"New York restaurants" news and stories

We caught a sneak peek on Monday night of Chef David Burke's new SoHo digs, David Burke Kitchen at The James Hotel (opening on Feb. 3, at 23 Grand Street), at a bash Burke held with Food Network's Lee Schrager to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival (coming up February 24-27). (This isn't Burke's first outing with The James -- his Primehouse is already a hit at the hotel's Chicago branch.) First impression? These downtown digs fit the uptown chef like a glove.

• Your Microplane grater didn't used to be a kitchen tool, you know. It used to be a tool tool.
• Who doesn't love cabbage? Okay, a lot of people. But everyone should try this cabbage soup.
• Did you know baristas are supposed to cover their hair? Yep.
• Ciano has great food, but no one would blame you for spending the whole evening with the wine list.

The Lady loves tapas. Who knew? When we read Eater's report that Lady Gaga spent part of New Year's Eve partying in small Spanish bites at Caliu, the newish West Village tapas restaurant, we had to give her a shout out. Although we hear the singer, who has herself invested in Upper West Side restaurant Vince & Eddie's, didn't eat much. Slashfood editors went to Caliu when it opened in November, and loved what we ate. So we join Gaga in giving the thumb's up to chef Franco Barrio (formerly of Mario Batali's Casa Mono and Boqueria, two of NYC's hottest tapas spots), not only for his tapas-bar standards such as sliced housemade morcilla, chorizo and cheeses (such as the caña de cabra goat's-milk), patatas bravas (fried potatoes crusted with spicy paprika and drowned in white mayo) and dates wrapped in bacon, but for his invented dishes such as tiny shrimp shish kebabs mounted on toast, and a strange paella with ground-lamb meatballs. Caliu is off the map in a West Village backwater many blocks south of the Meapacking District, and it's dark and quiet -- the perfect place for a first date, or maybe a bad romance? By the way, when we were there, Caliu hadn't yet been approved for a liquor license, so they poured complimentary sangria, which not only added to the spirit of the place but also made for a pretty cheap tab.

Why ask just one food pro about the best new restaurants around the country when you can ask a gaggle of them? Eater did just that, and came up with its Top Newcomers and Top Standbys in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, L.A., Miami, Portland, and Austin.

When in Austin, go to newcomer Uchiko for contemporary Japanese dishes like walu walu (oak-grilled escolar with candied citrus, yuzupon and myoga), say four of the seven experts in the Texas capital. If you happen to be in San Francisco, be sure to drop by standby Pizzaria Delfina (above, and home to the "Purgatorio" pie) say three of the Bay Area critics.

And in Slashfood's hometown of New York? Thai is where it's at, according to the pros. Wander over to Kin Shop for a braised goat curry, or Lotus of Siam for crispy rice with sour Thai sausage.

The owners of Michael Jordan's The Steakhouse NYC, which overlooks the famed lobby of Grand Central Terminal, are bankrupt. No, not His Airness; the restaurant group just licenses Jordan's name.

The Glazier Group, which owns the New York steakhouse and six Strip House restaurants, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Southern District Court on Monday, Crain's New York Business reported.

Owners Peter and Penny Glazier said the group's restaurants and catering venues, including Bridgewaters and the Twenty Four Fifth ballroom near Manhattan's Washington Square Park, will not be affected. (The Michael Jordan's Steakhouse at Mohegan Sun Casino, in Connecticut, is owned by the Cornerstone Restaurant Group, with no affiliation to the Glazier Group.)

"We are restructuring corporate debt," Peter Glazier told Crains. "We tried to make a deal with our lenders, and we could not." The restaurants, he added, are "doing very well."