New York City

Manchester City 5-3 ChelseaCity: Barry 3, Nasri 29, 74, Milner 55, Dzeko 84Chelsea: Ramires 46, 69, Mata 82The day's talk of a symbolic shift in football power had a very particular flavour in New York on Saturday evening, as Chelsea and Manchester City played the second of two exhibition matches on a brief post-season US tour, at a Yankee Stadium that may soon be home to regular Major League Soccer games. For sure, the day's main conversation, here as elsewhere, may have been on the all-German ascendancy of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, and the opening of a new front in Europe, but locally (and for New York, the local is the global), the exhibition game had been given added piquancy by the news this week that City had teamed up with the Yankees to form New York City FC. And with no home stadium confirmed for the long-anticipated second New York MLS team (and the path towards one strewn with New York political obstacles), the sight of the Yankees pitching mound bisected by a touchline may be less of a curio and more of a blueprint for what Major League Soccer will initially look like when NYCFC starts play in 2015. Certainly the day brought the clearest signs yet that that is the current plan with Yankees ownership, in the shape of Hal Steinbrenner speaking positively about the idea.For Saturday evening though, once the Champions League final had been negotiated (Yankees Stadium opened early to show the game on the big scoreboard), two of the competition's talented also-rans played out a dutifully goal-packed, if only intermittently thrilling encounter on a continent both have strong, if differently articulated, ambitions in.The opening exchanges off the field went Chelsea's way, as City were significantly out-cheered by a Chelsea fan contingent who have been assiduously courted by the London club in recent years - from extensive pre-season tours to playing in MLS All Star games, Chelsea have taken the traditional route of touring their European hits. City on the other hand, have been a more recently visible presence in the US, though this week's news has catapulted them to the forefront of at least New York City's soccer consciousness.When the game got under way, City wasted no time in their battle for local hearts and minds by taking an early lead — albeit gifted by Chelsea. Hilario's poor kick clear was followed by an even poorer intercepted backpass by Oscar, and despite the keeper's first scrambled save from Aguero, Gareth Barry had a simple tap-in to open the scoring. Chelsea had their chance in the opening period — even having the ball in the net in a bizarre sequence where a ball was thrown onto the field as a corner was being taken, and Hart being forced to palm the retaken corner onto the crossbar. But as the sides went in at half time they were 2-0 down — Nasri reaching a through ball first to deftly chip Hilario, just on the half hour mark.The first game between the two had been a rather wild, demob-happy affair in front of a sellout crowd in St Louis, that had ended in City winning 4-3 after being 0-3 down. For the first half at least, this game seemed understandably slower, as two teams waiting for new eras to begin played out the last minutes of their respective old ones. A raft of substitutions at half time allowed Chelsea back into the game as Ramires skipped round Richard Wright to pull one back in the 46th minute, but Chelsea didn't have the appetite to press further at that point and City extended their lead through a low shot across Cech from another one of their subs, Milner. That briefly looked to have killed the game as a contest, but as the game drifted into the last quarter it came to life again. First, Torres got the better of Lescott on the right of the box and his cross from the byline was touched home at point blank range by Ramires in the 69th minute. Yet again City quickly restored the gap. Nasri bursting through some indifferent marking on the left of the box to lift the ball over Cech i

Barry Manilow Recently, bergenPAC celebrated its 8th Annual Gala and raised funds to benefit the planned renovations of the newly acquired home for The Performing Arts School at bergenPAC - 1 Depot Square. The hugely successful event, sponsored by Benzel Busch, featured an elaborate cocktail reception and dinner, outstanding company, and a special performance by musical icon Barry Manilow. The funds raised at the Gala will allow for renovations of The Performing Arts School that are critical to its growth as it continues to expand programming and offer state of the art facilities to all those enrolled. To date, bergenPAC's Arts Education and Community Outreach programs have reached more than 50,000 students annually. Speaking live on the microphone during his performance, Mr. Manilow expressed his delight at being asked to perform at the Gala and the positive impact music has had on his own life: "I was very happy to learn that proceeds from this show were going to support the BergenPAC Performing Arts School. Music can change your life. It did mine.” The Gala dinner and dessert were provided by The Kitchen and, in a show of charity consistent with the spirit of the night, extra food was donated to Table to Table, a local community-based food rescue program that collects prepared and perishable food that would otherwise be wasted and delivers it to organizations that serve the hungry in Bergen, Hudson, Essex and Passaic counties. Claire Insalata Poulos, President of Table to Table, spoke on behalf of the organization and thanked bergenPAC for its commitment to those in need within the local community. “On behalf of Table to Table, I want to express our thanks for the incredible generosity of bergenPAC. It is rare that we receive food of this caliber, delectable short ribs, salmon plates and the like, and are thrilled to be able to share it with so many people in need.” “The bergenPAC Gala is our biggest annual event—raising money to support our performing arts school, award recognized arts education programs, and world-class live entertainment. We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who helped in making the evening a huge success. The money raised will help ensure that bergenPAC can continue its mission to provide great performances and arts education programs to people throughout Northern New Jersey” said Edmondo Schwartz, Chairman of bergenPAC. bergenPAC would like to extend a gracious thank-you to the Gala committee, Mrs. Kelli Agresta, Mrs. Michelle Oropeza and Mr. Bernie Koster, whose dedication and hard work made the gala event and reception the event of the season! Additionally, a big thank you to the City of Englewood, The Kitchen, Alpine Country Club, Dean Street Greenery and Pro Valet Parking for their services and support in making this event a terrific success! bergenPAC is located at 30 North Van Brunt Street, in Englewood, NJ 07631. Phone: (201) 227-1030 or visit www.bergenpac.org. Photo By: Walter McBride/Retna

Recap: John Tortorella's Post Game Comments: On the Bruins, “They have a deep team. It can’t be an excuse.” “I thought we were slow in the series as far as this is a different team than Washington. I don’t think we got to the level we needed …

Angel Pagan walk-off inside-the-park home run. Giants a 6-5 win in the 10th.

Bruins 3 Rangers 1Read: SNY Rangers Blog “I expected more for us and I hoped for more…it’s an empty feeling…I am so disappointed” - Henrik Lundqvist (@NYRangers)

The better team won.  No doubt about it.  This Rangers group just didn’t have what it takes.  Plagued by injuries to important players, dragged down by their atrocious power play, saddled with under-performing superstars.  It just wasn’t our season.  Blame whoever you want, Torts, Richards, Sather, it doesn’t matter.  The Rangers hadn’t played like a Cup worthy team all season long and this series simply saw them at their worst.  So good luck to you, Boston.  Go kill Crosby and take a run at it.  We’ll go retool in the off-season, shift some things around I’m sure, and see you next year to get our revenge.  Our window’s still open.  You haven’t seen the last of the New York Rangers.  Now do me a favor and cue the mother fucking music…

I have to say that I was really impressed with Thalassa. It’s a Greek restaurant that’s in a building that’s owned by a shipping company and has been there for the last I don’t know however many years. It seems like if you own the building, you’re going to have a better possibility of being able to manage a restaurant at the bottom of it, but the food here speaks for itself. To the left, Chef Raphael Abrahante is perfects the seafood display. This guy really knows his fish. I feel like this guy is going to make a name for himself, but I can’t find a lot of articles about his food just yet. There will be more soon, trust me. Onto the food: Bakalao It looks pretty, but I think it needs to be eaten when it’s hot. I had photographed all of the appetizers before I got to try it and the cooling off did something to the texture. I can’t comment on this one in one way or another, only to say that it needs to be eaten hot. Horiatiki Or as I like to call it, the fancypants Greek Salad. I think I ate the whole thing. I might have skipped the flower. Look at how GD gorgeous that thing is. Katifi Wrapped Scallops Maine Sea Scallops wrapped in Kataifi filo with sheep’s milk butter and a Kalamata balsamic reduction. These things are a must order when you dine here. They are DECADENT, so beware. These are easily someone’s main course. A refined fried scallop dish if I’ve ever tasted one. Tartare Trio Three tartares of Royal Dorado, Tuna, and Lavraki respectively. My favorite was the classic tuna and avocado. Hard to go wrong with this light fare after you’ve punished yourself with those scallops (we advise splitting the scallops with two friends). Soft-Shell Crab and Fiddleheads This one is not on the menu right now, but I just wanted to say DAMN! FIDDLEHEADS! If you haven’t had yourself some fiddleheads at this point in time this season, go find yourself some and cook the heck out of those badass mothers. You’ll LOVE them. Also, soft-shell crab? Definitely my favorite type of crab. If it’s on the menu, this is what I am ordering. Very springy. Octopus Susan was telling me a story about how all of the Greek restaurants used to have a washing machine in the kitchen. The washing machine would tenderize the octopus. Now, these washing machines have been removed from the great kitchens because they are “unsanitary.” I mean, I am guessing they are not made for this type of stuff, so they have the potential to be unsanitary, but I basically side with the chef on this one, especially in a restaurant of this caliber. These octopi were hand-massaged. They are plenty tender and you get an absolute mammoth portion of it. Not cheap, but if you like octopus, this really is an exceptional dish. Panna Cotta This one is available in the $38 prix-fixe. When I think Greece, I don’t typically think Panna Cotta, but I was happy with this one. Panna Cotta it is one of my favorite things to photograph. I’m not sure I did this one justice. Baklava I don’t think you could see it, but the honey was absolutely sparkling in the sunset. Sparkling honey is not necessarily a mark of good baklava, but they nailed it. If you are a high-end Greek restaurant, you need to nail the baklava. An ex-girlfriend of mine went to Greece on a trip and came back complaining about the bland food. I’ve been to a lot of Greek restaurants in the past and I’ve never been super excited about the cuisine. After Thalassa, I am. Editor’s note: This meal was provided to the writer compliments of the restaurant Thalassa179 Franlkin StreetNew York, NY 10013(212) 941-7661

An anonymous reader writes "In April, Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced that the Nissan NV200 minivan had won a citywide competition to replace the current cab model, the Ford Crown Victoria, in a phased-in period of five years. Cab owners sued, pointing out that New York City law requires that hybrid electric models be available for immediate use for cab medallion owners; that excludes the current Nissan NV200, with its 2.0 liter, 4-cylinder engine rated at a combined 24 mpg. The NV200 also has poor accessibility for wheelchair users. After a state judge blocked the mayor's plan, Bloomberg allegedly told the CEO of Taxi Club Management at a private club, 'Come January 1st, when I am out of office, I am going to destroy your f--king industry.' Tim Fernholz of Quartz speculates that Bloomberg (a billionaire) may be planning to launch a cab-hailing service like Uber, which was just allowed back onto the streets of New York, with significant limitations." Read more of this story at Slashdot.

official-nhl: The Rangers take a 1-0 lead off of yes, a Powerplay Goal by Girardi!