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— Danny Brown — the chef/owner of Danny Brown Kitchen & Wine Bar, AKA the first Queens restaurant to receive a Michelin star — is now planing to open a 23 seat French bistro at 316 East 84th Street on the Upper East Side. A rep for Brown announced the plans at a Community Board 8 meeting this week. Danny Brown Wine bar closed last year after the landlord decided not to renew the lease.
— Two heavy hitters in the cocktail world will be mixing drinks alongside Leo Robitschek at The Nomad Bar this Friday, September 16. Monica Berg of Himkok in Oslo and Alex Kratena, formerly of Artesian in London, will be pouring four special drinks made exclusively for the Nomad Bar. $1 from each beverage will go to a group called P(our), which funds local food & drink projects around the world. Alex and Monica's drinks will stay on The Nomad Bar's menu for a month.
— On the Times Insider podcast, critic Pete Wells talks about star ratings, how he picks restaurants for review, and his new national beat: "The west coast is really interesting to me, and we have a lot of readers on the west coast, you know. I will probably try to keep some geographic diversity in it. You know, one reason the reasons to do this is that a lot of people now, when they go on vacations, they plan their trips around meals."
— Mad Sq. Eats has returned to General Worth Square, which is the plaza between Eataly and Madison Square Park. This year’s options includes sandwiches from Amali Mou, crepes from Mr. Bing, and ice cream floats from Ice & Vine. The outdoor market runs through October 7.
— Axl Rose and members of AC/DC visited the Old Homestead Steakhouse on Monday.
— While sitting inside Roberta’s, actor (and Vnyl musical guru) Adrian Grenier told New York about his relationship with North Brooklyn: "I pioneered Williamsburg....It got so gentrified that I had to come to Bushwick. I lived two blocks away, and then this place opened, and I couldn’t afford to live in this neighborhood....We used to have to walk three miles backward in the snow for a cup of coffee when we lived here. Now there’s, like, baristas and cold brew."
— Chef shuffles: Franny’s veteran Danny Amend is the new executive chef of the Frankies Spuntino Group.
— Chinese crepe restaurant Bing Kitchen is back in action after a brief hiatus. The owners took some time off earlier this month to repair damage caused by flooding in the building.
— Nantucket-based pizzeria chain Oath Craft Pizza plans to expand to the New York area in the near future. The restaurant serves pies that are cooked in 90 seconds. No word yet on where it will land first in NYC.
— Steve Cuozzo has forgiven Hale & Hearty for its sub-par soups because the chain introduced a new sandwich that he loves. It’s made with cheese, pickles, and beer mustard. Cuozzo writes: "The adorable little (only 4 inches long) treat is the sexiest new sandwich in town, and just $3.95. It’s more fun than a Popsicle and easier to nosh while on the run than a slice of pizza or bulky heroes and wraps. It’s a little bit French, a little bit Jewish and a little bit German — but the combination’s all New York."
— The Hong Kong outpost of Carbone is now two years old. Mario Carbone looks back on those heady days around the opening: "When I came for the opening I was here for a few months. We did movie nights and cultural training about who we are and where we come from. Those are important conversations to have with your staff."
— The Voice’s Marguerite Preston reviews two Filipino taquerias this week: Swell Dive and 2nd City. On the former: "At the moment, only two non-taco items appear on its menu: chips and queso, and nachos. The tacos themselves are hefty and served on flour tortillas made in-house; the latter are chewy and delightful, every bit as good as their corn counterparts. Nearly every dish gets a sprinkle of French's fried onions, a minor stroke of brilliance that adds crunch and flavor."
— It’s official: Bar cars are returning to the Metro-North’s New Haven line.
— And finally, here’s a look at the gargantuan "Woody Allen" sandwich at Carnegie Deli: