Rockabilly Bar in Progress on the LES; Dévi Reopens With a DiscountAstoria: “A lot of people in town are excited” about the 7-Eleven that just opened on 30th Avenue and 30th Street, so much so that the Slurpee machine may have broken from overuse. [Joey in Astoria]
Clinton Hill: No more soft opening! Speakeasy from former Top Cheftestant Josie Malave opens tonight, and photos taken of the menu in the window reveal such inspired dishes as zucchini sticks and fettuccine with spinach and sun-dried tomato. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Flatiron: Dévi reopens tonight, and the dinner menu will be 20 percent off through November 20. [Bottomless Dish/Citysearch]
Little Italy: Papabubble’s grand-opening party went well on Saturday; as you can see from these pics, the “walls were fully stocked with fresh candy, open jars with samples were everywhere, and … stateside Papabubble proprietors, even put on a little candy making show.” [Down by the Hipster]
Lower East Side: Fat Baby and Spitzer’s Corner owners Rob and Will Shamlian seem well on their way to opening a rockabilly bar and restaurant at 133 Essex Street, minus a liquor license and a mechanical bull. [Eater]
Sunset Park: Pepper and salt fish are tiny fish deep-fried in a batter that puffs up like funnel cake; they go well with abundant mini-shots of beer, and conveniently both are served at Ren Ren on Eighth Avenue every day until 3:30 a.m. [Eat for Victory/VV]
Mediavore
Josie of ‘Top Chef’ Opens Restaurant; Schumer Opens a Second FrontJosie Malave’s restaurant Speakeasy in Clinton Hill has had its soft opening. [Eat for Victory/VV]
One food editor learned some things from last week’s nose-to-tail feast Fergus Henderson–at–the–Spotted Pig including “Hung Huynh is much sweeter than the series might lead you to believe … Ilan Hall has a project up his sleeve … there’s no graceful way to eat a roasted pig’s head when Heath Ledger is sitting at the next table watching.” [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]
Related: Fergus Henderson to Cook Tomorrow at Savoy, Wednesday at the Spotted Pig
Chuck Schumer has joined another foodie cause: In response to the recent Topps Meat contaminations, he has accused the USDA as being “toothless tiger” and plans to introduce legislation that would give the Department of Agriculture authority to close down plants that repeatedly fail inspections and order recalls. [NYP]
Related: Senator Schumer Springs to the Red Hook Ball-Fields’ Defense
Neighborhood Watch
Plate of Pig Liver Silences Bruni in Nolita; ‘Top Chef’ Contestant’sAstoria: Coffee and desserts are available at Tell Astorya Cafe on 28th Avenue during events including Friday’s Independent Film nights and afternoon jazz on Saturday. [Joey in Astoria]
Clinton Hill: Former Top Chefer Josie Smith-Malave has named her restaurant on Waverly and Greene Speakeasy. [Clinton Hill Blog]
East Village: The food-feature documentary King Corn opens today at Cinema Village. [Cakehead]
Flatiron: Centro Vinoteca’s Anne Burrell, Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez of Lassi, and Dos Caminos chef Ivy Stark will be cooking for next Thursday’s benefit for Women Chefs & Restaurateurs at the Prince George Ballroom. [Gothamist]
Greenwich Village: Gray’s Papaya on 8th Street has endorsed Bloomberg for president because “he talks the talk, and he’ll walk the walk.” [Blog Chelsea]
Nolita: Frank Bruni is actually at a loss for words to describe a favorite dish that Frank DeCarlo serves at Peasant: “the suckling pig liver will fascinate you because it tastes so very much like other liver you’ve had and yet … and yet … different, but in ways that are tough to pinpoint.” [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
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Gordon Ramsay So Over? Josie Smith-Malave Back in BusinessAussies ask, “Has Gordon Ramsay’s gilded decade come to an end? Has the gifted chef gone off the boil?” [Sydney Morning Herald]
It’s back to business for former Top-Chefer and recent anti-gay-attack victim Josie Smith-Malave; her Clinton Hill restaurant seems well on its way to serving global comfort food this fall. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Initial impressions on Rickshaw Dumpling: “We enjoyed eating them, and even more, we enjoy knowing that we will file our $6 receipt for the six dumplings and be reimbursed. $1 per dumpling? Do I look like some kind of NYU kid to you?” [Eat for Victory/VV]
Neighborhood Watch
Pigskin Parties Kick Off at Hill Country; Rickshaw Delayed Yet AgainChelsea: Hill Country has added big TV screens and plans on being party central for football games. [Grub Street]
Gramercy: Rodeo Bar is now the second place in New York to carry Shiner Bock. [Grub Street]
Greenwich Village: The ballyhooed opening of Rickshaw Dumpling Bar is delayed yet again. [Eater]
Long Island: The first mug shot is made public in the Josie Malave gay-bashing case. [TMZ]
Long Island City: Feminist beer and good salsa are to be found in a new spot in industrial LIC. [Joey in Astoria]
Midtown: Toloache is still your only spot in the neighborhood for grasshopper tacos. [Gothamist]
Williamsburg: Been feeling that what the area needed was a vegetarian Caribbean restaurant? Well, you’re in luck. [Bottomless Dish]
Mediavore
Kyotofu South; Soup Nazi Not Feeling the Love Out of N.Y.Kyotofu really is expanding downtown with a second outlet that should be completed by next summer. In the meantime, its delicate Japanese treats will also be available at a new midtown tea shop opening this month. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]
The Bleecker Street Magnolia Bakery has renewed its lease for another ten years. [Eater]
CJ continues to fantasize openly about cooking Padma breakfast. [Eater LA]
Related: ‘Top Chef’ Non-Winner CJ on the Broccolini Backstory, and Why Hung’s Food Is Soulless
Mediavore
Bourdain: I Am Not the Guy You Saw Last Night; Momo Boxes Now AvailableBourdain says he’s not the asshole he looked like on Top Chef last night. [Bravo]
In Momo news, David Chang has started serving bento-like Momo Boxes during lunch at Ssäm Bar. [Eat for Victory/VV]
Bobby Flay’s Bolo is about to be flattened to make way for more real estate. The 22nd Street curse continues! [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
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Liebrandt’s Secretive, Non-Chinese Project; Former Cheftestant Victim of BiasPaul Liebrandt is still being cryptic about his new project saying little more than it won’t be Chinese. [TONY]
Connecticut’s Foxwoods casino will soon serve New York’s favorite cheesecake: Junior’s will open its first outlet outside of the city in the resort’s new MGM Grand. [NYS]
Former Top Chef contestant Josie Smith-Malave was one of the victims of an anti-gay attack outside of a Sea Cliff bar during Labor Day weekend. [NYP]
Neighborhood Watch
Blue Ribbon to Conquer Columbus Circle by Mid-AugustBrooklyn Heights: Montero’s earned “duty watch bar” status from the British Royal Navy when its seamen passed through Brooklyn last week. [NYT]
Columbus Circle: Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill should open simultaneously with Thompson Hotel’s new Six Columbus by the middle of August. [Down by the Hipster]
Elmhurst: Always wanted your tacos open-face, deep-fried, and splattered with crema? Try the memelitas from Taqueria Coatzingo at 40-18 82 Street. [Gothamist]
Flatiron: Tabla and Tamarind are only a few of the restaurants extending their Summer Restaurant Week menus through Labor Day. [GoNYC via NewYorkology]
Fort Greene: Former Top Chef contestant Josie Smith-Malave has left Island restaurant to prepare for a fall opening of her next project, the Speakeasy. [Eater]
Harlem: Gentrification is apparently a lesser evil than filth: A Taste of Seafood restaurant relocates from dingy to spiffy new digs. [Uptown Flavor]
Midtown East: Two sake masters from Japan will host a tasting that also features shochu and snacks at Sakagura next Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. [Eat for Victory/VV]
West Village: Centro Vinoteca won’t be opening until the 20th or 21st at the earliest, the restaurant’s representatives say. [Grub Street]
NewsFeed
How to Avoid 46 Trips to Queens
Manhattanites tend to give lip service to the jubilee that is the Queens restaurant scene, and who can blame them? Schlepping out to Rego Park and trying to find 63rd Drive and 108th Street could drive anyone crazy. Hence the beauty of “The Cuisine of Queens and Beyond 2007,” being held on the 22nd. The event features Aquavit chef Marcus Samuelsson, pushing his book on African cooking, but the real reason to go is to experience representative dishes from 47 different Queens restaurants which you might normally never get to. Some of our favorite places are there, and we strongly recommend them to you.
Openings
Josie Malave Named ‘Executive Chef’While Ilan Hall wanders around airports wearing street couture (or did you not read about that?), Josie Malave, voted off Top Chef early in the game, has ditched her Marlow & Sons sous-chef job to become executive chef at Island Café Bar and Lounge. The two-floor, 220-seater, set to open in March, will serve locally farmed, Mediterranean-themed tapas. We believe Malave when she tells us that she’s “actually happy” to have escaped Top Chef when she did. After all, some “seed money” winnings can (apparently) mess with a young cook’s head.
Island Café Bar and Lounge, 35-15 36th St., Long Island City; no phone yet.
