"new york city restaurants" news and stories

After months of controversy, the first of New York City's 24,000 restaurants received a letter grade for cleanliness and food safety under the city health department's new program.

Spark's Deli, a 24-seat eatery in Queens, got an "A" on Wednesday after a two-hour inspection the day before, the Wall Street Journal reported. Restaurants around the city will receive A, B or C grades which must be displayed in restaurant windows.

The city also unveiled a new restaurant inspection web site, designed to help customers make restaurant decisions based on hygiene practices and food safety, health department deputy commissioner Daniel Kass told the New York Times.

While all restaurants can appeal B or C grades, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said it expects most restaurants to earn B grades. That, however, doesn't mean they are unsafe.

StarChefs, the "magazine for culinary insiders," celebrated New York's "Rising Stars" on Tuesday with a gala tasting in New York City.

Slashfood popped in to check out the fare and gaze at culinary stars like honoree and "Top Chef" Season One winner Harold Dieterle and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto (whose New York restaurant Chef Jamison Blankenship was honored and whipped up a bouillabaisse) as well as Babyface (who knew the hitmaker was a foodie?).

Del Posto's pastry chef, Brooks Headley, paired pea shoots with strawberry gelato, while mixologist Maxwell Britten made Gingerbutter Collins with scotch whiskey. Best overheard conversation of the night: "She puts bacon in everything now, even chocolate chip cookies." We'll have to try that.

Food porn after the jump.

Well, this just about ruined my appetite.

We went through seeing those videos of the rats running around some of New York City's eateries, and now we have tonight's Inside Edition showing video that exposes the little monsters having fun at night in some of Boston's restaurants. It's part of a regular feature they do now called "Rat Patrol."

Some of the restaurants include Ruth's Chris Steak House, near downtown crossing if you know the area, McCormick & Schmick's, and The China Pearl. Ruth's Chris is working with the health inspector on a regular basis, and the other restaurants have regular checkups as well.

The owner of The China Pearl says that the Big Dig construction over the past few years has displaced many of the rodents.