nycrestaurants

You probably weren't the only one who didn't notice that there were hardly any celebrities out dining in New York City this week. Apparently every mild-to-super-famous person decided to dine outside of the five boroughs because they were doing their whole "working" thing at that whole "film festival" thing in Utah called "Sundance." (Our invite was evidently lost in the mail. Harrumph.)Thankfully, a few famous folks — like Ricky Martin taking his beautiful children out to dinner — managed to grace the city with their presence. So take that, Brad and Angelina! We're livin' la vida loca without you! This and more celebrity sightings, straight ahead.

Double Seven: Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber enjoyed some time together in a quiet booth and talked about, well, who knows, so let's make it up. Naomi: "Your eyes are amazing." Liev: "Thanks!" Oh yeah, then Mick Jagger showed up, but didn't really say much to anybody (not that anyone would understand him anyway! Zing!). [People] Midtown: Anne Hathaway went out to lunch with her fiancé, Adam Shulman, in midtown this week, but nobody is quite sure where. Regardless, she's playing Catwoman in this little movie called The Dark Knight Rises, you know, if you haven't heard of it. [Just Jared] Nello: Ricky Martin took his two beautiful twin boys, Matteo and Valentino, out to lunch earlier this week. Unfortunately, there was no dancing involved (as far as we know). [Just Jared] SushiSamba: Hugh Jackman stepped out in jeans and a hoodie with his family this past week for dinner and ordered a selection of sushi rolls, as well as miso soup and pork belly lettuce wraps. But apparently everybody drank water, which is really disappointing considering Hugh Jackman and his family chanting "sake sake sake BOMB!" and pounding their fists on the table is one of the funnier images we've conjured up in awhile. [People]

Filed Under: celebrity settings,

East Village: Modern Thai newcomer Ngam will host its first monthly cooking class, "Thai For Your Loved Ones," on February 12 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Only $90! [Grub Street] East Village: Sad news as Holiday Cocktail Lounge — a place once rumored to be a favorite of the likes of W. H. Auden, Leon Trotsky, and Allen Ginsberg — closes its doors after 47 years of service, and patrons raise a glass. [East Village Local/NYT]

Financial District: The sky-high Subway at the World Trade Center has closed its doors after poor financial performance. It had been rising along with the steel at 1 World Trade Center since 2010. [Crain's New York Business] Gramercy: Bistro Lamazou is now offering unlimited Champagne cocktails with Saturday and Sunday brunch for $17.75 on top of food costs. And yes, we said unlimited. [Grub Street] Lower East Side: Brown Cafe now offers a wine bar and tapas menu (featuring the likes of crab cakes or pepper-wrapped green beans) on Fridays from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. [Grub Street] Soho: For those of you with green blood who love to party, New York's first ecofriendly nightclub, Greenhouse, reopens its doors on Monday, January 30. [Grub Street] NYC-based chef and contestant on this year's Top Chef Texas Ty-Lör Boring comes to City Grit from February 6 to 11. He'll prepare a five-course French and Asian meal, and tickets are $75, available here. Upper West Side: On January 31, Whole Foods Market on the Upper West Side will pair with Veggiecation to host nutrition and education events for Choices Count Kids’ Healthy Wellness Day. Bring the whippersnappers by from 4 to 6 p.m. [Grub Street]

Filed Under: neighborhood watch,

DITMAS PARK— Photographer Joanna Trimble sends in photographs of The Farm on Adderley's pre-Industrial dinner on Wednesday. Check them out above. [EaterWire]

TRIBECA— Moomah Cafe a kiddie-friendly cafe owned by the wife of comedian Jon Stewart is closing. [Tribeca Citizen]

CHELSEA— The kids at P.S. 11 are eating fantastic food in a program that DNA Info calls the "holy grail for the local, sustainable and organic food-in-school movements." [DNA Info]

WILLIAMSBURG— Small Williamsburg bar and restaurant Saint Austere is holding its first wine dinner of February 2 at 7:30 PM. They're pairing four wines with a four-course selection of food for $45 a head. [EaterWire]

ATLANTIC CITY— Eater National compiles a list of all the big name chefs and restaurateurs who have opened or are opening up shop in Atlantic City, including New York's Alain Allegretti, Steve Hanson, Marco Forgione, and Geoffrey Zakarian. [Eater National]

LOWER EAST SIDE— Pizza chain Two Boots is holding their third annual Mardi Gras party and fundraiser for the Lower Eastside Girls Club on February 21 at Le Poisson Rouge. Actress Rosario Dawson will host, New Orleans bands will play, there will be costume contests and raffles, and one partygoer will win a trip to New Orleans. $25 tickets here—100% of proceeds goes to the Girls Club. [EaterWire]

Chef Eric Ripert offers the Wall Street Journal a thorough guide to where to eat in the world's airports. In New York he particularly likes Crust, Bobby Van's Steakhouse, and the little stands in the Delta terminals. Meanwhile in London, he has a totally normal ritual: he likes to have a relaxing meal at Caviar House & Prunier followed by the Scotch shopping. [WSJ]

You're better off ordering the fun stuff, though.

We already know that Thomas Keller is only more than happy to serve diners cereal at his restaurants (if that's what they really want), and it sounds like wd~50's Wylie Dufresne is taking a page from Keller's playbook. The chef tells Eater, "As a restaurant, you have to navigate the full spectrum of customer relations ... In my youth, I would have been like, 'Fuck those people with laptops at the table that don't want to experience what I'm up to. I spent a lot of time getting to this place.'" But he says he's softened that stance: "I mean, if ... four bankers come and enjoy their steak and red wine, odds are they'll spread good word of mouth." The one thing you really, really can't get is salad. Steamed veggies are apparently okay, though. We just want to know if Wylie's burger is available off-menu. [Eater]

Related: Thomas Keller Will Feed You Burnt Steak, a Bowl of Wheaties, or Gluten-Free Whatever

Read more posts by Alan Sytsma

Filed Under: customer service, wd-50, wylie dufresne

 Yes that’s right. The Whole Foods Columbus Circle now has a bar in the basement called On Tap with 10 local beers on tap, 8 local wines and some local eats. Local like this enormous pretzel which came with a local cheese spread of sundried tomatoes the day we visited. And how about a bag of fluffy popcorn sprinkled with a healthy dose of seas salt. But don’t forget about the beer. In addition to all the drafts they have a ton of bottles including one of my favorites Allagash Black. I’m not sure this place is destination worthy but it sure makes grocery shopping a whole lot more fun. On Tap- Whole Foods

There are a lot of good steaks in this city, but only a few deserve placement in the Big Beef Hall of Fame. Here's a map of 12 Epic New York Steaks to Eat Before You Die.

1. 12 Brussels Sprout Dishes We Love in NYC 2. First Look: Talde, 'Top Chef' Dale Talde's New Brooklyn Restaurant 3. 11 Eggplant Dishes We Love in NYC 4. First Look: Fort Reno, a New Barbecue Spot in Park Slope 5. Exceptional Shojin-ryori at Kajitsu in the East Village 6. Vegetable Heroes: Craft 7. First Look: Butcher Bar in Astoria 8. Date Night: Manolo Tapas 9. Fast Food International: Pie Face 10. Calamares Fritos at La Churreria

When it was Viceroy.

Sounds like the old Viceroy space in Chelsea, which closed last June after eighteen years in business, will very soon be home to a new full-service restaurant called Pounds and Ounces. Julian Hitchcock, a broker over at Kamenitzer Real Estate, tells us NYC restaurant veteran Etai Cinader — who's worked as wine director at Tao, as well as manager at Co. and Dos Caminos — has just inked the deal for the "American Eclectic" restaurant. Pounds and Ounces will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a late-night menu. Also in the works: a "wild brunch," outdoor seating, and a second P&O, which will be in West Hollywood. More details as we get 'em.

Read more posts by Hugh Merwin

Filed Under: coming soon, etai cinader, pounds and ounces, viceroy

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: Fully booked

Del Posto (Menu) 212-497-8090 Two for eight? No Best available: 10:45 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: 11 p.m.

Porsena (Menu) 212-228-4923 Two for eight? No Best available: 9:30 p.m.

Scarpetta (Menu) 212-691-0555 Two for eight? No Best available: 9:30 p.m.

Sfoglia (Menu) 212-831-1402 Two for eight? No Best available: 10 p.m.

Filed Under: two for eight,

· How Much to Tip on Carry Out? [SE] · Where Midtowners Would Go if They Had Just One Lunch Left [ML] · So Where Does Katz's Get its Pastrami? [Mouthfuls] · Delouvrier Slacked Off While I was Served Crap Food [Mouthfuls] · GUYS: What About the New Acme's Wine Program? [eG]

After making the beef broth for French onion soup, shred the meat and make a salad with it.

Reps announce that Tortaria, the new Mexican sandwich shop and tequila bar at 94 University place and 12th Street, will open on Monday. The 65-seat space will serve tortas, taquitos, made-to-order guacamole, homemade salsas, hand-pressed tortillas, and a range of margaritas in a space that is the owners' "reimagined take on the bodega." See the full menu here. [EaterWire]

The Biker Chef, cat included.

For all the food shows that actually make it onto TV, many obviously don't, which is too bad because a lot of them sound way, way better than Fat Chef: For example, check out the (not-embeddable) trailer for Biker Chef, which looks exactly as kick-ass as something called Biker Chef should look. It may make your day, weekend, or month depending on just how much awesome your heart can tolerate.

Biker Chef follows "one road warrior ... and a cat" who hit the road to discover "the tastier side of America." The pilot was shot in New Mexico maybe six years ago, and the road warrior in question is Christopher Coppola, a self-described "experimental cook and social alchemist" (the cat in question is Otto). (There's another amazing clip here.) The show is basically Guy Fieri's show meets Easy Rider meets Ghost Rider — plus a Burmese cat.

Oh, and speaking of Ghost Rider, it's no coincidence that Coppola's voice sounds a lot like Johnny Blaze's onscreen personage: Biker Chef's IMDb page reveals he's the brother of ... Nicolas Cage (née Nicolas Kim Coppola). What more do you want, Food Network?! Where else are you going to get someone who rolls up to an organic goat-cheese-maker's front door and says, while flipping his helmet visor like some goodwill version of the Terminator, "I'm Biker Chef. We're here to talk about cheese"?

Fortunately, there may yet be hope for Biker Chef: Coppola has been uploading all sorts of sizzle reels and digital projects to Vimeo during the last few days, all in advance of some kind of big new website launch that evidently takes place this evening. Please, please, please let it have something to do with forks, bikes, and cats.

Biker Chef Trailer [Vimeo] Earlier: Meet Frank DiMattina, the Caterer and Reality-TV Hopeful Accused of Mob Ties, Intimidation

Read more posts by Hugh Merwin

Filed Under: the feeding tube, and a cat, biker chef, christopher coppola, video feed

Formerly hidden Jbird closed its location inside XVI in December, and it's now roosting permanently on the Upper East Side. Cocktail guru Jason Littrell (Death & Co., the Randolph) designed the drinks list with Marshall Altier; their lineup roves through the classics, from sours to swizzles to fizzes, all served with the proper hand-cut or crushed ice — a boon for the proper-cocktails-starved UES. There's also a meaty food menu including a burger, bone marrow, and roasted pork shoulder — you can make a meal at the long communal table or perch at the bar for drinks and snacks. Scope it out in our slideshow and see the drinks menu below.

Cocktail Menu [PDF] Jbird, 339 E. 75th St., nr. First Ave.; 212-288-8033

Read more posts by Jenny Miller

Filed Under: nightlife, cocktails, jbird cocktails, openings, slideshow, upper east side

[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

Flatiron-based Chocolat Moderne, a favorite among many chocolate aficionados, has always kept a low profile. You might have seen their chocolates in Dean & Deluca's and other specialty shops, but for the best experience, go straight to the source. They're now officially open to the public seven days a week from 12-6pm.

Tucked in the 9th floor of an office building, you'll walk straight into the production facilities where you can select from a number of freshly made bonbons ($2.50 each). The flavors are seemingly endless, but I'm currently in love with the six Japanese-inspired flavors. Imagine a caramel (center) kissed with both miso and Tamari soy sauce, umami gone sweet and haunting. There's also lime and fresh shiso leaves infused into a dark chocolate ganache (right) and another caramel number with fuyu persimmons and white peach. The caramels here are silky and slow, a sure competition to the chocolates and excellent pralines. But whatever you do, finish with the sesame praline (left) crushed into a milk chocolate ganache with chili, ginger, and a secret blend of spices.

Chocolat Moderne

27 West 20th Street, New York NY 10011 (map) 212-229-4797 chocolatmoderne.com

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan blogs at Kathy YL Chan, where she chronicles her eats and travel adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.

Welcome back to our photo series Eater Scenes, where Eater photographer Daniel Krieger visits some of the city's great restaurants to capture them at a certain, and very specific, point in the day.

[Krieger]

Famed Williamsburg steakhouse Peter Luger is notorious for its gruff, no nonsense service, but it looks like everyone was having a blast when Eater photog Daniel Krieger stopped in to capture an evening there. And why shouldn't they when so much delicious steak, booze, and butter-laden sides are involved? Take a glimpse inside with the photo essay above. · Previous Editions of Eater Scenes [~ENY~]

Murphy: In need of caffeine.

In watching the Sundance screening of Shut Up and Play the Hits, the documentary of LCD Soundsystem's final show ever at Madison Square Garden, it is clear that James Murphy loves three things: music, his French bulldog, and coffee. He loves coffee with a passion unmatched by pretty much any somewhat famous person besides David Lynch, who has his own coffee line and has been known for putting rants about the virtues of coffee versus tea in movies like Inland Empire. In fact, when Stephen Colbert asked Murphy what he wanted to do now that he was retiring from rock stardom, he said, "I like to make coffee."

Much of the documentary's footage of Murphy at home has him crouched by an espresso machine, and the film's British directors, Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, insist the portrayal is pretty accurate. "I make a lot of coffee," Murphy told us in an interview after the movie's premiere. "For my birthday, my girlfriend got me a training course with the world champion. That's what I'm going to do when I get back to London." Not only that, Murphy is working on his own espresso blend. He plans to "just go to a roaster who lives near me and start tweaking beans and temperatures." Why? "I thought it would be fun. I have beans that I like. I like this sometimes and that sometimes. Sometimes in the middle."

Murphy will only distribute this special blend at a single shop, but as for what shop and what particular beans, Murphy can't say. "I can't talk about that because I'm still in negotiations," he said, laughing. "I love that we're here and talking about a film, but I'm like, 'I can't really talk about the coffee.'"

Read more posts by Jada Yuan

Filed Under: sundance dispatch, coffee buzz, james murphy

The Subway sandwich franchise that has been rising alongside the new World Trade Center for the past 18 months, has closed. According to Crain's, the highest point on the tower right now—the 90th floor—is too narrow to accommodate the sandwich shop, so logistics forced it to close.

They didn't exactly have great sales either. To break even with operating costs, the Subway would have had to sell 200 sandwiches a day. This location sold around 90. Still DCM Erectors, who built the shop so iron workers could have lunch without taking the time-consuming trip down to the street, calls the experiment a success—even though they had to cover $500,000 to construct the thing and $180,000 in losses to the franchisee. In fact, they may hoist the restaurant up to the building's roof when it hits 105 stories to feed workers while they install the antenna.

As Crain's points out, there is one bonus of having such an extreme location: they always know when the health inspector is coming. · Sky-high WTC Subway shuttered [Crain's via Gothamist] · All Coverage of Subway [~ENY~] [photo credit]

Like this, but with a mountie.

The other week, rumors popped up that the latest, Texas-fried season of Top Chef would shoot its finale in Vancouver, British Columbia (nickname: the San Antonio of Canada), and now some tweets from the various TC judges confirm it. Gail Simmons tweets that it's the birthplace of Jason Priestley; Emeril points out that it's also the birthplace of Greenpeace; Padma says it's also where "the Chinese Buffet was founded." Guess the challenge will be an ecofriendly egg roll cook-off, guest-judged by Brandon Walsh?

Read more posts by Alan Sytsma

Filed Under: top chef, the feeding tube, top chef canada, top chef texas