Results tagged “food”

In 2006, Cathy Erway started Not Eating Out in NY, a blog dedicated to eating in in a city where eating out (or at least ordering out) is the culture. And after two years she saved $7,200, lost 10 pounds, and now she has a book deal. Basically, the exact opposite of what happened to us during the same time frame. more ›

Looks like a community battle is brewing between the River Cafe and local civic groups. The chic Dumbo restaurant now wants a cabaret license to allow live music and dancing, while locals fear "the restaurant won't kick concession revenues toward the under-funded, long-delayed Brooklyn Bridge Park project next door," the Post reports more ›

City officials often tout their far-reaching efforts to make school lunches healthier for students. They even called in Rachael Ray for help. But according to a Daily News investigation, school meals remain as unhealthy and as remarkably disgusting-sounding as they've always been. more ›

In the near future, we will all drive our own food trucks. Restaurant Week is upon us, and now the Restaurant Week Truck has finally made its debut in Manhattan. Starting on Monday, the truck has been setting up on Broadway and 51st, and will be parked at three different corners over the next two weeks (track it on Twitter!). They'll be selling soups from 24 different eateries, including Chez Josephine, Kittichai and Blue Water Grill. All soups are priced at $6, and $1 from every soup sold will be donated to the Haiti Relief Fund at the Mayor's Fund to Advance NYC. more ›

A group of Queens residents is bringing its version of the Park Slope co-op to the "food desert" of Long Island City. Fifteen foodies are currently in the planning stages for the grocery cooperative, which they hope to have up and running by 2011. "People are very interested in food in this borough," said Leah McLaughlin, publisher and editor of the food magazine Edible Queens. Like its Brooklyn inspiration, the Queens Harvest Food Co-op will be staffed exclusively by members and funded by member contributions, as well as grants. "We hope the food co-op will increase access to affordable, fresh, healthy foods," organizer Maggie Ornstein told the NY Daily News. "The hope is to have what you'd find in your supermarket. The main difference is as a [co-op] member, you have decision-making ability." more ›

After suspicious pasta salad (allegedly) took out fifteen New York Times employees who ate it in the paper's cafeteria, The Daily Finance had the bright idea to peruse the health inspection records of the Gray Lady's fancy office eatery. While the cafeteria's most recent inspection resulted in 10 violation points (lower than the city-wide average of 14 points), it's a horse of a different putrid color over at their printing plant in Queens. In February of last year it was cited for "evidence of roaches or live roaches in food and/or non-food areas," "conditions conducive to vermin" and improperly installed or maintained plumbing, earning it 18 violation points. That's not enough to shut it down, but apparently the Times thinks that's good enough for their blue collar workers. more ›

Eating animals is apparently hip again. The ever-growing bacon trend coupled with the rising popularity of meat-loving chefs means that vegetarianism and veganism are out, according to a lengthy New York Press article. Meat is getting so popular that some formerly vegan eateries have even started serving it. more ›

A classic kosher luncheonette may have closed last month, but in grocery stores, kosher is all the rage. According to a Cornell University research project, 40 percent of the food sold at grocery stores is kosher. “It’s keyed into the issues of food safety and consumer fear,” said Larry Finkel of Packaged Facts, a consumer market research company. “The reputation of kosher is stretching beyond chicken, whether there is truth to it or not.” According to a NY Times piece, people think kosher products are healthier, fresher and taste better. There’s also the perception that kosher butchering is less cruel. Fact or fiction, kosher food has found its market. And according to the study, the majority—about 85 percent—of those who shop kosher don’t do it because their religion compels them. more ›

There are a lot of websites dedicated to snitching on fellow straphangers popping up lately. First there was Subway Douchery, then the N Train Gossip Twitter account that totally backfired on the author... and now we have Train Pigs. more ›

In the distressing news pile today, a new study was released revealing that people are still going hungry in NYC in increased numbers. According to a report by the NYC Coalition Against Hunger (PDF), the number of people seeking emergency food services has risen nearly 21 percent from last year. While the survey finds "fewer agencies ran out of food than the year before," thanks to federal stimulus money, some food pantries are struggling to meet the growing need. more ›

Down at the Winter Garden in the World Financial Center, this year's Canstruction exhibit is underway, with 100,693 cans being used to make ingenious sculptures to benefit City Harvest. All these sculptures were assembled in a single night, and yesterday the winners were announced, with jurors declaring "Feed the Bank (Piggy Bank)," by Arianna Braun Architects, PLLC, best in show. The award for Best Use of Labels went to the Beatles-inspired "We Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends," by Ted Moudis Associates. Best Structural Ingenuity went to "A Fungus to Feed Us" by Platt Byard Dovell White Architects more ›

In a real world example of supply and demand economics, the proliferation of Southeast Asian eateries on and around Williamsburg's main commercial street has hurt business, according to neighborhood restaurateurs. The pad thai business is ailing in a three block area centered around Bedford Avenue and North Sixth Streets, where four Thai and three Asian fusion restaurants compete, according to the Brooklyn Paper — which dubs the enclave "Brooklyn's Little Bangkok." more ›

The NY Times reports that Michael Ronis, the chef who helped develop the Carmine's concept, died at age 60 last week from brain cancer. "Carmine’s was the brainchild of Arthur Cutler, who asked Mr. Ronis, who had previously worked with him, to come up with a menu and concept reminiscent of Dominick’s, a famed Italian restaurant in the Bronx. The idea they reached was to serve every meal in the style of an Italian wedding feast, offering piles of spaghetti and meatballs and other Italian-American standards in a nostalgic environment...[the] first location opened in 1990 on Broadway near 91st Street, and its medium-budget fare struck a responsive chord during a lingering recession." more ›

Nestled between a Williamsburg condo construction site and another building occupied by a battalion of fashion models, the swank new tapas restaurant Bar Celona seems poised to cash in on (and advance) the neighborhood's steady drumbeat of gentrification. At first glance, one might assume this chic place is just a tad out of step with the still slightly scruffy South Side, but let's not forget that the well-appointed Dressler is just a few blocks away, and Aurora isn't exactly a dump, either. Bar Celona's interior design may be seductively or surreally luxurious, but that doesn't take anything away from the stellar cocktails or chef Jordy Lavanderos's first-rate menu. Also: fireplace. more ›

Yesterday suspiciously perky cooking celebrity Rachael Ray, Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, City Council speaker Christine C. Quinn and other government officials held a press event at P.S. 89/I.S. 289 in Tribeca to preview a new menu that Ray created for NYC public schools. On Thursday, 600,000 students, from kindergartners to 12th graders, will have the option to sample the menu Ray developed: whole-wheat flatbread with roasted chicken, a ratatouille-style stew with beans, and corn salad on top. (Plus a side of broccoli.) But yesterday there was also a side of cockroach! more ›

This weekend, the NY Times has a long confessional-style feature from a Park Slope Food Coop member who was suspended after she fell behind on her hours. Yes, Alana Joblin Ain wasn't able to keep up with the 2.75 hours required every four weeks to keep her as a Food Coop member in good standing, "Flushed, defeated and taken aback — I knew I owed the co-op some work, but I didn’t know I had been blacklisted — I slunk around the corner for a takeout burrito. But no amount of mushrooms and spinach could diminish my shame and guilt." more ›

Okay, so the school Bake Sale is on its way out, and with that the kiddies vending machines will also be trimmed of their fat. The NY Times reports that under their new regulations the Department of Education are stocking up schools with healthier choices; "New vending machine contracts expected to be approved on Wednesday could mean less junk food — and less money for schools." more ›

After Olives and Libertine owner Todd English bailed on his wedding at the last minute, friends and family of the jilted bride-not-to-be decided to party on, making the most of the celebrity chef's leftovers. The Post reports that 150 guests of Erica Wang decided to forge ahead with the fancy affair at the the St. Regis Hotel, enjoying a five-course dinner on English's dime. The scene sounded similar to the non-wedding bash had at the Mandarin over the summer when baller Richard Jefferson left his fiance at the altar. more ›

Unhealthy food purveyors are fed up with what they see as City Hall's scaremongering about their products, so they've gone on the offensive with a $1 million nationwide ad campaign. In New York, the Center for Consumer Freedom—a "consumer advocate" front for a collective of food corporations—is asking people, "When did the Big Apple become Big Brother?" We thought it started around the time Peter Stuyvesant imprisoned people harboring Quakers, but no; the answer to that rhetorical question is Mayor Bloomberg. His Health Department is behind a number of public health initiatives, including requiring chain restaurants to display calorie info, and, most recently, a public awareness campaign against soda. more ›

We usually let you know about stuff like this in our indispensable daily events blast, GothamList, but we just didn't have room today, so here's a heads up on two very special food-oriented events going down this weekend. On Saturday and Sunday a dozen big-shot chefs, three mixologists, one ice-cream maker, DJs and artists from NYC and Paris will descend on P.S. 1 in Long Island City for Le Fooding d'Amour, a culinary celebration of the two cities. more ›

Is Mayor Bloomberg's crusade to turn New Yorkers into healthy eaters really just a product of his own struggles with self-control, roller coaster dieting and poor body image? It turns out that the man who has banned trans fats, made us face calorie count signs on a daily basis and now has his squinty eyes aimed at sodium levels in restaurants and sugary soda drinks is the type of guy that "an unflattering photo of himself can trigger weeks of intense dieting and crankiness." more ›

The 2009 U.S. Open tennis tournament kicked off yesterday in Flushing with fireworks, Heidi Klum, an unseasonable chill, and a hotly contested match between Venus Williams and Vera Dushevina, a 22-year-old Russian who, despite being ranked 47th, gave the number 3 ranked Williams a serious run for her money. After narrowly losing the first set to Dushevina, Williams came from behind to squeak out a second set win, then pounded the white Russian 6 games to 3 to win the match—a victory she credited to all the fans shouting "Go Venus!" throughout the long two-and-a-half hour contest. more ›

Dilemma! Who does one vote for in a Gwyneth Paltrow versus Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel deathmatch? The Daily News reports that Frankel, who is also a chef when she's not busy being a reality television puppet, doesn't want to see the Hollywood starlet-turned-lifestyle guru get her own cooking show; "I'd rather staple my eyelids shut than watch Gwyneth cook. [She] is afraid to [reveal] who she really is—she's so manhandled by publicists and managers. Her show would be way too boring to watch," she declared. As opposed to watching the Real Housewives of New York, which isn't boring or contrived and is just a delight for everyone watching. If you recall, Gwyneth recently roasted a chicken, which apparently put the fear into Frankel—there have been rumors that she left the Bravo show and is working on her own food series. more ›

Step inside Sazon, the new Latin Caribbean restaurant and lounge from the team behind Sofrito, a popular mid-price Puerto Rican spot in midtown east. The bi-level place opened quietly last month in the Reade Street space formerly occupied by Fresh Tribeca; the swank and sexy interior design features bright tropical colors, black lacquered chandeliers, a tufted leather back wall, and a coveted private booth secluded behind thick drapes. The elegant yet relaxed vibe extends to the downstairs lounge—tagged wall-to-wall by street artist James De La Vega—where a second bar facilitates weekend salsa dancing parties. more ›

Doug Quint is part bassoonist, part ice cream man. And not just any old ice cream man at that. Just last month he and boyfriend Bryan Petroff launched the Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, a venture that's blown up beyond what they ever imagined. With the help of Twitter (they have over a thousand followers to whom they tweet toppings of the day, truck location and solicit suggestions), the truck has become a bit of a summer hotspot to those seeking both a good cone and some good humor. more ›

This story—and we do hope it's a story—makes the guy who complained about a snake head on his plate at TGI Friday's seem like a big fat baby: A German tourist claims that while eating steak and spinach at the Waldorf Astoria on Friday night, he bit into something you'd only expect to find on the menu at a Red Roof Inn. There's really no delicate way to put this: Axel Sanz-Claus tells ABC News that during his meal at the legendary hotel's Bull and Bear Steak House, he bit into a blood-soaked tampon. UGH: "I had it in my mouth, chewed it and nearly swallowed it," Sanz-Claus says, adding, "This is so disgusting, I've felt sick ever since." more ›

It's Timbit time: After last week's announcement from fast food chain Riese Restaurants that it would convert its Dunkin Donuts franchises into Tim Hortons locations, there were collective cheers from Canadians (and those familiar with the mostly north-of-the-border chain) and a little confusion from DD devotees. According to a press release, nine of its ten Manhattan locations are opening today; two others are opening in Brooklyn (full list of locations after the jump). Tim Hortons considers its new NYC presence in its cap and wants to take the Big Apple by storm; COO David Clanachan said, "New Yorkers are savvy customers, they understand good value and quality. We are focused on earning the loyalty of New Yorkers and adding them to the millions of people who make Tim Hortons their daily stop for breakfast, lunch and snack times." more ›

If you're by Columbus Circle today you can get some free food with Hair! The cast of the hit Broadway revival will be performing at 12:45 to launch NYC's summer Restaurant Week at The Shops at Columbus Circle in the Time Warner Center. And if a stirring rendition of the show's popular "Sodomy" ditty isn't enough to pique your interest, be advised that the free event also includes free lunch: Five NYC Restaurant Week eateries—Tribeca Grill, Porter House New York, Spice Market, Bice Ristorante and DB Bistro Moderne—will be offering free tastings from noon to 2 p.m. (Free Coca-Cola, too, people!) Reservations are now being taken for Restaurant Week, which takes place from July 12th through July 31st, excluding Saturdays. (Some restaurants offer the deal on Sundays.) Prices at participating restaurants are $24.07 for three-course prix-fixe lunches and $35 for three-course prix-fixe dinners (excluding beverage, tax and gratuity). Peruse the full list of restaurants here, and head on over to the Time Warner Center (Broadway at 60th Street) now to crack wise about finding hair in your food. (NYC GO has a handy Twitter feed, too.) more ›

La Cense, an 88,000 acre Montana ranch that uses sustainable farming methods to raise 100 percent grass-fed cattle, launched its first burger truck in midtown today, at 48th Street and Park Avenue. And the crowds went wild! La Cense's consulting burger chef is none other than Adam Perry Lang, the pitmaster-owner of Daisy May's BBQ, not to mention a classically trained veteran of the Le Cique, Daniel, and Chanterelle kitchens. And so a long line of determined guinea pigs formed almost immediately this morning, and according to some reports it stretched over a half hour long. more ›

We suppose that even hawks get tired of killing their prey—yesterday, D. Billy at And I Am Not Lying wrote that he had a good lunch, "Well… there was this one part where A F***ING HAWK FLEW INTO THE RESTAURANT WHERE I WAS EATING, AND LANDED ON MY FOOD." What follows is an endearing story of shock and awe:

I was sitting at a window seat next to the open door, and my food had just been brought out. I looked down to see this guy (or gal - I don’t know hawks) just standing in the doorway, looking back and forth. After surveying the place for a few seconds, it flapped its way in and up onto one of the empty tables. more ›