Simon & the Whale Finally Brings Good American Food to Flatiron, Critic Says

Gabriel Stulman’s Freehand Hotel restaurant well received by restaurant critic

Simon & the Whale, the Flatiron hotspot from West Village restaurateur Gabriel Stulman that Bill Clinton dined at earlier this month, gets a stamp of approval from the Post critic Steve Cuozzo, who calls it a “downtown restaurant for grown-ups” in his review. According to Cuozzo, while the area has lots of good Indian, Lebanese, and Italian places, this is the first good modern-American restaurant in the neighborhood. Chef Matt Griffin’s 6-ounce Snake River “flapsteak” is a revelation, Cuozzo writes.

A taste of NYC in Vegas

Cafe Bellagio in Las Vegas is transforming into an outpost of Sadelle’s, the over-the-top Major Food Group all-day Jewish deli in Soho known for its elaborate cured fish towers and bagels. New York classics will be on the menu, along with some Vegas exclusives. Cafe Bellagio will close in August to make way for the new Sadelle’s.

Upcoming benefit to bring together all-star chef lineup

Edible Schoolyard NYC’s sixth annual spring benefit — set to honor musician Questlove, chef Ruth Rogers, and artist Jim Hodges on April 16 — has just announced its lineup of featured chefs for the event. The benefit raises money for Edible Schoolyard NYC, a non-profit that provides food education in public schools and marginalized communities. Featured chefs this year include Greg Baxtrom (Olmsted), Clare de Boer and Jess Shadbolt (King), David Chang and Max Ng (Momofuku), Angie Mar (Beatrice Inn), Missy Robbins (Lilia), Melissa Rodriguez (Del Posto), and more acclaimed NYC chefs. Tickets here.

Learn about natural sake

Natural wines are all the rage, but how about natural sake? Masaru Honda, current head of the 340 year-old sake brewery Terada Honke — located in Katori, Chiba, Japan — is set to give a talk about the process of making natural sake at the Resobox Japanese cultural center in East Village. The talk includes a five-course natural sake tasting, paired with appetizers made by Honda’s wife Satomi Terada, utilizing the sake byproduct sake lees. Tickets are $50 and can be found here.