Those familiar with the Williamsburg dining scene certainly know Dressler. In a neighborhood flooded with restaurants, Dressler is truly a gem – it was also one of just five Michelin-starred restaurants in all of Brooklyn.

The iconic restaurant closed its doors for good Monday. The following announcement was posted on the restaurant’s website: “After seven years of business, Dressler is closing its doors for business today, Monday, June 17, 2013. With much regret, an agreement could not be reached for a lease renewal. To all of our talented staff and to our customers, our friends, thank you for your loyal support. Our accolades and accomplishments would not have been possible without you.

“We close the doors to one of NYC’s most beautiful dining rooms with mixed emotions. We are so proud of Dressler. It was a pioneer in the Brooklyn Dining scene that helped set the standard for dining in the borough today. We are excited to continue serving the Williamsburg Community at both Dumont and Dumont Burger as well as our new ventures in Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights.”

Despite the restaurant’s somewhat high prices, the food was consistently good. In a 2006 review the New York Times critic Frank Bruni praised the food as being “sophisticated without being too clever, in a room that’s beautiful without being too flamboyant.”

And the cocktails? Delicious. Dressler will truly be missed in the neighborhood.

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Nothing says summer like the sweet, succulent taste of lobster. If you haven’t yet indulged in the decadent, seasonal rite of passage East Coasters fondly know as the lobster roll, there is no time like the present: This Saturday is National Lobster Day. Here’s where to get your mitts on the best lobster rolls this side of Maine.

Luke’s Lobster
Multiple locations, www.lukeslobster.com
New: 11 Water St., Brooklyn Bridge Park
About as good as you will get around here, this lobster roll is all about the meat. Expect to find a full quarter pound of fresh lobster — knuckle and claw meat only — carefully piled on a toasted, buttery bun, with only a hint of mayo.
“We are doing everything to accent the fresh Maine flavor and not hide it,” says owner Luke Holden, a New England transplant who grew up in a lobstering family. What started as a cozy East Village lobster shack has now expanded to 11 locations, including Philly and D.C.
Bonus: From June 27-29, select Luke’s locations will be shelling out $10 lobster rolls for Sandy relief. Follow @LobsterFromME for daily locations.

BLT Fish Shack
21 W. 17th St., 212-691-8888
This Flatiron outpost makes a meal of it, serving your lobster roll with a side of crispy fries. Large chunks of mouthwatering lobster are mixed with mayo and tarragon and served cold on a hot dog bun, just the way you know and love.

The Sea Fire Grill
158 E. 48th St., 212-935-3785
Treat yourself to a lobster threesome at this swanky Midtown hot spot. The new bar menu features a lobster roll flight with a trio of unique sliders: the buttery Nantucket, the cool mayo Maine and the zesty Tempura. You won’t want to share.

Plunge at The Gansevoort Meatpacking
18 Ninth Ave., 212-660-6736
This rooftop lounge at the Gansevoort isn’t just the place to be seen — it’s the place to be seen eating a lobster roll. The BLT lobster roll is a true taste of summer on a bun, with fresh lobster tossed with lemon mayo and celery. It’s topped with crispy Nueske’s bacon and a cool dollop of guacamole. Try to tear your eyes from your plate long enough to enjoy the stunning skyline view.

Claw
744 Ninth Ave., 212-581-8400
Dig into a lobster roll from this fairly new addition to the formerly lobster-deprived Hell’s Kitchen. Enjoy the charming pink-and-white-striped atmosphere as you devour warm butter-kissed chunks of crustacean on a soft bun. The golden fries served alongside will compete for your attention.

Follow Cassandra Garrison on Twitter at @CassandraAtMetro.

The post Our picks for the best lobster rolls in NYC appeared first on Metro.us.

The next time you’re out for a birthday dinner, consider forgoing the a la carte menu in favor of one of these mega-meals:

• Every Wednesday at Arlington Club (1032 Lexington Ave., 212-249-5700) chef Laurent Tourondel offers his Cowboy Rib Eye — 72 ounces of U.S.D.A. hand-selected, 28-day dry-aged prime beef, bone-in. It comes with a 16 oz. lobster tail, creamed spinach, truffle gnocchi and rosti (Swiss hash browns). Only eight will be served each night, and leftovers are sent home with you in a doggie bag, along with potato rolls for sandwiches the next day. $555, recommended for four or more people. Reserve 24 hours in advance.

• Monday means Lunes Asador at Tertulia (359 Sixth Ave., 646-559-9909). At the cozy Spanish spot, chef Seamus Mullen serves up a whole animal, roasted, with family-style sides, dessert and cider. The menu changes monthly; June’s offering is suckling pig. $75 per person for four or more guests; parties of four or fewer can opt for a $40 prix fixe with portions of the animal. Reservations required at least one week in advance.

• Riverpark (450 E. 29th St., 212-729-9790) uses seasonal produce straight from its farm for its three-course group dinners. Right now, chef Sisha Ortuzar has items on her menu like marinated summer squash blossoms with mint, whole roasted dorade with ramps and fluke carpaccio. While there, take in the views of the East River and on-site farm. $75, reservations required.

The post Now trending at NYC restaurants: Large-format feasts appeared first on Metro.us.

We’re sure that Prince Harry has a jam-packed schedule while in NYC early next week, but if he gets homesick during his stay, we have some options for him to get his Brit fix.

ChipShop
383 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, 718-832-7701
This Park Slope gem boasts all the classic British comfort foods, such as shepherd’s pie, steak and kidney pie, Haggis Supper and, of course, fish and chips. ChipShop has received great praise for their deep-fried Twinkies and say they won’t hesitate to “fry anything that doesn’t hurt the chefs, wreck the fryer or irritate the health department.”

Sarabeth’s
381 Park Ave. S., 212-335-0093
339 Greenwich St., 212-933-0421
Brits take their afternoon tea seriously: Tea in a pot, scones with jam and finger sandwiches are all part of the midday treat. Good news for Harry: Sarabeth’s Tribeca and Park Avenue South locations are borrowing the popular social British tradition. Tea is served Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and on the weekends from 4 to 5 p.m.
The menu offers a variety of Harney & Sons Fine Teas such as Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Supreme, Sencha Green and Organic Passion Plum. Both venues also feature tasty lunch options.

Brick Lane Curry House 
306-308 E. Sixth St., 212-979-2900
Brick Lane is a street in East London famous for Bengali-style Indian food. Here, Harry shouldn’t expect too much tandoori and khurma on the menu. Instead, he’ll be treated to kebabs and robust curries.

The Royal
127 Fourth Ave., 212-260-1099
If Harry needs to feel like a king for a day (thanks for stealing the thunder, Will) all he has to do is head to Union Square. The upscale sports bar has more than 40 TVs, and with the Knicks in the playoffs, Harry can root for the home team.

Little Britain Boulevard 
One of Manhattan’s lesser-known treasures is a cozy corner in West Village nicknamed “Little Britain Boulevard.” There Harry’ll find traditional British fare such as finger sandwiches and shepherd’s pie at Tea & Sympathy. For traditional fish and chips, we recommend A Salt & Battery.

Tea & Sympathy

108-110 Greenwich Ave., 212-989-9735

A Salt & Battery

112 Greenwich Ave.,212-691-2713

The post Where should Prince Harry go on his tour of NYC? appeared first on Metro.us.

Let’s face it: Most New Yorkers use Cinco de Mayo as a (wonderful) excuse to drink margaritas. With the Mexican holiday around the corner, and the best spots to imbibe on the minds of many, let us not forget about tradition, culture and pride — as there are plenty of locals to remind us. “Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Puebla, which is one of my favorite areas in Mexico,” says Sue Torres, chef and owner of Sueños in Chelsea. “And, of course, the food of Puebla is key to the celebrations — reflected in dishes like mole poblano, tamales and quesadillas. It’s a great opportunity to revel in the cultural heritage of the great country of Mexico.” From molé to margs, read on for our picks on where to celebrate this weekend.

Sueños

In celebration of the restaurant’s 10th anniversary, Chef Torres and her team are unveiling, among other items, their first brunch menu and expanded mezcal and tequila selection. Beginning this Saturday, Torres will offer options that include coconut-habanero shrimp tacos (served with grilled corn on the cob, $17) and huevos rancheros (with refried beans, $12). Brunch menu served Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m., full dinner menu from 5 p.m.

311 W. 17th St.
212-243-1333
www.suenosnyc.com

Gran Electrica

With a newly opened 50-seat garden overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge, a mariachi band and a DJ spinning Latin tunes, the setting is picture perfect for an all-day fiesta. Just add this Dumbo spot’s signature margarita de Remolacha (made with fresh beet juice, Pueblo Viejo blanco tequila, Combier, fresh lime juice and simple syrup) and the full menu, including favorites like chorizo and potato quesadilla ($9).

Sunday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
5 Front St.
DUMBO, Brooklyn
718-852 2700
www.granelectrica.com

Empellon

At the West Village Taqueria, the folks at Empellon are offering a Cinco de Mayo menu featuring multiple courses of Alex Stupak’s cuisine and unlimited margaritas, beer and wine. Find it Saturday (dinner only) and Sunday (brunch and dinner), and at the east side Cocina on Sunday for dinner only. Multiple seatings, reservations required.

230 W. Fourth St.,
212-367-0999

105 First Ave.
212-780-0999
www.empellon.com

Rosa Mexicano is hosting a boozy Mexican brunch featuring cocktails like the smoky Mezcal Bloody Maria and the Pasion Picante (1800 silver tequila, passion fruit, fresh lime, ginger and habanero, served in a pitcher). Along with dishes like cinnamon-cascabel chili stuffed French toast and fried eggs and carnitas hash, there will also be a DJ, mariachis, sombreros and, yes, cervezas. Sunday, beginning at noon.

Multiple locations, see www.rosamexicano.com for info.

More Cinco Specials!

Cascabel Taqueria

Both of these uptown taquerias will feature a mariachi band (beginning at 1 p.m. with brunch service), along with handcrafted frozen margaritas ($6), and a special Fiesta Time menu (5 p.m. to midnight). Sunday only.

Cascabel East, 1538 Second Ave., 212-717-8226
Cascabel West, 2799 Broadway, 212-665-1500
www.nyctacos.com

El Café at El Museo del Barrio

Uptown museumgoers can start celebrating early: On Friday and Saturday, guests can sip Micheladas ($6) in the outdoor courtyard at the museum café alongside pan-Latin menu items including Mexican tamales and tostadas.

El Museo del Barrio
1230 Fifth Ave.
212-831-7272
www.elmuseo.org

At Luna Sur Latin Bistro in Hell’s Kitchen, happy hour will last all Sunday night in honor of the holiday. Specials include Tecate ($6), Corona ($4), margaritas and sangritas ($6), along with menu specials from Chef Isaias Ortiz.

802 Ninth Ave.
212-262-1299
www.lunasurnyc.com

Salvation Taco will open its rooftop at noon on Sunday with the start of their $5 Salvation Margarita special (which ends at 4 p.m.) Also on the menu: three al pastor tacos and a can of Modelo Especial for $10, (from 5:30 p.m. until they run out.)

145 E. 39thSt.
212-865-5800
www.salvationtaco.com

In addition to their crispy fish tacos, Tacombi’s new brunch items include chilquiles verdes and huevos rancheros. Top it off with a spiked horchata and it’s a fiesta!

267 Elizabeth St.
917-727-0179
www.tacombi.com

Tequila Park Taqueria

At the brand new park space in the Hudson Hotel, this Cinco de Mayo, from 2 p.m. til sunset, the party is on. On tap: a live performance by City of the Sun and music by Elle Dee. Special menu items include street-style tacos (two for $8), fresh fruit margaritas and a 40+ tequila section.

Hudson Hotel
356 W. 58th St.
212-554-6000
www.tequilaparknyc.com

The Tippler

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, the old-timey cocktail den in the subterranean space below Chelsea Market will be transformed into a fiesta – complete with sombreros, luchador masks, capes and a build-your-own margarita bar. Festivities begin Sunday at 4 p.m.

425 W. 15th St. (under OPEN sign)
212- 206-0000
www.thetippler.com

Willow Road chefs Todd MacDonald and Grayson Schmitz are teaming up with La Esquina’s and Gran Electrica’s former chefs to bring a one-night-only Mexican menu to the downtown restaurant. Among the deals: all-you-can-eat fare ($20), all-you-can-drink Labatt Blue ($10), and specialty margaritas ($5). Sunday from 11 p.m.-2 a.m.; no reservations required.

85 10th Ave.
646-484-6566
www.willowroadnyc.com

PLUS: a special offer for Metro readers:

Sprinkles Cupcakes is rolling out a margarita-flavored cupcake – available for a limited time in May. This “adult cupcake” is made with key lime tequila cake, topped with key lime frosting and dusted with salt. This Cinco de Mayo, Sprinkles is offering a buy one get a second cupcake free deal to Metro readers. Mention Metro to the salesperson at Sprinkles and the second cupcake is gratis.

Offer good all day Sunday for the margarita cupcake only.

780 Lexington Ave.
212-207-8375
www.sprinkles.com

The post Where to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in NYC appeared first on Metro.us.

Lisa Giffen was just appointed as executive chef at Maison Premiere in Williamsburg, which is entering its second summer season as a bar that vamped into a spot with full-meal options like rabbit with spaetzle and yellowfoot mushrooms or golden snapper with bouillabaisse and squid.  The place is heavy on seafood like oysters, razor clams and crab, and Giffen experiments with her twist on New Orleans-inspired dishes. Giffen made her way from Germany, daughter of U.S. Army contractors, to Arizona to New York, where she worked for chefs including Didier Elena at Adour by Alain Ducasse. Higher temps mean their garden area is opening, and Giffen tells us what warmer weather means for fish dishes.

Congrats on the new appointment as executive chef! Tell us what you’re working on for spring.

We’re definitely adding more fish, fish move further south that part of the year, like large black bass and sepia and frogs legs.  Crawfish season is here. In terms of the vegetables, it’s not quite there yet. In terms of seafood, it’s definitely opening up the seafood for some interesting stuff.

What are you experimenting with right now?

Since we’re kind of a seafood-driven restaurant, it’s an exciting thing because you get to play around with seafood that if you weren’t seafood oriented you wouldn’t. We’re thinking about getting abalone on the menu. That’s the fun part, you can’t just have lobster and scallops.

What’s proving to be most popular with customers these days?

Crayfish bread. People love it. Fifty percent of our seats are bar seats, it’s a good snack for people. The Spanish mackerel crudo, it’s really beautiful. Lightly charred, marinated in escabeche, people really like those flavors.

Do you cook at home?

I try to cook at home. When you’re spending all your time at the restaurant it’s hard to have a time at home. Usually on my days at home I try to relax at home or go out to eat at other places. It’s nice to have someone cook for you.

The post Hot Chef: Lisa Giffen, Maison Premiere appeared first on Metro.us.

Here are the new joints on our radar:

Fatty ‘Cue Brooklyn
91 S. Sixth St., Brooklyn, 718-599-3090
The barbecue spot reopens with revamped first, second and third floors, plus an expanded outdoor space.

Uncle Boons
7 Spring St., 646-370-6650
Straightforward Thai from a husband and wife team who met while cooking together at Per Se.

180
180 Hester St., second floor, 212-334-3811
A modern-day speakeasy serving traditional Neapolitan fare.

Wild
535 Hudson St., 212-929-2920
Farm-to-table pizza in the West Village.

Little Prince
199 Prince St., 212-335-0566
A French bistro comes to SoHo. We can’t wait to try the French Onion Soup Burger.

Boulevard Bistro
239 Lenox Ave., 212-678-6200
Modern American in a Harlem brownstone.

The post NYC restaurant openings we’re excited about appeared first on Metro.us.

Celebrate Tartan Day
Scottish gastropub Highlands NYC (150 W. 10th St., 212-229-2670) is bringing in Chef Michael Smith of Scotland’s renowned The Three Chimneys to prepare a three-course  Tartan Day prix fixe menu tonight ($65). And Tavern 29 (47 E. 29th St., 212-685-4422) is offering Bowmore & Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch Whisky drink specials, plus private tastings of Auchentoshan 12 Years Old and Auchentoshan 3 Wood paired with cured meats and cheeses.

Take me out
Nowadays, ballpark cuisine is going beyond standard burgers and dogs. At Citi Field, Blue Smoke is offering some new dishes this season, including beef brisket sandwiches and corn bread with chipotle butter and beans. New to the Mets’ stadium this year is El Verano Cantina, an extension of taco joint El Verano Taquería, which will serve frozen cocktails and snacks. And legendary meat man Pat LaFrieda is bringing Pat LaFrieda’s Chop House to the Delta Sky360° Club.
If you can’t get to Citi Field, Neely’s Barbecue Parlor (1125 First Ave., 212-832-1551) is serving unique takes on hot dogs (Try the Japanese variety, with Kobe beef hot dog, teriyaki glaze and tempura style green beans), plus fries loaded with brisket and cheese, through tomorrow.

Openings
Spreads
41 Park Ave. South, 212-758-5555
A new lunchtime option for unique takes on sandwiches. The veggie BLT, for instance, swaps bacon for smoked coconut — but you wouldn’t notice the difference.

Luna Sur Latin Bistro
802 Ninth Ave., 212-262-1299
Latin American flavors and live music six nights a week.

The post NYC restaurant news and notes appeared first on Metro.us.

Many New Yorkers can relate to Homer Simpson, who once said, “I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer.”

Luckily for them, the city’s once-thriving brewing industry, which declined to nothingness in the 1970s, is enjoying a renaissance.

There are about a dozen breweries licensed to operate in the five boroughs, and that number is expected to increase to 20 by the end of the summer, according to Jeremy Cowan, founder of Shmaltz Brewing and president of the New York City Brewers Guild.

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“The average New Yorker is more and more interested in these wonderful projects,” Cowan said. “It just makes life better, and it makes the economy more dynamic.”

The breweries are based everywhere from City Island in the Bronx to the Rockaways in Queens.

Some companies such as Shmaltz, which is known for its “He’brew–The Chosen Beer,” contract brew outside of the city limits. Others, like KelSo and 508 GastroBrewery, make all of their beer here.

A third group, consisting of Brooklyn Brewery and Sixpoint Brewing, operate smaller facilities within the city and larger ones outside it.

“It’s a great cross section of all the different brewing models,” Cowan said.

All receive tax incentives for smaller craft brewers, even Brooklyn, which just completed an expansion in Williamsburg and produces more beer than the rest of its New York City competitors combined.

“There are still extremely few breweries (especially per capita) making beer in New York City,” Brooklyn co-owner Robin Ottaway said via email. “And most of those that do are very small.”

Yet Cowan pointed out that momentum is building.

“It’s an alcoholic refreshment, so there’s that element to it, but it’s also a piece of art and culture,” he said in reference to craft brewing. “That’s a very, very different concept than the assembly line, massed produced, widget philosophy that the big brewers have.”

History of New York City brewing

Ale has been brewed in New York City ever since the first Dutch and English settlers arrived in the 17th Century.

Germans immigrating in the mid to late 19th Century then introduced the concept of lager and turned New York into one of the two biggest brew states in the country.

With good tasting water and hops coming in from upstate, at least 100 breweries popped up in the five boroughs, according to Nina Nazionale, co-curator of “Beer Here: Brewing New York’s History,” an exhibit that ran last year at the New York Historical Society.

“It was a big industry here,” Nazionale said. “A big source of revenue, a big employer.”

Things started to turn south when mildew, spider mites and aphids decimated the New York hops crop.

Then came Prohibition, from 1920 to 1933, which proved to be “the near death blow,” Nazionale said.

“It was such a long run of not being able to sell their product,” she added. “They were broken by it.”

A few brewers held on, but New York was easily surpassed in terms of production by such cities as St. Louis and Milwaukee.

When Rheingold and Schaefer closed their plants in 1976, New York City lacked a single brewery.

It essentially remained that way until 1987, when a journalist who learned to brew while stationed in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, where alcohol is forbidden, founded Brooklyn Brewery.

Despite originally producing all of its beer upstate, Brooklyn opened a second brewery in Williamsburg in 1996. Since then, it has been joined about a dozen other city brewers, with more on the way.

“Historically, it is really cool to see New York coming back to where it was in the late 19th century,” Nazionale said.

The post Raise a glass to the return of brewing in NYC appeared first on Metro.us.

The Betty Draper

Your drink may be made tableside at L’Amant.

Find it at: L’Amant
235 W. 12th St., 646-476-8731
The sleek, dimly-lit French bistro is the perfect backdrop for a drink as beautiful as January Jones. The cocktail is a blend of Citadelle Gin, Calvados Drouin Selection, celery and lime juice, apple syrup and a dash of celery bitters.

The Behind Sterling’s Back
Find it at: Black Hound Bar & Lounge
301 South End Ave., 212-945-0562
Sidle up to the bar at this speakeasy and order up this take an Old Fashioned, a sturdy mix of Rye, Amaro Montenegro and Luxardo.

The Don Draper
Find it at: The Carnegie Club, 156 W. 56th St., 212-957-9676
Indoor smoking — not that we recommend it — is still OK at this classic haunt, which is hosting a viewing party with a full “Mad Men”-inspired menu. While there (in your 1960s best, natch), sip on The Don Draper: a mix of gin, sweet vermouth and pineapple juice — though this is probably the last time we’ll ever associate the man with being sweet.

Whiskey Park

Midnight Manhattan
Whiskey Park, 100 Central Park S., 212-307-9222
It only makes sense that a bar with “whiskey” in its name would host a “Mad Men” party on Sunday, complete with a trivia contest. Dress to impress in your finest ’60s garb and order up the Midnight Manhattan, a Pete Campbell-inspired bourbon drink sure to land you any deal (or lady).

Make your own

The Silver Fox Fizz
Ingredients:
2 ounces Bombay Sapphire gin
¾ ounce lemon juice
½ ounce orgeat syrup (syrup made from almonds, sugar and rose or orange flower water)
1 egg white
Soda to taste
DISARONNO to taste
Instructions:
In a flute glass, build ingredients. Top generously with DISARONNO.

The post Celebrate the return of ‘Mad Men’ with these Draper drinks appeared first on Metro.us.

The masterminds behind The Mulberry Project and Vinatta Project are back. Chef Carmine Di Giovanni brings fine dining with the Project Group’s signature cocktails to Greenwich Project, which opens Thursday (47 W. 8th Street, 212-253-9335).

How did you get your start as a chef?

I started at a young age. I was 16 when I started working at catering halls. Two years later I realized I had a passion for what I was doing. I started in New Jersey where I grew up. Shortly thereafter, at age 20, I was working in Manhattan. After finishing culinary school at New York Restaurant School I started working at Picholine.

Tell us about the menu at Greenwich Project.

Greenwich Project is modern American cuisine with European influences. The menu, like with any modern restaurant nowadays, is open to carnivores, vegetarians, pescatarians and everyone in between.

What’s your favorite dish currently on the menu?

My favorite dish is an odd couple: It’s sweet breads, snails and bacon.

What’s different about Greenwich Project?

The unique thing about the place is the upstairs and downstairs. Downstairs is casual, a place you can come to everyday. Upstairs is more upscale and classy without being pretentious. It’s approachable.

The Project Group is known for its interesting take on cocktails.

We have an extensive cocktail program. Guests can custom-make their own cocktails and use seasonal ingredients. My favorite cocktail would be bourbon and pineapple.

Do you cook when you’re at home?

I’m not much of a home cooker. I prefer to do it at the restaurant where we have more ingredients. I’ll have an occasional dinner party here and there, though.

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

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Tickets are on sale for Tasting Table’s Lobster Roll Rumble on June 6.Credit: Morgan Yeager

Openings
Sugar and Plumm
257 Bleecker St., 212-388-5757
The second location of the popular bakery will stock sweets like pastries, chocolates and macarons.

Cherrywood Kitchen
300 Spring St., 646-559-2328
Executive Chef Chris Cheung (Jean-Georges, Nobu) brings New American fare to SoHo.

Denuda Cevicheria
221 S. First St., 718-387-0563
More than 20 options of ceviche, plus a full bar of South American and Mexican piscos, rums, cachacas, tequilas and mescals, awaits.

Smorgasburg Snack Bar
95 E. Houston St., 212-420-1320
The popular Brooklyn Flea foodie fest gets a permanent location inside Whole Foods on Bowery.

The Hummus & Pita Co.
79 Chambers St.. 212-571-6700
Fast-casual Mediterranean with breads baked in house.

Restaurant News
Chef Ron Paprocki’s late night chocolate experience at Gotham Bar and Grill (12 E. 12th St., 212-620-4020), a three-course $30 tasting menu of Valrhona Chocolates, was just extended through the month of April.

And speaking of time-sensitive deals, hit Orso (322. W 46th St., 212-489-7212) before April 1 to enjoy its original 1983 menu in celebration of the Italian-American establishment’s 30th birthday. The $36 prix fixe by Executive Chef Victor Flores (who started as a dishwasher!) includes thinly sliced roast veal, tagliarini with tuna, cornmeal biscotti and many other delights.

Finally, Saturday is your last chance to try the offerings from Brooklyn Taco at South Williamsburg cocktail den Donna (27 Broadway, Brooklyn, 646-568-6622 . The haute taco purveyors will be there from 4 p.m. until they run out of food.

The Asian night market experience is coming to the Lower East Side this weekend, where spots like Asia Dog, Imperial Woodpecker Sno-balls, Nom Wah Tea Parlor and Taikan Chicken will take over The Old Bowery Stations (168 Bowery) for two nights of tastings and music. Tickets ($40) include stops at all nine vendors and Taiwan Beer. Reserve at  http://nightmarketnyc.eventbrite.com.

On our radar
–Tasting Table’s fourth annual Lobster Roll Rumble ($150 general admission); June 6; Get tickets at http://tastingtable.com/rumble2013
–Last year’s GoogaMooga was a sweaty, cell service-less affair, but we’re hoping this year’s is better. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Flaming Lips, Matt & Kim and Father John Misty are all on this year’s ticket, as are 85 area restaurants, including Roberta’s, Gywnnett St., Pok Pok Phat Thai and Momofuku Milk Bar. Tickets for Friday night’s kickoff with Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Flaming Lips go on sale today at noon, and you can sign up for free tickets from April 1 to April 3 at www.googamooga.com (recipients will be notified on or before April 10).

The post NYC Restaurant news and notes appeared first on Metro.us.

Credit: Miles Dixon

Some nights, Matt Aita, executive chef of the French bistro Le Philosophe, can create up to 30 plates of his specialty, duck a l’orange. The dish transcends its retro past in the competent hands of Aita, who got his start in French stalwarts Le Bernardin and Daniel (he eventually rose up the ranks to become sous chef at Jean-Georges.) His next chapter in French dining? Creating his French mainstays at the decidedly more accessible NoHo hotspot Le Philosophe. Here, this week’s hot chef shares his philosophy on creating his own venture.

Your duck a l’orange is the runaway hit of Le Philosophe. Can you tell us more about making this dish hot again?
Duck a l’orange is perceived as a really retro dish that’s been done too many times and not very well. People have tried to reinvent it too many times and everyone just got sick of it. It usually ends up being too sweet with a candied sauce — it’s  just not very attractive. But when I approached it, I didn’t want to mess with it too much. I quickly found it’s all about the sauce. The duck is a duck. As long as it has crispy skin, it’s gonna be delicious. As far as the accompaniment, I chose turnips, because, frankly I love duck and turnips.

How did you design the menu at Le Philosophe – is it traditionally French?
Well, we did some pasta and risotto, some things like that are on the menu that aren’t French. But, it’s the ingredients and the techniques that are. I think that’s the French way – it’s almost a military discipline. The French had to organize these techniques and the flavor combinations, and to really focus on how to treat ingredients, how to cook ingredients, things like that. I think that’s why the French have really excelled. And that’s what I try to do here.

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If you subscribe to the Monday Campaigns’ “Meatless Monday” mindset, where you forgo meat once a week for health reasons, you don’t have to slave in the kitchen for a plant-based Monday night meal: Many of the city’s chefs are getting on board the vegetarian wagon.

“Meatless Monday is expanding our clientele, challenging our cooks, and supporting our local growers,” says Jason Weiner of Almond, who offered Meatless Monday in his Bridgehampton restaurant last year and now has it at his 22nd Street eatery. “Put simply, Meatless Mondays is win, win, win. In retrospect, I have no idea why the heck it took me so long to get on board.”

Here are some popular city eateries offer special Meatless Monday menus:

Almond
Babbo Ristorante
Bar Jamon
Casa Mono
Cookshop,
Dell’anima
Del Posto
Dovetail
Lupa
Otto
Smorgas Chef
Brooklyn Taco at Essex Market

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Jodi Bernhard is in the kitchen at Casa Pomona (507 Columbus Ave.,  212-362-3200).

Credit: Karen Bruno

Nothing feels like an afterthought at Casa Pomona, where the work cooked into each dish at the Upper West Side tapas restaurant shows. From clams with a special hot sauce that started out as an accessory to cooks’ meals in the kitchen to churros that are dangerously light and fluffy, your hardest decision will be which tapas to order. Fear not, however – if you visit for the very reasonable daily happy hour (beer and wine for $5, sangria for $4) tapas at the bar are free. For a longer meal, make sure to order a glass of the Spanish garnacha, which executive chef Jodi Bernhard recommends – it perfectly complements the fare.

How did you wind your way toward Spanish food?
There are a lot of influences I had from before. I was working with Spanish food, when I first started my career. I worked really heavily with French, then I started working with Italian chefs. Those influences intertwine so readily, the European, French and Italian especially. … It literally was the appeal of being able to cook in a fairly simple and rustic style but have elements of refinement and being ingredients-focused and seasonal and simple, the ability to take one ingredient and put it on the plate and highlight it.

You were in Connecticut before. What is different about cooking in New York City?
It’s dramatically different in that I put a lot more pressure on myself more than anything. It’s a big deal to have in your head that you’re cooking in New York City. In terms of what I’m doing with the food and the styling of the menu and the kinds of dishes I’m offering, I think I’m able to get a little more adventurous, but at the same time I don’t feel like my basic menu composition has changed that dramatically.

What is your favorite dish to cook?
Mussels en escebeche. This is a dish that was totally a “me” dish. I put it on the menu because I love them, the mussels. I’m continually surprised when I get overwhelmingly positive feedback on that, not because I don’t think it’s a great dish, I do, but they’re mussels and they’re being served cold, which is unusual. And it’s also something that doesn’t leap off the page as, “Oh, that’s definitely something I’d order.” But they have caught on.

What are you experimenting with right now?
I’ve started to focus a little bit more on seafood. That’s always a pretty prominent ingredient, of course, but I feel like I’ve just gotten to the point in the last couple of weeks where I’ve been able to feel comfortable with the core menu. Last night I pulled in some razor clams, and I made this sauce actually for internal use, for people to eat who like spicy food or if a customer asks for hot sauce. People have gone so crazy with it that I’m like, “Well I guess I should use this on a dish.” I did the razor clams with that sauce, which I call the salsa roja. It was pretty neat.

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