New York Restaurants

It would be a shame to lose a Soho institution like @lurefishbar to make room for Prada Downstairs. #SaveLureFishBar— William Tigertt (@WilliamTigertt) May 21, 2013 Ever since rumors started swirling about the possible closure of Lure Fishbar, the restaurant's loyal customers have been voicing their outrage on Twitter, using the hashtag #savelurefishbar. Word on the street is that landlord Peter Brant plans to spike the rent by an "exorbitant amount." Our friends over at Curbed note: "As the neighborhood has changed over the last few decades, rent increases have repeatedly pushed out local restaurants to make room for retail tenants who can afford much higher rent." Check out the latest round of rage tweets about the Lure rumors below: I swear Lure Fishbar better not close, cc : Peter Brant.— Ivan Contreras (@iCon_ic) May 21, 2013 @lurefishbar has been across the street from my family's bar most of my adult life. So special to me #savelurefishbar— Adi Noe (@AdiEats) May 22, 2013 @lurefishbarBest restaurant in SoHo! Would be a shame to see it move, and a crime to let it close. #SaveLureFishbar— Sam Frommer (@APersonNamedSam) May 21, 2013 soho will not be the same without @lurefishbar! #savelurefishbar— shivkseth (@shivkseth) May 21, 2013 @mmmguide @lurefishbar SO sad. That place is freaking fantastic.— leticia ana (@LAMhookem) May 21, 2013 #savelurefishbar not only for the food. But also because @sloane215 would have one less place to eat. Which would mean more grief for me.— Miles Humphrey (@MilesJHumphrey) May 22, 2013 Worked, played n met my wife @jocelindonahue at SoHo institution @lurefishbar now threatened by "exorbitant" rent increase #SaveLureFishBar— Greg Santos (@gregsantos) May 21, 2013 #savelurefishbar - Lure is one of the only authenticly cool places left in that hood. If it closes, bets on which chain store opens?— Meryl Van Meter (@MerylVanM) May 21, 2013 Would be MONUMENTALLY messed up if Soho lost a good joint (w/ a great burger) like Lure to yet another retail store: bit.ly/16MaiZQ— ryan sutton (@qualityrye) May 21, 2013 OH HELL NO! @lurefishbar will NOT close. We have your back, @chefcapon!#SaveLureFishbar #DownWithCrazyRentHikes— Michelle Betrock (@MBetrock) May 21, 2013 · How Will Restaurant Rent Hikes Change the Face of Soho? [Curbed NY] · All Coverage of Lure Fishbar [~ENY~]

Master of stews. Buy Nothing Day, an international protest against consumerism, inspired Alexander Skarsgård's new film, The East. In the thriller, some of the characters practice freeganism: avoiding waste by reclaiming and eating discarded food. Off-camera, Skarsgård's actually quite fond of freshly cooked food, and he became the chef of the cast (which includes Brit Marling and Ellen Paige). At Monday's screening of the film at Landmark's Sunshine Cinema, Skarsgård shared his go-to recipes, thoughts on waste, and why his True Blood character, Eric, no longer just sees humans as food. Brit [Marling] says that you're actually a fabulous cook. I enjoy it. What's my thang? It's different to cook for these guys, because they're all vegans. I like to cook stews like beef bourguignon and coq au vin. I made them a lot of pasta and veggies. Zal [Batmanglij] and Brit had a house in Shreveport [Louisiana], and we would go and hang out there on weekends. We would hang out and cook and drink wine and dance and occasionally get some work done. One of the interesting ideas the film brings up is how much food is wasted in this country. Do you have a rule for how long food is on the floor before you don't eat it? I come from a very big, large family with tons of kids, so I'm pretty used to eating off the floor. With seven siblings, you grab whatever you can. We throw away so much good food in this country, and we don't even think about how much we waste. We've created a society where we consume so much — not just food, but everything. And I'm not judging. I'm part of that system. It's good to be aware of it. I'm hoping Eric gets something to do with the whole Warlow conspiracy on True Blood. We're shooting the last two episodes, and he might get involved in that. We'll see. I've had a great time this year. It's a big war going on. Humans are fighting back. They've figured out a way to actually be a real threat to vampires. They've always just been food to Eric. So, for the first time, he's got to fight. Read more posts by Jennifer VineyardFiled Under: interviews, alexander skarsgard, the east, true blood

If you've ever wondered what a week in the life of Daniel Boulud is like, it turns out he's something of a party animal. His day-by-day account for the Huffington Post involves a string of ceremonies, celebrations, and schmoozing with everyone from the Consul General of France to James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem. Then in the morning he eats some granola, does pilates to "push, pull and squeeze every muscle in my body to wring out all the toxins from last night's party," and starts all over again. [HuffPo]

Former Pulino's chef Nate Appleman opens up about his career change: "[W]hat people may not know, is that when my son Oliver was two years old, he was affected by Kawasaki Disease and developed heart disease as a result. As a parent, that stops you in your tracks and makes you analyze every single thing you have ever done up to that point. I realized that he had not been my priority for the first two years of his life and I was too focused on my career." [TNP]

[Lafayette by Krieger] One of New York's best-kept secrets, Lafayette, is finally rolling out its brunch menu this weekend. This is the new restaurant from former members of the Cafe Boulud and Craft teams in the space that previously housed Time Cafe/Fez. The menu includes smoked salmon Benedict, prime beef tartare, spring vegetables with eggs and trotters, pancakes, fruit dishes, and waffles, plus items from the dinner and lunch menus. Check it out, and impress your friends by going here before word really gets out about this place: Lafayette Brunch 5.25.13 by Eater NY Brunch starts at 10 a.m., and Lafayette will be open for brunch on Memorial Day, too. · All Coverage of Lafayette [~ENY~]

The Red Cat's Jimmy Bradley. Spend enough time in a professional kitchen and you pick up plenty of MacGyver-like skills and tricks that can come in handy in all sorts of situations — techniques you only learn when you're on an undermanned, overworked line and every second counts. With that in mind, welcome to Grub Street's newest column, Chef Hacks, wherein each entry will be devoted to one such useful, unexpected technique that you can put to use immediately. Today: Jimmy Bradley of the Red Cat in New York reveals how he makes coffee the very old-fashioned way. Granted, Bradley says this particular trick was picked up on camping and sailing trips, not on the line. But the technique is just as useful at home. "My father still to this day makes his coffee like that every day," he says. "People buy him coffee machines and filters and French presses and drips, and he just thinks they're assholes because nothing makes better coffee than coffee and water." It's proof, Bradley says, that "you don't need all the newfangled shit that salespeople say you need in order to be cool." 1. Fill a pan with water and turn on the heat. Use a little more water than you would normally use when making coffee, since some of it is going to get left behind. 2. When the water's boiling, add your coffee. The amount of coffee you need will vary, but aim for two tablespoons of coffee for every six ounces of water you use. 3. Kill the heat immediately, cover the pan, and wait until all of the grounds settle at the bottom — it will take four to five minutes. 4. You're done: Just slowly pour the coffee off the top or ladle it into cups, and you're all set. Read more posts by Stephanie SzerlipFiled Under: chef hacks, chefs, new york

Riveting. As the cuss- and shove-prone owners of Scottsdale's Amy's Baking Co. flub their way through a ballyhooed restaurant reboot and a spurious PR campaign to match following their disastrous turn on Gordon Ramsay's more-or-less staged Kitchen Nightmares, local media have done the impossible in coming up with a fresh angle on the story. It turns out that co-owner Samy Bouzaglo, an Israeli citizen, has been the subject of an ongoing immigration case and may face deportment. An unintentionally serious-hilarious NBC report quotes a "High-Ranking Law Enforcement Source" who says Bouzaglo is "banned" from France and Germany over something that maybe had to do with drugs that happened "30 years ago." Two more things: The immigration case, which is apparently important enough to make prime-time news, has been in court for more than two years; also, that whole thing about there being no such thing as bad publicity turns out to be patently untrue. [USAT, Earlier, Related] Read more posts by Hugh MerwinFiled Under: big scoop, amy bouzaglo, amy's baking company, kitchen nightmares, samy bouzaglo, tv

New York Times critic Pete Wells just dropped a zero-star "satisfactory" review of Graydon Carter's The Beatrice Inn. To soften the blow, here are the harshest lines, presented by adorable kittens. · The View From West 12th [NYT] · All Coverage of Critical Cats [~ENY~]

A collection of links from the reporters and editors of the Dining section.

Beatrice Inn's steak tastes like latex, says Wells. This week, Adam Platt gave Lafayette, a "big, spangled, category-killing brasserie," two stars. Stan Sagner gave the same rating on behalf of the New York Daily News, while Joshua David Stein praised what he called Andrew Carmellini's Great Gatsby of restaurants, an endeavor conducted in a "blessed" space. But despite the glowing reviews, a dark cloud hangs over the Other Critics this week: This is the second-to-last review from Robert Sietsema, and there will be no more from Tejal Rao, both of whom are no longer writing for the Village Voice. We will miss their weekly columns. Pete Wells ventured to the Beatrice Inn and found the steakhouse to be "satisfactory" but largely "unremarkable." He likened the "band of fat" around his steak to a "latex protective sheath," noting it was "shot through with gristle." Despite the "debilitating" noise level, this West Village restaurant is a place to "look and listen" — but don't you dare photograph any of the notable diners. The menu explicitly states that "photography is not permitted." He liked the food better when Brian Nasworthy was cooking, but he's since been dismissed. No stars. Joshua David Stein calls Lafayette the Great Gatsby of restaurants. The "blessed" space is the setting of "golden-glow maximalism" or a "magical first date." Yet, despite its "pageantry," the menu is surprisingly "sober," almost "cautious," and ultimately not "anything to write home about." He mentions the "perceptive" addition of raclette cheese to a brisket burger, the "tremendously undercooked" steak redeemed by good fries, and "excellent" foie gras terrine. Stan Sagner also ventured to the "nightly pandemonium" at Lafayette, calling the menu "inconsistent — sometimes wildy so," with many dishes "tasting like versions 1.0." He notes the "disconcertingly cold, raw centers" of the scallops à la plancha and the black fettucine, "likewise, prematurely snatched from the pot." Yet Sagner was impressed by the "marvelous" Fleur de Soleil pasta (a favorite of Platt as well), which he likens to "spring in a bowl." Lafayette is the place to go "if stargazing trumps food," though Sagner will be back "when the Carmellini-worthy restaurant that's trapped within emerges." Two stars. Robert Sietsema wrote his penultimate review for the Village Voice on the "iconic conjoinment" of chicken and waffles revived by Williamsburg's Sweet Chick. Sietsema calls the "thickish crust" and "pillowy flesh" of the fried chicken "perfect of its type" and the waffle "sweet without being too sweet" and "light in texture without floating off the plate." Though some of the apps (like a pickle plate and a kale BLT) are "remarkably good," Sietsema suggests avoiding non-chicken-and-waffle entrées and the cocktails "aimed at 12-year-olds," which don't pair well with the signature dish. The New Yorker's Nick Paumgarten filed on Carbone this week. He found even relatively lighter dishes like the bass Alison to be "hefty." Of the starters, he liked the garlic bread and "excellent" Caesar salad." But ultimately, Paumgarten declares the endeavor as "over-move-y," writing, "the portions and the prices are as formidable as the pretense and the patter." This is exemplified by his description of the tiramisu surrounded by lady fingers, a dessert which resembles a "Twinkie fort." Jordana Rothman callled Nightingale 9's atmosphere "awfully dour." The food isn't much prettier, but it is good. "You want to know about the pho," she says, as it's "herbaceous and bright." Rothman praises an "ugly" yet "funky" salad topped in papaya dressing "that might be the most interesting salad in Kings County." Like much of the menu, that papaya dressing includes nuoc cham, a condiment that chef Robert Newton has made about as ubiquitous in his restaurant as it is in Vietnam; its "recklessly potent aroma" mingle with that of street food and noodle dishes, "dashes of it enhanc