Grub Street has the details.
Fatty ‘Cue Williamsburg Closed (But Not for Good)
Reasons to Love Williamsburg
12/20/2011 |
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NY Magazine’s annual list of reasons to love NY include two of my favorite things about Williamsburg –
- Santorini, which continues to offer a pay-what-you-think-its-worth dining plan, and
- The East River Ferry, which continues to swim laps around the L Train.
Restaurant Neighborhood of the Year: Williamsburg
Unlike Bloomberg, Zagat has been to actual new restaurants in the outer boroughs. They are impressed enough with Williamsburg’s latest crop (Allswell, Brooklyn Star, Cafe de la Esquina, Forcella, Isa, Mable’s, Maison Premiere, Masten Lake, Meatball Shop and Pillar & Plough) that they’ve anointed it restaurant neighborhood of the year.
(It’s nice to see that the Northside sharing in the good eats action – the Southside has been kicking its ass in that category for years now.)
Roberta’s – One of NY’s Ten Best “New” Restaurants
Bloomberg puts Roberta’s on list of 10-best NY restaurants for 2011:
8. Roberta’s: Not new, really, but this was the year Manhattan discovered an Italian-American gem…
Oh, so not really. At least they’re honest in their provincialism.
New CB1 Liquor License Rules
Aaron Short has the info on the new rules and guidelines that CB1 instituted for new liquor license applications. Most of the rules codify what CB1 has been looking for all along, and try to rein in the biggest sources of complaints, in particular outdoor areas – limiting hours of operation for outdoor spaces, etc. (the rules don’t require a full kitchen for bars with outdoor spaces, as reported, but they do require seated food service at all times). As Short notes, all talk of moratoriums and (worse) a ban on liquor licenses in “residentially-zoned” areas (which accounts for 90% of CB1) are off the table.
And for those concerned that the new rules will restrict nightlife, its worth noting that CB1 approved 9 (out of 11) new licenses this month, all of which voluntarily met the new rules (as have most of the applicants for the past year or more). The two rejections were no-shows.
Santorini: Pay What You Feel the Food Is Worth – Forever
What it boils down to is that people are inherently good, and when a decision like this is left up to them they’ll usually take the high road.
And with that, Santorini ends the experiment and makes it a permanent thing. At any price, the food is worth it.
Brooklyn is the Coolest City on the Planet
10/21/2011 |
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GQ validates our lifestyle choices by calling out Brooklyn as the coolest city on earth for its food. Even Alan Richman is on board – proclaiming the chef’s table at Brooklyn Fare to be the “most exciting restaurant in New York“.
Meanwhile, Fucked in Park Slope is not entirely impressed (and most of their comments are pretty apt).
Brooklyn Has the Best Pizza in the City
The Daily News reports that Brooklyn has taken the top spot in Zagat’s pizza ranking. The top-rated pizza in the city is Totonno’s. The top five are all outer borough – four in Brooklyn, including Roberta’s, and one on Staten Island. So if you’re looking for decent pizza in Manhattan, check out the list here and skip down to #6.
St. Anselm Gets a Star
Sam Sifton:
Like the real-life St. Anselm, the restaurant makes an ontological argument. If we can conceive of an affordable steakhouse on the same block as the Metro Line cab stand and the Brooklyn home of the Knitting Factory, then surely such a thing must exist. And here it is now: St. Anselm is Keens for the millennial set, a Bar Americain for the riders of fixed-gear bikes.
The Brooklyn Restaurant Awards
The L Magazine presents its list of best restaurants in Brooklyn. Plenty to choose from, and to agree or disagree with (I’ll have to try Maison Premiere again – first time around I was very underwhelmed by their oysters, in particular their ability to properly shuck them).
Presumably, the L’s readership is hip enough to know where all of these great restaurants are – the article omits addresses.