restaurants

Au revoir, Café des Artistes

Filed under: Dining

Au revoir, Café des Artistes. One of New York City's most fabled restaurants, Café des Artistes, has filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York. The restaurant, which was located at 1 West 67th Street, just off Central Park West, was once regarded as one of the most sought-after and highly rated restaurants in Manhattan. Owner George Lang closed the restaurant in August for renovations with a planned reopening in mid-September. Sadly, it appears this is never to happen and the restaurant's doors have been shuttered for good. The bankruptcy petition lists assets of $84,500 and liabilities of nearly $500,000 owed to creditors.

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Tags: bankruptcy, cafe des artistes, CafeDesArtistes, food, food and drink, FoodAndDrink, restaurants

Five-Diamond Restaurant Closes Down In Arizona

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

The lack of interest in fine dining has doomed the fancy fare in Tucson. The Arizona Daily Star reports that Tucson's only five-diamond restaurant, the upscale Ventana Room at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, has closed. The restaurant had closed for the summer as it usually does but now won't reopen. The resort's public relations director said that people prefer the gourmet comfort food to dress-up dining. The elegant restaurant was on the top floor of the hotel. Earlier this year prices were reduced and the requirement that gentlemen wear coats was dropped but it was not enough to stop diners from migrating to the more casual dining experiences available at the resort.

The Ventana Room served entrees including seared New England diver scallops with salsify and artichoke barigoule, Alaskan black cod with caramelized green apple, parsnip puree and currant balsamic reduction and Australian Wagyu beef tenderloin with Tohono O'odham white tepary beans and pomegranate port reduction. The Ventana room space will be converted to high-end meeting and banquet space for parties and special events. There is now only one five-diamond restaurant open in Arizona, Kai, at the Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, Arizona.

Gallery: Restaurant Woes

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Tags: arizona, fine dining, FineDining, gourmet fare, GourmetFare, restaurants, tucson, ventana room, VentanaRoom

OpenTable Diners Rank 50 Favorite Restaurants

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

OpenTable has released the list of the national winners of its 2009 Diners' Choice awards for Best American Cuisine. The list of winning restaurants was created using the 2.5 million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 9,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The list on Open Table shows the restaurants in alphabetical order and includes some very well-regarded restaurants such as New York City's Blue Hill and Gramercy Tavern, Thomas Keller's The French Laundry and Per Se and Michael Mina in San Francisco. One restaurant chain, The Capital Grille, a steakhouse located in many major cities including Chicago, Boston and Denver is prominently featured.

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Tags: dining, opentable, restaurants

Gordon Ramsay Sells His Ferrari In Debt Crisis

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

An article in the London Times has celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay finally speaking out on his financial troubles. Ramsay, never one to mince words, called the news that his accountants wanted to put his business into administration and that he owed more than £7 million "the worst bollocking ever." In January auditors from KPMG found that Gordon Ramsay Holdings was losing millions and they wanted to take control of Ramsay's restaurant empire.

Ramsay admits now that he expanded too quickly opening 10 restaurants in 10 months last year. At the height of the crisis he considered selling up to 20% of the company and his £6 million London home. He did end up selling his Ferrari and managed to right the company by firing some staff, selling some restaurants and he and his business partner Chris Hutcheson, his father-in-law put £5 million of their own money into the business. Ramsay is hoping that KPMG will give his company a clean bill of health, finally putting an end to what he terms "the worst year of my life." Sounds like a true kitchen nightmare.

Ramsay wasn't the only British celebrity chef to have a bad year. Antony Worrall Thompson's company AWT Restaurants Ltd. went into administration in February 2009. Last fall Tom Aikens one of London's handsome and temperamental Michelin starred chefs ran into trouble when he could not pay his suppliers. Ramsay seems to have avoided their fate for now and perhaps his recent humbling will help shift his focus from the fame and back to the food.

Gallery: Restaurant Woes

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Tags: debt, ferrari, gordon ramsay, GordonRamsay, restaurants

Nios - The New Restaurant at The Muse in NYC

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Dining, Wine

The Muse Hotel in New York City is a true gem. The pretty little boutique hotel is located on West 46th Street, near Times Square and the theater district, and now, even New Yorkers will be frequenting it's chic lobby. Why? They've opened a terrific new restaurant: Nios.

We checked out this swanky new hotspot on opening night - May 13th. Click through the gallery of the opening party for quotes from Puccini Group's Robert Polacek, one of the designers, and Kimpton Group's master sommelier Emily Wines about the decor and the fabulous wine selection.

Gallery: Opening Party at Nios

Tags: design, hotels, muse hotel, new york, NewYork, nyc, restaurants, wine

Cigar Smokers and the Fight for Public Places

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

The weather is getting warmer, and restaurants in cities across the United States are stretching out onto sidewalks. Why not bring a touch of Europe across the Atlantic and enjoy the fresh air? Well, for some, fresh air is what's at issue. Smokers, after spending a winter enduring the elements, are happy to enjoy a bit of comfort. With most cities passing smoking bans, outside has become the last option for a lot of us, and outdoor dining almost always leads to ill will.

I was out on my front stoop a few nights ago, cigar in hand – as I've done for the past two years at this location. Customers at Bistro Cassis, a few doors down, complained loudly and in shrill voices, "You can't do that! It's blowing right at us!" Well, I reminded her, it's a public place, and I can do what I want. I continued to enjoy my cigar, though I moved back a little bit, so the building would provide some cover. Routinely, staff at the restaurant has been unnecessarily rude, perhaps in an attempt to show some advocacy for guests. Routinely, the staff fails.

Had she asked nicely, of course, I would have gladly relocated to the benches on Central Park West, a block away. Most cigar smokers seem to share this attitude. Ask nicely, and we'll accommodate the best we can. Demands and rude tones tend not to yield the desired results.

Smoking bans are an easy target for cigar smokers (and, for that matter cigarette smokers), and I admit, our community gripes about them a bit too much. We're past the point of being productive, and dwelling on the injustice feels like a waste of time. The fight for outdoor spaces, however, is a very real outcome of the prohibition on indoor smoking. Without locations where we can partake of our chosen luxury, we're forced outside. Though the laws vary, most do not prohibit smoking on sidewalks. So, that's where we go, disrupting dining experiences as a result.

Tags: central park, centralpark, cigar, cigars, manhattan, new york, new york city, new york city marathon, NewYork, NewYorkCity, restaurant, restaurants, smoke, smoker, smokers, smoking, smoking ban, SmokingBan

Continue reading “Cigar Smokers and the Fight for Public Places”

The New York Restaurant Cookbook

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Books

The New York Restaurant Cookbook: Recipes From the City's Best Chefs is an armchair tour of the most cutting-edge culinary city in the world. The book features recipes for the signature dishes from over 100 of the New York City's best restaurants, all selected and painstakingly adapted by respected food journalist Florence Fabricant.

The new version just out from Rizzoli has been updated with 30 all-new recipes from the most important restaurants in Manhattan, and its surrounding boroughs, on the scene today. Recipes are divided into eleven separate chapters including Appetizers; Soups; Salads; Pasta & Rissoto; Eggs, Sandwiches, Pizza & Brunch; Seafood; Poultry; Meat; Side Dishes; Desserts; and Drinks.

Highlights include Union Square Cafe's Grilled Filet Mignon of Tuna, Brooklyn's hip The Grocery's Seared Foie Gras with Asian Pear and Endive Salad, the iconic Second Avenue Deli's comforting Chicken Soup and the newly minted Fig & Olive's fresh Zucchini Carpaccio recipe. There are also chef's tips, wine and beverage suggestions, an exhaustive sources list, and full directory of restaurant addresses.

Tags: chefs, cookbook, cooking, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, restaurants, Union Square Cafe, UnionSquareCafe

El Bulli Is The Top Restaurant Yet Again

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Once again the molecular gastronomy stylings of chef Ferran Adria have pushed Spanish restaurant El Bulli to the top of another world's best restaurants list. El Bulli won the top slot in the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants 2009. The list is the result of a poll of more than 800 chefs, critics managers and others done for Restaurant Magazine.

According to the AFP, Adria is quoted as saying it was an important night for Spain (in addition to El Bulli, two other Spanish restaurants, Mugaritz and El Celler de Can Roca were in the top five). He dedicated his award to Heston Blumenthal, whose restaurant, The Fat Duck was in the second position. Adria praised Blumenthal for his honesty. Blumenthal closed his restaurant briefly over a potential food poisoning scare earlier this year. Restaurants in the top ten from the U.S. were Thomas Keller's Per Se and Grant Achtaz's Alinea in the US.

Off the list this year was Gordon Ramsay's flagship London restaurant. Bloomberg reports that it was in 13th place last year but didn't even crack the top 100 for 2009. He did squeak onto the list in slot 91 with his restaurant Maze.

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Tags: el bulli, ElBulli, ferran adria, FerranAdria, fine dining, FineDining, heston blumenthal, HestonBlumenthal, restaurants

Nobu Opens In Moscow

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Just the other day we heard about how Russians are being urged to be more modest in their spending habits. This can't be good news for Nobu, the Japanese restaurant chain co-founded by Robert De Niro which is opening their latest outpost in Moscow. Bloomberg quotes Nobu's local partner, millionaire developer Aras Agalarov who promises the restaurant will be profitable but there's no denying that the timing is not ideal.

Nobu Moscow is decorated with dark wood and burnished gold light fixtures and is located on the top floor of Agalarov's Crocus luxury retail building. An average meal will probably cost around $90. Nobu restaurants now span the globe, most recently Nobu opened its first African restaurant in February.

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Tags: moscow, nobu, restaurants

Tao Las Vegas Tops Restaurant Earnings List

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Restaurants everywhere are struggling, Las Vegas tourism is down and still somehow Tao Restaurant and Nightclub in Las Vegas owns the top spot on the list of the 100 highest grossing independent restaurants in the U.S.according to the latest data from Restaurants and Institutions. This was Tao's third time at number one in a year where sales in the top 100 pretty much stayed the same as last year's numbers ($1.52 billion in 2008, compared to $1.53 billion in 2007).

Tao Las Vegas brought in $68.4 million in food and beverage revenue in 2008 which is a three percent gain over 2007. The rest of the top five, Tavern on the Green in New York City, Joe's Stone Crab in Miami Beach, Smith & Wollensky in New York City and Tao Asian Bistro in New York City were all also in the top five last year.

The list includes a few celebrity restaurants. Danny DeVito's DeVito South Beach is in the 19th slot, Michael Jordan's steakhouse at the Mohegan Sun is number 62 and Mike Ditka's Chicago restaurant is in the 94th position. Celebrity chefs also appear on the list. Wolfgang Puck owns a few slots, Mario Batali and Lydia Bastianich's Del Posto in New York is at number 45. "Top Chef" host Tom Colicchio is on the list for Craftsteak in Las Vegas and Daniel Boulud hits the list twice.

Most of the restaurants are located in major cities or in vacation destinations but there are a few surprises. The Harris Ranch restaurant is located in the small cow town of Coalinga, California and Zehnder's is in the Bavarian-themed town of Frankenmuth, Michigan.

[via Bloomberg]

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Tags: danny devito, DannyDevito, michael jordan, MichaelJordan, restaurants, tao las vegas, TaoLasVegas, tom colicchio, TomColicchio, wolfgang puck, WolfgangPuck

The Plaza Hotel's Oak Room Relaunches March 18th

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

World renowned restaurant The Oak Room at New York City's Plaza Hotel is reopening March 18th with a brand new chef, Eric Hara (right).

The legendary Oak Room has an all new menu planned, featuring classic and modern American cuisine at "prices that are appropriate for today's economy." Entrees will run from just $22 - $35.

Eric Hara was most recently executive chef of David Burke Townhouse and Fishtail.

The Oak Room and adjacent Oak Bar have been redesigned by architect Annabelle Selldorf, bringing contemporary flourishes to the historic space which first opened in 1907. Be sure and visit the new Oak Room next time you are in New York!

Tags: eric hara, EricHara, new york, new york city, NewYork, ny, nyc, oak room, OakRoom, plaza, plaza hotel, PlazaHotel, restaurant, restaurants

Michel Rostang's $122 Sandwich (Yes, Truffles)

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

It seems whenever there's some kind of exorbitantly expensive food there's an ingredient that almost always makes an appearance: truffles. This sandwich, called LE "SANDWICH" TIEDE A LA TRUFFE FRAÎCHE, and created by French chef Michel Rostang, is no exception. It will appeal to purists mostly as it is amazingly simple: fresh truffles are sliced and placed on toasted country bread with salted butter. The sandwich sits for two nights (so the flavors can marinate together) and then the whole thing is lightly grilled on both sides. That's it. Heck, if you have some spare truffles lying around you can make this at home instead of a grilled cheese or something. Or maybe not. 98 €

Gallery: Expensive Truffle-based Eats

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Tags: chefs, dining, michel rostang, MichelRostang, most expensive, MostExpensive, restaurants, sandwich, truffles

The Vodbox: Another Place To Drink While Cold

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

One of the hottest trends lately seems to be getting cold in order to drink. The Vodbox at Nic's Beverly Hills isn't another ice bar but it s chilled to a brisk 28 degrees. The Vodbox offers more than 80 varieties of vodka that can be tasted in flights. Guests are provided with warm coats and hats for their brief sojourn into the cold and when they are finished they can warm up in the lounge or the restaurant with a hot meal served with classic California cool style.

[via LA Times]

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Tags: los angeles, LosAngeles, restaurants, vodbox, vodka

'Bottle Keep' Means No More Wine by the Glass

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Services

How many times have you passed on a glass of wine because the kind you wanted was only sold by the bottle? The Japanese have a good thing going called "bottle keep" that takes care of that problem by allowing customers to drink what they want out of a bottle of wine and save the rest for later. The restaurant puts the customers name on the bottle and keeps it in the back until their next visit.

What an awesome way to make the most of a bottle of wine (not to mention impressing friends and family with the VIP treatment!). Obviously this idea isn't reserved only for the Japanese so now I'm be on the hunt for a restaurant that offers this service (or something like it) in my area.

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Tags: bottle, bottle keep, BottleKeep, bottles, dining, japan, japanese, restaurant, restaurants, tradition

Nobu Slated to Open in Qatar

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Luxe sushi empire Nobu, backed by Robert De Niro, plans to open an eatery in Doha, Qatar's capital city. Planning is in the early stages and the exact location is unknown, but the odds-on favorite is the landmark Four Seasons Doha in West Bay on the Arabian Gulf, the Qatari Penisula reports. This will be Nobu's second Middle Eastern outpost, following the branch at the newly-opened Atlantis in Dubai's Palm Jumeirah. Qatar, which has the highest per capita income in the world, is also the site of upcoming restaurants from famed chefs Gordon Ramsay and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, part of the country's growing luxeification. Nobu currently has has 21 restaurants in 16 cities around the world.

Tags: Doha, Dubai, Four Seasons, Four Seasons Doha, FourSeasons, FourSeasonsDoha, Gordon Ramsay, GordonRamsay, jean-georges vongerichten, Jean-georgesVongerichten, Nobu, Qatar, Restaurants, Robert De Niro, RobertDeNiro, Sushi

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