The Village Tart
Cuisine: Dessert and Drinks
Price:Reasonable

Nolita
86 Kenmare Street at (Mulberry Street)
New York, NY 10013
(212) 266-4980
www.villagetart.com

Part restaurant, part dessert bar, part lounge, but 100% delicious, The Village Tart does breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night right.  Antique mirrors fit into jigsaw patterns across the walls, while the comfy booths and pressed ceiling instantly set the mood for a relaxing, romantic evening. 

Well known chef, Pichet Ong, whose past ventures include Jean Georges and P*Ong, now can call The Village Tart home, as well.  His goal this time?  Combining sweet and savory flavors with a rustic flare aided by local products.  Take, for instance, the sweet potato gratin with goat cheese. Each ingredient does its part to uphold the balance between sweet and savory.  Even the desserts have multiple curtain calls!  The grapefruit butterscotch budino with rum whipped cream and the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich translated into a cupcake are among the temptuous highlights.

The Village Tart is a a relaxing drink spot, an after dinner dessert spot, or the setting for an entire meal from beginning to end.  Outdoor seating is set to open upon the arrival of the summer season.

Drunken Horse
Cuisine: Wine and Tapas
Price: Reasonable

Chelsea
225 Tenth Avenue
New York, NY 10011
(212) 604-0505
www.drunkenhorse.net

From the brother-owner duo behind Turks & Frogs gallops in the Drunken Horse, a new wine bar in the Chelsea neighborhood that is sure to charm the sobriety off of any hard-working metropolitan or school-slaved college student.  

Opening the door to this new vino venue, the dimly-lit interior will warmly welcome you into it's delicately-brewed bosom, preparing that overworked soul for a silky glass of an extra special something, allowing you to unwind, relax and saddle up for a night of distilled decadence. The site's brick accent walls compliment the cantaloupe-tinged hanging lampshades, creating a rustically-rouged light scheme that will allow you to calmly clear your mind before you tousle it with some toddy.

Sitting at the bar or on cozy couches up front (or, perhaps if you're trying to impress an attractive potential plus one, there's an intimate dining room in the back), you'll peruse the small but comprehensive wine list, noting the strong vintage selections from Italy, France and Spain, and additional pickings from California, Australia and Argentina, sure to please any pony's palate.

And what's the point of boozing on wine all night if you can't attempt to balance out the giddy by noshing on some sinfully-divine tapas? The menu aims to please as it lovingly offers to make up for that pathetic excuse for a meal that you heated up in you office's microwave for lunch. The cheese selection is garnished with tasty choices like the Isatara, sheep's milk cheese with a creamy-smooth texture, spiked with sweet hints of hazelnut, fig, and olive. Try the Midnight Moon, a celestial coalescence of refined goat milk's flavoring, subtly salty creaminess, and a nutty texture. You may pick your choice of three ($13) or five ($17).

Compliment all of that dairy with an affectionate spank of briny, by ordering some of Drunken Bar's charcuterie. Wrap some grapes in prosciutto or pair a few olives with some slabs of Genoa salami. Like the cheese, you may order these by three ($16) or five ($19). But expanding out past the meat and cheese options (although they would totally do the trick all by their naughty selves), the bar offers hummus, lentil balls, and sandwiches, or try one of their hot appetizers, the Signar Boregi - a warm phyllo roll with feta cheese nestled inside that's fried until golden-brown. Basically, what I'm telling you to do is invite all of your friends, have them each order something different, and then have a greedy free-for-all of epic gluttonous proportions.

So, my little lush ponies, take your marks! The Drunken Horse is open Sunday through Thursday, 4pm-12am, and Friday and Saturday, 4pm-2am. From the liquor to the larder, you'll be licking those Merlot lips all night long. Drunken horses couldn't carry you away and, really, would you want them to? Cheers!

Spitzer's Corner
Cuisine: European
Price: Moderate

Lower East Side
101 Rivington Street
(Corner of Ludlow Street)
New York, NY 10002
(212) 228-0027
www.spitzerscorner.com

American gastropub Spitzer's Corner will debut their new brunch menu this weekend.  If crowds are not your preference, I suggest skipping dinner and hitting the brunch menu. The lively atmosphere, a product of communal tables, great beer, and a stylish, medieval décor, is a sublime match for midday weekend fare.

In accordance with the brunch theme, Spitzer's menu offers an array of breakfast and lunch items. Breakfast-themed dishes include a pork-belly eggs benedict, an entree of seared pork-belly and organic poached eggs stacked atop a soft, sweet brioche roll and topped with sautéed chicory and hollandaise sauce as well as lemon ricotta pancakes, drizzled with strawberry sauce and topped with pineapple mint compote and fresh berries.

Those desiring lunch can choose dishes such as truffle macaroni and cheese, where pasta is mixed with melted parmegiano reggiano, white cheddar, and fontina cheeses and truffles, seasoned with rosemary and thyme and topped with panko bread crumbs, or a juicy braised lamb sandwich. Served on toasted country bread spread with mint aioli, the braised lamb sandwich is filled with tender chunks of lamb, artichokes, grilled scallions, carrots, and radishes.

All dishes can be washed down with Spitzer's fresh squeezed orange juice, organic, homemade bloody marys, mimosas, bellinis, or anyone of their domestic and imported selection of eighty beers.

Ovest Pizzoteca By Luzzo
Cuisine: Italian, Pizzeria
Price: Moderate

Chelsea
513 W. 27th Street (Between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues)
New York, NY 10001
(212) 967-4392
www.ovestnyc.com

Ovest Pizzoteca is not your typical pizzeria, as the name suggests.  It is a hybrid pizzeria-enoteca set in the western stretches of Chelsea.  Ovest offers up a selection of antipasti, panini, pastas and of course, pizzas.  At the center of it all is the coal burning oven, adding not only Italian authenticity, but a desirable soft, crispy crust.  With pizza toppings such as proscuitto, fresh arugula, and imported mozzarella di bufala, the flavors are clean and straightforward.  The classic simplicity of fresh, quality ingredients is the key to getting it right.  For an option other than pizza, try the Goloso panini, a combination of goat cheese, olive pate, eggplant, and speck.  Or the Frusta, brick-oven baked-loaves filled with goodies like spicy salame, broccoli rabe and proscuitto cotto.  Wash it all down with a glass of vino from the expansive wine list, and you might just forget you are still in New York!

Little Skips
941 Willoughby Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11221
(corner of Charles and Willoughby)
(718) 484-0980
www.littleskips.com

In a city as caffeine-affluent as New York, literally every street, block and corner has a coffee shop that professes its superiority above the rest. Daily, we are bombarded with advertisements for this new blend or that extra-shot-something-or-other, when, really, coffee is coffee and we're too apathetic/rushed/frazzled to care.

Or are we?

Nuzzled in Bushwick, Little Skips, a newborn coffee shop that also operates as a music and art venue, offers the un-phased coffee gurus of New York another option for their morning brew. With peculiar, yet tastefully charming original creations, this place is sure to jostle the jaded.

Owners Linda Thach and Henry Glucroft claim "unadulterated fun" on their website, describing their place as, "part café, part restaurant, beer & wine [and], all fun." On the inside, exposed-brick walls provide a dark and cozy haven to shield customers from the fast-paced environment of the city that surrounds them. With art featured from local and international artists and an eclectic music selection, Little Skips has the coffee-house ambiance needed to attract the local clientele. Unique creations on their menu, like the "Honey Butter My Mango" sandwich (warm bread smothered in butter with slices of mango covered in honey and cinnamon), or the must-try "Bushwick Egg Cream" (seltzer, chocolate syrup and milk with espresso), will intrigue the diners, if not lure them back for seconds. Pastries, quiches and muffins are also daily regulars.

Hoping to never fall into the mainstream drone of other coffee shops, Little Skips plans to prolong their romance with Brooklyn residents by spicing up their days with events like dance parties, live music, private dinners, game nights, weekend brunch, and the occasional beer pong match. The lively, friendly and comfortable environment will rejuvenate the weary and make an excellent new addition to the coffee scene in Brooklyn.

Little Skips is open Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 9am-6pm. To learn more about them and to stay updated on their upcoming events, you can follow them on Twitter.

5 & Diamond
Cuisine: American Nouveau/Mediterranean
Price Range: Moderate

Harlem
2072 Frederick Douglass Boulevard
(Near 112th Street)
New York, NY 10025
(646) 684-4662

Pulino's Bar and Pizzeria
Cuisine: Pizza, Italian
Price: Inexpensive

Nolita
282 Bowery
(at E. Houston Street)
New York, NY 10012
212-226-1966 A

After all the hype and anticipation, Pulino's finally opened its doors for breakfast and lunch to the public. This is the latest venture by Keith McNally, who has reached new heights in the celebrity restaurateur category, and chef Nate Appleman, winner of this year's James Beard Rising Star award.

At first glance, it seems as if you've walked into Schiller's on steroids. Staff wore matching shirts and walls were white tiled and covered with bottles of alcohol. We saw McNally lurking about on his cell phone and greeting other guests, including celebrities Jude Law, Bill Murray, Ken Friedman of Spotted Pig, and chef Michael White of Marea. If the company we were surrounded by was any indication of the food to come, I was brimming with excitement.

We started off with the Red Cabbage Salad with roasted sunchokes, pancetta, oranges, honey and pecorino, which had great consistency and a balance between crunchy and cool. Next, we had the Salame Piccante pizza with salame piccante, tomato, mozzarella, olives, oregano and chiles. This was not exactly spicy enough for my taste, but the toppings didn't overwhelm the crust, which stayed absolutely crisp straight from the wood-burning ovens. Last but definitely not least, we tried the Fazzoletti, which is a type of crepe filled with smoked ricotta and topped with lamb ragu & pecorino...by far my favorite dish. The wood-burning ovens can be seen through the open kitchen, and you get to witness all of the action.

Photo via NYMag.com

As for cocktails, there are a few good signature choices on the list, and some decent wines to choose from.

If you're planning on visiting Pulino's sometime soon, take heed: this place will be bumping late nights, so go for the food, stay for the cocktails, and maybe meet a celebrity or two.

COCHON 555
When: Sunday, March 21, 2010
Time: 5pm-8pm; VIP 3:30pm-8pm
Where: Chelsea Piers
Pier 60, West 23rd Street & Hudson River
New York, NY 10011
Cost: $125; VIP $175
(404) 849-3569
www.cochon555.com

Sunday, March 21, Chelsea Piers will host the mother of all pork competitions-COCHON 555. Five chefs, five pigs, and five wineries will meet and compete at Pier 60. A compilation of worthy judges will decide who is the "Prince or Princess of Porc."

Mark Ladner of Del Posto, Corwin Kave of Fatty "Cue, Marco Canora of Hearth, Adam Kay of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and Gavin Kaysen of Café Boulud will prepare a whole heritage-breed pig, from head-to-toe, and the winner will be declared the "Prince or Princess of Porc." An as attendee, 750 pounds of heritage pork will be available for your dining pleasure. Wash down your swine with wine from five wineries-Gamble Family Vineyards, Buty Winery, Elk Cove Vineyards, Wind Gap Wine, and K Vintners.

VIP Butcher Tom Mylan, The Meat Hook, and Resident Butcher Ryan Farr, 4505 Meats, will demonstrate the breakdown of a whole pig. A "Swine & Spirits" mixologists showcase is also part of the entertainment lined up for the porky event.

If you can afford to shell out the extra $50 for VIP, a "Meat & Greet" will take place in the VIP lounge. Artisan cheeses, oysters and reserve wine from Domaine Serene and Shinn Estate Vineyard for tasting are all part of the VIP experience.

Pig out!

The Brooklyn Star Hootenanny Benefit Party
When: Friday, March 26, 2010 @ 8pm
Where: Brooklyn Lab Kitchens
100 Frost Street (Near Meeker Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Tel: (718) 378-2982
Cost: $50 in advance; $75 at door
Click here for tickets

After being damaged by a fire, The Brooklyn Star's doors have remained closed since last month. With the help and donations of fellow industry professionals, Brooklyn Kitchen Lab is able to host The Brooklyn Star Hootenanny, a party to benefit the damaged Williamsburg treasure.

Through the charitable donations of food and beverages from fellow hospitality establishments, this hootenanny will bring The Brooklyn Star one step closer to a swift reopening. Beer, donated from Brooklyn Brewery, and whiskey, from Wilfie & Nell and Whiskey Town, will bring a tipsy fun to the party. Smoked meats come from the Brooklyn Lab Kitchens' partner, The Meat Hook. Chef and owner Joaquin Baca, formally partnered with Momofuku Milk Bar, is also having the famed bakery donate sweets for the event.

Of course, this would not be a Brooklyn Star party without some Brooklyn Star cooking. The Star's staff will be cooking up shrimp and grits and brisket, along with other fabulous, mouth-watering dishes to remind us all what we are missing.

This hootenanny would not be complete without some fun and games. An oyster eating contest, hot dog eating contest, and 350-gallon dunk tank are all part of the thrilling entertainment bound to be a hoot.

ABC Kitchen
ABC Carpet & Home
35 East 18th Street
(Between Broadway & Park Ave S)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 475-5829
www.abckitchennyc.net

Jean-Georges Vongerichten finally jumped on the organic bandwagon when he opened his organic, locally-sourced themed restaurant ABC Kitchen, inside the ABC Carpet & Home store. ABC Kitchen is a "farm-to-table" restaurant, using only sustainable and organic seasonal produce and pasture-fed animals to produce only the finest quality dishes, not to mention incredibly flavored.

ABC Kitchen's farmhouse vibe is a result of handcrafted reclaimed wood tables, adorned with soy-based candles, an organic color scheme, and food served on handmade porcelain dinnerware from a local artisan. Built from reclaimed and recycled building materials, ABC Kitchen has the organic theme pinned down.

Roasted turnips in a honey-thyme marinade, local cured meats, and peekytoe crab toast are a few dishes that make-up the "market table" section ABC Kitchen's menu. Appetizers include shaved fluke and blood oranges, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with black pepper, and pretzel dusted calamari, with a choice of marinara or basil aioli dipping sauce.

Entrees are made from humanely treated and locally sourced meat, chicken, and fish. An organic crispy chicken is served with puntarella (chicory salad) and a golden raisin balasamic, and a roasted pork t-bone is sided with apple-Meyer lemon puree and swiss chard.

If your appetite is big or your dining group is large, order one of whole wheat pizzas. Changed monthly, some of current choices include pies topped with tomato, housemade chicken and pork sausage, kale and ricotta, or clams, mint, parsley, and fresh chiles.

An unbelievable array of desserts includes cakes, tarts, and variety of unique ice creams and sorbets. A sundae is composed of salted caramel-peanut ice cream, candied popcorn, whipped crème fraiche, and drizzled with a chocolate sauce; certainly not your traditional ice cream sundae, which makes it all the more better. Their carrot cake with lemon buttercream out-shines them all.

ABC Kitchen has all the sustainable makings for a truly unique and tasty dining experience. Spend an afternoon with ABC; dine in their Kitchen and then shop in their Home.

Kaz An Nou
Cuisine: French/French-Caribbean
Price: Low/Moderate (cash only!)

Park Slope
53 6th Ave
(between Bergen and Dean Streets)
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 938-3235

As New Yorkers, cultural eats are at our disposal day in and day out. We know exactly where to go when our palates are jonesin' for some international grub. Invisibly etched in the pangs of our hunger is a long, comprehensive list of the best places to go for Chinese, Italian, Indian and the like. Well, take heed, my culinary cherubs, because Kaz An Nou, a newly-opened restaurant in Park Slope, just made your list for the best home-cooked French-Caribbean cuisine around. 

The husband and wife duo behind Ivo & Lulu's, Sébastian Aubert and Michelle Lane, join forces yet again to show what a little love and a lot of cooking can do for the appetite. Kaz An Nou, translated as "Our House" in Antillean Creole, provides diners with that at-home ambiance from the second they walk in. Entering the restaurant, the aroma of spice and butter pleasantly overwhelm the olfactory glands, while the exotic plants and rustic décor pamper the eyes. But however good you're feeling upon arrival, it won't compare to the pleasure you will get from the naughty tryst the food will have with your taste buds.  

What the menu lacks in length, it makes up for in presentation. The Pâté En Croûte, an appetizer option, combines pheasant pâté with brie cheese and herbs, and packs it, with truffle oil, in a crispy, warm puff pastry. The Gratin De Banane Jaune, another appetizer suggestion, has delicately sliced sweet plantains in a warm cream sauce with emmenthal cheese, serving up the perfect marriage of salty-sweet.  

Moving your tongue past the foreplay of the starters, get your mouth ready to saddle down in edible ecstasy as you devour your main course. The Lasagne D'agneau will satisfy the spice lovers out there with its fiery lamb lasagna, accompanied with homemade pasta. Or perhaps the Poulet A L'Estragon will do the trick with its smoked jerk chicken breast accented with goat cheese, tarragon, and a syrupy honey sauce.  

Right about now you're ready to wash down all of this tang with a nice glass of something cold, crisp and ... well, after today's board meeting...something boozy, right? Make sure you come prepared because Kaz An Nou, after all, is a home of sorts, and when you're invited for dinner, it's only polite to come with a bottle of something - and here, you have to, as it is BYOB. So stop by your local liquor joint, score a cheap bottle of wine and break that baby out when you're ready to approach the dessert menu. There's the obligatory Crème Brulée, the Mango Mousse and their daily cheese plate, but if you're looking for something above and beyond to top that other-worldly meal you just inhaled, I would suggest the Spicy Chocolate Cake - a rich mix of spice, texture, and flavor that will court your mouth through the remainder of your experience, once again awakening your senses with its coconut crème anglaise dressing. 

Kaz An Nou is open Tuesday-Sunday, 5pm-11pm. And if you're a wimpy Manhattanite who's afraid of leaving the island to go to the far off lands of Brooklyn, you can relax because it's a short train ride away on the 2/3 line. Get off at Bergen and risk never returning...because chances are, your love affair with this treasure trove will leave you wanting "their house" to be yours.

Last night, 1834 Bar & Burger held their grand opening on 62 Pearl Street in the Financial District, the former home of the French bar and restaurant Perle. Boasting four TV screens in the upstairs dining area and 15 monitors in the downstairs lounge, it is absolutely possible to get a glimpse of MLB Spring Training highlights, catch a hockey game, stay updated on March Madness games and brackets, keep tabs on the NBA, and get a little rowdy watching some futbol all at the same time (Isn't March a great month for sports lovers?). While there, choose from a tasty array of burgers on the menu, prepared by celebrity chef Diane Dimeo, a winner of the Food Network's weekly food competition Chopped. Also be sure to take advantage of 1834's truly outrageous March Madness deal of a burger and a beer for only $5 after 5 p.m. until April 1.

If you're not too distracted watching Lebron James dominate the NBA (watch out Kobe!), patrons in the dining area will appreciate the red and white checkered tablecloths that lend the upstairs area a nostalgic soda-pop feel invoked by the '50s style décor, such as old brand advertisements and black and white photographs of former star athletes. The lounge downstairs has a more modern influence with a single wall of shelves dotted with a collection of imported beers. The lounge area can fit a party of 100 comfortably and features a more intimate VIP room in the back, if desired.

While visiting 1834, here's a tip: If looking for a delicious treat at the bar, ask for "a vodka, and make it delicious." The random concoction I was surprised with was Absolut Mango, peach schnapps, pineapple juice, and "a little bit of love" garnished with a cherry. It definitely sounds like a girly drink, but I'm sure it's not the only amazing cocktail 1834 bar staff has up their sleeves. You could try asking for "a whiskey, and make it manly." Maybe they'll add bourbon?

Visit www.1834nyc.com for more information, or e-mail events@1834nyc.com for event inquiries.

The Collective
Cuisine: Eclectic/New American
Price: Moderate

1 Little West 12th
(at 9^th Ave)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 255-9717
www.onelittlewest12.com/collectiveny

When hungry diners first walk into The Collective, a Meatpacking District newbie set to open on St. Patrick's Day, their growling stomachs might momentarily get side-tracked while their curious eyes adjust to the bizarre choice of interior decorating. Think: your great Aunt Toots' (the one that is one over-flowing junk-drawer away from being on Hoarders) apartment crossed with an Andy Warhol eye for sophisticated irony, and topped with garage sale treasures. Still not with me? An example of a seating option in this new eatery may include a flea market bought sofa reupholstered in...a few pairs of jeans. Peculiar, unusual, grotesque, yet seductively eccentric, and dare we say...shabby-chic.

With an economy-friendly budget in mind, ICrave, a Manhattan-based design studio known for their visionary design work in nightclubs like Tenjune and Crobar, set to decorating the new space with help from Craigslist-found artists. This diverse group of design renegades included women carpenters from Brooklyn who use reclaimed wood for flooring projects, a former Swiss goldsmith who utilizes recycled street signs in his work, and a plumber who also designs light fixtures from styrofoam. The group executed the visions of ICrave by finding furniture at flea markets and junkyards, and thereby effectively cutting the expenses to one tenth of the expected million dollar budget for most city restaurant renovations.

Walking past the repurposed jet engine being used for the hostess' stand, the columns decorated in old subway remains, and the flock of birds on the wall made from old-steel license plates, you will be seated in one of the four to five different dining/living rooms, giving the diner an interactive eating experience that not only centers around edible feasts, but visual as well.

Taking a step back from the optic-overload, you'll be glad to find that, unlike its interior motif, the food, fortunately, is not recycled from junkyard digs. The menu houses traditional favorites, updated with savory nuances, like the Burger Royale with Cheese of Course - a would-be average cheeseburger if not for its pairing with the succulent truffle sauce.

Perhaps your meal of choice lies within the Tastes of the Hood menu section. Here, neighborhoods from Brighton Beach to Chelsea get a nod from the chef with these culturally-specified dishes. The Little Italy will nourish your inner Corleone with veal and ricotta, meatballs, rigatoni and meat gravy. If you have a long day of Park Avenue shopping ahead of you, maybe the Upper East Side's Maine lobster salad with citrus vinaigrette will tide you over.

The Collective is open Sunday-Thursday, 5:30pm-12am, and Friday-Saturday, 5:30pm-4am. Reservations aren't required, but between their funky décor, newly established presence in the area, and word of mouth, you might want to call ahead just to be sure that you're guaranteed a spot on the flea market, reupholstered Levis couch. But don't invite Aunt Toots...she might have too much fun.

(Photo courtsey of Katie Sokoler/Gothamist)

Grillin' On The Bay & The Brooklyn Chili Smack Down 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Food Available @ 12pm; Chili Tasting @ 1pm
Corner of East 18th Street and Avenue Z
Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York
(917) 763-5062
www.grillinonthebay.blogspot.com

There is nothing like a barbeque contest to ring in the Spring season. On Saturday, March 27th, Sheepshead Bay hosts Grillin' On the Bay 2010, which includes The Brooklyn Chili Smack Down, a people's choice chili contest.

Set to benefit St. Mark's School of Sheepshead Bay, Grillin' On The Bay 2010 is calling all barbeque and chili lovers around the city to help support a local school and the hardworking, meat-loving BBQ teams. $10 gets you unlimited chili, while additional BBQ, beer, non-alcoholic beverages, and other foods are also available for purchase, thanks to the sponsorship of RUB BBQ restaurant.

If competing is more your style, Grillin' On The Bay also welcomes cooks looking to participate in the barbeque and chili contests. Enter any of the four grilling categories: chicken, fish, pork ribs, or chef's choice - or all four if you are feeling ultra-competitive. Entrance fees range from $75 to $125, which could prove to be well worth the expense, as cash and other fabulous prizes are awarded to the winners.

If chili is your specialty, the Brooklyn Chili Smack Down is more your event. Free to enter, this chili contest is judged by the people, and the winner receives a $100 cash prize. Open to creativity, your chili can be composed of any variety of ingredients you desire; you call it chili, they will call it chili. Fish chili anyone?

Time Out For Hunger
Sunday, Match 28, 2010
www.foodbanknyc.org/go/events/time-out-for-hunger

Time Out New York is partnering with the Food Bank For New York City to aid in the move to end hunger, and on Sunday, March 28, 2010, so can you. Time Out For Hunger is fighting hunger in New York City one restaurant at a time.

Over 100 restaurants in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island will donate 10% of Sunday's proceeds to the Food Bank For New York City, a non-profit organization working to end food poverty. The Food Bank For New York City helps low-income New Yorkers gain access to affordable and nutritious foods, through donations, soup kitchens and food pantries, as well as educational classes.

Some of the well-know restaurants participating in this charity event include, BLT Prime and BLT Burger, A Voce Columbus, Aureole, Buttermilk Channel, Porchetta, Convivio, The Russian Tea Room, Boqueria Soho, and Motorino, both Brooklyn and East Village locations.

So, invite as many friends and family as possible to participate in this charitable event. Remember every penny counts.

Betty's
Cuisine: Senegalese/French
Price: Expensive

Lower East Side
64 East 1st Street
(between 1st & 2nd Avenues)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 529-3262
www.bettysnewyork.com

Hailing from the small West African village of Sangalkam, former co-owner and chef of Boucarou, Malik Fall, decided to reconstruct the space after it closed. Dressing the interior up with crimson flowing curtains, red crescent banquettes and wall-to-wall artwork, it is with edible affection that Fall presents his newly-opened restaurant, Betty's, to the masses.

Upon being seated in the regal atmosphere, you'll see that the menu reads like a culinary love letter to Fall's African upbringing, combining the native tastes of the Senegalese coast with the rich, sophisticated savor of France. The Red Snapper Farci a la St. Louisienne features a whole boneless fish stuffed with celery, onion and red and green chili peppers, sprinkled with thyme and panko breadcrumbs, and drizzled with tomato farci sauce. This ensemble pairs the tender cut of the sea with the crunchy nourishment of the garden, and sets off an explosion flavor in your mouth.

Perhaps you would rather your meal have been found on land. If that's the case, the menu also supplies a variety of poultry/beef selections. The restaurant's eponymous entree, Betty's Burger, provides soft slices of black shaved truffle that sit perched atop juicy ground Kobe and bison meat. These two culinary vixens slide up against fried eggs, Boston lettuce and melted foie gras, exciting your mouth, and happily pleasing your stomach.

And if seafood doesn't satisfy and meat won't make it, Betty's menu offers a vegetarian version of the above-mentioned Farci dish, as well as a few different kinds of palate-arousing salads. Whatever it is that you order, heed my advice: save room for dessert! The Crème Caramela is a silky-sweet delight, and the Chocolate Grand Marnier Soufflé is a heaven of chocolate decadence, spiked with interesting ingredients like baby spinach and burgundy reduction. If all else fails (i.e. you are a picky snob), order Chef Malik's Fruit Salad.

After pampering your taste buds all evening (and breaking your bank), you might want to retire to the Romper Room - a semi-private lounge located in the rear of the restaurant that's marked off with chic bead-dusted doorways. Whether you retire to the lounge or to the restaurant's bar, a variety of drinks await your choosing, designed by a former Spice Market mixologist. Try the Drugstore Cowboy, a whirling mix of rye whiskey that's tamed and lightly sweetened with ginger and clover honey. 

The restaurant's dining hours are Sunday-Saturday from 5:30pm-11:30pm, and the lounge is open Thursday-Saturday from 11:30-4:00am, with DJ accompaniment. Call ahead to make reservations, or do it online.

Cupcake Crawl New York
Sunday, March 14th @ 11am
Cupcake Café
18 West 18th Street (Between 5th & 6th Aves)
New York, NY 10011
Free; $5.00 suggested donation
www.walkingtoursmanhattan.com

What sweeter way is there to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon than with cupcakes? This Sunday, a Cupcake Crawl of four of New York City's most notable and scrumptious cupcakes spots will take place in Chelsea and Union Square.

The Cupcake Crawl starts at Cupcake Café, a celebrity favorite. Know for their moist cupcakes topped with intensely thick, rich buttercream frosting, it will be hard to resist having more than one.

The second stop takes you to Brooklyn's Aunt Butchie's Bakery (in Chelsea) where you will be able to sample their Cookie Dough Cupcake. First in ice cream, now in cupcakes, I do not think anyone could find a better place to put cookie dough.

Then, you will find yourself at Billy's Bakery. Once the owner of the legendary Magnolia's Bakery, Billy's Bakery brings nostalgia to cupcakes. If simplicity is what you are looking for, try their Traditional Cupcake - your choice of vanilla or chocolate cake and vanilla buttercream frosting.

End the tour at Amy's Bread in Chelsea Market. Known specifically for the fresh, daily baked breads, Amy's Bread also produces some of the finest desserts in Chelsea. Amy's cupcakes are also made daily, but only a visit to the bakery will reveal their selection.

If you decide to donate, 100% of the donation goes to the Food Bank of New York City, which helps to feed the hungry. So while you are helping yourself to cupcakes, help feed someone else. It will only set you back $5.00.

On the Cupcake Crawl, purchases of desserts are optional, but you would be insane not to!

NYC BBQ Tour
Every Monday at @ 6pm
Meet at Madison Square Park
in front of Chester Alan Arthur statue
(E. 26th Street & Madison Avenue)
$88.88 (includes all BBQ, sides, & soft drinks)
www.nycbbqtour.com

Barbeque, a staple of the South, is blowing a great trail of smoke right through New York City. So much in fact, that foodies have organized a barbeque tour of four of the best BBQ restaurants in NYC - Blue Smoke: Jazz Standard, Rodeo Bar & Grill, The Hog Pit, and Hill Country. The tour gives you behind-the-scenes access to these restaurants to meet the talented chefs and pitmasters who are behind the finger-licking succulence.

Blue Smoke: Jazz Standard
116 East 27th Street (Between Park & Lexington Aves)
New York, NY 10016
(212) 447-7733
www.bluesmoke.com

From ultra-successful restaurateur Danny Meyer, Blue Smoke gives us a selection of regional barbeque flavors from St. Louis, Kansas City, Memphis, North Carolina, Texas, and other Southern cities. At Blue Smoke, you can feast on barbeque upstairs and swing to the rhythm of live jazz music downstairs. Authentic barbeque and southern flavor can be tasted throughout every dish on the menu. Memphis Baby Back Ribs are coated with their Magic Dust seasoning and doused in Blue Smoke's Original Sauce. Kansas City Spareribs are juicy and get a sweet and spicy flavor from their own K.C. Sauce. Texas Salt & Pepper Beef Ribs do not need any sauce, as they are dry-rubbed and smoked. A Rib Sampler is offered for those you cannot decide between the three, but why should you have to?

Rodeo Bar & Grill
375 3rd Avenue (Near E. 27th St.)
New York, NY 10016
(212) 683-6500
www.rodeobar.com

With BBQ flown in from Black's Barbeque of Lockhart, Texas, the authenticity of Rodeo Bar & Grill's barbeque should not be questioned. Live music fills the rooms pretty much every night, as does the aroma of slow smoked Texas BBQ. Rodeo has an extensive menu, so choose wisely. Barbeque items include BBQ ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and a smoked beef brisket platter. Lively music and Texas BBQ should be shared with friends, just don't let the gargantuan stuffed buffalo discourage you.

The Hog Pit
37 West 27th Street (Between 6th Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10010
(212)213-4871
www.thehogpit.com

Rock-a-roll, cheap beer, and barbeque, what could be better? The Hog Pit brings us North Carolina styled barbeque and a real Southern experience, compete with country music and cowboy hats. Homemade meatloaf, BBQ baby back ribs, chicken fried steak, and grilled pork chops are some southern favorites topping The Hog Pit's menu. Perfection comes in the form of their Famous Mac & Cheese and Fried Pickles.

Hill Country
30 West 26th Street (Between 6th Ave & Broadway)
New York, NY 10010
(212) 255-4544
www.hillcountrynyc.com

What can I say about Hill Country that has not already been said? Winner of countless awards, including "Best Barbeque of New York", Hill Country produces some of the finest Texas hill country barbeque this side of the Mason Dixon Line. Their authentic flavor comes from the imported Texas oak wood smoker. Hill Country's menu offers pretty much every type of meat imaginable, from beef shoulder, to pork shoulder spare ribs, to beer can game hen. At Hill Country, deciding on a dish may be a painful process, but with the knowledge that any dish chosen will provide the same barbequed perfection should be comforting.

Benchmark Restaurant
339A 2nd Street
(Between 4th & 5th Aves)
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 965-7040
www.benchmarkrestaurant.com

Park Slope, a popular dining destination and architecturally gorgeous neighborhood of Brooklyn, now has another reason to be desired as a choice neighborhood of residence. Benchmark Restaurant opened its doors in February 2010 near 5th Avenue in the heart of Park Slope.

Serving up New American cuisine, executive chef Ryan Jaronik (above) uses meat from pasture-raised animals and locally-grown produce, as well as culinary skill, to turn out only the best dishes. Favored starters include Chorizo Stuffed Chicken Wings with hot celery giadiniero and blue cheese fondue, and a Trio of Beef Short Ribs-corned, braised, and broiled-are served with truffled sauerkraut, parsley root, and squash kimchee. An entrée of Seared Duck Breast in a foie gras emulsion is sided with sweet potato and leg confit hash. With an entrée menu made up of mostly meat, the Shrimp Crusted Atlantic Halibut, with Shiso Yuzu broth, tomato confit, and cranberry beans, gives the other meat dishes a run for their money.

Currently, a room is being constructed to produce in-house dry-aged meat and cured sausages. These dry-aged meats will find a place on their steak and chops a la carte menu. A 17oz dry-aged and corn-finished Bone-In New York Strip and 11oz Filet Mignon, grass-finished and wet-aged already make up this hard-to-decide-between menu. All the meat is pasture-raised and can be sauced with a choice of either au poivre, forester, chimichurri, or bordelaise. I told you it was going to be a tough decision.

A warm and inviting rustic atmosphere is given from the exposed brick walls, banquette seating, pendant lighting, and arched windows. Thanks Benchmark Restaurant, you have given Park Slope something else to boast about.

Baohaus
137 Rivington Street
(Between Norfolk & Suffolk Sts.)
New York, NY 10002
(646) 684-3835
www.baohausnyc.com

Taiwanese Gao Bao, or steamed buns, resemble Chinese hamburgers and have made a comfortable and savory home at the Lower East Side's Baohaus. Opened in December 2009, Baohaus features all varieties of stuffed boa, from traditional pork to a vegetarian tofu.

Steamed in lotus leaves, Baohau's stuffed buns are anything but ordinary. The customer favorite and cleverly named Chairman Bao ($4) is filled with Niman Ranch Pork Belly that was first flash-fried and then braised in rice wine, soy sauce, rock sugar, ginger, and star anise-called "red cooking"-and is topped with crushed peanuts, cilantro, Haus Relish, and Taiwanese red sugar. Featured on the Food Network, the Haus Bao ($4.50) is composed of "red-cooked" certified Angus Skirtsteak Bao, spiked with moutai, a 100-plus-proof sorghum liquor.

Vegetarians will fall in love with Uncle Jess. The only vegetation option, the Uncle Jesse ($3.50) is stuffed with pan-fried tofu, coated in sweet potato starch, and, like all the others, also topped with crushed peanuts, cilantro, Haus Relish, and Taiwanese red sugar.

Sweet fried slices of bao ($3.50) are Baohaus version of fries and served with a sweet sesame dipping sauce.

Baohaus' menu may be limited, but a few dishes are all they need to hit the bao right on its bun!