Previous Next

This 40 percent milk chocolate mousse with macadamia sable, praline, and coconut sorbet is the second course on Gotham Bar and Grill's new three-course Valrhona chocolate tasting menu.

 

La Mangeoire Café Gourmand has embraced the trend of mini dessert samplers with specialties like a petite lemon tart and prune ice cream with Armagnac.

 

Cocktail and dessert pairings are now on the menu at Angolo Soho. Try this yogurt pannacotta with a new cherry and allspice gin cocktail, the Merchant Trade.

 

previous

next

Mini Desserts at La Mangeoire Café Gourmand
Chocolate mousse, petite lemon tart, cookie du jour, and prune ice cream with Armagnac are just a few of the delectable “mini” desserts available on various days (depending on what chef Christian Delouvrier makes fresh that day) at La Mangeoire Café Gourmand. Inspired by the European trend of sampling several mini desserts at once, La Mangeoire's version of this new French dining ritual allows you to triple your taste bud pleasure. Your sweet tooth will thank you. 1008 Second Ave., 212-759-708

Three-Course Chocolate Menu at Gotham Bar and Grill 
At Gotham Bar and Grill, evening eats are a chocoholic fantasy with chef Ron Paproki’s new late-night dessert tasting. Valrhona chocolate is the star attraction of this three-course tasting menu, which gets a bit richer with each course. Start with salted white chocolate lime, white rum gelée, compressed pineapple, and coconut sorbet. Next up is a 40 percent milk chocolate mousse, macadamia sable, praline, and coconut sorbet. Finally, a dark chocolate finish (72 percent cocoa content) with chocolaté cremeux, blood orange, black cocoa cookie, and chocolate sorbet. 12 E. 12th St., 212-620-4020

Cannolis in Every Flavor at SLIDE
Cannoli is one of three main menu items available at SLIDE, a new West Village restaurant. (The restaurant's other two specialties are sliders and milkshakes.) Featuring flavors like cherry chocolate chunk, sweet and salty, mudslide, cookie dough, birthday cake, cappuccino, and pistachio, SLIDE’s cannoli program is masterminded by Anthony Fontana, who co-founded Stuffed Artisan Cannoli. Cocktail and craft beer pairing suggestions are available. 174 Bleecker St., 212-777-9077

Cocktail and Dessert Pairings at Angolo Soho
Cocktail and dessert pairings are what's up at Italian favorite Angolo Soho, where executive chef Michael Berardino and mixologist Cory Fitzsimmons have put their heads together to mix and match the best post-meal flavors. Try the diabolically scrumptious chocolate hazelnut budino (lots of whipped cream) with a Perugian Pride (rye, sour cherry wine, Amaro CioCiaro, molé bitters). Or how about a slice of olive oil cake topped with crème fraîche gelato and a few swigs of Alma's Fire (Lillet, Grand Marnier, mezcal)? The yogurt pannacotta goes great with a little drink called Merchant Trade, made with Old Tom Gin, allspice dram, Cherry Heering, and bitters. 331 West Broadway, 212-685-5661 

Scribner's Bookstore (now a Sephora) is one of the 13 NYC buildings turning 100 this year 

We’ve all seen the subway ads for the centennial of Grand Central Terminal, but did you know that 12 other iconic New York City buildings are celebrating 100th birthdays this year? [Curbed]

Tina Fey reprised her Sarah Palin impression on a recent episode of Inside the Actors Studio with James Lipton. New York magazine’s Vulture blog has looped that and the six other best clips from the interview into a fabulous highlights reel. [Vulture]

In other birthday news, Twitter turned seven yesterday. To celebrate, the social media giant created a video timeline of the most memorable tweets, hashtags, and moments in its history. [Wired]  

In this week’s New York Times Magazine, contributing writer Chip Brown profiles Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb about his “epic” life role. [The New York Times Magazine]  

Refinery 29 presents a slideshow and interview with Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi, who gives senior editor Kristian Laliberte a Lower East Side food tour, as well as some beauty tips. [Refinery29]

A team of leading chefs will serve Sunday Supper at Chelsea Market 

The White Piece at La Mama
March 21-23 at 7:30 p.m., March 24 at 2:30 p.m.
In association with the Irish Arts Center, Dublin’s Irish Modern Dance Theatre presents The White Piece, a 55-minute dance show that celebrates the freedom of the human spirit through movement. Choreographed by John Scott, the humor-infused show features 14 powerful dancers, including a ballerina formerly of the Royal Ballet of England. 74A East 4th St., 212-475-7710

Tyondai Braxton Debuts Hive at the Guggenheim
March 21, 7:30 p.m.
Battles band member Tyondai Braxton brings his experimental, avant-garde compositions to the Guggeheim’s Works & Process program, accompanied by three percussion players and electronic musician Ben Vida. A visual multimedia installation is also an important part of Hive. 1071 Fifth Ave., 212-423-3587

Steve-O at Caroline’s on Broadway
March 21 and 24 at 8 p.m., March 22-23 at 8 and 10:30 p.m.
The guy behind the outrageous Jackass stunts we all know and love is also an author, clown college graduate, vegan, and stand-up comedian. The host of truTV's Killer Karaoke brings his witty schtick to Caroline's this weekend. 1626 Broadway, 212-757-4100

Sunday Supper at Chelsea Market
March 24, 7 p.m. (cocktail reception at 6 p.m.)
Imagine a family-style Sunday Supper with 250 of your closest friends. Well, that's what's happening at Chelsea Market this Sunday evening as 19 top chefs from across the country, including Justin Brunwasser, Masaharu Morimoto, and Sarabeth Levine, prepare a family meal. Hosted by Jamestown and the James Beard Foundation, the annual dinner raises funds for the Beard Foundation's scholarship for Fulton Youth of the Future at Robert Fulton Houses, as well as Wellness in Schools. 75 Ninth Ave.

Readings of famous New York plays will take place all weekend as part of the NewYorkNewYork Festival

Theater is synonymous with New York City. So it’s no wonder that many a great play has been written about our city's various themes, cultures, and ideals. In a tip of the hat to this New York spirit, downtown's Labyrinth Theater Company presents the NewYorkNewYork Festival (through Sunday, March 24), a curated festival of staged readings of (and discussions about) iconic New York plays, all free of charge and open to the public.

Tonight, don't miss Jennifer Mudge starring in Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman. Last night, a packed house turned out for John Patrick Shanley's Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, a dark, edgy love story about a very damaged couple, played by Elizabeth Rodriguez (who recently starred in Broadway’s The Motherfucker With The Hat) and Sam Rockwell (Seven Psychopaths). Other participating actors include Bobby Cannavale, Max Casella, and many more. The festival's climax is a marathon weekend of 48 straight hours of non-stop readings, which will be announced last minute through social media.

NewYorkNewYork fits right into Labyrinth's inclusive and influential role in the New York theater community. The ensemble company was founded in 1992 by a group of actors committed to collaboration and breaking boundaries. Twenty years later, they have certainly succeeded, providing a home for theater artists of various disciplines and backgrounds, as well as classes and free readings for the community to enjoy. For free weeknight tickets to NewYorkNewYork, visit labtheater.org for a daily lottery. During the festival's marathon finale, tickets will be available in-person only before each reading, first come first served. The Bank Street Theater. 155 Bank St.

Walking through Times Square on her dinner break before a Broadway preview of Lucky Guy, the Nora Ephron play in which she stars alongside Tom Hanks, actress Maura Tierney laughed and chatted with us about playing Alice McAlary, the loyal wife of Pulitzer Prize-winning tabloid columnist Mike McAlary (Hanks), and the meaning of friendship.

What first appealed to you about this project?
MAURA TIERNEY: Initially it was because I wanted to work with [director] George [C. Wolfe], and with Tom. They're both extremely talented, so that was my initial draw, and of course, Nora Ephron. It's a great show, it's a play about New York in as many ways as it’s a play about the character of McAlary.  

You’ve had roles on ER, Rescue Me, NewsRadio, and The Good Wife—and you performed in Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage at the Gate Theater in Dublin. Had you done a lot of New York theater prior to the TV work?
MT: No, I had not. The first play that I did here was about five years ago. It was a Neil Labute play called Some Girls. We did it downtown, Off-Broadway.

Does theater bring out something different in you as an actor?
MT: Yeah, absolutely. The kind of focus for me that I need to have on stage, all of us, you really do have to be incredibly focused on the moment you're in. If you don't like what you just did, if you spend one second thinking about the past, you're screwed. You constantly have to be looking forward and staring at the moment you're in. I've tried to translate that to film or TV work, but you can't trick your brain into the immediacy of theater. It's just a real, tangible thing.

What's it like to work with Tom Hanks and the rest of the cast?
MT: I've learned that everybody I worked with starts 'on time on time'—not kind of on time, on time on time! On time means 15 minutes early. They're all extremely professional. The cumulative experience of everyone I'm working with is just really overwhelming. My scenes are with Tom, kind of exclusively. He's very present as an actor. And that eliminates a lot of work, because if someone's very frank and open right away, it's easy to make a connection right away.  

What is it about the story of Lucky Guy that resonates today?
MT: What the director has said is, ‘It’s a story about a man who had a tremendous amount of ambition but maybe not quite as much talent, and over the course of his career and certain challenges he faced, his talent kind of rose up to meet his ambitions.’ And that's an interesting story, I think. That's a part of a story people can dig into. He faced some huge challenges. He was in a very severe car accident, which he had to rehab from for a long time, [and] he got sick with cancer. He was sort of humbled by life, and I think had a tremendously loyal wife, who I play, and he just sort of reapplied himself in a different way.

Loyalty is an interesting quality.
MT: It is. I think he was a complicated guy, and I think she was a tremendous well of support for him. Their marriage is a little bit of a slice into the private life of this character.

And of course, Nora Ephron and Tom Hanks were real-life friends and colleagues, so that must add something special to the play.
MT: It's really moving to me how dedicated Tom is to Nora's work. It makes me really wish I had met her. She's lucky that people are so respectful of what she's done and nobody's messing with it, which I think is really great.

We should all be so lucky.
MT: That's exactly what I say. We should all be so lucky as to have friends like that. 

Madonna spoke at the annual GLAAD Media Awards 

Madonna and Katie Holmes, who both moved back to Manhattan in recent years, made sexy appearances at last week's events; not to mention curvy out of towner Dita Von Teese. But Dispatches will begin at the start of the charmed week   

Hilaria Thomas Talks Baby Names at the Roundabout Theater Company Gala  
“I’ve been dancing a lot,” noted Santino Fontana, Prince Charming in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, on his way into the Roundabout Theater Company annual gala at the Hammerstein Ballroom last Monday, while pulling up his pants for a photo op. “So I keep losing weight.” In the interest of losing a few pounds, perhaps we ought to all get roles on Broadway. 

The fête at the Hammerstein was unexpectedly starry—Carla Gugino, Mare Winningham, Sarah Paulson. Alec Baldwin had his new wife, Hilaria Thomas, in tow. She appeared several months preggers in a dress by Carmen Marc Valvo (also present). “We have a couple of names we like,” Thomas told reporters. “But I have to look at her when she comes out. But we actually like really similar names. We’re pretty much on the same page.” 

Hilaria Thomas and Alec Baldwin at the Roundabout Theater Company Gala; Debbie Harry, Susan Sarandon, and Padma Lakshmi at the Blossom Ball 

Padma Lakshmi Hosts the Fifth Annual Blossom Ball 
Dispatches then raced down to Capitale for Padma Lakshmi’s fifth annual Blossom Ball to benefit the Endometriosis Foundation of America. A marching band blasted their way into the landmarked Stanford White-designed former bank building. Lakshmi wore a sexy gown by Monique Lhuillier with PL by Padma Lakshmi jewels. 

What is different this year? “The 18-person marching band,” Lakshmi told Dispatches over the brassy clatter. “We have aerialists . . . and then De La Soul,” she added. But the Top Chef judge also always insists on a delicious menu: goat cheese tart, chicken molé, apple tart tartin, cinnamon ice cream, and pecan praline paired with delish wine by Sterling Vineyards.

And Lakshmi’s friend Susan Sarandon, who also endured endometriosis, was passionate at the podium. “It’s great to know that this organization is reaching out to educate young girls that this isn’t something that is a part of being a woman. Yeah, women do cry, but it doesn’t have to be over endometriosis.”

Olympus Has Fallen Premieres and Dita Von Teese Launches Lingerie 
Shortly after dessert, I had to sneak off to The Cinema Society debut of Olympus Has Fallen, an action film about the White House being taken starring Gerard Butler. I had raced over only to find myself early and nearly alone with Mira Sorvino and comedian Jim Gaffigan. “We just wrapped a pilot,” Gaffigan told Dispatches. “And Mira had worked with the director of this film [Antoine Fuqua], so we came in for the free booze.” The title of Gaffigan’s book, Dad is Fat, got to me; my two kids calling me fat got me to diet recently. “It’s about raising five kids in a two-bedroom New York apartment,” he said.  

The next night, at The Lion, HSN hosted a small dinner for Dita Von Teese’s fab lingerie line and perfume for HSN. I met her in a back room upstairs to chat. I pushed a panel on the wall and a door opened to this really sexy room with horned furniture, plush red seating, and a silver tray loaded with D-cup bras. Von Teese told me she started her lingerie line, Von Follies, two years ago. She launched the fragrance after a French beau mentioned that she was wearing the same fragrance as his mother. “Quelques Fleurs,” said Von Teese. “So I had to change my perfume. I spent about a year working directly with the noses in Paris on a really sophisticated floral. I wanted classic Hollywood glamour that isn’t your grandmother’s perfume.” Or your beau’s mom’s!”    

Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Katie Holmes at The New York Observer anniversary party 

Katie Holmes Celebrates with The New York Observer   
Then, on Thursday, The New York Observer celebrated its 25th Anniversary at The Four Seasons Restaurant. New Yorker Katie Holmes mentioned that she relies on an A-line skirt and wide-legged pants to look fab in fashion. “Friends inspire me and lead me in the right direction . . . tell me when it isn’t working,” she said affably.

Donald Trump, there with wife Melania, mentioned that he was “very proud” of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, owner of the Observer. “He’s a tremendous guy . . . Ivanka and he are a fantastic couple,” Trump kvelled.

Directing his attention to Kushner, Mayor Mike Bloomberg took the podium and said, “It’s a hell of a newspaper, and I can’t wait to see what your father-in-law is going to tweet about tonight.”  

Madonna Steals the Show at the GLAAD Media Awards 
The GLAAD Media Awards, yet another fab fête, took place at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square on Saturday night. Bathrooms at the hotel were marked “Gender Neutral.” Pee at your own risk. 

And it was heartwarming that so many media figures one wouldn’t necessarily associate with gay and transgender causes came out to support the event—Jwoww, Snooki, Honey Boo Boo's mom. I overheard Vinnie, from Jersey Shore, telling the Daily News that though he’s “straight,” his gay crush is Denzel Washington. 

“I wanted to be a Boy Scout and they wouldn’t let me join,” was Madonna’s opening line at the podium. She was there to give Anderson Cooper the Vito Russo award but stole the show. “I think that’s fucked up,” the Material Girl, wearing a Scouting uniform, continued. “I can build a fire. I know how to pitch a tent . . . and most importantly, I know how to scout for boys . . . so I think I should be allowed to be a Boy Scout, and I think they should change their stupid rules.”

The crowd—anything but  neutral—cheered.

For more entertainment and society news, visit jeffreyslonim.com or follow @JeffreyJSlo on Twitter

Panko-crusted Norwegian skrei tongues 

It's all about Scandinavia these days, especially in the case of seafood. This Thursday through Sunday, Manhattan restaurants like Aquavit, The John Dory Oyster Bar, Annisa, and many more are celebrating a Norwegian Skrei Tasting Weekend with a plethora of limited time dishes highlighting the coveted, sustainable cod.

What’s so special about skrei? First off, it’s only available from January to April, when millions of cod migrate from the Barents Sea all the way to the Norwegian Coast, their spawning grounds. And, kind of like the way working out makes human bodies better, all this swimming makes the fishes’ flesh firm—not to mention delicious. Boasting bright, lean, flaky meat and delicate flavor, the skrei are packaged within 12 hours of being caught, so freshness is pretty much guaranteed. Skrei sushi, anyone?

Rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and Omega 3 fatty acids, the fish can be prepared in many ways. Oceana offers three preparations, including broiled filet, Japanese escabeche-style tongue, and a Greek roe spread, taramasalata. Back Forty and Back Forty West, meanwhile, are doing a steakhouse take: beef fat-poached Norwegian skrei with celery root purée and pickled radish salad. And Grand Central Oyster Bar will go ultra-luxe with pan-fried Norwegian skrei tongue and cheeks with Champagne beurre blanc, smoked Norwegian salmon caviar, and sautéed fiddlehead fern. Other restaurants serving skrei this weekend include Smorgas Chef, Aamanns Copenhagen, and the aforementioned Annisa, The John Dory Oyster Bar, and Aquavit, which will continue to serve skrei throughout the month of April.

It’s also cool to learn that the Norwegian skrei cod has been certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, and fishermen who catch these fish follow strict sustainability laws. Skrei are line-caught by small day boats close to shore, and must be fully grown. And only ten percent of the millions are caught, to make sure the skrei population can reproduce for next year. 

Dining by Design table and setting designed by Marchesa

New York's fashion, interior design, art, and architecture elite unite at the 16th annual Dining by Design tour, the stylish fundraising initiative of Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA). Featuring gorgeous tablescapes and dining installations created by design stars like David Rockwell, David Stark, and Michael Amini, the four-day event (March 21-24) runs in tandem with the Architectural Digest Home Design Show at Pier 94.  

Kicking things off on Thursday evening is a gala dinner honoring DIFFA board member Rick Wolf and supporters Isabel and Ruben Toledo. Guests of the elaborate dinner party will be the first to dine on the specially designed tables before they hit the road for a multi-city tour. Tickets for the dinner soirée are $500. There's also a fun cocktail soirée happening on Saturday night featuring La Crema wine, Patrón cocktails, and samples from many New York restaurants. Tickets for Cocktails by Design are $200. Or, to view these stunning table installations and check out the AD Home Design Show, a $30 ticket gets you access to both exhibitions.

At the AD show, you’ll find top home design goods from more than 500 luxury brands, as well as culinary demonstrations and even seminars from the design industry's top dogs. And by accessing the show through Dining by Design, you’ll be supporting a very worthy cause: DIFFA is one of the country's largest supporters of direct care for people living with AIDS and preventative education for those at risk. Since 1984, the organization has raised more than $40 million. Pier 94, 12th Ave. at 55th St., 212-727-3100

Freda platform ankle strap pump, June Ambrose for Theme Footwear ($109.90)

When it comes to fashion, few visionaries understand New York style quite like June Ambrose. She's a celebrity stylist, costume designer, author, and now, footwear designer. The driving force behind the Mod Squad Agency, which styles the likes of Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, and Kim Cattrall, Ambrose has partnered with the Home Shopping Network and Theme Footwear to create a sexy, stylish line of spring footwear that will have you dancing your way through the concrete jungle.

Featuring sandals, pumps, and wedges, the June Ambrose Collection for Theme Footwear launches on HSN March 22 during the network's spring fashion event. Shoes in the collection boast timeless trends like animal prints, suede, lace, neon, and lucite, as well as Ambrose’s signature mix of textures and prints. The collection is also inspired by the idea of bringing disco glamour to daytime living—at whatever level of "on the edge" you're comfortable with. Ambrose cites 1970s nightclub Studio 54 and the glamour of Cher, Bianca Jagger, and Grace Jones as her muses. So don't be afraid to dance across those sidewalks.
 

She's an Emmy-nominated television host, journalist, and executive producer who appears on CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, Headline News, and A&E. In 2009, Amy Palmer founded PowerWomenTV, which is re-launching in mid-April and is being syndicated all over the web, as well as thousands of New York City taxis. We spoke to the journalist about her network's entertaining and inspiring programming, and the struggles women are facing today.

Some PowerWomenTV content, including your Eva Longoria interview, can be seen all over New York on Taxi TV. How did that happen?
AMY PALMER: Since I started PowerWomenTV, I always knew it was going to be in taxis. I produced the content so it could easily go into taxis because it's a captive audience, and it's not easy to find that one place where you can actually captivate somebody. So I approached VeriFone Media, brought them my content, and they said, 'Great, we'd love to have you!' We'll be expanding to other cities soon.

How have you grown from a self-financed web concept to an actual broadcasting company?
AP: We're using the taxis as a platform to showcase our network. We have 14 shows in production, so you'll be able to see clips of the various shows. We have a beauty show, a fashion show, a home show, a finance show, a fitness show, the round tables where we talk about women's issues. We have 'The Interview,' which is my show. We have a show called, 'What Your Mother Never Told You,' which is all about the advice your mother gave you or didn't give you. So it's really an opportunity to showcase in small clips what PowerWomenTV is about. Then it drives the audience to our website.

How have you seen that audience grow?
AP: I think when I launched the site and I started to track the analytics. I started to notice that women overseas and in the Middle East were really engaged with the content, and then I had a lot of business opportunities presented to me for expanding the brand into the Middle East and elsewhere. Then I started to get letters from women who were inspired by the content, from the West Coast to London, and i just felt that I had tapped into something. Those women, and the emails and the Tweets and the Facebook messages, made me realize I was building something bigger than I could imagine.

And do you take that feedback from the viewers and use it in your interviews?
AP: Yes. And that was really key for me. The interviews I would have with, say, the Gilt Groupe, or CNBC host Carmen Wong Ulrich, or Bethenny Frankel, [my viewers] might not necessarily know who they are, but they connected with them on an emotional level, and they were taking inspirational, life, and business lessons from these women in America, which showed me that humanity was the common thread amongst them. Women today need a different perspective. We need women amongst our generation to help tell our stories. My whole staff is generation X, Y, and millennial. We're all women so we all have that perspective to bring. And we're small, so we can move fast. And we're very tapped into what women are going through.

What would you say that perspective is? Does it have to do with not being afraid to take ownership of our businesses, our content, our creative work? Would you say that's something that women today struggle with?
AP: I think there are a couple of things that have happened to women, especially in the generations I just mentioned. One is, we were raised by the women who came up in the age of Gloria Steinem. They told us, 'We can do anything,' but they didn't give us the blueprint . . . Women understand that taking ownership of their lives is the most important thing they can do, but they don't necessarily understand how to make that happen. That's why the network is important and the message is important, because I'm taking trailblazers of this generation who have figured it out—or are figuring it out—and can put it in a concise way to help this generation move to the next level.