Pete's Dish - May 29

Chapter One, a "New American" restaurant, just opened in Manhattan's cozy West Village. The pub vibe is elevated casual-cool with operating partner Damian Collins and Warren Baird (formerly Esca in Hell's Kitchen) in the kitchen as Executive Chef. A mural of the location circa 1910 lines a wall, accented with Oxblood banquets and pewter-topped dining tables and enough windows to be perfect for people-watching. Classics such as duck confit, celery root, and steak tartar co-mingle with Western European influences, yet remain solidly American, made with local meats, seafood and vegetables. Lingering at the bar, poring over cocktails (featuring a lot of American whiskeys) is most definitely permitted. Sample malt-vinegar chips and pork rinds while at it--or sidle over to a table for something more substantial such as oyster chowder with cream, Swiss chard and a soupcon of dill oil for a starter, and crispy chicken in sorrel butter sauce or pork belly with chorizo-apple pudding for mains. Chapter One is located at 33 Greenwich Avenue, New York, NY 212-842-9146, ChapterOneNYC.com.

 

The Urban Tech Gala Celebration honors the charity that has supported youth and community through technology for 19 years now, connecting students and families to digital literacy, comprehensive health education, and life skills. The lineup of luminaries includes John Starks, Hill Harper, Maurice Dubois, Alicia Quarles, and Mel Debarge--of course, make a racket with award presenters Billie Jean King and Lou Gossett! Check into the VIP cocktail party at 6pm, followed by the dinner and awards ceremony, and a silent and live auction. Maurice DuBois, award winning anchor of CBS 2 News This Morning and the weekend edition of CBS Evening News, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening alongside E! Entertainment News' Alicia Quarles. Three Sixty.com, located in New York's TriBeCa neighborhood, plays host to the event. And yes, you guessed it, there are 360-degree views of the city. For more info, tickets, a peek at the online auction, and some of the experiences you can bid on during the evening, go to UrbanTech.org.

 

This picture of lobsters is of my own lobsters cooked in Maine, found here, not actually from Luke's Lobster, but the restaurant's offerings will be on hand at The Governors Ball Music Festival, to be orchestrated from June 6 to 8 in Randall's Island Park. 2014 attendees can sample food from more than 50 vendors. A partial list of participants include VIP only Pok Pok Ny, Calexico, Go Burger, Hill Country BBQ--but among the other vendors, such as L'Artusi, Crif Dogs, Momofuku Milk Bar, Pizza Vita and The Taco Tent, their stands are wide open for all. Musician Jack White promises to rock the park while the rest of us have the opportunity to loosen our belts and taste cuisines that span the globe. 

P.S. Tabasco now has its own brand of sriracha sauce, perhaps to be used for pork sliders with sriarcha aioli (the progress is seen above). Just sayin'.