Neighborhood Watch

Reservations Open for Andrew Carmellini’s Trufflepalooza; Northern Spy Hires a New Chef

Columbus Circle: The Hearst Cafe just got an upgrade: Balducci’s has announced that the first New York City outpost of its Gourmet Cafe coffee concept is coming to the Hearst Building in February. [Grub Street]
East Village: A month and a half after Nathan Foot left “to pursue other projects,” Northern Spy welcomes its new executive chef, Hadley Schmitt. Schmitt is a veteran of Dovetail and Cru, and, most recently, pop-up project What Happens When. [Grub Street]
Following a three-month renovation, neighborhood theater-cum-bar Joe’s Pub is back up and running. [EV Grieve]

Flatiron: The biannual Wine & Food Dinner at Union Square Cafe will be taking place on Monday, October 17, and it will feature wine from Napa Valley’s Schramsberg Vineyards (the official sparkling wine of the White House). The five-course menu is priced at $185, and reservations are first-come, first-served. E-mail mplotkin@unionsquarecafe.com if you want in. [Grub Street]
Greenpoint: Restaurant peeps: Puerto Rican tapas spot Calyer is launching Industry Mondays. They’ll be offering a special deal of a porron and a different small plate each week, for $20. [Grub Street]
Midtown: Edwin Bellanco has revealed the name of his previously untitled restaurant: It will be called Vitae and should open to the public in mid-December. [Grub Street]
Country Music Television is celebrating Friday’s premiere of Top Secret Recipe by giving out — what else? — free Kentucky Fried Chicken from a food truck! The KFC extravaganza started today, but it’ll continue tomorrow at 44th Street, between Broadway and Sixth Avenue, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or until they run out of chicken). [Midtown Lunch]
Nolita: Ellabess is honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month by doing a special prix fixe dinner on October 13. The three-course meal will be available throughout the evening, and 50 percent of the proceeds will go to Breast Cancer Research. The meal is $40, or $55 with wine pairings. [Grub Street]
Tribeca: Truffle lovers, grab your phones: The reservation line is now open for Andrew Carmellini’s third annual Trufflepalooza at Locanda Verde. The three-course prix fixe ($49.99) highlighting the luxurious ingredient will take place on October 24; call 212-925-3797 to snag a seat. [Eater NY]
Williamsburg: The fifth annual Craig Murphey Fellowship Fundraiser is taking place on October 16 and will feature a hummus cook-off among local chefs and food bloggers, as well as “rock-n-roll karaoke.” The event benefits the New York City Coalition Against Hunger and funds the salary of this year’s Craig Murphey Fellow. For more info (and to find out how to enter the hummus competition), check out their website. [Grub Street]
Citywide: Evidently Saturday is National Pierogy Day. As such, something named “Pierogyman” will be wandering the city this weekend handing out coupons for Mrs. T’s Pierogies. Don’t be alarmed. Just take a coupon. [Grub Street]

Reservations Open for Andrew Carmellini’s Trufflepalooza; Northern Spy