Posts for August 2, 2012

Southern Comfort Hits Bushwick; Where to Celebrate National Oyster Day

• Instruct a stranger to kiss your grits after a few of the $3 shot-and-beer specials at the Friday night opening party for Bushwick’s new Southern restaurant Mama Joy’s, which will also feature complimentary hush puppies and promises Southern hospitality. [DNAinfo]

• Jesus Nunez, chef of the Upper West Side Spanish restaurant Gastroarte appeared on Iron Chef America last Sunday: The secret ingredient was octopus, and he lost by a heartbreaking one point. Undeterred, starting August 11, the chef is offering the five courses he prepared in the Kitchen Arena as both a complete tasting menu and à la carte specials at his restaurant. [Grub Street]

• It turns out Pig Island is a place you might want to go, provided you’re not a vegetarian: The swine-centric food festival makes its return to Governors Island on Saturday, September 1. It will be offering up live music, Sixpoint beer, and enough chefs serving pork-based dishes to have you oinking in the mud yourself by the end of the day. [Grub Street]

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Israel and Australia Are Over Junk Food

Israel is making moves to implement a tax on unhealthy foods, labeling junky snacks with warnings. Australians, too, are getting closer to color-coding packaged foods "to indicate healthier options." So, peace out, frozen falafel-flavored meat pies. [Haaretz, Herald Sun]

Ja-Makin’ Me Crazy on Atlantic Avenue

In case you've ever drifted past the charming, Jamaican Fisherman's Dawta en route to Mile End or Rucola, and wondered what goes on in there ... here's a taste. [NYT]

How Long Before This Fake Chick-fil-A Twitter Feed Gets Banned?

Take a moment to direct your attention to @Chickfula, a new fake Twitter account from someone who probably did not take part in yesterday's (depressingly successful) Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. We'd suggest taking that moment quickly, because we bet the account won't be up too much longer. [Twitter]

Bugs Now Slinging Sushi

No, not the insects. You may recall that Bugs is the name of the unfortunately monikered project from a Jewel Bako alum we told you about a while back — now, UrbanDaddy learns the tiny spot has opened. In addition to raw fish, there are kitchen dishes, including simmered Berkshire pork belly with mashed potatoes, and okonomiyaki, plus $45 and $60 tastings that look like a potentially good value. Scope the full menu here, and try not to think about how crustaceans are kind of like cockroaches of the sea.

Bugs, 504 East 12th St., nr. Avenue A; 646-918-7981

Murderers’ Roe: World-Class Sushi in a Studio Apartment [UrbanDaddy]

Rosamunde Sausage Grill to Open in Williamsburg

San Francisco chainlet Rosamunde Sausage Grill — home the wild-boar dog — is on a roll. Owner Josh Margolis, who already runs two branches of his literal sausage-fest in the Mission and Haight-Ashbury districts, will open a third outpost in South Williamsburg in mid-August, at the former home of short-lived Masten Lake. This addition to Bedford’s culinary thoroughfare will have a full bar with a rotating cast of 24 New York–heavy drafts and a collection of housemade sodas. Local specialties will include a “Brooklyn sausage” and some veggie options, naturally (see the S.F. menu here). The barely two-year-old Mission location already boasts well over 1200 ecstatic Yelp reviews, so bring on the meat.

Rosamunde Sausage Grill, 285 Bedford Ave., nr. Grand St.

That Red Bull–and-Vodka Will Lead to Unprotected (Yet Energetic) Sex

Which way to the smush room?Photo: iStockphoto

A shocking survey from the University of Buffalo reveals that caffeinated cocktails make people get drunk and do stupid things. These findings will be published in Playboy The Journal of Caffeine Research, which is a thing that actually exists. But apparently cocktails dosed with caffeine make people even worse at decision-making than regular cocktails — especially when it comes to the issue of condoms.

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Two New Irving Place Hangs Opening This Fall

Everything will change.

Nightlife operators Eric Sherman and Brian Krawitz have taken over the shuttered Galaxy Global Eatery on 15 Irving Place, and also the Bar 119 space on East 15th Street. They plan to build a new restaurant with "a raw bar, a wine bar and American fare," spearheaded by a former chef from Koi; and for the bar venue, a tavernlike setting for the neighborhood, and Irving Plaza Theater guests, to enjoy.

The Claw Closes Original 23rd Street Location

Another one bites the dust on 23rd Street: Not only is Chock Full o' Nuts shuttered (a call today finds their phone number disconnected), but Grub learns that the Claw has shut down its 23rd Street location and moved all operations to Hell's Kitchen, per an e-mail from the owner. You'll have to get your lobster and scallop rolls on Ninth Avenue now — or at another of the city's gazillion or so lobster-roll joints.

Top Chef Masters Recap: Bake Me a Cake As Fast As You Can

Would you want that served at your wedding?Photo: Isabella Vosmikova/Bravo

Ah, the time-honored tradition of the Vegas wedding: such class, such elegance. If this week’s promise of a Sin City nuptial challenge had you hoping for a pit-stop wedding chapel and the chefs catering the meal in the parking lot, you must have been disappointed by the refined ceremony and the accompanying gimmick-free cooking challenge that took place on last night's Top Chef Masters. I’m not complaining, though, because the one thing I’ve repeatedly wished for in past seasons is for this show to simply let these accomplished and incredibly competent chefs cook with just enough interference to keep things interesting for us. Gone are the days of multi-course meals thrown together in a trailer: This is shaping up to be a high-end kitchen kind of season.

"Communicate, don't give me crap!" »

7-Eleven Plotting to Colonize Tribeca?

So says a Tribeca Citizen tipster, who reportedly encountered a group of corporate types wielding a map of all the places they're plotting to install 7-Elevens in the hood. Guess this makes sense given the chain's previously announced NYC-domination plans. Plus, pilates-crazed moms will probably feel better about Slurpees now that there's a skinny version. [Tribeca Citizen]

Now Greenwood Park Is Too Child-Friendly

Lots of room for strollers.

If we had a kid, we probably wouldn't take the little one anywhere that smelled like "pee, cigarettes, and throw-up" — but evidently the rampant public urination neighbors recently complained about isn't stopping parents from toting youngsters to beer garden Greenwood Park, which has some other patrons hopping mad, writes City Room. "Welcome to Chuck-E-Cheese in South Slope,” commented one Yelp reviewer recently. Owner Ted Mann, who has two kids himself, has said encouraging things about Greenwood's 13,000 square feet being big enough for strollers, and the kiddies have rolled in. But as everyone knows, strollers in Park Slope are an even more incendiary issue than public barfing. Sounds like everyone should chill out and have another pint. [City Room/NYT]

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