Since you already know about the $5 soda, the $26 pancakes, the $99 a pound ham, and the $25,000 dessert, you probably don’t have much derision left to spare on a measly $81 burger. In fact, depending on your appetite and income level, it could be that this latest addition to the list of New York culinary obscenities isn’t so outrageous after all. Served at the Old Homestead steakhouse in the Meatpacking District, the......

Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, and some young constituents, unveiled two new 10-ton fish tanks at the St. George ferry terminal. Molinaro said the tanks will liven up people's commutes; in July, he told the Advance, "It's very soothing because we live on an Island and it's very pleasant, so it fits perfectly." Project cost $750,000 and features hundreds of individually picked fish from the Caribbean. Some argue that the tanks will be vandalized......

tre dici STEAK: The second floor of Chelsea’s Italian restaurant tre dici has been transformed into an intimate, 50 seat dining room (pictured) designed in the style of a sexy New Orleans speakeasy, circa 1920. Heavy fabrics covering the windows evoke a feeling of timelessness in the candlelit room, which is lined with luxuriant claret leathers and sensual artwork under an antique silver tin ceiling. The food arrives via dumbwaiter from chef Giuseppe Fanelli’s kitchen......

There’s such a dizzying number of ways to throw money away on New Year’s Eve that it’s always tempting to just stay home and avoid the throngs of staggering amateurs altogether. But what to do about dinner? If you're not in the mood to cook, it's really not such a bad night to sample some of the New Year's Eve restaurant specials, as long as you're willing to a few extra bucks. Rather than deluge......

Lakers 95 Knicks 90: The light bulb has finally gone on for Isiah and he admitted after the game that “maybe we have the wrong guys starting right now.” Why it took this long to click is another question, but Sunday offered definitive proof that changes in the lineup need to be made. The Lakers cruised to a 70-45 lead and then had to hang on against a Knicks’ rally that happened with the unit......

Stars 3, Rangers 2: What good is outshooting the opponent 41-18 if it doesn't lead to a win? That's what the Rangers have to ask themselves after Sunday's disappointing loss to the Stars. No matter how this game is measured -- except for the score that is -- the Rangers appeared to outplay the Stars. Mike Smith repeatedly stifled the Blueshirts' attack, however, and goals from Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan didn't end up as......

This week in the Times, ">Bruni one-stars Wild Salmon. We’re surprised Chodorow let him in the door, after their feud over his review of Kobe Club. “The food runs the gamut,” Bruni says, “by turns excellent, ordinary and puzzling.” He recommends that you stick with the salmon, and try the different varieties offered (except the coho). Finds the service “oppressive” in its exuberance. In ">Dining Briefs, Bruni goes to Amalia. Says “Many of [chef Ivy......

With Kobe Bryant's trade demands in and out of the news, Gothamist wonders what Isiah Thomas would give up to put Bryant in a Knicks uniform. If you follow basketball, you know that Kobe has on again, off again, on again trade demands, and there's a video being shopped around where Kobe says some disparaging words about Lakers management and Andrew Bynum. The Lakers say that they won't be trading Kobe - and why would......

Happy Father's Day! For those of you who have dads, are dads, or know dads, this one's for you, from all of us at the Gothamist network." It was a week of bizarre, embarassing headlines at DCist. The trial of the local administrative law judge who sued his cleaners for $54 million over a pair of missing pants left everyone shaking their heads. Then the capital city was nearly brought to its knees, twice, by......

Seattlest has a talk with the photographer from last week's "Segway Mom" and then experiences some dissension in the ranks over the question of wine vs. beer. It's not West Side Story, but about as close as they'll get. They're also still waiting on some inbox relief after a spammer is arrested. As Chicagoist counts down the days to its third anniversary party, they found all-organic pizza to be underwhelming amidst the hoopla, tried......

The most powerful suggestions in this week's NY Times Weddings & Celebrations? If you write about dating or a hapless love life, all is not lost! Actually, we got that idea from Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City, too, but not everyone can end up with Mr. Big or marry a hunky principal dancer at the NY City Ballet. Anyway... The most intriguing meet-cute is that of Kristina Grish and Scott Mebus, who were......

This week in the Times, ">Bruni revisits Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak, upgrades the restaurant from one star to two. He says, "The improvement in the steaks has made it easier to appreciate the restaurant's other virtues… the unassailable quality of its raw bar selections; its gigantic, crunchy onion rings, some of the best in the city; its fried bone marrow appetizer, a decadence-squared dream." He still thinks the menu is overcrowded, though, and doesn't like the......

Maybe it was just the red carpet, but most of the people we spoke to seemed particularly excited about the new digs for the James Beard Foundation Awards, black-tie affair held last night at Avery Fisher Hall to honor some of the country's best chefs, restaurateurs, and culinary professionals. Susan Ungaro, the President of JBF, noted that originally, James Beard had moved to New York to become an opera singer, but had to earn......

Nelson Blue -- billing itself as New York's first New Zealand pub, their menu features everything from New Zealand lamb and in skewer, chop, and curry formats, to Tasman Bay Paddle Crabcakes, to something known as Gado Gado Salad. Opens today. 233-235 Front Street, at Peck Slip. 212-346-9090. Soto - from sushi chef Sotohiro Kosugi, whose work earned him the title of Best New Chef from Food & Wine in 1997, when he started out......

The Coupon Clipper scours the specials for the best deals in New York's big grocery stores. Because of the Nor'easter and unseasonably cool weather, fresh veggies weren’t sounding very good this week. We needed comfort food, and that’s when we found Nutella, 2 for $5 at Fairway. That’s $2.50 a piece, nearly a dollar cheaper than normal. For those not versed in the ways of the European staple, it’s a hazelnut spread, very much the......

The fall out from restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow's full page NY Times ad complaining about Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni continues, much to the delight of foodies, critics of restaurant critics, and mental health professionals. Last Friday, former Times food critic Mimi Sheraton wrote in Slate that Chodorow was an "idiot" to run an ad, given "the added exposure of the negative review to so many who may never have read the original." And then the......

Jeffrey Chodorow has it out for Frank Bruni, and we mean big time. In a full page ad in yesterday's New York Times dining section (at a reported cost of over $83,000), Chodorow a essentially called Bruni a hack with no real food or reviewing experience (see Bruni's bio here), and accused Bruni of personally attacking him rather than focusing on the food at his latest restaurant, Kobe Club. In a rather deliberate move, he......

Knicks 107, Lakers 106:Well, that didn't take long. The Knicks have reached 23 wins -- matching last season's win total -- by defeating the Lakers (only their 7th loss at home this season) and sweeping the season series. Although Kobe Bryant was suspended for the Lakers for the matchup at the Garden but scored 31 on Tuesday night. The game-winning basket came after a missed 3-pointer and an offensive rebound. Jamal Crawford, who led the......

Bruni no-stars Kobe Club, Jeffrey Chodorow's contribution to the steakhouse scene. Finds the Kobe "rapturous," but the restaurant as a whole crazily overpriced and gimmicky. Says it presents "too many insipid or insulting dishes at prices that draw blood from anyone without a trust fund or an expense account." And Eater (scroll down) is off by a star this week, having put their money on one-star for Kobe Club. Also in the Times, Peter Meehan......

Knicks 99 Lakers 94: Once again the Knicks showed the inability to take care of the basketball, but with Kobe Bryant suspended, the Lakers couldn’t take advantage. New York committed 21 turnovers, but enjoyed a 48-33 rebounding advantage and put also held LA to .44% from the field. Jared Jeffries was back in the starting lineup and responded with 14 points while Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury added 27 and 22 points apiece. Atlanta 5......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an amputation on the Van Wyck, a jumper down in Coney Island, and an off-duty Corrections officer shot in Bed-Stuy. The Lakers may be in town, but Kobe can't play! Bryant is suspended for hitting Manu Ginobili on Sunday, but we think the Knicks will choke. For the first time in 12 years, the city is going to be giving out new Section-8 housing vouchers to non-emergency applicants. The......

Where do the MTA's executive director and the TWU's president lunch? The Old Homestead! The NY Times reveals that Executive Director Elliot Sander ordered the rack of lamb while TWU President Roger Toussaint had the herb-rubbed roast chicken (what, no one ordered the Kobe Beef Hamburger?) and split the bill. If only we were a fly or a cow on the wall! We bet they discussed how much Pataki sucks, how the real time information......

In case you've been caught up in your holiday shopping, we wanted to let you know about some recent restaurant openings: - Kobe Club: If you're into Waygu beef, it's all over the menu at Jeffrey Chodorow's latest venture. Restaurant Girl gives us an early look. 68 West 58th Street, 212-644-5623. - Dennis Foy: chef (and painter) Dennis Foy brings his take on "French-influenced Contemporary American fare" to Tribeca, even dabbling in a bit of......

Bruni one-stars Cafe Cluny: it's "a beguiling neighborhood place," he says, and not much else. Cluny is partly-owned by Lynn Wagenkneckt, ex-wife of Keith McNally (the man who bought us Odeon, Cafe Luxembourg, Balthazar & Pastis), and Bruni sees something of their successful formulas here. Doesn’t make up for the "unimaginative" menu or "erratic" service, though. Over at Eater, confusion reigns. They put the odds on one-star (nice going), yet they themselves bet on two......

Bruni doubles up again this week, two-starring Tocqueville and one-starring The Tasting Room, respectively. Both restaurants have relocated since their Grimes reviews in 2000 and 2001, respectively (two stars and one). Tocqueville "remains a haven of considerable pleasure," says Bruni; service uneven, though. He likes the Tasting Room's move less: finds the space ugly and the service, terrible. As for the food, they do amazing things with mushrooms and other vegetables, he says, not so......

Bruni three-stars the recently renovated Picholine. Though he doesnt much like the physical changes-"still too quiet and sadistically bright"-the renovation "reinvigorated this restaurants soul," he says. In fact, he now likes it so much he celebrated his recent birthday there. And the Eater oddsmakers nail it again. Theyre also all over the reopening of Waverly Inn (Graydon Carter edition). Also in the Times, Peter Meehan visits Italian restaurant Lunetta on Smith Street in Brooklyn for......

Bruni three-stars L'Atelier Joel Robuchon. While "it hit the ground limping," he says, "it improved quickly and greatly, and your focus can now fall on its mostly exhilarating food." He also finds at L'Atelier a new contender for the city's best haute burger: made with Kobe beef, foie gras, caramelized peppers and brioche buns. The Eater oddsmakers are back and right on the money: even odds on three stars. Also in the Times, FloFab's got......

Tribeca just doesn’t rest. Without even a brief reprieve from the Film Festival, this bustling neighborhood geared up this past Saturday for the Taste of Tribeca, a culinary street fair created to raise money to support P.S. 150 and P.S. 234. In its 12th year, this festival has gained popularity with over 70 top local restaurants showcasing a flavor of what they offer – Bouley, Megu and Nobu just to name drop a few.......

A Voce is Italian for "word of mouth," and word is certainly spreading about this modern Italian restaurant, opened a few months ago on Madison and 26th Street. Andrew Carmellini, the chef, won numerous accolades in his previous position at Café Boulud, including the James Beard Award for Best New York Chef in 2005. Here he presents basic Italian food elevated by the incorporation of the freshest ingredients available. For a first course, try the......

Kobe Bryant dropped 81 on the Raptors less than a week ago and 40 on the Knicks on Tuesday, but last night Epiphanny Prince almost topped his total for the two games combined. The senior at Murray Bergtraum scored 113 points in a 137-32 win over Brandeis yesterday. The point total is a record for a girls high school game, besting Cheryl Miller's (that's Reggie's sister) of 105 from 1982. Prince, who will be attending......