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Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:15:00 GMT

Why the attitude? No one else is eating here.

Holiday Tea-Off

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:50:00 GMT

Willard Intercontinental Christmas display

Photo: courtesy of the hotel

The Willard InterContinental is getting into the holiday spirit. Every night in December (except December 24–28), from 5:30–7:30 PM, the area's premiere choral ensembles will perform spirited interpretations of holiday classics in the hotel's elegant lobby. The music provides a festive (and free) backdrop for getting together with friends over drinks at the lobby bar, or while enjoying a sumptuous high-tea Chinois at the adjacent Peacock Alley, which has been given a Chinoiserie-inspired ambiance. The set tea features special Chinese blends and Asian flavors – think ginger and fresh fruit petit fours – and will be offered daily through December 30 (except December 25) starting at 1:00 PM, and from January 2–February 14, 2010, Fridays–Sundays, at 2:30 PM ($39 per person, $49 with a glass of champagne; 202-628-9100).

Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:38:00 GMT

Why the attitude? No one else is eating here.

Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:38:00 GMT

Why the attitude? No one else is eating here.

Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:37:00 GMT

Why the attitude? No one else is eating here.

Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:37:00 GMT

Why the attitude? No one else is eating here.

Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:36:00 GMT

Why the attitude? No one else is eating here.

Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:33:00 GMT

Why the attitude? No one else is eating here.

Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:26:00 GMT

Why the attitude? No one else is eating here.

Outtake of the Week

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:24:00 GMT

Why the attitude? No one else is eating here.

Bar Henry Breakdown

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:35:00 GMT

Bar Henry

Photo: Evan W. Miller

From the moment the doors opened last week at Bar Henry, the restaurant’s antique mahogany bar was packed with patrons. The third venture from Winston and Carole Bergman Kulok – who own Café Henri in the West Village and Long Island City – it gets its name from their pet Maltese.

The Food: Limited bistro fare, presented in a small and basic but well-prepared menu.

The Design: Old New York. Think vintage brass chandeliers and polished wood floors, plus a copper ceiling and bar top that give a warm glow to rooms. The entrance has striking black-and-white Italian marble floors, while the back room is bordered by brick walls, with red velvet ballroom chairs bought at the Plaza Hotel auction.

Sample Dishes: Mushroom barley soup ($8); short-rib corn taco ($14); blini and American caviar ($15); roasted organic chicken with herb jus ($25); LaFrieda dry-aged strip steak ($38).

Sample Dessert: Tarte tatin with crème fraîche ($9); chocolate mousse ($9).

Sample Drinks: Tom Morgan (Beefeater gin, tonic and lemon juice), Captain Berelsky (Gosling’s rum, amaretto, lemon and lime), Tiger Tail (bourbon, Benedictine, ginger ale and lemon juice). Grape aficionado John Slover (of Grand Cru Consulting) has put together a large wine list, with plenty of half-bottle options.

The Crowd: Village locals mixed with young professionals in their 30s, and wine-industry types.

The Tunes: Jazz standards and old R&B.

The Deets: 90 West Houston St.; 646-448-4559

–Beth Landman

Som Enchanted Evening

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:51:00 GMT

Som

Photo: courtesy of the lounge

Behind a facade of artfully lit wine bottles lies Som, a music-focused Mission newcomer whose sleek, minimalist interior sports a walnut-topped bar, some black-leather seating and not much more – which leaves plenty of room for dancing to Brazilian beats (som is Portuguese for ‘sound’) on Wednesdays and just about any other musical genre you can think of the rest of the week; generally moderately priced, the cocktail menu is short but sweet, highlighted by a few classic concoctions made with top-shelf ingredients.

2925 16th St.; 415-431-8889

Charting Boulud's Bar Pleiades

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:27:00 GMT

The room’s as lacquered as the crowd at Bar Pleiades, a new black-and-white boîte in the Upper East Side’s Surrey Hotel, where the glam mood matches the art-deco-meets-Coco-Chanel decor; courtesy of Daniel Boulud (proprietor of Café Boulud next door), it’s named after a star cluster in the constellation of Taurus, an oblique reference to the astronomical prices.

20 E. 76th St.; 212-772-2600

See more details
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Kitchen Italia Goes for Due

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:25:00 GMT

Kitchen Italia

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Is a new Carluccio-style Italian chain in the cards? Owned and run by Villandry maestro Jamie Barber, and designed by Michaelis Boyd (Pizza East), all-day cantina Kitchen Italia hits Covent Garden 8 December (the second location after the original in Westfield). The midpriced menu will fill a comfort niche, offering rib-sticking staples like macaroni cheese, pumpkin gnocchi with sage butter, and tiger prawn, chilli and garlic taglioni (41 Earlham St., WC2; 020-7632-9500).

– Roger Clarke

DineLA Warming Up for Winter

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:03:00 GMT

What would a new season be without some restaurant-week action? DineLA has announced its winter dates, January 24–29 and January 31–February 5. While details haven't been finalized, expect a similar showing of more than 200 restaurants, most likely offering three tiers of three-course prix fixe meals. Check back here for more information soon.

Going Grey (Social)

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:55:00 GMT

Though it’s in a very old edifice rumored to have been once owned by Benjamin Franklin’s mistress, Old City gathering spot Grey Social embraces the speakeasy/teahouse era of its long history; the Prohibition-era cocktails include many made with tea (available for a moderate fee), and the light fixtures, tables, numerous votives and art all look appropriately vintage.

132 Chestnut St.; 215-923-4159

Masa Munchies for Black Friday

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:48:00 GMT

Masa's

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Take a break from shopping madness on Black Friday, November 27, with a two-course $15 lunch or $25 dinner (drink included with each) at Masa's South End (617-338-8884) and Woburn (781-938-8886) locations.

Peek Inside Voyeur

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:27:00 GMT

Voyeur seating

Photo: courtesy of the lounge

At Voyeur, an S&M-themed A-lister in WeHo, the usual Young Hollywood suspects wouldn’t dream of keeping their eyes wide shut while performers enact bondage scenarios on elevated platforms and in a glass booth; dark, ornate furnishings upholstered in haute fabrics add a loungey element to proceedings dominated by a DJ-driven dance floor and top-tier promoters.

7969 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood; 310-255-1110

Voyeur

Photo: courtesy of the lounge

Dining News Elsewhere: Obese Americans, Ramsay Loses His Number Two

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:23:00 GMT

– By 2018, 43% of Americans are expected to be obese. [NYDN]
– Gordon Ramsay has lost his right-hand man. [Bloomberg]
– The Senate is considering requiring beef to be tested for E. coli. [NYT]

– Top Chef contestants aren't being paid for the TV dinners that feature their faces (and recipes). [Time]
– First canned pumpkins, now an Eggo shortage looms. [NYDN]
– The art of complaining to a restaurant. [Guardian]
– A modest proposal for fixing restaurant and bar smoking bans. [Eater]
– Related: the science behind banning smoking outside. [Time]
– Ever wonder what it would be like to cook dinner for Thomas Keller? [Esquire]
– Talking cooking with Coolio. [Fork in the Road]
– NBC's newest cooking show, United Plates of America, will give away a four-restaurant chain. [Reuters]
– Hey, so, while you eat that sushi, this guy here is going to swallow a sword. [WSJ]
– Starbucks continues to roll out its unbranded coffee shops. [Diner's Journal]
– If New York loses its lawsuit, Tavern on the Green will become Tavern in the Park. [Crain's]
– Restaurants embrace Twilight. [NRN]
– Martha Stewart is not a fan of Rachael Ray. [ABC News, via EMD and GS]
– The Rolling Stones, the wine. [Examiner]
– Pork belly and other over-served dishes. [Between Meals]
– Students arrested for not paying their tip. [Philly]
– Plastic wishbones: what will the kids fight over? [SE]

Dining News Elsewhere: Obese Americans, Ramsay Loses His Number Two

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:22:00 GMT

– By 2018, 43% of Americans are expected to be obese. [NYDN]
– Gordon Ramsay has lost his right-hand man. [Bloomberg]
– The Senate is considering requiring beef to be tested for E. coli. [NYT]

– Top Chef contestants aren't being paid for the TV dinners that feature their faces (and recipes). [Time]
– First canned pumpkins, now an Eggo shortage looms. [NYDN]
– The art of complaining to a restaurant. [Guardian]
– A modest proposal for fixing restaurant and bar smoking bans. [Eater]
– Related: the science behind banning smoking outside. [Time]
– Ever wonder what it would be like to cook dinner for Thomas Keller? [Esquire]
– Talking cooking with Coolio. [Fork in the Road]
– NBC's newest cooking show, United Plates of America, will give away a four-restaurant chain. [Reuters]
– Hey, so, while you eat that sushi, this guy here is going to swallow a sword. [WSJ]
– Starbucks continues to roll out its unbranded coffee shops. [Diner's Journal]
– If New York loses its lawsuit, Tavern on the Green will become Tavern in the Park. [Crain's]
– Restaurants embrace Twilight. [NRN]
– Martha Stewart is not a fan of Rachael Ray. [ABC News, via EMD and GS]
– The Rolling Stones, the wine. [Examiner]
– Pork belly and other over-served dishes. [Between Meals]
– Students arrested for not paying their tip. [Philly]
– Plastic wishbones: what will the kids fight over? [SE]

Dining News Elsewhere: Obese Americans, Ramsay Loses His Number Two

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:21:00 GMT

– By 2018, 43% of Americans are expected to be obese. [NYDN]
– Gordon Ramsay has lost his right-hand man. [Bloomberg]
– The Senate is considering requiring beef to be tested for E. coli. [NYT]

– Top Chef contestants aren't being paid for the TV dinners that feature their faces (and recipes). [Time]
– First canned pumpkins, now an Eggo shortage looms. [NYDN]
– The art of complaining to a restaurant. [Guardian]
– A modest proposal for fixing restaurant and bar smoking bans. [Eater]
– Related: the science behind banning smoking outside. [Time]
– Ever wonder what it would be like to cook dinner for Thomas Keller? [Esquire]
– Talking cooking with Coolio. [Fork in the Road]
– NBC's newest cooking show, United Plates of America, will give away a four-restaurant chain. [Reuters]
– Hey, so, while you eat that sushi, this guy here is going to swallow a sword. [WSJ]
– Starbucks continues to roll out its unbranded coffee shops. [Diner's Journal]
– If New York loses its lawsuit, Tavern on the Green will become Tavern in the Park. [Crain's]
– Restaurants embrace Twilight. [NRN]
– Martha Stewart is not a fan of Rachael Ray. [ABC News, via EMD and GS]
– The Rolling Stones, the wine. [Examiner]
– Pork belly and other over-served dishes. [Between Meals]
– Students arrested for not paying their tip. [Philly]
– Plastic wishbones: what will the kids fight over? [SE]

Dining News Elsewhere: Obese Americans, Ramsay Loses His Number Two

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:19:00 GMT

– By 2018, 43% of Americans are expected to be obese. [NYDN]
– Gordon Ramsay has lost his right-hand man. [Bloomberg]
– The Senate is considering requiring beef to be tested for E. coli. [NYT]

– Top Chef contestants aren't being paid for the TV dinners that feature their faces (and recipes). [Time]
– First canned pumpkins, now an Eggo shortage looms. [NYDN]
– The art of complaining to a restaurant. [Guardian]
– A modest proposal for fixing restaurant and bar smoking bans. [Eater]
– Related: the science behind banning smoking outside. [Time]
– Ever wonder what it would be like to cook dinner for Thomas Keller? [Esquire]
– Talking cooking with Coolio. [Fork in the Road]
– NBC's newest cooking show, United Plates of America, will give away a four-restaurant chain. [Reuters]
– Hey, so, while you eat that sushi, this guy here is going to swallow a sword. [WSJ]
– Starbucks continues to roll out its unbranded coffee shops. [Diner's Journal]
– If New York loses its lawsuit, Tavern on the Green will become Tavern in the Park. [Crain's]
– Restaurants embrace Twilight. [NRN]
– Martha Stewart is not a fan of Rachael Ray. [ABC News, via EMD and GS]
– The Rolling Stones, the wine. [Examiner]
– Pork belly and other over-served dishes. [Between Meals]
– Students arrested for not paying their tip. [Philly]
– Plastic wishbones: what will the kids fight over? [SE]

Dining News Elsewhere: Obese Americans, Ramsay Loses His Number Two

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:12:00 GMT

– By 2018, 43% of Americans are expected to be obese. [NYDN]
– Gordon Ramsay has lost his right-hand man. [Bloomberg]
– The Senate is considering requiring beef to be tested for E. coli. [NYT]

– Top Chef contestants aren't being paid for the TV dinners that feature their faces (and recipes). [Time]
– First canned pumpkins, now an Eggo shortage looms. [NYDN]
– The art of complaining to a restaurant. [Guardian]
– A modest proposal for fixing restaurant and bar smoking bans. [Eater]
– Related: the science behind banning smoking outside. [Time]
– Ever wonder what it would be like to cook dinner for Thomas Keller? [Esquire]
– Talking cooking with Coolio. [Fork in the Road]
– NBC's newest cooking show, United Plates of America, will give away a four-restaurant chain. [Reuters]
– Hey, so, while you eat that sushi, this guy here is going to swallow a sword. [WSJ]
– Starbucks continues to roll out its unbranded coffee shops. [Diner's Journal]
– If New York loses its lawsuit, Tavern on the Green will become Tavern in the Park. [Crain's]
– Restaurants embrace Twilight. [NRN]
– Martha Stewart is not a fan of Rachael Ray. [ABC News, via EMD and GS]
– The Rolling Stones, the wine. [Examiner]
– Pork belly and other over-served dishes. [Between Meals]
– Students arrested for not paying their tip. [Philly]
– Plastic wishbones: what will the kids fight over? [SE]

Dining News Elsewhere: Obese Americans, Ramsay Loses His Number Two

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:11:00 GMT

– By 2018, 43% of Americans are expected to be obese. [NYDN]
– Gordon Ramsay has lost his right-hand man. [Bloomberg]
– The Senate is considering requiring beef to be tested for E. coli. [NYT]

– Top Chef contestants aren't being paid for the TV dinners that feature their faces (and recipes). [Time]
– First canned pumpkins, now an Eggo shortage looms. [NYDN]
– The art of complaining to a restaurant. [Guardian]
– A modest proposal for fixing restaurant and bar smoking bans. [Eater]
– Related: the science behind banning smoking outside. [Time]
– Ever wonder what it would be like to cook dinner for Thomas Keller? [Esquire]
– Talking cooking with Coolio. [Fork in the Road]
– NBC's newest cooking show, United Plates of America, will give away a four-restaurant chain. [Reuters]
– Hey, so, while you eat that sushi, this guy here is going to swallow a sword. [WSJ]
– Starbucks continues to roll out its unbranded coffee shops. [Diner's Journal]
– If New York loses its lawsuit, Tavern on the Green will become Tavern in the Park. [Crain's]
– Restaurants embrace Twilight. [NRN]
– Martha Stewart is not a fan of Rachael Ray. [ABC News, via EMD and GS]
– The Rolling Stones, the wine. [Examiner]
– Pork belly and other over-served dishes. [Between Meals]
– Students arrested for not paying their tip. [Philly]
– Plastic wishbones: what will the kids fight over? [SE]

Next Nate 'n Al's

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:51:00 GMT

The biggest restaurant news of the week is the opening of Thomas Keller's Bouchon in Beverly Hills. Running a close second: the opening of another location of Nate 'n Al. After 64 years of serving corned beef and pastrami, lox and bagels to the movers and shakers of Beverly Hills, the most quintessential of delis has expanded to the 'burbs – and the deep 'burbs at that, in a Rick Caruso developed maxi-mall (2200 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; 805-494-3354).