Sort of the opposite of the little black dress.

This week, we’re celebrating 2012 by looking at the celebs who played their own NYE in a low-key fashion, spending the holiday by indulging in a mouthwatering last meal of the year. Following her performance in Times Square, Christina Aguilera and her boyfriend enjoyed truffle macaroni and cheese and cabaret from a corner booth at Bistro Chat Noir. Beyoncé and Jay-Z followed suit; the couple rang in the New Year with an intimate dinner at Buttermilk Channel in Brooklyn, where they dined on fried chicken and oysters. And back across the bridge, Lady Gaga sported jewel-encrusted tights (okay, not that low-key) and a star-studded guest list while hosting an after-party at her father’s trattoria, Joanne. All this and more celebrity settings, straight ahead.

Asellina: Lance Bass enjoyed the beef ravioli with truffles when he met a few friends here for dinner on Wednesday. [Grub Street]
Avenue: Robin Thicke spent the night partying with dad Alan Thicke, where they were later joined by Queen Latifah and other friends following the Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol premiere. [People]
Michael Phelps spent New Year’s Eve at the Chelsea club, where he partied with a group of twelve until 3:30 a.m. [Page Six/NYP]
Beauty & Essex: Real Housewives star Kim Zolciak hosted a dinner party to ring in the New Year. [People]
Bistro Chat Noir: Following her performance in Times Square, Christina Aguilera went uptown to enjoy a meal and a cabaret show at the upscale French bistro. Aguilera, boyfriend Matt Rutler, and her sister sat in a corner booth, where they sipped vodka-and-cranberry cocktails, Champagne, and snacked on truffle macaroni and cheese. [Page Six/NYP]
Buttermilk Channel: Beyoncé and Jay-Z celebrated New Year’s Eve with an intimate dinner at the homey Carroll Gardens restaurant. The pair enjoyed comfort food like buttermilk batter-fried chicken, but the expecting star skipped the Champagne. [Food Republic]
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House: Charles Barkley dined at the steakhouse with Mark Lazarus and Greg Hughes on Wednesday night, fueling rumors that he was being courted for the recently rebranded NBC Sports Network. [Page Six/NYP]
Dream Downtown: Drake was swarmed by fans when he arrived at the hotel on New Year’s Eve. [NYDN]
Eleni’s: Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield were spotted shopping for holiday treats at Chelsea Market days before Christmas. The couple picked up the Chilly Chocolate Chip tin, full of holiday-themed specialty cookies. [People]
Joanne Trattoria: Lady Gaga hosted a post-ball-drop after-party at her father’s new restaurant. Jenny McCarthy, Julianne Hough, Ryan Seacrest, Ashley Tisdale, and Tisdale’s boyfriend Martin Johnson were also spotted at Gaga’s fête. [Page Six/NYP]
Melba’s: Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones requested the traditional Southern New Year’s Day meal of hoppin’ john when he dined with fourteen family members at the swank South Harlem spot. But Jones seemed to be out of luck when the restaurant didn’t have the requisite black-eyed peas. [<a href="
http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/black_eyed_omen_OQY0iytY0RBAcST2IRHIIL">Page Six/NYP]
Mondrian Soho: Britney Spears and fiancé Jason Trawick spent the holidays at the Soho hotel, where they enjoyed a relaxing vacation. [People]
PH-D: Bethenny Frankel enjoyed a New Year’s Eve dinner with twelve friends and husband Jason Hoppy at the Dream Downtown’s rooftop hot spot. [Page Six/NYP]
Philippe: Zac Efron was seen inhaling chicken satay and lettuce wraps at the uptown restaurant twice in the past two weeks. [Page Six/NYP]
SL: New York Giant Victor Cruz celebrated his team’s win on Sunday with fellow Giant Jason Pierre-Paul and a group of their friends and family. New York Jet Darrelle Revis sat at a neighboring table, and the crowd partied late into the night. [Page Six/NYP]
STK: Former Real Housewives of New York star Jill Zarin wore an aquamarine ring that belonged to Elizabeth Taylor when she and her husband toasted to their eleventh wedding anniversary on Wednesday night. The pair enjoyed a cowboy rib eye and porterhouse steak for dinner. [Grub Street]
The Darby: Last Wednesday, Britney Spears and Jason Trawick celebrated a friend’s birthday at the West Village supper club. Spears drank water, and the couple sat in a booth as the in-house band serenaded them with a cover of Toxic in the star’s honor. [People]
The Glass Houses: Justin Bieber followed his performance in Times Square by throwing a party at the Chelsea Art Tower. Bieber, his family, and Selena Gomez were just a few who attended the Ainsworth-catered event. [Page Six/NYP]
W.i.P.: Beyoncé and Jay-Z enjoyed a night out at the artsy club below Greenhouse last week. The couple hit the dance floor together, where Q-Tip was D.J. for the night. [People]

Read more posts by Alice Urmey

Filed Under: celebrity settings, asellina, avenue, beauty & essex, bistro chat noir, buttermilk channel, del frisco’s double eagle steak house, dream downtown, eleni’s, greenhouse, joanne trattoria, melba’s, mondrian soho, ph-d, philippe, sl, stk, the ainsworth, the darby, the glass houses, w.i.p.

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Chelsea: Modern French restaurant the Americano, in the Hotel Americano, named Joseph Buenconsejo as its new executive chef. [Grub Street]
Innovative restaurant 5 Ninth just brought Chef Brandon Chavannes into their kitchen, where he’ll explore rustic comfort foods and tastes that showcase his roots in Atlanta and his travels through Spain. [Grub Street]
Crown Heights: A “crust guy” from Pulino’s and a “flavor guy” from the No. 7 group teamed up to form Pete Zaaz, a new pizzeria quickly garnering some buzz. [Eater NY]
East Village: JoeDough’s Sandwich Shop will now be open till 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays (the closing time had been 10 p.m.), giving drunk people even more opportunities to chow on one of the establishment’s many oddly named sandwiches. [Grub Street]
Zi Pep announces that they unfortunately will be closed tonight, and potentially this weekend, owing to a flood caused by a leak in the building. However, if you had a reservation, there’s a sweet result: The owners will offer free dessert at their other restaurant, Stuzzicheria. [Grub Street]

Flatiron: Craft will host a blind wine tasting next Friday, January 13, led by the establishment’s wine director, Greg Majors. [Grub Street]
Hell’s Kitchen: Casa Nonna announced that Chef Kenneth Tufo will join the staff, who looks to bring a love of Italian food that should fit restaurant’s warm, welcoming environment. [Grub Street]
Long Island City: After Liz Taylor’s 60th-birthday celebration at Disneyland in 1992, the cake was frozen and now, almost twenty years later, that exact cake will be revealed when the one-year anniversary of the Entrepreneur Space (a city-sponsored “food-and-business incubator”) is celebrated on January 25. [Grub Street]
Lower East Side: Home Espresso Bar, which opened just a few days ago, looks to create a “homey” atmosphere named after the owner, Homayoun Gabbay. [Lo-Down]
Sorella, which just celebrated its third anniversary this past December, is temporarily closed for unspecified renovations and plans to reopen on Friday, January 13. [Bowery Boogie]
Murray Hill: After a stream of complaints from neighbors as a source of drunken buffoonery, Red Sky Bar & Lounge has a new owner who promises to clean up the problematic bar. [DNA Info]
West Village: Fatty ‘Cue WV is offering a post-New Year’s boozy deal: One free shot for every customer who joins for late night (midnight to 2 a.m.) tonight and tomorrow.

Filed Under: neighborhood watch, 5 ninth, casa nonna, craft, entrepreneur space, home espresso bar, liz taylor, pete zaaz, red sky bar & lounge, sorella, the americano

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Donald is not pleased.

Over at Diner’s Journal, new Times critic Pete Wells looks at the all-duck tasting menu at Wong, the restaurant he reviewed this week, to see how it stacks up against Momofuku’s lunchtime duckstravaganza in the old Milk Bar space. The fight lasts seven rounds, pitting bun against bun, bao against dumplings. It’s a great read, with Wells picking his dinner plate apart like a sportscaster. “We need Howard Cosell to announce this decision,” he tells us toward the end. (Spoiler: The battle is a draw.) [Diner's Journal/NYT, Related]

Read more posts by Hugh Merwin

Filed Under: the other critics, bill of fare, duck hunt, momofuku, pete wells, wong

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Now in digital form.

The annual “Saveur 100″ list — the magazine’s editors’ seemingly haphazard picks of all-things-delicious — is out, and if you’re the kind of person who hates print publications (Won’t somebody think of the trees?!), you’ll be happy to know that the whole list is now online. Daniel Boulud will no doubt be happy to learn that Frito Pie has made this year’s list. In fact, it’s fair to say that particular delicacy is having a moment. [Saveur, Related]

Read more posts by Alan Sytsma

Filed Under: other magazines, how long before a foie gras frito pie hits a new york menu?, lists, saveur, saveur 100

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You can expect to see some of these.

Sounds like there’s more to living above a restaurant than the occasional funny smells. In fact, Bill Grimes presents a wide range of scenarios in the Times: One day you have your floorboards warmed and nostrils tickled by the all-hours bread-baking below (good!), then the next you’re playing unwilling host to a refugee camp’s share of mice (bad!). Living where Petrossian sits, at the corner of 58th and Seventh, means you get both a neighborly discount and caviar hors d’oeuvres at the building’s annual holiday party. Having Gramercy Tavern under your feet means you’re set for both pregaming and nightcaps. And living in Curry Hill means it’s always easy to catch a cab! It’s not always all guns and roses, however: Grimes quotes a guy who lived above a Stone Street bar that had a faulty boiler. It ended up blowing up his apartment. “I got home to find a Red Cross notice on the front door informing me that I had been the victim of a disaster,” he says, “and that shelter was being arranged for me at the Harlem Y.M.C.A..” [NYT]

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Filed Under: neighbors, curry hill, gramercy tavern, petrossian

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It’s time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten 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: Seafood Experts.

Brushstroke (Menu)
212-791-3771
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9 p.m.

Esca (Menu)
212-564-7272
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9:45 p.m.

Estiatorio Milos (Menu)
212-245-7400
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:30 p.m.

Fish Tag (Menu)
212-362-7470
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:45 p.m.

Fishtail by David Burke (Menu)
212-754-1300
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:45 p.m.

Le Bernardin (Menu)
212-554-1515
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Marea (Menu)
212-582-5100
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Millesime (Menu)
212-889-7100
Two for eight? No
Best available: 7:30 p.m.

Nobu (Menu)
212-219-0500
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:45 p.m.

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

Filed Under: two for eight,

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At your service.

Wall Street’s latest surefire moneymaking scheme? Investing in a bankrupt, 132-year-old silverware company. [Dealbook/NYT]

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Filed Under: flatworld, flatware, oneida

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But whither Matilda?

We’d planned to get our Dorothy Parker on last night with cocktails at the Algonquin, only to find the whole place shut down. A sign on the door said the hotel has closed for renovations and aims to reopen May 1, and the spot’s Facebook page has the same news. When we tracked down a rep, she wasn’t able to say much at the moment, but did indicate that the bar in particular was undergoing big changes (odd, since the hotel was last renovated less than four years ago). And sadly, the rep couldn’t comment on the current well-being and whereabouts of Matilda the lobby cat, though we hope she’s off somewhere enjoying a reprieve from electric fencing. More on the Algonquin changes — and its famous feline — when we get it.

Read more posts by Jenny Miller

Filed Under: temporary closings, matilda, the algonquin hotel

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It’s time.

“Emu season is upon us, the egg laying is on, will have a good supply of fresh eggs from now through March @UnSqGreenmarket M,W,F& Sat” —Roaming Acres Farm sounds the emu-egg-season opening bell. Sam Mason, grab your balloon whisk and some oil and get over there pronto! [Roaming Acres Farm/Twitter]

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Filed Under: quote of the day, emu eggs, sam mason

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Curry Leaves, not Nitro Mud Pies!

Floyd Cardoz, the chef at North End Grill, which opens this month, opines in Forbes India that he just doesn’t understand why so many chefs focus on manipulating ingredients into powders, gels, and frozen desserts.

In London, Cardoz was once served a liquid nitrogen frozen mud pie, he says, that did nothing but burn his tongue. Totally not cool! (In one sense, anyway.) Elsewhere, a fellow chef asks him how he might “dehydrate curry leaves and then rehydrate them to get their essence?” Cardoz’s response: “Why don’t you just use curry leaves?” The point is, he says, knowing a good amount of the underlying science is crucial to understanding cooking, but that “over the past few years cooking has gone over so much to the other side that it needs to come back.” Instead, he suggests, why not just explore some new ingredients? “The cuisines of India are not tapped anywhere,” he says, suggesting a starting place.

Will Molecular Gastronomy Go Out Of Fashion? [Forbes India]
Earlier: Floyd Cardoz Will Head Up Danny Meyer’s North End Grill

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Filed Under: la technique, floyd cardoz, molecular gastronomy, north end grill

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The mark of the monk.

We noticed a curious symbol on the door of soon-to-open Pok Pok Wing, and proprietor Andy Ricker explained that while the Fire Department hadn’t yet been in to do its inspection, a Thai Buddhist monk had come by. The takeout shop required just one holy man, Ricker said, but when Pok Pok Ny in Brooklyn opens, he expects to bring in three, since that space is larger. The chef explained via text that “you are asking them to bless the business for good luck, protection, and to bring money. It’s a ritual performed at all new businesses, housewarmings, new car purchases, weddings, etc.” All of Ricker’s previous projects in Portland had been blessed by monks before they opened, but since there’s only one Thai monk in the whole of PDX he’s had to make do with that. Sounds like possible fodder for the new season of Portlandia. [Earlier]

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Filed Under: holy moly, andy ricker, lower east side, monks, pok pok wing

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Unhealthy, but at least it’s safe.

“Eat local” may be America’s defining food mantra these days, but recent food-safety failures in China have created a wave a new business opportunities for multinational food megaproducers over there. A new report says corporations such as Heinz, Nestle, and Danone are all gaining shares of either the baby food or baby formula market in China, where a decrease in domestic milk product sales occurred after melamine-contaminated milk produced or distributed by 22 companies resulted in the deaths of six children in 2008. Two dairy producers were sentenced to death after the contamination incident; an executive was also sentenced to life in prison.

Last month, regulators again discovered toxins in the milk supply of a dairy in Mongolia, resulting in the renewed doubts about domestic dairy production; the dairy’s website was even hacked and defaced with the message, “Mengniu once made the Chinese people strong and proud, but now it’s doing harm to its own people.” After all of this bad news, Nestle’s chairman grumpily dismissing organic food and the benign nature of the Heinz ketchup truck seem downright innocuous by comparison, high-fructose corn syrup be damned.

Nestle Gains With Heinz as China Fears Local Food Safety: Retail [Bloomberg]
Earlier: Head of Nestlé Is ‘Skeptical’ of Organic Food

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Filed Under: import/export, china, contaminated food, danone, heinz, milk, nestle, toxins

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