeles, Calif. *
Monica Pope – t’afla, Houston, Texas
Thierry Rautureau – Rover’s, Seattle, Wash.
Marcus Samuelsson – The Red Rooster, New York, N.Y.
Ana Sortun – Oleana, Cambridge, Mass.
Rick Tramonto – TRU, Chicago, Ill.
Jerry Traunfeld – Poppy, Seattle, Wash.
Jonathan Waxman – Barbuto, New York, N.Y. *

Exclusive: ‘Top Chef Masters’ season 2 competing chef lineup [EW]

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Filed Under: top chef, top chef masters, tv land

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We pretty much blocked Hill Country’s “Feed Your Face” challenge out of our mind after walking away from it with a hat, shirt, $65 of free food in our stomach, and equal measures of pride, shame, and pyrosis. But now here’s this Gothamist item telling us that a female competitive eater aced the challenge in, like, eight minutes. Obviously, some are finding the challenge more challenging than others, so before they get eaten out of house and home, Hill Country has taken the not all that surprising move of upping the portions (and price tag) so that you now have to pay $85 if you fail to eat three (instead of two) pounds of meat as well as a cupcake, a 32-ounce drink, and two medium (rather than small) sides. (Unfortunately, Hill Country wouldn’t let us photograph the platter.) As the competitive eater’s cakewalk (cupcakewalk?) indicates, we suspect the secret is in speed-eating right out of the gate and downing as much as possible before your stomach even has time to realize it’s full (not the way you want to eat dinner), but are we about to give it another go? No, sir. We’re fine with having an asterisk next to our name on the Wall of Cue.

Hill Country “Feed Your Face” Challenge Not Gluttonous Enough [Gothamist]

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Filed Under: stunts, barbecue, challenges, feed your face, hill country

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Cobble Hill: A new Mediterranean spot called Palmyra opened at 316 Court Street and serves this mezze-heavy menu daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. [Grub Street]

East Village: The owners of the recently shuttered Butcher Bay are said to be planning a bistro next to their other spot, Black Iron Burger Shop. [Grub Street]

Gowanus: A café and cultural center is under construction on Fourth Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets. [Brownstoner]

Midtown West: On March 7 at 6:30 p.m., Rachael Ray and Ruth Reichl join Kim Severson for a Times Talks event about her new book, Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life. [Times Talks]

Nolita: Torrisi Italian Specialties chose Piginahat.com as the URL for its website. [Grub Street]

Tribeca: RBC hosts Brazilian champion barista Sylvia Magalhaes on Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. to share recipes and latte art. [Grub Street]

Williamsburg: A scrawled note on the wall at El Beit reveals there’s a heartbreaker in the hood: “”I’m on vaca with my boyfriend but I’m going to break up with him when we get home.” [Free Williamsburg]

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Filed Under: neighborhood watch, el beit, palmyra, rachael ray, ruth reichl, sylvia magalhaes, times talks, torrisi italian specialities

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Nestled down a short, unsuspecting hallway in the lobby of the Le Parker Meridien; identified only by a neon sign…

Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien

119 W 56th St, New York

(212) 708-7414

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Fraunces Tavern, the current incarnation of the patriot hangout where George Washington was known to tie on the feedbag (and a perennial cheesy Valentine’s pick), has sent out a memo indicating it will close on Saturday. According to Eater, reps blame “poor business” for the closing — it’s uncertain whether new management will replace the current team, which reopened the Tavern in 2001 after a $2 million makeover. Sad news, but maybe this is the time for a One If by Land–style upgrade?

Historic Fraunces Tavern Restaurant Will Close This Saturday [Eater NY]

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Filed Under: closings, financial district, fraunces tavern, george washington

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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: Mediterranean.

Allegretti (Menu)
212-206-0555
Two for eight? Yes

Alta (Menu)
212-505-7777
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:45 p.m.

Craftbar (Menu)
212-461-4300
Two for eight? Fully booked

Estiatorio Milos (Menu)
212-245-7400
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:45 p.m.

Il Buco (Menu)
212-533-1932
Two for eight? Closed for private event

Ilili (Menu)
212-683-2929
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:15 p.m.

Le Caprice (Menu)
212-940-8195
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9 p.m.

Picholine (Menu)
212-724-8585
Two for eight? Yes

Travertine (Menu)
212-966-1810
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9 p.m.

Filed Under: two for eight, allegretti, alta, craftbar, estiatorio milos, il buco, ilili, le caprice, picholine, travertine

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Daily Intel was bummed that Levi Johnston’s Playgirl cover shot turned out to be so tame, but if you’re looking for full-frontal, look no further than the same issue’s article about “NYC’S HOTTEST BARTENDERS.” The spread doesn’t hit stands till February 22, so we can’t say for sure who’s depicted, but the thumbnails on the cover seem to match an old voting site that outs them as Jeff from Posh, Mario from Vlada, and Rafaele from Barrage. But wait, there’s also a cocktailian who doesn’t work at a gay bar: Kairi from Spice Market! Too bad we didn’t know until now how forthcoming he was — we could’ve had our first NSFW “Ask a Waiter.” Okay, maybe our second.

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Filed Under: lists, hot bartenders, nudity, playgirl

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If you’ve seen Eric Ripert’s Avec Eric demos, you know he’s no stranger to the toaster oven. Turns out, it’s the Ripper’s wife who sold him on it. Last night he showed Jimmy Fallon how to use “the most [under]utilized appliance in the kitchen” for salmon carpaccio. Of course, Fallon manages to make a mess of it, as you can see in the clip.

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Filed Under: home cooking, avec eric, eric ripert, jimmy fallon, toaster ovens

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from Grub Street Chicago

It’s entirely logical that Michelle Obama’s followup to her super high-profile White House garden would be a program aimed at fighting childhood obesity. Her “Let’s Move” campaign launches today, kicked off by a Presidential memorandum that coordinates federal agencies to promote better health with a 90-day plan. The First Lady’s four-pronged attack aims for more physical activity in schools and communities, wider availability of healthy food, and clearer nutrition information. [WSJ; CBN]

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Filed Under: politics, michelle obama, obesity, the white house

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Audrey Saunders shares some good news with us about the Department of Health inspection that caused her to temporarily take raw-egg drinks off her menu at Pegu Club: “The DOH has gotten back to us and said that with the appropriate warnings (both in print and verbal from our staff) in place, we are covered. We are now free to offer raw egg drinks again — and I am very happy with the outcome. Not just for us, but for any establishment who wishes to offer raw eggs as an option.” Yes, that means the Earl Gray MarTEAni is back on the menu. In case you’re curious, here’s the Libation Goddess explaining why exactly she’d never use pasteurized eggs.

Raw eggwhites foam better and faster than pasteurized or instant whites, whose proteins have been altered by the process. The more an egg protein is heated, the more inflexible it becomes, because the protein bonds have linked together, and have formed a permanent bond with each other. This can occur through heat or mechanical action. Think in terms of whipping eggwhites into a meringue — they will whip to a point, until they “break. Pasturized eggwhites are heated to 145 degrees — and because the protein bonds are affected by the heat, they will not aerate nearly as well as raw ones.

Something to think about while you enjoy that V-Day pisco sour.

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Filed Under: health concerns, audrey saunders, cocktails, department of health, nightlife, pegu club

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According to Star magazine (via Perez Hilton), Kanye West waddled out of Philippe without paying the bill when his Peking duck hadn’t come after 30 minutes — even though the menu warns to allow 45 minutes. [Perez Hilton]

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Filed Under: celebrity settings, kanye west, philippe

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Last year, Grub Street Philadelphia reported that 25-year-old Rita’s Water Ice was aiming to open 600 stores by the end of 2009, so it’s no surprise that according to QSR Web, the company will open three locations in Manhattan. The first will open February 14, when all visitors between the hours of 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. will get a free regular-size Italian ice (the first 100 customers will get a year’s supply). Rita’s traditionally does these giveaways on the first day of spring (according to Wikipedia, 1.2 million cups were distributed last year in a ten-hour period). In addition to Italian ices made on site, Rita’s serves frozen custard, “gelati” (actually a combination of ice and frozen custard), and blended custard-and-water-ice drinks. QSR Web doesn’t give an address for the first location, but a Rita’s Facebook page reveals it’s at 2486 Broadway near 92nd Street.

Rita’s debuts chocolate chip ice at Manhattan location [QSR Web]
Rita’s Water Ice NYC [Facebook]

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Filed Under: empire building, italian ices, philadelphia, rita’s water ice

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