• Donna in Williamsburg is kicking off its “Brooklyn Battle” bartender competition next Monday. Each week, a bartender from the house will compete against a rival from a neighboring establishment, and each will have to create two drinks featuring the sponsor’s brand of liquor. If you stop by, you might get to be the judge. [Grub Street]
• Fitzcarraldo is finally open! Breakfast sandwiches start appearing at 9 a.m. along with freshly-brewed Stumptown coffee, and the Rucola team will roll out more of chef Vinny Campos’s Ligurian-inspired every day. For now, the restaurant is open Monday to Friday until midnight. [Grub Street]
• Stop by Whiskey Park after 4 p.m. today for an adult ice-cream social featuring drizzles of bourbon, rum, or another liqueurs, as well as vodka-infused gummy bears and housemade brandy-soaked cherries. Drunk yet? The party goes on until 3 a.m. [Grub Street]
• Help clean up the Gowanus Canal this Friday by stopping by one of the restaurants participating in the Dive in Gowanus fund-raiser. But whatever you do, don’t actually take a dip in the canal. [Carroll Gardens Patch]
• “’You can’t take pictures here,’ said a beret wearing young man dressed in a striped shirt more commonly seen on French mimes.” Yes, there’s yet another cronut knockoff out there — this one’s at Paris Baguette in Flushing. [Chopsticks + Marrow]
• Bread for the Eater, run by the folks behind Cheeky Sandwiches, is set to open soon in Greenpoint. The menu promises “baguettes and croissants, coffee, sandwiches, beer and wine for now.” No po’boys. [Bedford + Bowery]
• Pepsi beat out Coke for a $21 million deal with the City University of New York system. The news comes after years of anti-Coke protests at various CUNY campuses. [NYT]
• The Local Development Corporation of East New York is putting together a “Footprints in the Sand” campaign, which means four days of Coney Island cuisine. Seventeen restaurants will take part in the event from August 19 to 22, offering flat-rate three-course meals or special buy-one-get-one deals. [Grub Street]
• Celebrate Brooklyn’s cocktail scene with Shaken & Stirred this October in Carroll Gardens. Early-bird tickets are available now for $50. [Grub Street]
• ZOMG! The new Doritos Locos taco flavor will be available Aug 19! [Jake Foushee/YouTube]