Posts for June 30, 2009

Emma Cleary May Be Out at the Mott

We’ve heard from a source close to the Mott that investors have pushed Emma Cleary out of the restaurant she’s been working to open for over two years. When we attempted to confirm this through the Mott’s new PR company (the old one is no longer involved), we received the following statement from an anonymous insider: “We do not have a successor named yet, but I can confirm that Emma was terminated from the project. She’s not an active participant in this project anymore.” Asked whether this was indeed the case and when the restaurant would open, Cleary told us, “I can’t comment on whether it’s opening or not — we are having legal disputes and I can’t comment any further.” (Cleary is, of course, still listed as a principal of Mott Group Ltd. on the liquor license.) Needless to say, the Mott won’t be opening July 3 as OpenTable indicated — those involved in the project are still tweaking the menu and décor and are aiming to launch next Wednesday. The downstairs lounge has been put on hold, meaning one of the city’s storied bar spaces will remain in limbo.

Will New Baked Goods Save Starbucks?

In its latest effort to regain coffee-chain dominance (after closing 600 locations and pledging to build “green” stores), Starbucks introduced its new “all-natural” bakery items today throughout the U.S. For the calorie-conscious, the portion sizes are smaller. For the cost-conscious, the prices are about the same. The formerly dinner-plate–size cookies have been reduced by about a third, and their Marshmallow Dream bars (the Starbucks take on a Rice Krispie treat) is a practically virtuous 210 calories, down from a sinful 360. Also gone are ingredients that are bad for you, like high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors and dyes. (The banana bread, formerly artificially flavored, now gets a quarter of its weight from real live bananas, nutritionist Keith-Thomas Ayoob said yesterday at a press preview.) Starbucks is also particularly proud of the provenance of the fruit components, though Michigan cherries, Oregon blueberries, and Washington apples are not exactly local. There are new, non-bakery items, too. We tried to order one of the new Protein Plates (cheese, peanut butter, fruit, a mini-bagel, and a hard-boiled egg; 370 calories) later, to balance out the baked goods, and it was sold out.

Joe Doe Coda: “You Will Make Me Famous, and for That I Love You Little Bloggers”

Eater’s link to our interview with Joe Dobias caused an outpouring of comments similar to the ones on Grub Street, and one of them came from Joe Doe himself:

you guys are true to form at eater. Read nymag before you glance material for your bloodbath. Thanks for all the comments. I assure you you will make me famous and for that I love you little bloggers sticking together. "thick as thieves right!?" Just an FYI I cleary said I was not of the level of dainel nor chef hamilton ..... still only see what you want to see. I am proud of my nonconformist style and mt "silly names" are obviously offending the grand culinary palletes at eater! THanks for the coverage. Funny how we couldn't ever get you guys to pay attention and now you love us, well some hate us, but HEY THANKS GUYS! F Eater


Rest assured Joe Doe doesn’t hate all bloggers — tonight he’s providing food (along with Van Leeuwen, Mama’s, Cupcake Stop, and others) for a private launch party for the Young and Hungry, which had nice things to say about his brunch back in May.

Earlier: Chef Joe Doe Speaks Out About the New York Dining Circus

Community Food & Juice Reopening Soon; Applebee’s Comes to Harlem

Chelsea: The Fancy Food Show handed out Sofi Awards last night (for specialty outstanding food innovation), and Sarabeth's Kitchen Blood Orange Marmalade won for the best “Classic” product. [Blondie and Brownie]
Harlem: An Applebee’s is opening at 125th and Fifth Avenue, but not everyone wants one. [Uptown Flavor]
Morningside Heights: After closing because of a kitchen fire in April, Community Food & Juice hopes to reopen July 15. [Community Food & Juice]
West Village: Elettaria has introduced a tiki-bar-themed Monday-night happy hour with zombies, scorpion bowls, and mai tais half-price from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. [NY Barfly]

For $250, BB Sandwich Bar Will Tell You What Makes Its Cheesesteak So Unappealing

BB Sandwich Bar’s cheesesteak met the ire of Joey Campanero when he picked the city’s best (how many points did he give it? “Across the board: zero, zero, zero. Each aspect is no way near a cheesesteak”), and it placed dead last in Rob Patronite’s and Robin Raisfeld’s cheesesteak rankings. But now that the owner doesn’t have his hands tied up at Shea (he says he couldn’t afford the sponsor fee at the new stadium), he’s offering to give up the recipe for “this unbelievable money-making product.” For just $250, the secret of the hot sauce will be revealed and you’ll learn how to “blow away your patrons” with a poppy-seed Kaiser roll, Spanish onions, and Wisconsin American cheese. Here’s the Craigslist ad.

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Is Your Favorite Food Cart Legit?

The licensed operator of your favorite food cart might be dead. A two-year city investigation estimated that at least 500 vendor licenses are fakes — either registered to dead people or held by those who are no longer in the business. Vendor advocates say that market conditions encourage fraud, because only a dozen or so permits a year are legally available through the Department of Health. Once you have a permit, you can renew it indefinitely by mail. The city arrested six people this morning on charges related to submitting false documents and putting valid permits on illegal carts.

Six Arrested in Probe of City's Food Vendors [Diner's Journal/NYT]

The Master and Margarita

Back when he picked the West Village’s best outdoor margarita, Mayahuel’s Philip Ward gave us the basics of how he makes his own. Over to Time Out for the step-by-step breakdown. [TONY]

Tables Available at Elettaria; River Café and Scarpetta Mostly Booked

It’s 4 p.m., and that means it’s time to play Two for Eight. We just asked ten restaurants the best time they can squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don’t guarantee the results.) Today: Romance.

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Ama Closes, But the Napkin Dance Lives On

While Gus & Gabriel opens in the old Kefi space without Donatella Arpaia’s involvement, Eater reports that another space she pulled out of, Ama, has closed in Soho. Especially sad since New York food editors Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld liked the food. But in the realm of Pugliese dining, there’s this bit of consolation: As evidenced by a video uploaded to YouTube yesterday, they’re still shaking their napkins over at Little Italy’s Puglia.

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Finally, Your Chance to Work for the Supervisor of the Martians

Thomas Harlan is now hiring.

No, being a line cook at Spice Market (and helping Vongerichten win back those stars) isn’t the most exciting opportunity on Craigslist. That would be this:

Mars 2112 is a theme restaurant is seeking actors and actresses for interactive acting. Please contact Thomas M Harlan @ tomharlan@inorbit to set up and appointment to audition please bring a head shot and resume and a one min. monolouge. If you cannot audition please send your resume and head shot to: Thomas M. Harlan Supervisor of the Martians @ Mars 2112


Want to be the next Dr. Mars? Compensation: $10 an hour. Opportunity to hit on Princess Glorianna over post-shift Marstinis: priceless.

Brooklyn Bowl Is Expected to Open This Week

Brooklyn Bowl has kept its opening date a closely guarded secret, promising to reveal it to Twitter followers first. But it seems to have finally snagged its Certificate of Occupancy, because a June 28 posting on its website promises, “The good news is, we’ve decided on our open date, and it’s very, very close.” How close? A Times article and slideshow about the club’s green policy says it’s opening this week, though it won’t start serving Blue Ribbon comfort food till later. Buy some fresh socks, kids; it’s time to go bowling.

Le Père Pinard Shutters After a Decade on the Lower East Side

First Jarnac and Payard, and now Ludlow Street fixture Le Père Pinard has shuttered, according to an Eater tipster. Owner Yassine Bentaleb confirms with us that June 13 was the last day of business. Bentaleb tells us the landlord wanted to triple the lease, signed ten years ago. “Business was pretty good, but it was not what it used to be,” Bentaleb says. “The area changed because of the construction going on, which killed business a bit.” Instead of jacking up prices to accommodate the rent increase, Bentaleb and his partner, Fabrice Vautrin, decided to concentrate on their other restaurants, Ten Bells and Les Enfants Terribles. Le Père Pinard’s fixtures are currently in storage, and though the owners are taking it easy this summer, they may have discussions in September about bringing the bistro back.

Which of the New Pizzerias Is Getting the Biggest Piece of the Pie?

Now that Co. has reached the half-year mark, you might wonder how it and its fellow new-wave pie joints are doing. A little over a month ago, we were surprised to find Tonda nearly empty on a Friday night, during peak hours. Hey, all the easier to snag a sidewalk table — but we worried the crickets weren’t just because it was Memorial Day weekend. When we stopped by last Friday at 8 p.m., the scene was just as grim. For some perspective, we counted heads at half a dozen other recently opened pizzerias between the hours of 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday. Here are the results.

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Just Another Day at Ray’s

No one bothers interfering when some kids go around “committing acts of blunt violence” in the East Village, except that when they enter Ray’s Candy Store and get lewd with the counterperson, 76-year-old Ray wakes from his nap and douses them in water. That’ll school ’em. [Neither More Nor Less]

Wafels & Dinges Holds Strong at 375 Hudson

Two weeks after the management of 375 Hudson tried to run off the Wafels & Dinges truck because it looked “unprofessional,” it’s parked outside the building again this morning, according to a tweet and this photo sent in by a reader. Fight the power!

Denny’s Tries to Rebrand; Carl’s Jr. Seeks Next Burger Girl

• Denny's is trying to rebrand itself as a late-night spot for young adults with menu items created by bands like Good Charlotte. [WSJ]

• You could be the next Audrina Patridge: Carl's Jr. is looking for women to suggestively eat its burgers in new ads. [Videogum]

• Massive Italian supermarket Eataly, which will be operated by the Batali/Bastianich empire, has signed a lease at 200 Fifth Avenue. [Diner's Journal/NYT]

• Last night's Law & Order: Criminal Intent featured a struggling chef as a suspect and a food-news blog called PotLuck. [Serious Eats]

• A new Clinton Hill bodega is named Obama Deli & Grocery, and its sign features a picture of the President. [ClintonHillBlog]

• Harlem is getting an Applebee's and neighbors aren't sure whether it's "a continuation of the suburbanization of 125th Street or a needed service in the community." [UPTOWNFlavor]

• Minneapolis's swank Chambers Hotel has dumped Jean-Georges Vongerichten as its food provider in favor of local company D'Amico and Partners. [Eat/Pioneer Press]

Chef Joe Doe Speaks Out About the New York Dining Circus

Yesterday we were highly entertained, though not exactly surprised, to see JoeDoe’s namesake chef-owner Joe Dobias lash out at Marc Shepherd for penning a review on his blog, NY Journal, that deemed the restaurant hard to take seriously: “Its quirky offerings often sound interesting, but when the plates arrive the payoff isn’t there.” In the comments, Dobias insisted the “malicious post” was revenge for the fact that Shepherd (whom Dobias went on to call “an angry little man” and a “hapless shameless little person,” even comparing him to George Costanza) hadn’t been allowed to take photos, and went on to share more opinions about “shithead bloggers” being “stuck up little kids” with “no training, no schooling, and probably as I always say no real life experience working in a restaurant.” Before JoeDoe opened his doors, we were probably the first outlet to get in touch with him, and have happily covered his experiments with Madoff menus, tongue-sandwich delivery, and of course its brunch battle with Prune; so we knew a little bit about his frustrations with PR and media coverage. So when his new PR intern e-mailed to tell us about a Fourth of July all-day rib roast (featuring specials such as pork ribs with pickled slaw, barbecue chicken with macaroni salad and summer greens, and crispy watermelon with Greek yogurt), we asked him for an on-the-record sit-down.

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