This Little Piggy likes Tasting Table's Chefs' Recipes!

I am a huge fan of Tasting Table, and receive their New York and National editions regularly.  Being the recent Twitter nerd I am, I also follow them @TastingTable.  This morning they released the newest edition to their site, which currently also includes Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, and San Francisco.  Chefs' Recipe is "the free daily email about the city's best eating and drinking discoveries, from restaurants and cocktails to wine bars and ingredients."  Hopefully this will give me a renewed motivation to get in the kitchen.  More to come when the recipes start arriving!  Oink oink!

Click here to sign up!

NYT Wine Crawl Guide : I’ll Take a Manhattan (or Any Other Drink, if It’s Free) - Frugal Traveler Blog - NYTimes.com

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I just saw this great post by Matt Gross of The Frugal Traveler in the NYT, that just so happened to be linked to by @Snooth on Twitter.  When it comes to wine, the team at Snooth knows their stuff, so I figured I should check it out.  The article basically acts as "wine crawl" guide, as opposed to a pub crawl.  It charts your path on a typical Saturday, beginning at Astor Wines & Spirits and ending up in Chelsea (this is where you take the lead).  Along the way Gross directs you to Union Square Wines, which usually boasts a tasting of 27 wines, and then up to Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit, a shop that provides a different take on the typical wine store. 

From here it's really up to the wino.  He suggests heading towards Chelsea and seeking out any of the number of Gallery openings, which you can find at NYArtBeat.com or Artcards.cc, two links Gross provides in the write up.  If that doesn't work out, I suggest heading over to the Chelsea Wine Vault (pictured on the left), in Chelsea Market.  Every time I have been, they've had an excellent tasting going on, plus they have a wonderful selection of wines under $10 (not free, but hey, few things are these days).  And if all else fails and you just want a free drink after work, Gross also includes a few other sites that should help you get your fix (see below).  They say "there's no such thing as a free lunch," though it appears that differs for wine.  Enjoy!  Oink oink!

Other helpful links:
MyOpenBar.com, DrinkDeal.com, and BoozeParty.net,

Hipsters on food stamps...

"They're young, they're broke, and they pay for organic salmon with government subsidies. Got a problem with that?"

Yes, as a matter of fact,  I do.  Though I'm not the biggest fan of the "hipster" lifestyle, I always sort of figured to each his own.  That, however, changed after I read this article last week.  It's when they start using my tax payer dollars to eat expensive, organic goods that I draw the line.  Remember to post your comments on how you feel about the latest hipster trend.

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Outstanding in the Field posts their 2010 Schedule!

If you're not familiar with Outstanding In The Field, here is a little bit of info from their website:

"Outstanding in the Field is a roving culinary adventure – literally a restaurant without walls. Since 1999 we have set the long table at farms or gardens, on mountain tops or in sea caves, on islands or at ranches. Occasionally the table is set indoors: a beautiful refurbished barn, a cool greenhouse or a stately museum. Wherever the location, the consistent theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table."

Each meal is made with locally grown ingredients and typically prepared by a chef of that region.  Additionally, the proceeds from some of the specific events are donated to a particular charity, for example proceeds gathered from the La Plaza Cultural (NY, NY) dinner will be donated to Wellness in the Schools, which promotes nutritious and tasty food in NYC Public Schools.  Though I have yet to participate in one of their amazing events, they just released the 2010 tour schedule and I am hopeful I will make it to one of the three NYC dinners this year.  Click here to find a map and list of this years events.  Tickets go on sale March 20th, so make your profile early (required for purchase) so it won't be a hassle when this Saturday arrives.

(ps. you can also follow OITF on twitter or their blog. Also, the beautiful picture, and others, can be found in their gallery.)

Eater NY: Ma Peche Launches Take Out with Online Ordering Site

Clearly, by now you must know that I have a small obsession with Ma Peche (and after years of persuasion from my bf, the Momos in general). Luckily, I have never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table at lunch, though I have seen how that presents a problem for other diners. While eating lunch there a few weeks ago, my bf and I witnessed the table next to us get up and leave without ordering, likely due to time constraints. We both enjoyed our meal, but figured that many people would have issues with the less than speedy lunch time affair.

Voilà, problem solved. According to Eater NY, Ma Peche has begun a take out online ordering system, similar to the reservation system used for Ko, Noodle Bar's Fried Chicken, and Ssam's Bo Ssam.

This Just In: Grub Street on Batali, Chang & Meehan @ The Strand