at the sign of The Pink Pig

Red Rooster On The Prowl

[Pigging by Wilfrid:  February 21, 2011]

A chance at last to spy on Marcus Samuelsson's new central Harlem venture, on my way to a very late night entertainment at a very obscure and creepy bar.  Never mind that.

Red Rooster is a hit already - witness the difficulty in reserving a table, even off prime-time, less than a week or so out.

A Jolly at Albert Hall Tavern

[Free stuff by Wilfrid:  February 21, 2011]

Out of the brutal night wind on Ninth Avenue, and into the cozy back-room of the new-ish Albert Hall Tavern.  The occasion, the launch of [Exploration] Dining.  The audience, about fifteen or twenty food writers and sundry other hungry souls.

  
As for the project itself, I haven't much to tell you as that - except that the staff members I met were unfailingly charming and enthusiastic about it.  But that doesn't really matter, in a sense, because it's a by-invitation-only dining club.

Soy Dominicano: Ten Years Ago

[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid:  February 21, 2011]

No, of course I'm not Dominican, but ten years ago my half-Dominican new born was shuffled down to the DR to meet the family and get the bautismo treatment.  And there are some stories related to that which I am not going to share in this forum - you wouldn't believe them anyway.  Of course, there was some eating to do too.

A Little Bit Of Lincoln

[Pigging by Wilfrid: February 14, 2011]

To be honest, I just dipped my toe in the water.  There has been no shortage of new mid- to upscale Italian restaurants to try in the last few months, many of them featuring name chefs.  Manzo, Ciano, anything by Michael White, and the Lincoln.

Jonathan Benno's Lincoln, indeed, a reported $20 million new venture in a dramatic Lincoln Center structure by Elizabeth Diller which was under construction more than a year ago.  Not to be missed, right?

Did You Drink My Beer? The Wandering Foodie Rides Again

[Free stuff by Wilfrid:  February 8, 2011]

Always good to hear from the Wandering Foodie, Hagan Blount, whom we last encountered a year ago, eating his way through 93 Plates.*  The scheme then was to have restaurants feed him in support of a charity, he'd then blog about it, and everyone would be happy.

 

Smart yes, but his latest project steps up from smart to brilliant.  He is now getting paid to drink beer.  Sorry, not drink - taste.  I am sure he spits and everything.  You can read about it here.

Homeward Bound: Ten Years Ago

[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid:  Fbeurary 14, 2011]

After some extended quality time in London and Paris, coming back to New York meant a string of home-cooked dinners while recovering from all the excitement.  Of course, I am not saying I didn't dine out at all.

A True History Of Pop On The High Seas

[The Cunning Tower by Wilfrid:  February 8, 2011]

A review of the 2009 movie Pirate Radio, originally released under the lame title The Boat That Rocked would be forlornly belated.  The few who saw it will recall a well-written and acted ensemble comedy based very loosely on events surrounding the British government's closure of the offshore pop pirates in 1967.

Everybody Was Kung Fu Souping

[Pigging by Wilfrid:  February 2, 2011]

Here is the object in question.

Now let's read along closely.  "Chicken * Noodle Flavoured Soup."  Don't overlook the asterisk.

London Nuptials: Ten Years Ago

[Pink Pig Time Machine by Wilfrid:  February 2, 2011]

Back from Paris, and I suddenly remember why I'm in London.  By which I mean, of course, that I read ahead in the diary and was reminded that I had been invited to a wedding.  Carolyn and Michael - celebrating about now, it follows logically, their tenth anniversary.

Le Comptoir: Parlez-Vous Brooklyn?

[Pigging  by Wilfrid:  January 31, 2011]

La Goulue it ain't.  And that's a deliberate choice.  It really is un comptoir, sleek and comfortable, with some booths in the back and a small garden for kind weather.

A long dining counter with a view of the open kitchen where young chef  Sébastian Chameret stirs pots, shakes pans and teases charcuterie.  Traditional French food, local ingredients, and not a whiff of old Paree.