Pera Mediterranean Brasserie is located just a couple blocks from Grand Central Station, south on Madison Avenue. It…

Pera Mediterranean Brasserie

303 Madison Ave, New York

(212) 878-6301

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Brooklyn Heights: Crumbs Bake Shop’s first Brooklyn location will be opening on Montague. [Fork in the Road/VV, Brooklyn Heights Blog]

Bronx: Linda’s Place is taking suggestions for a new name. Whoever pens the winning submission will get $100 in drinks. [NYT]

Chinatown: Chinese fast-food joint Kung Fu Bing has closed. [Bowery Boogie]

Flatiron District: Rosa Mexicano’s eighth annual Mexican Passover week commences March 25. Themed dishes like banana-leaf-wrapped beef brisket will be on the menu at all locations through April 5, and chefs Joe Quintana and David Suarez will instruct on how to prepare select items at a free demo at the 18th Street offshoot on March 27. [Fork in the Road/VV]

Greenpoint: Mediterranean Shawarma will open its backyard soon, creating even more space to enjoy newly offered hookah flavors. [New York Shitty]

Meatpacking District: On March 27, Shop W Style will invade the neighborhood to celebrate the magazine’s inaugural shopping issue. Enjoy drink deals at Brass Monkey and signature Revel cocktails at Catherine Malandrino, as well as complimentary STK, Corsino, and Lucy’s Whey tastings at Diane von Furstenberg, Ports 1961, and ADAM. Find more in-store events here. [Grub Street]

Midtown East: Two Boots has added a spicy meat pizza to the menu to commemorate its ten-year anniversary. [Midtown Lunch]

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Filed Under: neighborhood watch, adam, brass monkey, bronx, brooklyn heights, catherine malandrino, chinatown, corsino, crumbs, david suarez, diane von furstenberg, djamal zoughbi, flatiron district, fort greene, greenpoint, joe quintana, kif, kung fu bing, linda’s place, lower east side, meatpacking district, mediterranean shawarma, midtown east, pizza a casa, ports 1961, rosa mexicano, stk, two boots

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Feast has a long sit-down with Thomas Keller about the Los Angeles outpost of Bouchon. Asked if he’d open Per Se there, he says, “I think I’ve pretty much done the two fine dining restaurants that I want to do.” He is, however, still vaguely considering a burger joint in Yountville; he’d like to open an Ad Hoc in L.A.; and a teaser for part two of the interview indicates he’s eyeing Brooklyn.

The Thomas Keller Interview: Part I [Feast]

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Filed Under: empire building, ad hoc, bouchon, per se, thomas keller

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Nyonya isn’t the only Malyasian joint that moved into new digs recently. This weekend we discovered that Belachan, a Sietsema favorite, relocated from Seventh Avenue in Sunset Park to a spiffier new home at 5918 Eighth Avenue at the beginning of the month. Like the avenue’s other Malaysian eateries (Nyonya and the more modest Redang Island) it has a thatch-hut theme, but unlike them, it now boasts a sushi counter. Other than that, the menu is mostly the same as at the original, with a few price tweaks (for instance, the lunch special that used to be $4.50 is now $4.95 and up). See new menu items below.

Malay fried chicken wing ($7.95 for five pieces)
Salted egg with green soup ($7.95)
Chicken feet with mushroom noodle soup ($5.95)
Ginger duck noodle soup ($6.50)
Spare ribs with mormit sauce ($9.95)
Steamed salted fish with pork ($9.95)
Malaysian-style spare ribs ($9.95)
Spicy Thai chicken ($5.95 for half, $8.50 for whole)
Pattaya chicken ($11.95 for half, $15.95 for whole)
Chili chicken ($9.95)
Snow peas leaf in special soup ($15.95)
Snow peas leaf sautéed in garlic ($11.95)
Curry fish head noodle soup is off the menu.

New Belachan Restaurant, 5918 Eighth Ave., nr. 60th St., Sunset Park, Brooklyn; 718-492-9088 or 718-492-8801

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Filed Under: reopenings, chinatown, malaysian, new belachan, sunset park, sushi

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In the past six months the Ace Hotel on 29th and Broadway has become the epicenter of the hipster foodie scene in…

No. 7 Sub

1188 Broadway, New York

(212) 532-1680

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As expected, Kenmare opens for dinner tonight — at the time of this posting there were still tables for two available at eight o’clock. Interesting fun facts: We hear neighbor Serge Becker of La Esquina was instrumental in connecting Nur Khan and Paul Sevigny with Civetta’s Lou Ceruzzi, and another downtowner, Harold Dieterle of Perilla, was lending a hand in the kitchen during one of the friends-and-family nights (as was chef Joey Campanaro’s partner, Mikey Price). Truly a neighborhood affair. You’ve already seen the room and the menu& #8212; now peruse our slideshow to see some of Campanaro’s dishes.

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Filed Under: slideshow, joey campanaro, kenmare, la esquina, lou ceruzzi, nolita, nur khan, openings, paul sevigny, perilla, serge becker

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Two for Eight

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: Certified Geniuses.

Adour Alain Ducasse (Menu)
212-710-2277
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:45 p.m.

Anthos (Menu)
212-582-6900
Two for eight? Yes

Benoit (Menu)
646-943-7373
Two for eight? Yes

Bouley (Menu)
212-964-2525
Two for eight? Yes

DBGB Kitchen & Bar (Menu)
212-933-5300
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9:45 p.m.

Eleven Madison Park (Menu)
212-889-0905
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9:15 p.m.

Esca (Menu)
212-564-7272, ext. 2
Two for eight? Yes

Falai (Menu)
212-253-1960
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:30 p.m.

Jean Georges (Menu)
212-299-3900
Two for eight? Yes

Nobu (Menu)
212-219-0500
Two for eight? Yes

Filed Under: two for eight, adour alain ducasse, anthos, benoit, bouley, dbgb kitchen & bar, eleven madison park, esca, falai, jean georges, nobu

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Just in time for shisha-smoking weather, the Local reports that Fort Greene’s Kif, which closed under mysterious circumstances in January (owner Djamal Zoughbi had knee surgery, it turns out), will reopen this Friday with new chefs, free Wi-Fi, and Moroccan products for sale. Meanwhile, in Manhattan, EV Grieve notices that Mary Ann’s has bounced back from its run-in with the tax man.

Seizure Be Damned! Mary Ann’s Back Open [EV Grieve]
Kif to Reopen Friday [Local/NYT]

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Filed Under: reopenings, djamal zoughbi, east village, fort greene, kif, mary ann’s

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Another day, another couple of food launches. First and foremost, the Daily News has announced that this Sunday’s paper (and subsequent ones) will feature a full-color “New York EATS” section within its “Your New York” section. A News rep promises “a wide variety of recipes and helpful cooking tips,” and declined to comment on whether the paper has filled the restaurant reviewer position that was stripped from Danyelle Freeman back in September. And speaking of recipes, Tasting Table tells us it’s launching a biweekly newsletter, “Chefs’ Recipes Edition,” that will present a recipe from a notable chef, cookbook author, or mixologist twice a week. Next week’s premiere recipe will be Maialino chef Nick Anderer’s Bavette in Guzzetto.

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: other sites, maialino, new york daily news, nick angerer, recipes, restaurant reviewers, tasting table

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On “Let’s Eat In,” Robert Sietsema and Cathy Erway recently talked about how cheap it is to make your own pizza by purchasing dough from local parlors for a couple of dollars, yet somehow the trend seemingly hasn’t caught on at the rate that Neapolitan pizzerias have. That may change when Mark Bello opens his pizza-making school and shop, Pizza a Casa, at 371 Grand Street on April 15. Bello teaches students to make thin-crust New York–style pies (with an Italian influence) at home using pizza stones and pans. As he recently told Heritage Radio, his retail store (or “pizza self-sufficiency center”) will have room for twelve-person classes and will sell pizza stones, wheels, and the like. Budding pizzaiolos can sign up for classes at the center’s website.

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Filed Under: openings, lower east side, mark bello, pizza a casa

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In Yiddish, a balaboosta is “the perfect housewife,” says Einat Admony, the Israeli chef and partner, with her husband, Stefan Nafziger, of Taïm, the bustling West Village falafel shop. “She deals with the kids, the cooking and cleaning, and bonds the family together.” Does the fact that Admony named her new Nolita restaurant Balaboosta mean that she considers herself one? “I don’t have time for all that,” she says, and no wonder: Before opening Taïm almost five years ago, Admony worked in kitchens as diverse as Patria, Bolo, Tabla, and David Bouley’s Danube, which is where she met Nafziger, a manager at Bouley at the time. Although she’s made her name with hummus and three signature flavors of falafel, at Balaboosta, the worldly chef plans to incorporate her varied experience into a menu that integrates the Middle East and larger swaths of the Mediterranean, like Spain and Italy (Nafziger’s value-conscious wine list traverses similar ground).

The couple, along with partner Ahron Matalon of Corrado Bread & Pastry, plan to officially open for dinner this Saturday, but they hosted a casual open house last Friday to meet and greet the neighbors and debut the space, a wide two-storefront spot with an almost all-window façade. The bar’s at one end, and at the other, the open kitchen, where Admony and her crew will be making all their own pickles and preserves. Admony doesn’t want to scare people off with the H word, but she considers Balaboosta’s food “healthy,” made with less fat and mostly organic ingredients. The pasta’s gluten-free, the steak is grass-fed, and instead of an accompanying butter-laden potato purée, she’ll serve roasted sweet potatoes and cumin slaw. Although she’s stocked dining room shelves with vintage cookbooks, they’re mostly for show. “I never really follow recipes,” she says. And she’s not above poaching them: “Dave’s Grilled Pizza” with carrot purée, caramelized onions, goat cheese, and cilantro comes courtesy of her dermatologist, an avid foodie who served it to her at a dinner party. Right away, something tasted familiar — it turns out the secret ingredient in the purée was Taïm’s homemade harissa.

MENU
SHARED PLATES
Pickles a variety of Balaboosta house made pickles 6
Spicy Nuts a selection of spicey nuts 5
Fried Olives with labne & harissa oil 5
Roasted Cauliflower with currants & pine nuts 6
Quinoa Salad dried cranberries, herbs & preserved lemon 8
Hummus Whole Garbanzo, Roasted Garlic 8
Shrimp Kataif, flying fish roe sauce 11
Falafel wrapped Albondigas with green tahini 9
Chicken Liver Mousse with daily confiture 8
Grilled Merguez, red pepper & corn relish 9

APPETIZERS
Sunchoke & Chestnut Soup with yogurt & nigella seeds 9
Mussels in harissa broth, Gr& Mariner, shallots & parsley 9
Smoked Eggplant with herb salad & silan 10
Dave’s Grilled Pizza carrot purée, caramelized 9
onions, goat cheese & cilantro
Daily Ceviche 12
Market Salad 9

ENTREES
Bouillabaisse crab dumpling, saffron aioli 23
Pasta with calamata olives, cherry tomatoes & Ouzo 17
Grilled Whole Fish with seasonal greens 21
Butcher Steak with roasted sweet potato & cumin slaw 24
Boneless Half Chicken “under a brick” with paella 19
style barley, pine-nuts, apricots
Lamb Two Ways grilled lamb chops, & chard wrapped 26
tenderloin, with sunchoke purée & Persian lime sauce

COCKTAILS
Bala
White Wine, Apple, Cardamom, Lime 8

Boosta
Red Wine, Orange, Cocoa, Spice 8

Tayer
Lillet, Lemonade, Orange Blossom Water 8

Aromat
Champagne, fresh pineapple, Sage leaf 8

Kush
Champagne, Blackberry, Vanilla, Lemon 8

Balaboosta, 214 Mulberry St., nr. Spring St.; 212-966-7366

Read more posts by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Filed Under: slideshow, ahron matalon, balaboosta, bolo, bouley, corrado bread & pastry, danube, einat admony, mediterranean, middle eastern, nolita, openings, patria, stefan nafziger, tabla, taim

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Last week the Post reported that Adam Dell was negotiating for visitation rights to the child he’s said to have had with Padma Lakshmi (see adorable photo of Krishna here), and this week (in case you’re way too interested in this) there’s word that he’s gotten a lawyer. Who knows whether Padma’s sweating this — questions about Dell are off-limits, but she told OK! at a recent Pampers event, “I don’t get upset about things that I used to get upset about.”

Padma Lakshmi’s baby daddy Adam Dell hires legal eagle [NYP]
Padma Lakshmi: I Feel Blessed to Be a Mom [OK!]

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Filed Under: personalities, adam dell, padma lakshmi

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