A Full Belly

NYC Just Kidding: A Benefit for Just Food

NYC Just Kidding: A Comedy and Music Benefit for Just Food is this Wednesday, May 3th. 

Just Food is a non-profit organization in NYC that helps increase access to fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. They work with community gardeners, regional farmers, and people in the community through 4 programs: City Farms, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in NYC, Community Food Education, and Food Justice.

Tickets start at just $40, and can be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com. For more information, call Just Food at 212-645-9880, ext. 221.

katrina relief events

These are but two well-organized nation-wide food-related events to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, if you know of any more please feel free to leave a comment or drop us an email!

Save New Orleans Cocktail Hour!
Monday, September 12
5:00 - 7:00 pm

"Bar and restaurant owners shake up New Orleans' classic cocktails to directly benefit New Orleans food and beverage industry workers who are out of work and sorely in need of funds for rebuilding their lives. During this special event New Orleans classics will be offered at participating bars for $10 per drink. Receipts from the Save New Orleans Cocktail Hour will be donated to a special tax-deductible relief fund established by the Museum of the American Cocktail."

There are a fair number of New York establishments participating, like Upper West Side stalwart Jacques-Imo's, which is throwing its own fundraiser on September 14. Good food, open bar, live entertainment and an auction, 100% of proceeds go towards hurricane relief. Advance tickets are $30 or $40 at the door.

(San Francisco's only got one place participating? What's up with that?)

Restaurants for Relief
Tuesday, September 27

OpenTable.com is organizing restaurants to donate a portion of their dinner sales from the night to Share our Strength's Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. List of participating restaurants will be up on September 12. Work at or own a restaurant that might like to join, please sign up!

big apple bbq block party review is coming

I'm still recovering from the wonderful meaty madness that was this past weekend's Big Apple BBQ Block Party so you'll have to wait a little bit longer for my review, but I was there both days (plus Friday's pit set up and VIP party) and shot a lot of photos, here are five to tide you over in the meantime:

Garry Roark of Ubon's "Champion's Choice". (Friday)

Beef brisket and sausage, Michael Rodriguez' of The Salt Lick. (Saturday)

Ed Mitchell of Mitchell's BBQ and some pork waiting to be pulled. (Saturday)

Baby back ribs, Mike Mills of 17th St Bar & Grill. (Sunday)

Pitmasters, hanging out. (Sunday)

If there's anything you particularly want to see photos of or hear about in my review, or you have something to share about your BABBP experience, please feel free to leave a comment!

nyt on restaurant week

The Times discusses NYC's upcoming Restaurant Week: For 20 Bucks, Is It Worth It?

David Waltuck, the chef and an owner of Chanterelle, said he uses ingredients that are "maybe a little less expensive" like chicken or salmon during the Restaurant Week lunch rush. "I wouldn't do calves' liver or tripe or a strong fish," he said.

But Akhtar Nawab, the chef at CraftBar, might. "We kind of try to show off that week," he said, offering dishes plucked from the regular menu, like orzo in rendered bone marrow and sea urchin tagliatelle. Portions, he said, are slightly smaller.

Other chefs do not change the portion size but may skimp on costly ingredients. "It may be the amount of fresh morels," said Kerry Heffernan, chef at Eleven Madison Park, referring to his signature English pea flan, one of five appetizer options.

Devi, the new Indian restaurant in Chelsea, may be too young to know any better, but dinner customers can pick any three dishes from its lengthy menu, including Jamison Farms' tandoor lamb chops, which usually cost $29.

Some chefs say it is worth the financial blow if participating customers return, and research compiled by NYC & Company says two-thirds of them do.

 

Two-thirds! Wow. I wonder if the return rate is different at places that offer cheaper, off-menu items as compared to those that treat Restaurant Week as a loss leader (like I talked about in my Taste of Chinatown review), not to mention the satisfaction rate for the second visit.

(I've reservations with friends at Blue Smoke and Artisanal for Restaurant Week, but now I'm thinking I should be checking Devi out for those tandoor lamb chops and Butter just because I like the chef's attitude about making a good first impression.)

nyc restaurant week

NYC New York Restaurant Week. $20.12 for lunch and $35 for dinner off of three course prix fixe menus at some of the best restaurants in the city. Most of the places I want to try are only participating at lunch, boo!

egg rolls & egg creams

NYC This Sunday, June 5 from 12 to 4 p.m. check out the free Egg Rolls & Egg Creams Block Party being thrown by the Eldridge Street Synagogue: "Celebrate the two cultures, Chinese-American and East European Jewish, that make our Lower East Side block so dynamic. Experience the traditions of the Synagogue's founders, as well as the customs and crafts of the Chinese immigrants who are our neighbors. This family-friendly event features storytelling, craft demonstrations, hands-on art activities, great music and, of course, kosher egg rolls and egg creams!" It's events like this that really make you appreciate living in such a melting pot of a city.

jim leff, chowhound

NYC We Pledge Allegiance. Jim Leff of Chowhound showed up at Coliseum Books to promote the new book, Chowhound's Guide to the Tri-State Area, in a dog mask to protect his identity. And how much do I love the pledge he asked the audience to take?

taste of chinatown 2005

NYC Some of you may remember me posting about last month's Taste of Chinatown 2005, in which over 50 restaurants, bakeries, tea houses and specialty shops in Chinatown offered tasting plates for just $1 each. Despite the rain I went down to Chinatown and met up with some friends to see what the various places had to offer, my pocket full of singles and my belly uncharacteristically empty.

I missed last year's event so I have nothing to compare this year's to but I thought it was a real mixed bag. A dollar per serving is a wonderful price point and I hadn't been to any of the places participating before, so Taste of Chinatown could've introduced me to many new great tastes, but that's not quite what happened. Each restaurant should've taken the event as an opportunity to put their best foot forward, to offer small portions of some of their best dishes up even if they lost a little bit of money on the day itself as a temporary loss leader, to make new customers out of people who might never otherwise step through their doors. From what I saw though most places decided not to go this route and offered basic items you can get from every other restaurant in the neighborhood (not to mention the greasy takeout places all over the city), like noodles and fried rice; smacked of cheapness and was to me a bad marketing decision.

Now that I've got my little diatribe out of the way: I went around trying lots of different things, taking heed of which items the people who were clearly regulars were purchasing. I ended up doing most of my eating on Mott! Here are some of my notes, with links to photos:

Mandarin Court
61 Mott
212-608-3838

They had lots of dimsum out but by far my favorites were the fried dumplings, both pork and shrimp. I went back for a second helping, making sure that my friends tried their wares too, and I will return to try a full meal.

House of Vegetarian
68 Mott
212-226-6572

I'm a dedicated carnivore but I really enjoyed the two desserts from HoV, the surprisingly delicate fried banana and the very light, very refreshing mango pudding. (Their hot & sour soup is supposed to be very good, for those of you who are strict vegetarians and had given up on ever having some again!)

Mr Tang's
50 Mott
212-233-8898

Rude service plus both things I tried, fried dumpling & fried tofu, were nasty. Two thumbs way down.

Ping's Seafood
22 Mott
212-602-9988

Everything I sampled from Ping's Seafood was just fantastic. I usually avoid chicken at Chinese restaurants but the spicy chicken on my plate was great, extremely hot but you could still taste all the underlying flavors. The real revelation though was the chow fun, none of my companions had ever had chow fun that looked anything like their chow fun and we couldn't get enough of it, we still talk about it a month later! I'm returning to Ping's later this week and will be sure to order it, and also to follow Gastronome-In-Training's recommendation to always sit upstairs, where the carts are more active.

Peking Duck House
28 Mott
212-227-1810

Talk about your temporary loss leader, Peking Duck House's tasting plate was actually Peking Duck! And they didn't exactly scrimp on the servings either. So as you can imagine the line was extremely long, at least 30 minutes or so. I was tempted to approach someone near the front of it and offer to pay for their serving if they would get one for me too but chickened out and ended up not having any, but you can bet I have plans to dine there sometime soon.

Hsin Wong
72 Bayard
212-925-6526

This place is right beside A Full Belly all-time favorite New Green Bo so I've walked by it many times and never even so much as glanced at the menu, but it was getting cold out and congee seemed like a good way to warm up so my friend Miranda and I decided to split a tub of what turned out to be lovely hot congee with century eggs and super salty pork. I'm happy to have an alternative for those days when I fiend for congee but getting to Congee Village on the LES feels like too much of a chore.

92nd st y food talks

The 92nd St Y has a trio of great food talks this May you might want to think about attending:

Fergus Henderson, Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich: Adventurous Eating
Gael Greene, moderator
Wed, May 4, 8:00 pm, $25

"Join this group of intrepid tasters and find out more about the world’s most unusual meals. Fergus Henderson is the chef of the UK’s acclaimed restaurant St. John and author of The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating. Mario Batali is star of TV’s Molto Mario and chef-owner of the New York restaurants Babbo, Lupa, Esca and Otto Enoteca Pizzeria. His new book is called Molto Italiano. Lidia Bastianich is chef-owner of Felidia, host of the popular Public Television series Lidia’s Family Table and author of a new book, Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen. Food writer and critic Gael Greene moderates. Her memoir, Insatiable, will be published in spring 2006."

Ruth Reichl in Conversation with Liz Smith: Food and Dishing
Wed, May 18, 8:00 pm, $25

"Ruth Reichl is the editor-in-chief of Gourmet and the author of the bestsellers Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me With Apples. Her most recent memoir is Garlic & Sapphires. She has been the restaurant critic at The New York Times and the food editor and restaurant critic at the Los Angeles Times."

This next one has already sold out (New Yorkers are cheese-crazed, after all) but I thought you should know about it anyway. If you really really really want to go, perhaps you can beg or pay for someone's spare ticket on Craigslist or outside the 92nd St Y right before the event; also the Y sometimes releases a bunch of tickets an hour before events at the box office, so give them a call!

Steven Jenkins: The Master Cheesemonger’s Favorite Cheeses
Sat, May 14, 7:30 pm, $45

"If you love cheese and wine, this program is for you. Learn all about cheeses (and the wines that love them) from Steven Jenkins, Fairway Market’s king of queso, and Joshua Wesson, Best Cellars’ guru of grapes. Jenkins will present nine cheeses in a comfortable and relaxed setting and Wesson will pour a quartet of quaffs to accompany them. Come hungry and ready to discover a new world of great tastes. Jenkins, author of Cheese Primer, was the first American to be inducted into France’s ancient and elite Guilde du St.Uguzon in 1976. His show, The Jenkins Chronicles, can be heard on NPR’s The Splendid Table."

NYC: November Food and Wine Events at the 92nd Street Y

The 92nd Street Y's Fall Calendar is full of food and wine events worth checking out this month, including how to roll your own sushi, a culinary walking tour of Hell's Kitchen, and several wine tastings. Unless otherwise noted, all programs take place at the 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue (between 91st and 92nd Streets). Registration/Tickets: www.92Y.org or 212-415-5500.

Panel - In Memory’s Kitchen
Sunday, November 7, 7:30 pm, $25
Join us for an unforgettable evening featuring Cara De Silva, editor, and Bianca Steiner Brown, translator of one of the most unusual cookbooks ever published, In Memory’s Kitchen, written by the women of the Terezin concentration camp. De Silva will recount the genesis of this important work and the remarkable survival of the manuscript on which it is based. Ms. Steiner Brown will speak about the book’s contents from the very personal perspective of someone interned in the camp for three years. Culinary historian and author Alexandra Leaf moderates.

Tasting - Wines of the New World
Tuesday, November 9, 7-9 pm, 2 sessions, $120 (includes materials)
Bold Cabernet from Chile, spicy Malbec from Argentina, silky Shiraz from Australia, crisp Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand—these are just a few of the exciting wines coming from the developing wine regions of the New World. Taste a wide sampling of wines from the Southern Hemisphere as you explore their variety and value under the guidance of wine expert Meg O’Connell. Eight wines per session.

Talk - Culinary Memories
Wed, Nov 10, 12-1 pm, $15
Michelle Greenwald, a food aficionado and author of the celebrated cookbook "The Magical Melting Pot," cooks up a sampling from the childhood memories and cultural influences of some of the country’s great chefs. Come hear about the culinary memories that inspired Zarela Martinez (Zarela’s in NYC), Chava Volman, longtime chef to the Israeli Ambassador to the U.N., and Ella Brennan (Commanders Palace restaurant in New Orleans), among others. This program takes place at MAKOR, the 92nd Street Y’s West Side location, at 35 West 67th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West.

Workshop - Roll-Your-Own Sushi
Begins Thu, Nov 11, 7-8:30 pm, 2 sessions, $70
For the price of dinner out, chef Simon Feil will teach you to prepare sushi – that healthful haute cuisine – in your own kitchen. Entertain friends, impress a date or enjoy a quiet evening at home with your newfound skills.

Food on film

Makor introduces a new monthy series beginning next week, the Food on Film Salon. Screenings are at the Steinhardt Building, 35 West 67th Street, and a 4-film subscription is available for $50. Definitely a series of films worth checking out, plus some interesting post screening discussions. More details from the press release:

Eat This New York (2003)
How many of us talk wistfully of opening our own restaurant? Billy Phelps and John McCormick try to realize this dream on a not yet trendy street corner in Williamsburg. As Billy and Jeff suffer through financial crisis, the loss of their chef, and a crumbling relationship, the camera turns on New York City's legendary restaurateurs (Daniel Boulud, Sirio Maccioni, Keith McNally, Drew Nieporent, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Danny Meyer) who prove that dreams really can come true.

Directors: Kate Novack and Andrew Rossi Runtime: 85 min

Featuring post screening discussion with Le Cirque owner Sirio Maccioni, and directors Andrew Rossi and Kate Novack, moderated by Peter Elliot of The Bloomberg Executive Dining Guide radio show.

Wed Sep 8 / 7:30PM / $15 (discussion)

Super Size Me (2004)
Morgan Spurlock boldly assesses McDonald's claim that their food can be good for you. A healthy 33 year old, Spurlock eats nothing but McDonald's food for thirty days, and as a result gains thirty pounds, loses his sex drive and faces liver failure. Astounding revelations about fast-food culture and America's obesity epidemic highlight this successful indie documentary.

Director: Morgan Spurlock Runtime: 96 min

Featuring post screening discussion with Alexandra Jamieson, vegan chef featured in Super Size Me, Anna Lappé author of Hope's Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet, and Bryant Terry, Executive Director of b-healthy! on September 14th.

Mon Sep 13 / 7 + 9PM/ $9

Tues Sep 14 / 7:30PM / $15 (discussion)

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
A delightful troupe of self-important, hollow socialites attempt over and over to sit down for a meal together. Dinner, the social ritual of the middle class, is constantly interrupted by secrets that lurk beneath the surface of this decaying European aristocracy: witlessness, adultery, drug dealing, cheating, military coups, perversion and the paralysis of boredom. A hilarious satire of upper class values, pointing out the subtle absurdities that constitute bourgeois presumptions and behaviors. In French with English subtitles.

Director: Luis Bunuel Runtime: 102 min

Post screening discussion with acclaimed pastry chef Bill Yosses of Joseph's and culinary historian Alexandra Leaf, author of The Impressionist Table, moderated by freelance food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark.

Tues Oct 12 / 7:30PM/ $15 (discussion)

Babette's Feast (1987)
In 1871 Babette fleas Paris to care for two aging sisters in a remote Danish village. For fourteen years she quietly tends to the sister's needs, cooking awful daily meals of reconstituted dried fish and a gruel made from bread and ale. Then, one day, she receives a letter from France announcing that she has won the lottery. Babette goes for broke, using the winnings to cook a feast. In this masterpiece of a meal, Babette confronts the uneducated palate, awakening interest, creating excitement and bringing the villagers together, color in their cheeks, for the first time. In Danish with English subtitles.

Director: Gabriel Axel Runtime: 102 min

Featuring post screening discussion with Rick Moonen, chef and owner of RM and Niloufar Motamed, Food Editor from Travel + Leisure Magazine.

Thurs Nov 4/ 7:30PM/ $15 (discussion)

National Hunger Awareness Day

Today is National Hunger Awareness Day, focusing attention on the persistent problem of domestic hunger. America's Second Harvest, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, has created several different opportunities to make it easy and fun to contribute to this worthy cause. "Award winning cookbook writer Molly O'Neill is scouring the country for the recipes that explain what it means to be an American. . . America is One Big Table. By sharing your favorite recipe - the one from your grandmother, the one you invented, that one everyone asks for - you help make sure that EVERYBODY gets enough to eat. And you may end up being part of the best American cookbook ever." Share your favorite recipe with America's Second Harvest - One Big Table Cookbook, or host a benefit "Potluck To End Hunger".

Dine in Brooklyn Week, April 15-22

Borough President Marty Markowitz has announced Dine In Brooklyn. A la Restaurant Week, participating restaurants will offer three-course, prix fixe menus for $18.98 (1898 is the year Brooklyn joined New York City), lunch or dinner. View a complete list of participating restaurants here.

My Kitchen Wars

Last week I was invited to attend My Kitchen Wars, performed by Dorothy Lyman and currently playing at the 78th Street Theater Lab. My Kitchen Wars is the memoir of Betty Fussell, food historian and author of several books, including the acclaimed The Story of Corn.

The 78th Street Theater Lab provides an intimate setting that suits the work well. The stage is transformed into a homey kitchen, where Fussell tells us her story while she "prepares" lobster bisque, a lobster-avocado salad and a Grand Marnier soufflé. Lyman is joined on-stage by jazz vocalist, Melissa Sweeney who provides fitting musical interludes and transitions.

Japanese Rice Cooking Contest

Thanks to an invitation from the most generous Souris, I attended the taping of the Kumai Harvest Japanese Rice Cooking Contest Semi-Finals, sponsored by NHK Television, to be broadcast in Japan. There were over 300 entrants in the contest, and three were chosen to compete in the semi-finals yesterday in New York City. The winner of the semi-finals will be flown to Japan to compete in the finals. The contestants had a limited amount of time to each prepare a cold dish, hot dish, and dessert which were judged by three professional chefs -- Mark Miller, Ming Tsai, and Michel Nischan.

Audience participation was encouraged and enthusiastic. We all were given samples of the contestants' hot dishes, and members of the audiences were selected to taste the contestants' desserts (including me!). I was impressed by all of the competitors and their creativity; each was dish imbued with the chef's unique personality. Best of luck to yesterday's winner in the Finals!

The Chefs, from left to right:Mark Miller, Ming Tsai, and Michel Nischan.
The Fans, from left to right: Jane, Robin, Souris, Me

Events at Suba

"In New York, it is not unusual to eat below street level. But Suba is something else. The descent to the dining room is a plunge into the netherworld, a series of twists and turns along a staircase made from industrial grating that delivers you, eventually, to a weirdly lighted windowless brick room. The platformlike dining area is surrounded by a moat of rushing water, illuminated to give off a fitful, flickering light."

Suba is hosting two series of events, suitable to its unique dining environment. First, The Diner in the Dark Chef Series to benefit the City Harvest charity. Waiters wearing night-vision goggles lead diners into the blackened dining room at Suba. Without being able to see their food, diners must rely on their other senses. A different guest chef will prepare a five-course dinner each week for four consecutive weeks. For reservations, call 212-982-5714, ext. 3. Schedule as follows:

October 27 - Alex Urena (Marseille)
November 3 - Chris Santos (Mojo)
November 10 - Alex Garcia (Calle Ocho)
November 17 - Anita Lo (Annisa)

Ed. Note: This particular event would be a great way to experience the Suba environs without the risk of submitting yourself to Chef Stephane Buchholzer's bizarre food pairings.

Consumed

For a different take on "you are what you eat" you might want to check out tonight's opening of David Shapiro's Consumed!

"For two years, acclaimed filmmaker, artist and native son of the early Williamsburg scene, David Shapiro has been saving every package, bag, bottle or jar that once contained his food or drink. He fills the space at Jack the Pelican Presents gallery to the brim with this bodega-sized collection of garbage."

Exhibition: David Shapiro: Consumed!
Opening: Friday, October 17, 7-9pm
Location: 487 Driggs Ave. between N. 9 and N. 10
Bedford stop on the L train, Williamsburg
Dates: October 18–November 10, 2003
Gallery hours: Friday–Monday, 12-6pm

Johnny Cash's favorites

This Friday From 7 to 10 p.m., Café St. Bart's (109 E. 50th Street at Park Avenue) will hold a salute to Johnny Cash, offering a $30 prix fixe of some of the late singer's favorite dishes while local artists perform songs either by the Man in Black or inspired by him. The meal will include Johnny Cash's Old Iron Pot Chili, Peggy's Famous Fried Chicken, mac and cheese, Jack Daniel's-laced pecan pie and more. alls. Donations collected during the evening will go to the American Diabetes Association (Cash died from complications from the disease). For reservations, call (212) 888-2664. [Via NYPost]

New York City Oyster Festival

Via MUG, New York City Oyster Festival
"To celebrate the time when New York was the capital of the booming northeastern oyster industry …
wealthy merchants built elegant rowhouses like the Merchant’s House … and oyster bars lined
the streets of Lower Manhattan."
Saturday, October 4 from noon-9pm
Hanover Square and Stone Street
Oysters and Guinness, a shucking competition at 2pm, and live music

See today's MUG for a list of places to eat oysters (WD-50, Crudo, Pearl Oyster Bar, Mary's Fish Camp, and opening tomorrow Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar).

Meet the Chefs Day

Via NYTimes Spare Times:

"MEET THE CHEFS DAY," Carmine Street between Bleecker and Bedford Streets, Greenwich Village. Featuring food from more than 30 area restaurants. Tomorrow, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tickets, $5 a tasting ($20 for five tastings purchased in advance); proceeds to benefit the Downing Street Preschool Cooperative and Our Lady of Pompei Elementary School. Also, raffles. Sponsored by the Carmine Street Block Association.

Does anyone have more info. on this event?

Upcoming events at 92nd St. Y

Remaining talks in the 92nd Street Y Food Talks series (Subscriptions:$65, $25 per):

East Coast, West Coast & In Between
Jeremiah Tower and Arthur Schwartz
Mon, Sept 15 @ 8:15

The New American Chef
Bobby Flay, Jonathan Waxman, Rozanne Gold and Gail Greene
Alexandra Leaf, moderator
Tues, Dec 2 @ 8

The Making of a Great Chef
Daniel Boulud and David Bouley
Thurs, Jan 15 @ 8:15

* * * * *

8th Annual Harvest in the Square

UPDATE: Harvest in the Square originally planned for Thursday, September 18, has been RESCHEDULED for Thursday, October 2. Tickets for the 9/18 will be honored on 10/2.

Thursday, September 18th: "More than 45 restaurants from the Union Square area will be getting together for the 8th Annual Harvest in the Square. The event takes place in the same space as the Union Square Greenmarket Farmers Market, and chefs offer small tastes (many of which will feature fresh produce from the Greenmarket) of what their restaurants have to offer. This year's participating restaurants include Blue Water Grill, Union Square Café, The City Bakery, Tamarind and Eleven Madison Park. Admission: $75 advance, $90 at door. 212-460-1208." (Via gayot.com)

According to the press release, "Harvest in the Square is a fundraiser benefiting the Union Square Local Development Corporation’s neighborhood initiatives. This year, the LDC is pleased to announce the launching of a Capital Campaign for the Redesign of Union Square Park’s North Plaza. Net proceeds from Harvest in the Square 2003 will be used to kick off this exciting public/private initiative that will enhance and beautify the playgrounds, concession, Greenmarket Farmers Market and open spaces."

Find out more about the Union Square LDC at unionsquarenyc.org.

Read on for complete list of participating restaurants.

foodie

Gothamist reports on "foodie," a "New York Food Event":

Joseph spends a couple weeks developing his menu, and then invites around 40-50 fellow foodies to enjoy a 6 course food-and-wine pairing menu every two months. Locations change from event to event, but the same meticulous attention and care to the experience is given at each. foodie has been word of mouth of late, and Gothamist was fortunate enough to be invited to his fourth foodielast month.

. . . . Joseph's next foodie will be in late October. foodie is $95 per person, for a six course meal, including wine at each course. For more information, e-mail: foodieny@hotmail.com

The Food Section Agenda

Be sure to check out Agenda: 9/3 to 9/9 at The Food Section for a week's worth of foodie friendly events.

MTV VMA Awards $8.28

LowerEastSideNY.com is running a promotion through tomorrow to celebrate MTV VMA Awards this Thursday, 8/28 -- participating restaurants are offering $8.28 dinner entrees. Participating restaurants include: Aka Cafe, Azul Bistro, Basso Eat, Cafe Chabon, Crudo, Essex, 1492, Katz's, Lansky Lounge, Monterone, Oliva, Paladar, Petrosino, Pink Pony, Punch & Judy, and Verlaine.

Link via Gothamist

Sushi-'nsanity

As part of the ongoing River to River Festival, Unity Restaurant serves a free sushi buffet along with $2.50 drafts every Thursday night to anyone living or working in the Downtown area. Looks like this is good through the end of September.

Details:
Sushi-'nsanity
Time: 5:00 - 8:00 PM
Location: Unity Restaurant (Vesey & North End, at Embassy Suites)
Price: Free
Phone: 646-769-4200

Has anyone been? If so, I'd love to hear about it.

TONY Eat Out 2003

TimeOut NY is hosting a tasting to celebrate the Eating & Drinking 2004 guide. The event is on Monday, September 29th, 2003 6:30 pm -- 9:30 pm at EYEBEAM, 540 West 21st Street (between Tenth and Eleventh Aves). Included in the $60/person price are the tastings, cocktails, and a copy of the Eating & Drinking 2004 guide.

The participating restaurants include: Aix, Angelica Kitchen, Artisanal, Blue Ribbon Bakery, Café Lebowitz, Ciao Bella, Cocotte, Crispo, Gramercy Tavern, Hell's Kitchen, Max, Nobu & Nobu Next Door, Noche, OLA, Patroon, Payard New York & Manhasset, Robin des Bois, Rosa Mexicano, Strip House, Tamarind, The Tasting Room, Tournesol, Town, Upstairs at '21',Wallsé and WD-50.

The Food Section Agenda

The Food Section has posted an excellent agenda for 8/20 to 8/26 including a cheese and wine tasting, Sweet Corn Festival, and a Barefoot Grape Stomping Party. Go read it for all the details.

150 Dinners on the Park Benefit

150 Dinners on the Park Benefit:
Monday, September 15, 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm.
The signature fundraising event of the 150th Anniversary of Central Park will take place in 150 homes, hotels and clubs with fabulous views of the Park. New York's top chefs, famous decorators, and celebrities will be paired with hosts and guests to present a gastronomical feast in an intimate setting.
For further information, please call Paola Zanzo at 212-310-6616 or email pzanzo@centralparknyc.org.
Tickets: $1,000 per person

I obviously won't be attending but in case you are, you might want to know that according to the NYPost, some of the chefs participating include Nobu Matsuhisa, Daniel Boulud, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Charlie Palmer, Terrence Brennan, Erik Blauberg, David Bouley, Eric Ripert and Michael White. Participating restaurants include Le Cirque, Da Silvano, The Four Seasons, Beppe, La Caravelle, La Grenouille and Felidia.