UES Society Torn Apart by Two Clubby French Bistros

A tale of two UES bistros

When beloved UES French bistro La Goulue closed after 36 years on the Upper East Side, the uptown social scene was left clamoring for a new clubby bistro to fill the void. Famously exclusive Le Bilboquet, recently sued for sexual harassment, stepped in, but eight years since the La Goulue shutter, the original hotspot bistro is back, leaving UES diners torn. The Times digs into the dining drama, with gem quotes such as this: “I’m afraid when Philippe finds out, I might lose my table at Bilboquet.”

Shake Shack will offer a pale ale made from bread waste

Starting Friday, Shake Shacks throughout NYC will roll out a new beer option that comes from a partnership with Toast ale. Shake Shack will now carry 12-ounce cans of Toast American pale ale, which is brewed from surplus bread that would otherwise be thrown away. Toast founder Tristram Stuart used to run a UK bread-recycling program and realized the beer potential after visiting a microbrewery in Belgium. He started brewing Toast in London in 2016 and then in New York in 2017. The Toast American pale ales served in Shake Shacks are made with leftover slices from Breads Alone Bakery.

New chef brings gumbo to Maison Premiere

Maison Premiere, the bar with New Orleans food in Williamsburg, has tapped a new chef de cuisine. Chef Jacob Clark, formerly of Carbone, has stepped in, pulling from his own French-Cajun heritage to develop new menu items, like a seafood gumbo, a crawfish étoufée, and a hamachi crudo with green papaya, kohlrabi, avocado, pomelo, and a calamansi broth.

Marc Vetri is coming to NYC

Philadelphia superstar chef Marc Vetri (Vetri Cucina) is coming to town on Tuesday, February 27 to throw a one-night-only dinner at Italienne. Vetri will cook a four-course meal focusing on the classic dishes of Lombardy alongside Italienne executive chef Jared Sippel. Diners can make reservations between 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Resy for the evening, and Marc will be there to greet attendees.

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