You are what you Eataly: Batali & Bastianich slow food mecca

Fifty-thousand square feet of food heaven could be the best way to describe the latest addition to NY's already vast foodcentric culture.

Located in the Flatiron district, Eataly, (200 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10003, 646.398.5100) the ambitious Italian slow food emporium opened three weeks ago. 

Plans include a 300-seat partially covered rooftop biergarten to open in November as well as a cooking school headed by master chef Lidia Bastianich. 

Choose from more than a dozen restaurants and food stalls for meals and takeaway and shop for everything from housewares to provisions and wines - even a vegetable butcher

Eataly New York is the project of chef Mario Batali and restaurateur and vineyard owner Joe Bastianich,

Eater has the Early Word on the Eataly experience.

You are what you Eataly: Batali and Bastianich slow food mecca

Fifty-thousand square feet of food heaven could be the best way to describe the latest addition to NY's already vast foodcentric culture.

Located in the Flatiron district, Eataly, (200 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10003, 646.398.5100) the ambitious Italian slow food emporium opened three weeks ago. 

Plans include a 300-seat partially covered rooftop biergarten to open in November as well as a cooking school headed by master chef Lidia Bastianich. 

Choose from more than a dozen restaurants and food stalls for meals and takeaway and shop for everything from housewares to provisions and wines - even a vegetable butcher

Eataly New York is the project of chef Mario Batali and restaurateur and vineyard owner Joe Bastianich,

Eater has the Early Word on the Eataly experience.

Oro Bar owner teams to open Lafayette Espresso

Dorina Yuen,  owner of Oro, a cafe and wine bar in NoLIta, has partnered with Christiane Celle, French photographer Antoine Verglas and Judy Tan to open Lafayette Espresso Bar and Marketplace.

Located at 189 Lafayette Street  (cross street Broome), the new cafe will serve made-to-order juices, espresso and drip coffee brewed to order, as well as sandwiches and salads.  Also featured will be a range of locally sourced artisanal food products such as Brooklyn Brine pickles, Anarchy in a Jar preserves, vegan Cavemen Cookies and homemade granola.

  Celle is the founder of the Calypso clothing stores and owner of the Clic galleries. She is married to  Verglas.

Thomas Keller to open Bouchon at Rockefeller Plaza

It's official.

The press release is out.  Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery is opening Spring 2011 in the space occupied by high end grocer Dean & DeLuca  

The NY Times' Florence Fabricant reported last week on Keller's venture at 1 Rockefeller Plaza,  slated to open in March. 

Keller’s newest Bouchon Bakery in NYC will offer classic French-Boulangerie fare but without the restaurant component. There will be no table service.

"Rockefeller Center is such an iconic area of Manhattan, full of history and one of the great epicenters of the city," Keller said. "The team and I are very excited to make Bouchon Bakery a part of this dynamic locale, giving us the ability to share our work with even more New Yorkers and visitors.”

Sebastien Rouxel, Executive Pastry Chef of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, will oversee the bakery’s pastry menu while Tiffany Jones, Chef de Cuisine of the Time Warner Center Bouchon Bakery Café, will supervise the execution of savory selections.

Bouchon Bakery Rockefeller Center menu options will include a wide variety of sandwiches, soups and salads along with a selection of viennoiseries or yeasted pastries. On the sweeter side, a variety of both classic and seasonal tarts, cookies and traditional French confections will be offered. All items will be available for take away for guests on-the-go or to be enjoyed on premise.

Keller's other Bouchon Bakery locations are in Yountville, CA,  and Las Vegas.  

Sweet deals and sparkly finds at Magpie Boutique grand opening

Let Your Luck Decide Your Discount!

MAGPIE BOUTIQUE’S 1ST annual Draw Your Own Discount Sale and Grand Opening Party is FEBRUARY 6TH.

The fates will decide when you draw for a 25-50% discount on all Fall/Winter clothing and shoes.  

Bring a friend and bring home a find from top designers like BCBG, Corey Lynn Calter, Eva Franco, Gold Hawk, James Jeans, Lauren Vidal, Pur Premium Denim, Red Engine, Cavage, Corso Como, Remix, and many more.

Desserts by Pastry Chef Christa Evans and Sparkling Drinks Served at 4 pm.

Details:

Magpie Boutique

601 W. Main Street, Suite D

Durham, NC 27701

(919) 683-1981

www.magpienc.com

Grab a classic cocktail at The Sackett Bar

The Sackett (661 Sackett Street between 4th and 5th Avenues, Brooklyn, 718.622.0437), site of the defunct Latin American Cafe, is now open.

Drop in and try their signature cocktail - The Sackett, a blend of Johnny Walker Red, Amaretto, Cointreau, and a dash of orange bitters.

Owners and native New Yorkers Ann Jhun and Michael Ragolia have years of experience in the NY bar, club and music scene.

Jhun worked as a cocktail waitress and bartender at NY’s Limelight and Tunnel nightclubs during her college days. then worked behind the scenes after graduation in promotions at clubs such as Life and Cheetah Club.

At 23, Ann was hired as Speed nightclub’s Director of Promotions where she handled advertising, market analysis and PR in addition to promotions. More recently, Jhun was Director of Sales & Marketing at City, a national luxury lifestyle magazine.

Ragolia has over 8 years of experience in the music industry. As a college student, Michael worked at Matador records in marketing/distribution capacity.

Additionally, he worked as a buyer for two of New York City’s music destination shops, Kim’s Music and Video on the West Village and Sound and Fury on the Lower East Side, where he hand-selected the product from over ten national distributors. Michael is currently a City Planner.

The new Park Slope bar specializes in classic cocktails, wines and craft beers. And there's a daily Happy Hour so you can get your lush on until 7 pm with $4 pints and well drinks, $1 off all beers and rotating cocktail specials.

The Sackett’s kitchen will open in November serving oven-toasted sandwiches and appetizers.

Here's a sneak peek at their upcoming bar menu:

Oven Toasted Sliders

served with organic kettle chips

• -Roast beef, cheddar, sauteed onion and horseradish on a club roll
• -Prosciutto, gorgonzola cream and pear on a ciabatta roll
• -Brie, spinach and walnuts on a ciabatta roll
• -Turkey, cranberry chutney and pepper jack on a club roll
• -Ham, swiss, pickle and peppercorn mayo on a club roll

Dips

served with ground white corn chips

•  -Spinach yogurt
• -Creamy artichoke
• -Spicy Red lentil

COCKTAILS

• Income Tax – Hendricks, dry and sweet vermouth, OJ, Angostura bitters
• Mrs. Alexander – Hennessy, dark Crème de Cacao, milk, nutmeg
• The Sackett – Johnny Walker Red, Amaretto, cointreau, dash orange bitters
• Southern Apple – Bulleit, Apple Liquer
• Perfect Pair – Grey Goose Pear, St. Germain, fresh lime, soda

Hours: Open Mon – Thurs 4 pm – 1 am, Fri 4 pm – 3 am, Sat 2 pm – 3 am, Sun 2 pm – 1 am

Website: www.thesackett.com

Cellar6 opens in St. Augustine

Tucked away on brick-paved Aviles Street, where the arched wooden entry to the narrow boulevard is named after the town of Aviles, Spain, is St. Augustine's newest lounge, Cellar6 (6 Aviles St

Saint Augustine, FL, 904.827.9055‎).

With its dazzling yellow glass wine cellar - one tiered story above the bar - the wine bar is cool, intimate and relaxing.  

Owners Craig Colee and Valerie Shubert offer a broad selection of fine wines and small plates.

“We enjoy offering an impeccable first-class experience for friends to meet or for a romantic evening," says Colee, a seasoned hospitality/restaurant entrepreneur, former tennis pro and St. Augustine native. 

According to Shubert, a Jacksonville native and mother of two who also spent years in the hospitality industry at upscale private resorts and clubs, Cellar6 features affordable prices, especially for high end presentations focused on smaller plates. 

“The Cellar6 wines are a global collection that we’re excited to pour, along with Wolfgang Puck coffees, beautiful hand-crafted desserts and familiar dishes prepared with surprising flair,” she adds.

The ambiance is seductive, warm and features chic vintage living room furnishings rescued from a legendary Palm Beach hotel, sharing space with modern black tables surrounded by comfy barstools.

Contemporary jazz artists make up the nightly playlist.  There's also a schedule of live acts which capture the feel of the speakeasy era.