NEW YORK CITY—Instead of "Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack," baseball fans may be singing about Belgian frites with romesco sauce, 'shroom burgers, and seared wild striped bass with snow peas, jicama, and spiced carrot sauce this season at Citi Field, the New York Mets' brand-new 42,000-seat stadium in Flushing, Queens. more>>
BOSTON In April, chef Dante de Magistris, who co-owns Dante (Boston) with brothers Damian (Dante's gm) and Filippo (Dante's wine director), spawned a second Italian concept, il Casale, in their hometown of Belmont (a Beantown suburb) at 50 Leonard St. more>>
NEW YORK CITY
George Mendes, an alum of the original Bouley with more recent cooking stints at Tocqueville and Wallsé, is at the stoves for the first time as chef/owner at Aldea ("village" in Portuguese), which opened in April at 31 West 17th Street. Inspiring both the interior and the cuisine is Mendes' Portuguese heritage. more>>
CANADA
Oliver Beckert is the new chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, having moved over from the Four Seasons Resort Lana'i at Manele Bay in Hawaii. more>>
Best Buys
GEORGES DUBOEUF Fleurie Flower Label 2007
Whether listed for its grape, Gamay, or its Beaujolais cru, this juicy wine, with its easygoing aromas of red fruit and violets, nicely fills a niche as a summer sipping red. On the palate it serves up mixed cherry-berry fruit and mouthwatering acidity, with minimal tannin and a finish of blackberry and mineral.
Score: 88 Cost: $144 Cases: 11,000 imported
more>>Wine is as much a barometer of contemporary American society as hemlines are of fashion. Just look at what's happened over the past couple of years: wine bars have sprung up in cities across the country; rosé, a wine you couldn't give away not too long ago, has become all the rage; and Pinot Noir has stolen center stage from Merlot. This capriciousness makes sense: America is a young country, and for many of us wine is a new and exciting thing. more>>
Ah, fickle diners: they love your food when it's great; they dislike your food when it's great. What gives? Six chefs tell Judiaann Woo their highs, lows, and woes. more>>
No hand-wringing about the economy here, because for many restaurants that have seamlessly fused appeals to a segmented marketplace—such as Commerce in New York City—these still are the good old days. more>>
Food Arts presents the May 2009 Silver Spoon Award for sterling performance to Alex von Bidder and Julian Niccolini, the suave and savvy duo who have maintained The Four Seasons as the default gathering ground for the intersecting spheres of New York City's business, cultural, and political heavyweights while building on its 50 year legacy as one of the first restaurants to champion seasonal American ingredients and dishes. more>>
