McFadden’s Calls Racism Suit a ‘Work of Fiction;’ Olive OilPlus 15 percent of US households had trouble getting enough to eat last year, and California figures out a way to gauge how local food really is, all in our morning news roundup.
Taste Test: Bethenny Frankel’s MuffinsGrub Street world headquarters was graced today with a gift from “Celebrity Natural-Food Chef” and Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel.
Time to Start Thinking About A Taste of New YorkAnyone involved with the madness that was A Taste of New York last year won’t need much convincing to go back. (We gave a hint of the proceedings the next morning.) This year, 40 major restaurants will serve their best, champagne will flow like Red Bull during finals, and everyone will dress well. (No promises for Bill Telepan.) The 2007 Taste of New York will be held November 5 at the Puck Building. General admission is $145; the VIP Preview preceding the event is $200. Tickets are on sale now.
2007 Taste of New York
Related: More Than Just a Taste of New York
Neighborhood Watch
Women Chefs Congregate in Chelsea; Sam Mason Has Fans on the LESChelsea: 25 women chefs including Anita Lo and Del Posto pastry chef Nicole Kaplan will cook at a cancer benefit at Pier 60 on Monday. [Restaurant Girl]
Related: Women Chefs Come Out in Force For Benefit
Flatiron: Hill Country hosts 4-Foodies on September 18 for the online group’s second tasting event. [4-Foodies]
Harlem: Mexican street vendors will prepare the fare at Restaurante La Hacienda on September 19 for a Tamale and Tequila Tasting organized by the non-profit group Esperanza del Barrio. [Uptown Flavor]
Lower East Side: Tailor gets high marks from opening-night diners who may not have understood the menu, but appreciated the results. [Eat for Victory/VV]
Midtown West: A food cart on 46th Street at Sixth Avenue is serving up special Ramadan “break-the-fast” boxes. [Midtown Lunch]
Tribeca: Cognac week at Brandy Library means free tastings every night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. through Saturday.
The In-box
Bialy Expert Says Kossar’s Not Quite the Final Word on BialysIn our tribute to Kossar’s bialys yesterday, we pointed to the imprimatur of the august Mimi Sheraton, whose book The Bialy Eaters is the definitive work on the subject. Well, the last we heard, Sheraton loved the place. But no more, apparently: “The Book was written a long time ago and times change, as do bialys,” Sheraton writes. “[Kossar’s makes them] barely with any onions and much too soft, bland and puffy, often with barely defined center wells. The only thing I buy there now are mini-discs, i.e. miniature pletzels, with poppy seeds and, with luck, onions.” So there it is. We’ll probably still go on eating Kossar’s bialys, but now with a diminished sense of triumph. Live and learn.
But, Sheraton tells us, there is hope for a new yardstick bialy.