Drake: free drinks rule.

With 2012 already off to a fantastic start — mainly thanks to a beautiful baby named Blue Ivy — this week continued the end of year’s celebratory feel as we all continue to write 2011 rather than 2012. Vince Young bought drinks for Drake and J. Cole at La Pomme, Katie Couric splashed back into the dating world at Lure Fishbar, and Kelly Clarkson laughed with Miranda Lambert over spicy tuna at Koi. All this, and more celebrity sightings, straight ahead.

Asellina: Jonathan Cheban enjoyed buffalo mozzarella, a mushroom pizza appetizer, and the veal Milanese on Tuesday evening. [Grub Street]
Cafeteria: Ethan Hawke dined with his book and no one else on Wednesday, nibbling on a spinach and goat cheese omelet in Chelsea — and he tipped $8 on a $13 tab. What a guy! [Page Six/NYP]
Koi: Kelly Clarkson and Miranda Lambert each brought some friends to dinner. The group got together and laughed as they enjoyed crispy rice and spicy tuna, which is exactly what you would imagine Kelly Clarkson, Miranda Lambert, and friends would do. [People]
La Pomme: Vince Young bought a round of drinks for Drake and J. Cole — Hennessy and Cokes, of course. [Page Six/NYP]
Lure Fishbar: Freshly single Katie Couric shook first-date nerves and joined a “mystery man” for dinner on Tuesday, her first date since splitting with her boyfriend of five years only a month ago. Coincidentally, the two sat next to Couric’s colleague Dan Abrams, who did the only logical thing you do when you sit next to a co-worker on a date: throw edamame at them.[Page Six/NYP]
Michael’s: George Lucas had lunch with Francis Ford Coppola on Tuesday, and a few tables over sat Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. Imagine that conversation. [Page Six/NYP]
Recette: Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner celebrated Kushner’s birthday at a reclusive, cozy table in the West Village on Tuesday, munching on hamachi with uni, fluke with shellfish congee, and, of course, some s’mores. [Page Six/NYP]

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Filed Under: celebrity settings, asellina, cafeteria, koi, michael’s, recette

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Chinatown: Inspired by our Reasons to Love New York package, Chinatown Restaurant Week announced a contest celebrating Reasons to Love NYC’s Chinatown. All you have to do is leave a comment, and you might win! [Grub Street]
Chelsea: Chelsea Market announced that tickets are now available for NYChilifest 2012, the city’s annual celebration of chili, beer, and too much eating. Find tickets here for $45 (chili only) and $55 (chili and beer). [Grub Street]
East Village: After King Gyro closed its doors earlier this week, its replacement — a fast-food trifecta featuring Nathan’s, Arthur Teacher’s, and Pudgie’s — has already swooped in and announced its opening. [EV Grieve]

Flatiron: Eataly will host an event called Eat New York on January 27 from noon to 6 p.m., giving patrons a chance to taste sixteen artisanal producers (such as A. Bauer’s mustard, Early Bird granola, Wild Hive Farm polenta, McClure’s pickles) from all over the state of New York. [Grub Street]
Meatpacking District: Famous Greenwich Village jazz spot the Blue Note looks to expand to trendy Little West 12th Street with a new 80-person venue featuring live jazz and R&B mixed with a Japanese menu. [DNA Info]
Midtown: PizzArte still deep-fries their pizza, and now they’ve introduced the Sophia Loren, a pizza fritta — two pies of dough filled with smoked provola cheese, ricotta, prosciutto cotto, and tomato sauce. We hear it’s a real gut-bombshell. [Grub Street]
Tribeca: Kutsher’s Tribeca will add lunch service beginning January 16. Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. [Grub Street]
Upper East Side: Daniel will host a birthday party and auction for chef Daniel Boulud on Sunday, March 25 to benefit Citymeals-on-Wheels. Call 212-687-1290 for info and tickets. [Grub Street]

Filed Under: neighborhood watch, blue spot, chelsea market, chinatown restaurant week, daniel, eataly, king gyro, nathan’s

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Eat marrow, add booze, drink, repeat.

Here’s something new: People are reportedly using lengths of marrow bone to create “bone luges” for booze. Tasting Table has the goods on this supposed trend, which has shown up at Prime Meats and L.A.’s Bar and Kitchen. All you do is eat the marrow out of a bone split lengthwise, then use the bone to shoot the drink — Amontillado sherry is reportedly a good choice. Extra points to the first bar that combines this with pickleback chasers and calls it the “bone to pick.” [Tasting Table]

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Filed Under: what to drink, bone luges, nightlife, trend alert, what to eat

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Smiles all around!

We often report on the frustration that many bar and restaurant owners feel when they face their various community boards, but at the Community Board 2’s SLA committee meeting last night, the Smile’s co-owner Matthew Kliegman sailed through the process with his bid to upgrade the shop’s beer and wine license into a full liquor license. Even Zella Jones, the noted Noho activist who frowns on most liquor-license apps (including this one at one time!) gave a nod of approval: “I honestly can’t say there is another establishment in Noho that personifies the neighborhood. It’s very low key and has a very nice clientele. So I’m … in favor of granting this because I’m really afraid of what might happen if someone else took over this location.” [Earlier]

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Filed Under: community boards, cb2, the smile

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They’ve got new nabes.

It’s pretty much impossible to hang out at Fairway Red Hook without saying to yourself, “If you don’t think this is the coolest area in Brooklyn, then we probably can’t be friends.” Luckily, a few like-minded people, who also happen to own Alma, have assumed the lease at Brooklyn Crab, the big, promising shack across the street from the Fairway mecca, and plan to open something seafood-centric and mini-golf-minded, with two decks overlooking the Harbor, by summertime. Holy calamari, sounds fun! [Eater]

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Filed Under: openings, brooklyn crab, red hook

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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 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: Notable Italian.

A Voce Columbus (Menu)
212-823-2523
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:30 p.m.

Babbo (Menu)
212-777-0303
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Ciano (Menu)
212-982-8422
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9:30 p.m.

Del Posto (Menu)
212-497-8090
Two for eight? No
Best available: 10 p.m.

Locanda Verde (Menu)
212-925-3797
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Maialino (Menu)
212-777-2410
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Osteria Morini (Menu)
212-965-8777
Two for eight? No
Best available: 10 p.m.

Porsena (Menu)
212-228-4923
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9 p.m.

Scarpetta (Menu)
212-691-0555
Two for eight? No
Best available: 10:30 p.m.

Sfoglia (Menu)
212-831-1402
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9:30 p.m.

Filed Under: two for eight,

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The “Jay-Z Room.”

On Monday, we told you Jay-Z would be unveiling his new-look 40/40 Club with a private party on January 18 — it opens to the public on January 19 — and today we get our first look inside. The crew is still finishing with the remodel — including some last-minute modifications to the glass walls that surround the club’s above-bar stadium seating. We still got a glimpse at the bar (stocked with tons of HOV-approved Armand de Brignac Champagne), and a look at some of the private rooms — no sign of any nurseries for Blue Ivy just yet — including one room simply called the “Jay-Z room.” Which raises the question: If the guy owns the place, aren’t they all Jay-Z rooms? Take a look at the space, straight ahead.

Earlier: Jay-Z Unveils His $10 Million Baby

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Filed Under: first look, 40/40 club, flatiron, jay-z, nightlife, reopenings

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She’s all about it.

Socialite and Sofia Vergara lover Nick Loeb is having a great deal of success with his Loeb’s Onion Crunch, which is made in Manhattan and sold in thousands of stores. Loeb likes to think of LOC as a condiment as crucial as ketchup and mayo; he also says that the onion breath aftermath isn’t that bad. Apparently, Vergara can’t get enough. Hey, it’s Friday.
[WSJ]

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Filed Under: say ahh, onion crunch

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Last year at the Bocuse d’Or.

There are four finalists left in the highly competitive journey to represent the USA at the Bocuse d’Or 2013 in Lyon, France. They are: Bill Bradley of Le Cordon Bleu in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Danny Cerqueda of Carolina Country Club in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jeffrey Lizotte of Onzo in Hartford, Connecticut; and Richard Rosendale from the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The poor determined guys’ final round, in which they have five and a half hours to prepare two protein platters — one cod, one chicken, along with three intricate garnishes — will take place on January 29 at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. Judges include Grant Achatz, Traci Des Jardins, Shaun Hergatt, and more. Obviously, the flavor du jour is pressure.

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Filed Under: intensity, bocuse d’or

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The fried-chicken trend shows no signs of slowing down (and would we want it to?). The latest to enter the ring is BobWhite Lunch & Supper Counter, which opened recently on Avenue C. Owner Keedick Coulter gave up a career in consulting to start the place, and his Southern roots inspired the home-style, seasonal menu by chef Amanda Beame (Blue Smoke). The menu is simple: fried chicken platters with biscuits, a few sandwiches, plus a daily-changing roster of classic Southern sides — things like tomato pudding, Cheddar grits, and Brussels sprouts. Have a drool over all that in our slideshow, and check out the seventeen-seat space while you’re at it.

Menu [PDF]

Bobwhite Lunch and Supper Counter, 94 Avenue C, nr. 6th St.; 212-228-2972

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Filed Under: what to eat, bobwhite lunch and supper counter, openings, slideshow

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I loved the frosting on the vanilla cupcake. Now to decide if I can stand to make the journey back to try some of…

Babycakes NYC

248 Broome St, New York

(212) 677-5047

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The doctor is not in.

Speaking of things that cause diabetes: This past summer, we told you the tale of Dublin Dr Pepper, the tiny independent bottler in Dublin, Texas, that makes its own unique brand of Dr Pepper and uses sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. Dr Pepper Snapple, the company that makes “regular” Dr Pepper, had been trying to get the Dublin makers to essentially stop selling their (superior, more interesting) product. Well, it worked.

The AP has the story:

The Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co. announced this week it would no longer make or distribute any Dr Pepper products after settling a licensing lawsuit with Plano-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group and selling its franchise to the corporation.

The Dublin company, which laid off 14 of its 40 employees, will now just be known as the Dublin Bottling Works, Inc., and will sell non–Dr Pepper sodas. Meanwhile, Dr Pepper Snapple “itself will market and distribute its products — including a sugar-sweetened Dr Pepper” within the local area that the Dublin bottler formerly served, and a press release from the company says they’ll even sell it in Dublin Dr Pepper’s old-time-y bottles, minus the “Dublin” branding.

Dublin residents devastated by Dr Pepper departure [AP via Athens Daily Review]
Earlier: Giant-Conglomerate Dr Pepper Trying to Eradicate Dublin Dr Pepper

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Filed Under: popping the bubbles, dublin dr pepper, junk food, soda

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