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December 2008 - Posts
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The Buzz is on break until the new year. Chicago deep-dish pizza photo: Emily Capo From the historic U.S. election to the roller-coaster world economy, calorie counts to baconnaise , 2008 has been a tumultuous year. Here’s a look at some of the Read More...
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The Buzz is on break until the new year. – An avocado shortage, possibly the biggest in 20 years, is looming this spring. [ LAT ] – Prosecco is very popular these days. But without a defined region, like champagne has, everybody is making Read More...
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photo: Lalofont Dear Readers, Zagat Buzz is on break until January 5th, 2009, when we’ll be back with all the latest news and openings. Until then, we'd would like to wish you and yours happy holidays and a healthy, safe new year! In the meantime, Read More...
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– Even restaurateurs have gotten wrapped up in the Madoff mess. [ LAT ] – Starbucks lost its first round in court against a trio of baristas who wanted to start a union. [ NYT ] – Most celebrity chefs don't really cook in their restaurants. Read More...
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By Michael Nagrant Thomas Keller and Grant Achatz might be battling it out for their share of the cookbook market ( one report says Achatz’s Alinea is handily outselling Keller’s Under Pressure), but the mega chefs have nothing but the highest Read More...
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Fishtail photo: Evan W. Miller David Burke's finhouse Fishtail is barely out of its swaddling clothes and already it's expanding its repertoire. The Upper East Sider has launched a late-night menu, including everything from rice crispy crab cakes Read More...
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The Cipriani family troubles aren't relegated to the New York State Liquor Authority – they're having trouble across the pond as well. The London branch of Cipriani may have to change its name after losing a trademark battle with the Orient-Express Read More...
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Bar Breton photo: Francis Dzikowski/ESTO photo: Courtesy of Bar Breton Chef Cyril Renaud ( Fleur de Sel ) goes the casual route at the new French brasserie Bar Breton , near Madison Square Park, where the menu’s signature dish is the galette, a Read More...
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photo: DennisInAmsterdam Come January 20th, all eyes will be on Washington, DC, where the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama will take place. The festivities crank into gear January 16th and run through Inauguration Day, culminating Read More...
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New York Restaurant Week ( coming next month !) is not the only big multi-restaurant deal coming to the five boroughs in January. In fact, all of January is going to be Restaurant Month on Staten Island this year. SINY , the same folks behind the Staten Read More...
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You can now write restaurant reviews from your phone. Voting on Zagat Survey just got a whole lot easier. Because now, instead of waiting to get home to give your opinion of the latest hot spot, you can reach into your pocket, pull out your phone and Read More...
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– In bad times, more and more people want to be chefs. [ Globe and Mail ] – Which is nice, since the National Restaurant Association is predicting a challenging coming year. [ NRN ] – The poor of Milan are going to be eating Beluga caviar Read More...
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All they have is the view, and you can walk outside and have that for free. Read More...
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Da Andrea photo: Courtesy of Da Andrea In our review of 10-year-old West Villager Da Andrea , surveyors point out that the restaurant is “narrow on space but broad in appeal.” Well, not for long. The casual Italian is serving its last meal Read More...
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– Philly's food chains are going to have to start posting their calorie info. [ Inquirer ] – Sparks, RIP. [ AP ] – Houston's is slowly rebranding itself as Hillstone. [ Eater ] – But that doesn't mean it probably won't Read More...
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The granddaddy of the urban restaurant weeks, NYC Restaurant Week has just announced the dates for its winter outing and they're just around the corner. The frugal diner's fest is happening from January 18th–23rd and January 25th–30th. Read More...
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Famed chophouse Morton's The Steakhouse has been serving up steaks for 30 years now. To celebrate all that meat, the restaurant chain – which just opened its 80th restaurant in a massive, two-story space in Downtown Brooklyn – is offering Read More...
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Martha and Padma judging the Quickfire. photo: Courtesy of Bravo Each Thursday the Internet's food sites produce countless recaps and commentary on the previous night's episode of Top Chef . Here are just a few of them: – Christmas, really? Read More...
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While restaurant closings have been all too frequent these days, the news that Chinatown's seminal dim sum house HSF has closed brought a particular pang to our hearts – the 36-year-old restaurant was part of the very first Zagat Survey (we Read More...
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Toloache photo: Ryan Charles Sure, Christmas is coming, but you know what else is coming? Hanukkah. And this year the annual Jewish Festival of Light is right in the middle of that other winter holiday, starting at sundown on December 21st and going to Read More...
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– Dairy Queen is launching its own video game, DQ Tycoon. [ NRN ] – On second thought, last call after the inauguration in DC will be 4 AM, not 5 AM. [ Washington Post ] – G. Franco Romagnoli, who helped bring Italian food to America, Read More...
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The city’s first green nightclub, the eco-friendly SoHo duplex Greenhouse (planted in the former Flow space) features sustainable bamboo walls, LED lightbulbs and vodka poured from recyclable containers; otherwise, it’s the usual models-and-bottles Read More...
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The Russian Tea Room gets into the holiday spirit. photo: Courtesy of Russian Tea Room From tony Christmas Eve prix fixes to restaurants open on Christmas Day, here are some options for memorable holiday dining this year. 'Twas the Night Before Christmas Read More...
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Shang photo: Evan W. Miller photo: Evan W. Miller Top Toronto toque Susur Lee makes his NYC debut at Shang in the Thompson LES Hotel, offering a menu of Chinese fusion dishes that are meant to be shared; while the concrete-floored, vaguely industrial Read More...
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With holiday parties being canceled left and right, lots of restaurants are trying to figure out ways to make up for lost revenue. And one way they're doing it is with New Year's Eve dinners, where attendees can say a grand goodbye to 2008 and Read More...
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– To try and balance their books, more and more restaurants are staying open on Christmas. [ NRN ] – The FTC is still going after Whole Foods. [ NYT ] – New York State may soon be adding taxes on sugary soft drinks. [ NYT ] – The Read More...
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Alex Ureña photo: Courtesy of Pamplona Holiday entertaining can be daunting, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to crack open that can of cocktail weenies for your party. If you’re interested in throwing a shindig with a Spanish Read More...
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– Restaurants are dropping employees just like every other industry these days. [ WSJ ] – Demand for organic foods seems to be declining. [ Accidental Hedonist ] – Tom Colicchio and his restaurants are being sued for back tips. [ City Read More...
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Fishtail photo: Evan W. Miller photo: Evan W. Miller David Burke embraces all things aquatic at Fishtail , a pricy UES seafooder with a sustainable focus ensconced in the townhouse space that formerly was Jovia; the first floor features a raw bar and Read More...
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The Top Chef judges deliberate. photo: Courtesy of Bravo Each Thursday the Internet's food sites produce countless recaps and commentary on the previous night's episode of Top Chef . Here are just a few of them: – "You knew the guy Read More...
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Upper East Side Lebanese Al Bustan has closed up shop at 827 Third Avenue, though its owners assure us it's just a temporary situation – they plan to reopen in Janurary 2009 in a new, undisclosed location. Read More...
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Downstairs at the new Kefi Photo: Courtesy of Kefi Nine months after announcing its move, chef Michael Psilakis and Donatella Arpaia's popular Greek restaurant Kefi has relocated from 79th Street to its new bi-level home at 505 Columbus Avenue (between Read More...
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By Curt Gathje, ZAGAT.com staff editor These murals are not to be missed. Atmosphere is key to dining and drinking in NY, and the reopening of the Plaza Hotel’s Oak Bar – with its famed Everett Shinn murals – reawakened our interest Read More...
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– Italy is bailing out its parmigiano makers by buying 100,000 wheels of cheese. [ WSJ ] – Japan is slow to embrace the local food movement. [ AP ] – One all-you-can-eat restaurant is charging diners for food they don't finish. [ Read More...
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Macao Trading Co. Photo: Evan W. Miller From the strange-bedfellows team of some Employees Only employees and David Waltuck ( Chanterelle ) comes Macao Trading Co. , a new TriBeCan celebrating the melting-pot cuisine of Macao via family-style dishes offered Read More...
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Tea & Sympathy Photo: Noah Kalina If vacationing in another country seems like an impossibility given these tough economic times, why not try a foodie staycation instead? Forget the luggage and passport – there are plenty of restaurants with Read More...
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Veselka While signing out of the East Village senior residence that houses the monthly Community Board 3 State Liquor Authority committee meetings last night, a gentleman turned to us and commented that "these are the toughest meetings in town." Read More...
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Alloro photo: Melissa Hom For most of us, learning a second language is no walk in the park, but UES Italian Alloro is making the task a little more appetizing with its recurring evening, " Parla come Mangi , 'Speak Like You Eat.'" Organized Read More...
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Even in tighter economic times, Brooklyn is still booming. In the past year, the borough has seen a steady stream of new spots to eat, drink, stay and play, the most noteworthy of which can be perused in the just-released Best of Brooklyn 2009 Zagat Survey. Read More...
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– The closing of a single sauerkraut plant can have ripples all over. [ NYT ] – Cheap and high in fat, haggis is gaining popularity in England these days. [ Independent ] – Philadelphia is cracking down on unlicensed bars. [ Inquirer Read More...
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Menu is epic, but like a bad '50s Bible picture. Read More...
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As it becomes clearer that this recession isn't going anywhere soon, more and more restaurants are pitching in with deals to keep diners enticed, and Greenwich Village spot North Square is no exception. Starting this month the New American is offering Read More...
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– California is in danger of running out of money for school meals. [ LAT ] – A number of foodies want Obama to name his Secretary of Agriculture posthaste. [ Diner's Journal ] – Starbucks, trying to stop its bleeding, is making Read More...
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Each Thursday the Internet's food sites produce countless recaps and commentary on the previous night's episode of Top Chef . Here are just a few of them: – New York 's Adam Platt wants to know who actually cares about making breakfast Read More...
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photo: Mike Ritter Seventy-five years ago, on December 5th, 1933, the state of Utah ratified the 21st Amendment and effectively ended the 13-year dry spell in American history known as Prohibition. In the past, that event has mostly interested historians, Read More...
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Nina and Tim Zagat (far left) and many of New York City's top chefs gather at Le Bernardin to launch the Vintage Dinner Series. photo: Marty Katz/Zagat.com Today Zagat Presents , along with 16 of New York's finest restaurants, announced our new Read More...
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Hot on the heels of its second London outing , the French-based chophouse Le Relais de Venise l'Entrecôte is coming to the Big Apple. The meatery, known for its simple menu of affordable steak frites and salads, is planning to open its first Read More...
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Mr. Jones photo: Evan W. Miller The East Village offers a world of dining options, but with restaurants opening fast and furious in the neighborhood, it can be hard to keep track of what’s new. Lucky for you, we’ve put together a list of some Read More...
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– Where have all the acorns gone this year? No, seriously, where? [ Washington Post ] – Food advertising in Chicago is literally hot air these days. [ NYT ] – Copia, the food, wine and art museum in Napa, has filed for Chapter 11. [ Read More...
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Nonna photo: Noah Kalina Now that it's official, the recession deals keep on coming: For those looking to stuff themselves silly on Tuesdays, the Upper West Side Italian Nonna is there for you. Each week the family-friendly four-year-old is offering Read More...
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Looking for gift ideas for the gourmand readers in your life (other than, naturally, all the latest Zagat guides )? Fret not, here are some recent books about cooking, dining and food that will fill the bill. For the Foodie on the Cutting Edge A Day at Read More...
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The latest from scenemakers Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield (the Spotted Pig ), the Way West Chelsea newcomer John Dory , nestled between Craftsteak and Del Posto , offers simple, uncomplicated presentations of British seafood; the seashell-heavy setting Read More...
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Appearances are deceiving at Charles, a new West Villager where the deliberately dilapidated exterior – complete with dead plants and newspaper-covered windows – seems designed to throw outsiders off the scent (it’s a self-proclaimed Read More...
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– Sweet! A new, shrub-derived sweetener is approaching the market. [ Chicago Tribune ] – You aren't really a better person for eating organically. [ GQ ] – A "cook" is not the same as a "chef" according to the Read More...
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