Bushwick: Heads up, vegetarians (and the resolution-bound): Portobello jerky from Kings County Jerky Co. is a healthy and delicious alternative to classic beef flavors. [Tasting Table]
Chinatown: The neighborhood is getting its own Restaurant Week this year, with the tentative dates of March 9 to March 18. Participating restaurants have not been announced yet, but will be featuring three-course dinners for $18.88. [NewYorkology]
Chowhound chronicles the best Lanzhou-style hand-pulled noodle spots in Chinatown, with a spotlight on newcomer Lao Di Fang, at 28 Forsyth Street. [Chowhound]

East Village: Compete with amateur and professional chefs at Jimmy’s No. 43’s fourth annual Cassoulet Cookoff on Sunday, January 8, from 1 to 4 p.m.; tickets are $20 at the door, and all proceeds benefit the Greenmarket’s Hurricane Farm Relief. [Edible Manhattan]
Lower East Side: Recently reopened Falai Panetteria is now serving lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a special deal for Grub Street readers: Customers who stop by after 5 p.m. and mention Grub Street will receive a complimentary tasting of veal meatballs with tomato ragu. [Grub Street]
Though the deal isn’t finalized, the Spotted Pig’s Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield are considering opening a restaurant in the former Oliva space. The eatery would, unsurprisingly, specialize in British cuisine. [Bowery Boogie]
Midtown West: Though BCD Tofu House planned to shutter for renovations on December 31, the Korean restaurant recently announced via a sign on their door that they are closed for good, with plans to open a new Manhattan outpost sometime in 2012. [Midtown Lunch]
The Russian Tea Room will host a Russian Christmas celebration on Saturday, January 7, where they’ll serve a traditional three-course dinner with vodka pairing (6:30 or 9:30 p.m.; $105 per person). [Zagat Presents]
West Village: François Payard is celebrating the New Year by adding a new dessert to the menu. The bakery’s version of the Galette des Rois (king’s cake) will be offered beginning today, January 3, through Sunday, January 15, in three sizes ($24 to $46), and can be purchased at any Payard location or delivered throughout Manhattan. [Grub Street]
Williamsburg: Save 50 percent on a meal for one, two, or four at either Crif Dogs location. [Groupon]

Filed Under: neighborhood watch, bcd tofu house, closings, crif dogs, falai panetteria, francois payard, jimmy’s no. 43, john dory oyster bar, kings county jerky co., lao di fang, oliva, spotted pig, the breslin, the russian tea room

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“The macaron craze is the ne plus ultra of gay fooderie. I can’t believe any red-blooded straight guy can even walk into a macaron shop. If you wanted to ruin a politician’s career, just publish a picture of him shopping for macarons.”—Simon Doonan on straight food versus gay food. [NYT]

Read more posts by Alan Sytsma

Filed Under: quote of the day, simon doonan

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These will be everywhere soon.

We’ve got good news for lovers of very good coffee: The first stand-alone Stumptown-branded coffee shop in the city will open around five months from now at 30 West 8th Street in Greenwich Village. “This is going to be their big Manhattan roll out,” reports the Observer, quoting the director of sales for the real-estate group that handled the deal. But will the other promised Stumptowns open up anytime soon?

Last summer, after the news broke that a private equity fund had invested significantly in the coffee importer and roaster, Stumptown founder Duane Sorenson told the Times of plans to open two Stumptown cafés in Brooklyn. (Cafe Pedlar, which Sorenson operates with Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli, does not count.) Around the same time, Stumptown converted its Red Hook “Brew Bar” into a full-time dispatch center for its roasting operations and ceased all pour-overs. So will there be more Stumptown Cafes opening soon? Probably, but don’t expect them to overtake Starbucks anytime soon.

Oh, speaking of Starbucks, Reuters reports they’ve raised their prices in the Sunbelt and Northeast “by an average of about 1 percent.” That means New Yorkers can expect to pay a little more for frappuccino firebomb supplies coffee tomorrow morning.

Perk Up, Greenwich Village! Stumptown Coming to West 8th Street [NYO]
Starbucks raises prices in Northeast and Sunbelt [Reuters]
Related: Suspect Questioned in Queens Frappuccino Firebombings

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Filed Under: brewing, coffee wars, starbucks, stumptown.stumptown coffee

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BBQ Chicken at Wong.

While our own critic recovers from the Herculean task of ranking the city’s 100-plus best restaurants, Pete Wells drops his first review as the Times‘ newest full-time critic. So which spot does he deem worthy of the debut? Wong, Simpson Wong’s “Asian locavore” spot on Cornelia Street. And he likes it, especially the duck-fat ice cream. [NYT, Related]

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Filed Under: the other critics, pete wells, simpson wong, wong

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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 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: Splurge.

Corton (Menu)
212-219-2777
Two for eight? No
Best available: Closed until this Friday

Craft (Menu)
212-780-0880
Two for eight? No
Best available: 7:30 p.m.

Daniel (Menu)
212-288-0033
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:45 p.m.

Jean Georges (Menu)
212-299-3900
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:15 p.m.

L’Atelier de Joël Robouchon (Menu)
212-829-3844
Two for eight? No
Best available: 6:15 p.m.

Eleven Madison Park (Menu)
212-889-0905
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Marea (Menu)
212-582-5100
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:15 p.m.

The Modern (Menu)
212-333-1220
Two for eight? Yes (for a prix fixe dinner)

Oceana (Menu)
212-759-5941
Two for eight? Yes

SHO Shaun Hergatt (Menu)
212-809-3993
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Filed Under: two for eight,

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Isidori: Headed inland.

Joe Isidori, chef and co-owner of Bridgehampton’s Southfork Kitchen, is taking over the space at 276 Smith Street that once housed Pó (and then Bino), and plans to open a new spot called Arthur on Smith. Isidori says the concept is a “passion project dedicated to my father who just died at the age of 65.” He adds, “My father had a restaurant in the Bronx and my grandmother was a professional chef in midtown for years, so her recipes are not like recipes from other grandmothers.” That means the menu will focus on local, sustainable ingredients, and will feature updated Italian fare like Hudson Valley guinea hen “saltimbocca” with an egg from Green Thumb farm egg and La Quercia speck. If everything goes to plan, the spot should be open as early as this March.

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Filed Under: openings, arthur on smith, boerum hill, brooklyn, carroll gardens, joe isidori, smith street

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Anti-inflation

Whether or not the hype matches the forthcoming beef-patty payoff, visitors to the new Steak ‘n Shake opening later this month in midtown will have at least one thing to be cheerful about: an across-the-board menu-price freeze for the year.

In a statement released today, Steak ‘n Shake CEO and chairman Sardar Biglari says the company has “no intention of raising menu prices,” and promises that the move is an attempt “to insulate our customers from inflation.” No price hikes for an entire year? Paging Ryan Sutton!

Meanwhile, a worker at the city’s first Steak ‘n Shake location says the the chain is still aiming for a “mid-January” debut in the Big Apple.

Earlier: Steak ’n Shake Coming to Manhattan, BareBurger to Brooklyn
Steak ‘n Shake to freeze menu prices through 2012 [Denver Business Journal]

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Filed Under: freezeouts, openings, steak n’ shake

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It’s looking pretty fly.

Though he’d initially wanted to open “before the New Year,” Pok Pok Wing’s Andy Ricker sent an e-mail to some food media types last week explaining that it wouldn’t happen. Grub was unfortunately unable to attend the impromptu preview party he announced in the same e-mail, but we did swing by the shop today to find a snazzy sign in place. A peek into the basement space showed that things are pretty close to done, and indeed, Ricker tells us he hopes to open early next week, if a fire inspection doesn’t hold things up. Pok Pok Ny in Brooklyn, meanwhile, is slated for Winter 2012.

Earlier: Pok Pok’s Andy Ricker Opening LES Wing Joint ‘Before the New Year’
Pok Pok Ny Will Open in the Columbia Waterfront District

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Filed Under: coming soon, andy ricker, openings, pok pok, pok pok wing

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Taking a little break.

The team at Fatty ‘Cue Brooklyn closed the restaurant’s back dining room in October to address “structural issues,” and now we hear the whole place is closed for business. But fear not, lovers of master fat and brisket-filled bao: A rep for Fatty Crew says the closing is only temporary, and that the goal is to reopen the whole restaurant by March 15 after a complete renovation. So does this mean the Williamsburg spot will go slightly more upscale, à la the newer West Village location? There was no official confirmation or denial of this theory, but it certainly sounds like it’s a possibility. [Earlier]

Read more posts by Alan Sytsma

Filed Under: temporary closings, fatty crew, fatty cue brooklyn, zak pelaccio

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At least we’ll always have this memory.

Uh-oh: Seemingly in synchronicity with ancient Mayan prophecies, it appears that Mars 2112, the fourth largest planet tourist trap from the sun, has closed. Reached by telephone, a representative from Mars 2112 said the restaurant is closed “for renovations today,” and a PR representative tells us they cannot offer any information. But famed auctioneer Michael Amodeo has two massive, back-to-back auctions listed tomorrow for more than 100 amusements and arcade games (Smack N Alien Redemption!), along with the contents of a 600-seat restaurant (including “Space Theme Dining Rooms” and “Space Figures”) at the address, so we’re either looking at a total closure or some kind of apocalyptic shift to the restaurant’s theme.

Read more posts by Hugh Merwin

Filed Under: closings, brad pitt, empress glorianna ruler of mars, mars 2112, natalie portman

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With a mighty thick crust, too.

Plywood went up a few weeks back for Michael White’s upcoming East Village pizzeria, Nicoletta, and it seems the toque has been readying things in other ways as well. Yesterday, chef Bianco tweeted a photo of some tasty-looking (square!) pizza, with the words “Nicoletta Test Kitchen tonight. Thick Cut Pepperoni, Onion, Mushroom … ” So, is he going … Roman … here? Meanwhile, White’s not the only chef tweeting photos of upcoming dishes. Seamus Mullen posted a picture of something that looks a little less finished: a pile of dead pheasants. So look for that on your plate at Tertulia soon. [Chefbianco/Twitter]

Read more posts by Jenny Miller

Filed Under: pie tidings, coming soon, east village, michael white, nicoletta, openings, pizza, seamus mullen, tertulia

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Here’s hoping the space remains just as charming.

Though we’d gotten the impression that lit-chef Gabrielle Hamilton was happy with her one little-restaurant-that-could, Prune, EV Grieve has it that folks from Prune are taking over the corner space that currently houses Belcourt. Not long ago, Belcourt lost its chef, Matthew Hamilton, and now the French spot appears set to become Calliope, serving New American food. EV Grieve notes that Gabrielle Hamilton’s name is not on the CB3 paperwork, though the name of a former sous-chef, Ginevra Iverson, is, along with a clearly stated “Prune Restaurant.” Truly exciting news. Could this spell the beginnings of Blood, Bones & Butter, the sequel? [EV Grieve]

Read more posts by Jenny Miller

Filed Under: sequels, belcourt, coming up, east village, gabrielle hamilton, openings, prune

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