Catty Males Shake Beatrice; Charcuterie ManiaClinton Hill: There are a few places in the nabe to find gluten-free products, but one celiac sufferer would like to find out about any others. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Lower East Side: Video of a Tailor bartender doing his thing. [Snack]
Midtown East: Former Savoy chef Matt Weingarten’s year-long plans to start dinner service at Café St. Bart’s will come to fruition on May 5. [Zagat]
Upper West Side: Bar Boulud may claim the top charcuterie in town (though Mia Dona’s stepping up), but you can also find some tasty stand-ins at Café d’Alsace and elsewhere, including Fort Greene’s Stonehome Wine Bar. [Citysearch]
West Village: Spencer Morgan of the New York Observer supposedly slapped Hud Morgan from Men’s Vogue at the Beatrice Inn on Wednesday night because the latter didn’t respond to the former’s apology e-mail. A true New York noble. [Gawker]
The Other Critics
Fiamma Earns Its Third Star; Love for Kenny ShopsinFiamma hits the three-star jackpot, tickling Frank Bruni in his sweet spot and earning itself the critical credibility Steve Hanson wanted when he hired Fabio Trabocchi. Bruni admits the place isn’t Italian, but he is in love with the ultrarich, ultracomposed food. [NYT]
Market Table took over the space that was Shopsin’s, and this gave the Randall Lane the good idea of reviewing both restaurants at the same time. Market Table earns four stars (out of six, mind you) for its solid food and gracious service. Kenny, in his new digs at Essex Street Market, gets three for his still terrific food and his not-so-gracious service. [TONY]
The Fiamma review should wash away any melancholy caused by Alan Richman’s lukewarm number on Primehouse, Fiamma’s sister. Richman likes the steaks pretty well and singles out crab cake for enthusiastic praise, but he casts a skeptical eye on pretty much everything else, from its resident bull-god to the Himalayan salt aging room. [Bloomberg]
Neighborhood Watch
Jim Leff Maps Out Culinary Touchstones in Jackson HeightsBrooklyn Heights: National chain Five Guys Burgers and Fries in construction on Montague Street. [Brooklyn Heights Blog]
Fort Greene: Next Wednesday, Stonehome Wine Bar will host a four-course wine-tasting dinner as a toast to spring. [Brooklyn Record]
Hell’s Kitchen: Grand Sichuan is closed while the outlet tries to regain its lost lease; loyal diners missing the “We would be two—love birds flying wing to wing on high” dish are distraught. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]
Jackson Heights: Chowhound founder Jim Leff finally provides a map of the neighborhood’s culinary touchstones. [Chowhound via Gothamist]
Park Slope: An employee spills that D’Agostino will close at the end of April. [Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn] Whole Foods set to open summer 2008 not giving much relief to neighbors still fearing the property is toxic. [Gowanus Lounge]
Prospect-Lefferts-Gardens: New deli on Washington Avenue opens; wide selection of do-rags already turning heads. [across the park]