After the Department of Health announced on Tuesday that restaurants will be required to post their health-inspection results in the form of letter grades, Landmarc owner Marc Murphy (an outspoken opponent of the move) told us, “It’s going to be hurting a lot of businesses.” Pure Food and Wine owner Sarma Melngailis agreed, via the comments: “From a restaurant that always gets docked points for stuff most people wouldn’t find offensive, I agree this is messed up.” Now Murphy is circulating a statement explaining, in greater detail, why he finds the measure “frustrating,” to say the least.

There has been a lot of confusion in the past couple of days about the Department of Heath’s recent decision to implement letter grading. As the owner of three Manhattan restaurants and the Vice President of the Manhattan chapter of the New York State Restaurant Association, I wanted to take a moment to make it clear that we are in complete agreement that the public has every right to know about the health and sanitation of New York City restaurants. I believe health inspections are an important part of keeping restaurants accountable, and we are diligent about maintaining a clean and safe environment for our customers in each of our restaurants — it’s what keeps us in business. What I am opposed to, however, is that the way in which this new letter grading system is being proposed will make these reports misleading to the public, not to mention that this regulation was passed as a rule through the DOH rather than as a law through the City Council.

What I find most frustrating about this proposal is the arbitrary nature of its content. For example, if this is really about keeping the public safe, then why aren’t food carts, hospitals and school cafeterias included in this letter grading initiative? And if this is, as the DOH says, a way of informing the public about restaurant cleanliness, then will it take the human error factor into consideration? Health inspections are almost never performed by the same inspector twice and where one inspector might find something worthy of a penalty, another may look at the exact same thing and come to a different conclusion. Shouldn’t there be a more comprehensive and objective list that is also available to the public, which guides each inspection to ensure that all restaurants are judged consistently and fairly?

My biggest concern about letter grading, in fact, is simply that I’m not at all sure the grades are going to be based solely on food safety and, ultimately, the safety of the customer. Is it fair that a restaurant with a non-food related violation such as a leaky faucet or a burned out light bulb receive the same letter grade as a restaurant with a far more serious food-related violation? Isn’t this going to be harmful to small businesses that might suffer a lower grade due to penalties that are not even related to food safety at all? With these arbitrary grades, a restaurant that receives a “C” is technically passing, but if the public is led to believe that all inspections are based solely on food safety, then how can any restaurant with anything less than “A” pass the test? And how can they stay open?

Ultimately, doesn’t it seem reasonable to say that a restaurant is either safe to eat in or not? Would you feel comfortable dining somewhere that is “sort of” clean? I guess my question is: Is this system giving the customer a false sense of security?

So the question is, will somebody sue the Department of Health, in the same way that restaurateurs have recently sued the SLA and the Community Board? Now that’d be fun!

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: health concerns, department of health, health inspections, landmarc, letter grades, marc murphy

• 0 Comments

Carroll Gardens: Enoteca celebrated the warming-up weather by dismantling its vestibule tent yesterday. [Pardon Me for Asking]
Financial District: Get all-you-can-eat sliders and PBR for $20 at Jerry’s Café, Thursdays and Fridays from 5 to 7 p.m. [Feed/TONY]
Gowanus: A tipster says that Carroll Gardens’ standout Abilene is opening a new location on Third Avenue. [Brownstoner]
Lower East Side: Get ready for the Kentucky Derby at Mason Dixon’s pre-party on March 24, with free bourbon tastes, mint-julep specials, and a chance to win a trip to the race in May. [Grub Street]

Midtown East: Ready-made Indian staple Grill 44 has added dosas to their menu. [MidtownLunch]
Midtown West: Discover the food and drink of Spain with Top Chef judge Gail Simmons as she co-hosts a class at De Gustibus Cooking School on March 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. One lucky attendee will win a pair of tickets to attend of taping of an episode for the new season of Top Chef in Washington, D.C. Tickets cost $100, and are available at 212-239-1652. [Grub Street]
Upper West Side: Tickets are available for the next few installments of the New York Philharmonic’s “Musical Suppers” series, hosted by former Times critic Mimi Sheraton. Chef Lidia Bastianich’s April 16 dinner is sold out, but spots are likely to be available from the wait-list. Other dates include May 28 with Kurt Gutenbrunner and June 5 with Daniel Boulud, for which there are still openings. For tickets, call 212-875-5656 or visit nyphil.org. [Grub Street]

Read more posts by Evan Mulvihill and Kate Devine

Filed Under: neighborhood watch, abilene, enoteca, gail simmons, grill 44, jerry’s cafe, kurt gutenbrunner, lidia bastianich, mason dixon

• 0 Comments

Your bracket may be busted already (Thanks for nothing, Notre Dame), but there are plenty of other contests that pit one thing you don’t know much about against another thing you don’t really have an opinion on. Take, for instance, Jezebel’s Cake vs. Pie Tournament. Our final four are Apple, Rhubarb, Coffee, and Ice Cream, with apple pie dominating coffee cake in a tasty nail-biter. What say you? [Jezebel]

Read more posts by Aileen Gallagher

Filed Under: cakes, competitve eating, desserts, pies

• 0 Comments

db bistro moderne, one of Daniel Boulud’s many attempts at casual dining in New York, was an instant classic…

db Bistro Moderne

55 W 44th St, New York

(212) 391-2400

• 0 Comments

Spotting Michael Kors perched outside Sant Ambroeus last night reminded me not only of how close this neighborhood…

Sant Ambroeus

259 W 4th St, New York

(212) 570-2211

• 0 Comments

So I’m sitting (drinking) at my local watering hole (7B) a few Sundays ago, minding my own business & a friend asks…

Back Forty

190 Ave B, New York

(212) 388-1990

• 0 Comments

Joey Campanaro tells us that his latest project, Kenmare, will open for dinner on Monday. He’s still tweaking the menu, but you can see its current incarnation (in all of its Spanish-, French-, and Italian-inspired glory) below. “I want to have a feminine aspect to it,” Campanaro says of the menu. But don’t expect everything to be leafy greens. Just like he put “the Pork Chop” on the Harrison’s menu, he’s putting “the Chicken” on this one — it’s a breast that’s cooked skin-side down in the pan and served with grilled escarole. The thigh and leg meat is smoked, confited, and sauced with butter beans and Parmesan cheese. Meanwhile, a riff on disco fries incorporates giblet gravy and English farmhouse Cheddar. The only carryover from Little Owl’s menu (by Paul Sevigny’s request) are the “TLO” meatball sliders. When it launches down the road, the lunch menu will feature a burger, though probably not the Little Owl one.

“I’ve been cooking on four burners at Little Owl for the past four years, and now I’m in a real kitchen,” Campanaro told us before running into friends-and-family service this evening. “It feels great.” Come Monday, hours will be 5 p.m. till 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and the reservation line will open within the next day. “I don’t want it to be pretentious at all,” Campanaro concludes. “I want it to be downtown fun — have some funky food on the menu which hits the feminine vibe and have fun doing it.”

APPETIZERS

Basil gnocchi, short rib ragout – $12
Broccoli beer soup

English cheddar, bacon croutons – $8

Asparagus gratin
Endive, Fontina, pecan bread crumbs – $9

Tuna carpaccio
Avocado mousse, cucumber and radish – $13

Artichoke & hearts of palm salad
Boston bibb and lemon vinaigrette – $10

Sauteed sardine fillets
Cauliflower, snap peas and coriander – $11

TLO gravy meatball sliders
Beef, pork, veal, and Pecorino – $5 individually

Shrimp & lobster spaghetti
Fra diavolo sauce – $14

Leaf lettuce Salad
Sherry shallot vinaigrette – $7

Risotto du jour
MP

ENTREES
Crispy Halibut
Chive mashed Stroganoff – $24

Veal Cutlet
Salsa verde, arugula, lemon and ricotta salata – $25

Grilled Swordfish
Caramelized fennel, fingerlings, aioli, greens and tapenade – $21

Sea scallops
Spinach strawberry salad, patato rosti and balsamic bernoisette – $26

The Chicken
Grilled escarole, smoked chicken confit, and butter beans – $19

New York Strip Steak
Asparagus risotto and truffle burst tomatoes – $28

SIDES
Spinach, lemon, and garlic – $7
Cheddar fries with green onion, giblet gravy – $8
Cucumber and radish pickles (corriander, rice vinegar, chili paste) – $4
Cauliflower and broccoli, toasted bread crumbs – $6
Mashed potatoes with chives – $5

Kenmare, 98 Kenmare St., nr. Centre St.; 212-274-9898

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: openings, joey campanaro, kenmare

• 0 Comments

Much like he did when he introduced the world to Terroir, Paul Grieco pokes fun at excessive plywood blogging in a video that finds him showing off Terroir Tribeca’s bathroom (witness the 2,000-year-old brick forged from ancient pyramids!). By the way, that Canada Dry jumpsuit isn’t just for the video — dude also wore it to Chef’s Night Out last year. Meanwhile, Feast brings word that another offshoot coming to the neighborhood, Tamarind Tribeca, will open March 29.

Terroir Tribeca: Enter Freely And Of Your Own Will! [Blip.tv]
Countdown to Tamarind Tribeca [Feast]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: openings, indian, tamarind, terroir, terroir tribeca, tribeca

• 0 Comments

During the past month we’ve noticed that Quattro Gastronomia Italiana, the 160-seat, bi-level Northern Italian restaurant that the Trump Soho imported from South Beach, has been staffing up via Craigslist. Piemonte-born chef Fabrizio Carro is still onboard, and now, a year after it was first expected to open, the restaurant has put out hiring calls for hosts, servers, bussers, and bartenders; a manager; cooks and pastry cooks; as well as a pasta-production cook to man the La Monferrina pasta machine. We’re told the opening date of the “luxurious Italian dining room” (per design firm Studio A) is April 9, and Trump Soho’s website says there’ll also be a D.J. lounge named Bazaar, “created by the team behind South Beach’s hottest night spots,” as well as a seventh-floor pool deck called Bar D’Eau. While you’re waiting, reacquaint yourself with the eating habits of the restaurant’s operators, Eric and Donald Trump Jr.

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: openings, fabrizio carro, italian, miami, quattro gastronomia italiana, soho, trump soho

• 0 Comments

It’s time to play Two for Eight. We just asked eight 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: Destination, Brooklyn.

Applewood (Menu)
718-788-1810
Two for eight? No
Best available: 10:15 p.m.

Dressler (Menu)
718-384-6343
Two for eight? Yes

The Good Fork (Menu)
718-643-6636
Two for eight? Yes

The Grocery (Menu)
718-596-3335
Two for eight? No
Best available: Closed for vacation

iCi (Menu)
718-789-2778
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9 p.m.

Peter Luger (Menu)
718-387-7400
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Rose Water (Menu)
718-783-3800
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9 p.m.

Saul (Menu)
718-935-9844
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:15 p.m.

Filed Under: two for eight, applewood, dressler, ici, peter luger, rose water, saul, the good fork, the grocery

• 0 Comments

Following mixed reviews, Kyochon has closed for two days to get its act together, according to Midtown Lunch. We have to admit with some surprise (since we’re fans of Korean fried chicken) that after trying both Kyochon and its neighbor K! Pizzacone, pizza in a cone is the one we’d sooner eat again. Before Kyochon does reopen, we urge it to reconsider its vibrating buzzer system, similar to the one at Shake Shack. At the Shack, it makes a little bit more sense because you might be off smelling the roses in Madison Square Park when your number is called, but in Kyochon’s tiny waiting area, should you really have to hold a vibrating germ conduit right before you palm a drumstick of fried chicken?

BREAKING: Kyochon Closes for Retraining! [ML]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: temporary closings, fried chicken, k! pizzacone, korean, kyochon, midtown

• 0 Comments

from Grub Street Philadelphia

Bravo has announced dates for “Top Chef: The Tour,” a 21-city marketing extravaganza where visitors “will have the opportunity to meet and greet with Top Chef talent, sample food tastings, receive gourmet cooking tips, hear Top Chef show “secrets,” [like these?] and get chef’testant autographs.” If you’re hoping for a glimpse of Tom, Gail or Padma and tiniest Top Chef Krishna, keep right on hoping, as there’s no mention of any specifics on host or judge appearances.

The tour kicks off April 14 in St. Louis. Specific locations, which will be at farmer’s markets, malls or food festivals, will be announced via the Tour website. No word on which cheftestants will be in which cities, but here’s more on what to expect via the Bravo press release, plus tour dates:

This year’s tour will feature an updated, restaurant-style format with table seating for 64 guests, bringing fans a fuller, more enjoyable culinary experience as they interact with their favorite chef’testants.

Fans and affiliates will also have the opportunity to participate in a variety of on-site “Top Chef” activities, including a Quickfire Challenge. Guests will compete for a chance to win prizes by testing their senses and food knowledge in a series of smell-tests as they attempt to identify the correct scent in the quickest amount of time. Attendees can also try for a hole-in-one on the “Top Chef”-themed putting green, purchase Bravo and “Top Chef” merchandise, and capture their “Top Chef” experience with a photo at the “Top Chef” judges table photo-opportunity. Fans will be able to access and download their photos at www.BravoTV.com.

Tour Dates:

St. Louis, Mo.                           April 14
Kansas City, Mo.                     April 16
Atlanta, Ga.                              April 18 & 20   
Charlotte, N.C.                          April 22           
Pittsburgh, Pa.                           April 24 & 25
Louisville, Ky.                           April 30 & May 1 (Kentucky Derby)
Grand Rapids, Mich.                  May 4
Chicago, Ill.                               May 6 & 7
Westfield, N.J.                          May 15
Philadelphia, Pa.                        May 17
White Plains, N.Y.                    May 19 & 20
New York, N.Y.                       May 22 & 23
Boston, Mass.                           May 25
Denver, Colo.                            May 30
Salt Lake City, Utah                  June 3
Seattle, Wash.                           June 6
Portland, Ore.                           June 9
San Francisco, Calif.                  June 12
Los Angeles, Calif.                    June 14 – 16
Irvine, Calif.                              June 17
Phoenix, Ariz.                           June 19

Top Chef, The Tour [Bravo]

Read more posts by Kirsten Henri

Filed Under: more chefs less rock, food tours, food tv, marketing gimmicks, top chef, top chef: las vegas

• 0 Comments