We’re told that when Bay Ridge’s Little Cupcake Bakeshop opens its first Manhattan location at 30 Prince Street in mid-September, it’ll have a full Illy espresso bar. It won’t be the only European coffee brand on Prince — shortly after opening its 200th boutique, Switzerland’s Nespresso has finally opened its Soho store and café about a year after it first put up signage.

Step past the hostess (yes, there is one), and your barista will give you a spiel about Nespresso’s 16 “crus” (those little flavor pods) and coffee machines, both of which line the walls and are available for purchase upstairs. Choose a cru, and she’ll use a cocktail shaker (also available for purchase) to make you a $6.50 iced cappuccino. Other drinks include the Liégeois (iced coffee over a scoop of vanilla ice cream) and the Iced Vanilla Caffe (coffee blended with vanilla ice cream and poured over crushed ice). The café also serves $9 plates, such as a grilled chicken salad, a smoked salmon Napoleon, garden pea velouté, mini cheese burgers, prosciutto panino, and a smoked turkey club, plus $7 desserts like a tiramisu, chocolate soufflé, Grom sorbet, and gluten-free macaroons.

Nespresso, 92 Prince St., nr. Mercer St.; 212-966-1825

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Filed Under: slideshow, bay ridge, coffee, little cupcake bakeshop, nespresso, openings, soho

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Chelsea: Fatty Crab, Laut, Café Asean, and Spice Market celebrate Southeast Asian cuisine during the Malaysia Night Market on September 14. Events kick off at 6:30 p.m. in the Chelsea Triangle at 14th Street and Ninth Avenue, and food will be available for between $4 and $8. [Grub Street]
Ditmas Park: On Saturday, Sycamore hosts the last installment of its summerlong Brewery and BBQ series with California’s Stone Brewery. Pints of craft beers are $5 from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. and come with a free hot dog. [Grub Street]
East Village: Plum Pizzeria and Bar is open on Second Avenue in the former Café Brama space, while Ruben’s Empanadas is closed. [EV Grieve]

Financial District: Open Door Gastropub is now serving breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner at 110 John Street. [Grub Street]
Fort Greene: Hot Chix Charcoal Grill & Café has moved into 110 DeKalb Avenue, although an opening date has not yet been announced. [Brownstoner]
Lower East Side: Bisous Ciao, a mail-order dessert company, opened the doors to its first storefront at 101 Stanton Street; the sweets shop is open daily until 7 p.m. [Bowery Boogie]
Upper West Side: Good Enough to Eat offers a special prix-fixe menu for Rosh Hashanah, featuring smoked salmon potato pancakes, horseradish braised brisket, champagne, a variety of rugelach, and more. Dinner is $25.50 per person and is available September 8 and September 9. [Grub Street]
Williamsburg: Mean Red Productions hosts Snout ‘N Stout, a pig roast and sidewalk party, on Saturday from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at 50 N. 3rd Street. There is no cost to attend, but plates of food will cost $10 to $15. [Eat It: The Brooklyn Food Blog]

Filed Under: neighborhood watch, good enough to eat, sycamore

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Again with the bánh mì ripoffs? The recently opened (and even more recently temporarily shuttered) V-Nam Cafe appears to have taken a page from the Henry’s playbook: According to Eater, V-Nam’s owner is a former employee of Michael “Bao” Huynh’s Baoguette, and his menu is so similar to his former place of employment that Huynh is threatening to sue.

To be fair, there’s only so much variation a bánh mì menu can really have, but V-Nam had the audacity to actually include items called the Baoguette and the Sloppy Bao — that’s basically the Vietnamese sandwich equivalent of putting up a burger shingle and selling a ShackBurger. For his part, Huynh is out for blood: For the next 45 days, he’s offering would-be V-Nam Cafe customers 20 percent off and free soft serve for anyone who brings the rival menu into Baoguette.

Baoguette Alum Opens Suspiciously Baoguette-Like Restaurant [Eater NY]

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Filed Under: beef, banh mi, banh mi wars, baoguette, menus, michael bao huynh, v-nam cafe

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It’s 4 p.m., and that means it’s time to play Two for Eight. We just asked nine restaurants the best time they can 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.

Alta (Menu)
212-505-7777
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9:15 p.m.

Craftbar (Menu)
212-461-4300
Two for eight? No
Best available: 7:45 p.m.

Estiatorio Milos (Menu)
212-245-7400
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:15 p.m.

Il Buco (Menu)
212-533-1932
Two for eight? No
Best available: Closed for vacation until September 8.

ilili (Menu)
212-683-2929
Two for eight? Yes

Le Caprice (Menu)
212-940-8195
Two for eight? Yes

Picholine (Menu)
212-724-8585
Two for eight? No
Best available: Closed for vacation until September 9.

Taboon (Menu)
212-713-0271
Two for eight? Yes

Travertine (Menu)
212-966-1810
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:30 p.m.

Filed Under: 2 for 8,

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Jonathan Benno’s hotly anticipated Lincoln (set to open September 24) is now taking your reservations at 212-359-6500, and that isn’t the only news coming out of Lincoln Center today. Atlantic Grill, the 290-seat B.R. Guest restaurant that’s replacing O’Neals on West 64th Street will open this Friday. The chef of this second location is Chris Lim, who got his start as a saucier in Daniel Boulud’s kitchens and was more recently chef de cuisine at BLT Steak. Mike Lim (not related and formerly of Sushi of Gari) will oversee a 12-seat sushi bar. Check out the menus below.

Sushi Bar menu [pdf]
Raw Bar menu [pdf]
Dessert menu [pdf]

Atlantic Grill at Lincoln Center, 49 West 64th St., nr. Broadway; 212-787-4663

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Filed Under: openings, atlantic grill, br guest, jonathan benno, lincoln, lincoln center

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It’s no surprise when Knot Just Pretzels in Penn Station gets a health inspection score that puts it in the C range — what is surprising is when the city’s No. 1 restaurant, Le Bernardin, is thwacked with an even higher number of demerit points. The five-star eatery’s hold message touts its Zagat, Times, and Michelin ratings, but what it doesn’t mention is that it received 32 demerits (4 points above the C mark) on an inspection last Friday. Mais est-ce possible? Is Eric Ripert spending too much time broing down with Anthony Bourdain?

General Manager David Mancini tells us you won’t see a C plastered on his window just yet. He’s expecting a follow-up on the initial “courtesy inspection” in the next week or two and tells us, “As aggressive as the inspection was, I don’t want to make any comment until they come back and reinspect us, and then I’ll probably have a great deal of comment.” Over the past three years, Le Bern had maintained scores in the A or B range, though it’s no stranger to mice droppings in the flour. Here’s what it got nailed for this time — the first three violations are deemed “critical” by the Health Department.

1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
3) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
4) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
5) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
6) Proper sanitization not provided for utensil ware washing operation.
7) Other general violation.

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Filed Under: health concerns, le bernardin, letter grading

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The oft-frustrating wait times at the Meatball Shop at last have some relief, as the crew debuts their twelve-seat outdoor patio tonight. A dozen new chairs might not sound like a lot, but that’s a 30 percent increase on top of the 39 seats indoors — the difference between finally getting a table and giving up only to drown your sorrows in another restaurant’s lesser meatball sub.

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Filed Under: the great outdoors, meatball shop, outdoor dining

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After hearing about the epic crowds that assemble for brunch at Prune and drooling over its menu while planning a…

Prune

54 E 1st St, New York

(212) 677-6221

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Just in time for the Jewish high holidays, yiddishkeit ice cream purveyor Chozen introduces a new flavor to its roster of rugelach and matzo crunch. Apples and Honey — a honey-flavored ice cream studded with bits of green apple — will be on shelves next week at shops like Zabar’s and Garden of Eden in New York, and nationally online.

Filed Under: we all scream, chozen, ice cream

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The James New York hotel opened on the corner of Grand and Thompson today, but we’re told the restaurant where David Burke will likely be chef (still no official announcement) won’t open until November 1. This much is set in stone: Thomas Schlesser is signed on to design the semi-subterranean dining room, and we’re told he’s aiming for a cross between the industrial feel of DBGB and the more organic vibe of the Publican.

Above, there’ll be a 100-seat “urban garden” (shown here) featuring a more casual version of the menu. On the roof, we’re told that David Rabin (formerly of Lotus and more recently of the Lambs Club) and Hotel Griffou partners Larry Poston and Johnny Swet will operate a “masculine, almost speakeasy bar.” Look out, A60.

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Filed Under: openings, david burke, david rabin, hotel griffou, james new york, johnny swet, larry poston, nightlife

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It was only two seasons ago that Top Chef took place here in New York, so it was a bit of a head-scratcher when we heard the news that the show would be returning to Manhattan for Season 8. Enter a highly plausible explanation for the geographic repeat: An Eater tipster reports that the cast isn’t a random collection of unknowns; it’s a set of all-stars. Specific names include Angelo Sosa, Tiffany Derry, Spike Mendelsohn, Michael Isabella, Dale Talde, and Tiffani Faison, and we expect more to surface as sightings trickle in — the show is filming in the city right now. If you see any familiar faces, do let us know. [Eater]

Update: A tipster writes in to note that the Top Chef team shot an episode last Tuesday at Marea: “Tiffani was there, so was Angelo and Spike and the annoying top sommelier guy – forget his name — Steven?” Sounds like Stephen Asprinio, who made it all the way to episode 8 in Season 1.

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Filed Under: top chef, season 8, tv land

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“Really, you don’t understand. I eat about 800 lobster rolls over a four-month season. I’ll wake up and eat a whole quarter of a watermelon for breakfast.” —Self-declared “corn-iac” Alec Baldwin on his diet of fish, corn, and eggs. [Edible Manhattan]

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Filed Under: celebrity settings, alec baldwin

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