Photograph of Mark Simmons, Top Chef contestant and sous-chef at Public, and WD-50 chef and owner Wylie Dufresne The festive factor was running high at last night's Taste of the Lower East Side, the 8th Annual fundraiser for the Grand Street Settlement. Forty neighborhood eateries pitched in to benefit Grand Street's programs that assist low-income Lower East Side residents, and they showcased some of their best dishes for the crowd of well over 1,000......

As reported in the Times last month, the cheese is a side project of Lunetta sous chef Betsy Devine and curd cohort Rachel Mark. The duo makes the ricotta with milk supplied from Hudson Valley Fresh, a non-profit collective of upstate farmers. Salvatore Ricotta is served at Lunetta’s Manhattan and Brooklyn locations, but it can also be purchased retail at Saxelby Cheesemongers (seen here), Marlow & Sons, and Stinky Brooklyn. Salvatore Ricotta’s $14 per pound......

Or so they say. Well, maybe, maybe not, but regardless, we wanted to give you some options for food and drink-related events on Valentine's Day. Targeted at those out there for whom Valentine's Day is not a welcome occasion, the Sunburnt Cow is having a "No Love at the Cow" party. $25 gets you all you can drink, beer, wine and “Anti-Love” juice, plus a "1980s style disco experience," complete with an ice slide for......

Roses or chocolate or, credit card be damned, both? Since time immemorial, men have spent February 14th scrambling to buy the right things without paying through the nose. But now there's a way to get both classic gifts in one package, and have some of the proceeds go to a good cause, thanks to Rhonda Kave of Roni-Sue’s Chocolates. Roni’s Roses are exquisite truffles packed with rose flavor as we found out upon tasting......

At the risk of turning this into a cheese sandwich blog, we pose the following question: What do you get when you take a grilled cheese, arguably the Platonic form of childhood comfort food, and let Anne Saxelby put her spin on it? A decidedly grown-up version known as the Grayson and B&B;'s Grilled Cheese. As soon as we heard about this new sandwich, Gothamist sped down to the Saxelby Cheesemongers. The first thing that......

September 24: Eat Out '07 It's time for Time Out New York's fifth annual food-stravaganza featuring tastings from over forty participating restaurants and beverage purveyors. Get a bite from L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Mai House, or Morimoto while sipping on drinks from Chopin Vodka and Stella Artois. Tickets are $100 and include a copy of the 2008 Eating & Drinking 2008 guide. Skylight Studios, 275 Hudson St at Spring St. 6:30–9:30pm. For more info or......

August 23 & 30: "Get Some" at Bottlerocket Mingle with wine-curious folks at Bottlerocket Wine and Spirit for their singles night, every Thursday in August. 6 to 8 pm. Free wine and cheese. 5 West 19th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues. 212-929-2323. August 25: A Study of Barolo’s Vintage Streak So rumor has it that 1995 to 2001 were some rocking vintages on the Barolo front. The team at Italian Wine Merchants will guide......

We were recently asked about recommendations for good first date spots: "she's allergic to shellfish, I hate TexMex - any thoughts?" We have plenty of thoughts. The first is that a first date, depending on how well you know the person, should be limited to drinks or coffee. This way, if things become clear that you don't want to stick around, you can leave politely without having to suffer through appetizers, an entree, and possibly......

August 19: 8th Annual Blues & BBQ Head to Pier 54 at Hudson River Park for meat, music, meat, and more meat. Hill Country, Dinosaur Bar-b-Que and other city favorites will be offering up their wares for sale. Full listing of blues acts here. Admission and music free. Pier 54 at 14th Street, 2-9 p.m. August 19: 4th Annual Singapore Chili Crab Festival This year's Tiger Beer Singapore Chili Crab Fest is in a new......

Chicago's star chef Grant Achatz is battling cancer. As reported in the Times yesterday, Achatz released a statement through his publicist: "I wanted to personally report that I have been very recently diagnosed with an advanced stage of squamous cell carcinoma of the mouth. I have consulted several prominent physicians and will likely begin aggressive treatment within the next few weeks. I remain, and will remain, actively and optimistically engaged in operations at Alinea to......

July 6th: Artisanal Cheese and Craft Beer Tasting Join Jeff Roberts of Saxelby Cheesemongers as he leads a discussion about his book, The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese. He'll describe his cross-country sojourn meeting cheese makers and discovering some of the most obscure handmade cheeses being crafted in America today, while you'll nibble on some of those very cheeses. Two seatings, 6:00-7:30 pm and 8:00-9:30 pm, at Jimmy's no. 43, 43 7th Street between Bowery......

June 3: A Day A Whey (the Sequel!) Join Saxelby Cheesemongers for a day trip to the Valley Shepherd Creamery in New Jersey to see a sheep dairy in action. Learn about the cheesemaking process from start to finish and end the day with a picnic on the farm. 11 am to 7 pm. Tickets are $75 and are available online. June 4: Japanese Food Demonstration and Tasting Head on over to the Brooklyn Kitchen......

February 3: James Beard House Cookbook and Culinary Tag Sale It's bargains galore at the James Beard House's tag sale. Shop for bargains for your kitchen or for cookbooks to shake up your repertoire. 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., 167 West 12th Street. February 3: Navarra Cheese and Wine Located in the north of Spain, Navarra boasts a long and rich history of agriculture and gastronomic culture. Join Waldemar and Nadia as they showcase Navarra......

The New York Times takes a close look at the Essex Street Market, a Lower East Side institution that's been doing business since 1940. Although the market was only 60 percent full five years ago, its low rent and the steadily increasing income stream of many in the neighborhood have led to a rejuvenation. But not everyone who walks in the door is a LES trust fund hipster with extra cash to spare. Saxelby Cheesemongers......

September 16: Waldemar and Nadia at Telepan - Late Summer Cheeses Join cheese experts Waldemar and Nadia as they highlight late summer cheeses, including the aged goat and sheep's milk cheeses that were made from the first milkings of the season. They will be paired with wine from Telepan's cellar, selected by sommelier Aaron Von Rock. 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m., $65 per person, all inclusive. Space is limited and reservations are required. Please call......

Now through the end of July: Summer Clam Bake at Savoy Savoy is bringing the beach to the city with their three course Summer Clam Bake. Enjoy littleneck clams on the half shell, a traditional boil with lobster, mussels, kielbasa, potatoes, and corn, and finish off with dessert, a peach and blueberry crumble topped with house made buttermilk ice cream. $40 per person, or an extra $15 will give you a bottomless glass of rose.......

When we hear the phrase "American cheese," images of cellophane-wrapped neon orange slices leap to mind. Scary stuff. Anne Saxelby seeks to change that with her new shop, Saxelby Cheesemongers, which opens in the Essex Market in the beginning of May. Saxelby's shop will focus entirely on American cheeses -- cheese from dairies all across the U.S. Saxelby worked at the legendary Murray's Cheese as a cheese maven, and then worked at several farmstead dairies......