Coast To Coast Wine Dinner at 6th St. Kitchen

6th St. Kitchen will be hosting a 7 (yes, seven!) course tasting with wine pairing featuring new wines on the menu on Tuesday November 2nd.  Dishes include Pork Loin, Rock Shrimp, Braised Short Ribs (Yum) & more…

From the press release:

On November 2nd, 6th Street Kitchen will hosting a special “Coast to  Coast” wine dinner to sample some of the new wines that will be added to  our current wine list. The dinner will consist of seven courses with  wine pairings for each course. International wines will be paired with  “All-American” dishes. Wondering why I said “All-American?” We’re going  to be playing with tradition. I’ve attached a picture of the dessert:  “Ants on a Log” — it may look like an after-school snack but this is  actually a peanut butter mousse with celery gremolata and raisins.

The wine dinner is $80/person and starts at 8pm. Space is limited so  reservations are required. Please call (212) 477-4649 or e-mail us at info@6thStreetKitchen.com.

Bovine Burglary!

Bessie, the beloved mascot of Aussie eatery The Sunburnt Cow (137 Avenue C between 8th & 9th streets, brunch review here) has been cownapped!  Some time between 2 & 4am last Sunday she was stolen for the 2nd time from her perch at the front of the restaurant.  They are offering a $500 reward for information leading to her safe return.  Email info@thesunburntcow.com.

Kuboya Ramen

I few days I talked about Kuboya Ramen (536 East 6th Street between Avenue A & B) that popped up right next door to Minca, the much loved reigning champ on the block.  I questioned whether or not we need another Ramen spot on 5th street.  Well, I decided to check out Kuboya for myself & here’s my review.

Fourth Arts Block East Village Eats Food Tour Preview

Fourth Arts Block, a non-profit located on East 4th Street Cultural District is hosting an East Village Food Tour & Fund-raising event. $35 gets you access to 15 restaurants in the East Village as well as discount drinks at a few bars in the area (buy your tix now, they go up to $45 tomorrow).  I mentioned this tour before, but last Friday I was lucky enough to go on a preview & try out 5 of the dishes that we’ll be scoffing this Saturday (Oct. 23rd 11am -4pm).  Joined by Ed of The Lo-Down (an awesome LES blog, his take on the tasting here), FAB’s director of special projects, Lauren Parrish & her assistant Tamara.

Marco Polo Cafe Now Mini Burger

Marco Polo Cafe (102 St Mark’s Place near 1st Avenue, review here), my go to spot for $1 bison sliders shuttered for a few days, got a bit of a new paint job & signage & has reopened as Mini Burger.  They still serve the same sliders, but the price has been jacked up fifty cents to $1.50.  I haven’t been back there yet, but I doubt that much has changed.

Ramen @ Sake Bar Satsko

It’s no secret that I have a real soft spot for Sake Bar Satsko(202 East 7th Street between Ave. B & C.  Further info here), the tiny east village restaurant & bar that over the years has become my go to place for good times.  I found out last week that the owner, Satsko Watanabe has begun making Pork ($12) & Vegetable ($11) ramen on the nights that she’s in the kitchen, I went there last night to try them out.

Ramen Row!

Is there a Ramen War shaping up on 5th Street between Avenue A & B?  In one corner we have the reigning Champ, Minca Ramen Factory & in the other we have a newcomer, Kuboya Ramen (536 East 5th Street, in the old Le Gamin space).  I’m glad to see that something is going into this address, but do we really need another ramen spot?

I love Minca & I’m pretty sure that the owner is not going to be happy about this at all.  Kuboya’s storefront is covered in print outs of a ‘press release’ of sorts.  The funny thing is that the first paragraph is the owner talking about how he (Sammy Kubo) & Minca’s owner have been friends for 25 years, yet this paragraph has been (improperly) redacted!  Classic!  I guess you ain’t friends no more!

We’ll see how this ends up & I’ll be doing at taste test to determine which place I think is better!

A Hot Mess on Hester Street

Yesterday’s Grub Street Food Festival was a colossal disaster.  Hosted by New York Magazine in the same space as the Hester Street Fair (Hester & Essex), the tiny area was packed with eager foodies & virtually impossible to navigate.  The entire event was totally unenjoyable.  I took a few steps in, turned 180 & scuttled off thinking “What! No Wafels & Dinges?”.  I guess I really didn’t miss anything as news had it that most of the vendors ended up selling out before the event ended.  Full vendors list here.

Late Night at Cafetasia East

Totally starving after doing some heavyweight drinking in the neighborhood on a typical Thursday night, my brother & I went to Cafetasia East (85 Avenue A between 5th & 6th streets) an old favorite of ours.  We arrived shortly before midnight & the staff were pretty much closing up shop.  Luckily, they were nice enough to seat us.

Lilly Coogan’s to become Coal Yard

Yesterday I bumped into a friend, Steve Schweiger outside the former Lilly Coogan’s space (102 First Avenue @ 6th Street) which shuttered in late May/early June.  He’s the general contractor overseeing the renovation there.  Word is that the partners from nearby International Bar (120 1/2 First Avenue @7th Street) will be taking the bar over (they transferred the license in July).

Construction is wrapping up, the tap lines aren’t in yet but the word on the street is that they’ll be having a soft opening this Wednesday (not confirmed).  This is great news for the neighborhood, International Bar is one of my top 5 bars in the area & I’m sure that owners Molly & Shawn can bring the same vibe to Coal Yard.  Watch this space for more news.