Last night, Ba Bay played host to a pre-Taste of the Nation banh mi smackdown to raise money for Share Our Strength, an organization that fights childhood hunger. The competition pitted chefs from Ba Bay, Dino, Lyon Hall, Proof, PS7's and The Source against each other to see who could create the best banh mi. more ›

PS7's executive sous chef Andrew Markert will compete on the Food Network cooking competition Chopped next Tuesday, January 18 at 10 p.m. The show challenges four chefs to cook a three-course meal with an assigned basket of ingredients; after each course, one chef is eliminated from the competition. This episode will feature marrow bones as one of the central ingredients -- for those of you who like offal, it should be an mouth-watering piece of television. A viewing party will be held in the lounge at PS7's that evening as they cheer on their sous. more ›

Last winter, four co-workers canceled on me for Restaurant Week lunch in the course of one morning. Instead of moping and microwaving some soup, I headed to TenPenh’s bar, just steps from my office, for lunch on my own. This Restaurant Week, I’ve reveled in the art of solo midday meals. Reservations, coordination, and flaky friends are not needed. Free seats at the bar are almost always plentiful, though last week, I could have also had my pick of tables. I found several empty seats at most every dining room I visited—perhaps a function of the stumbling economy—regardless of what OpenTable had to say. Show up after 1 or 1:30, especially at a larger dining room, and you’ll likely never have a problem getting seated anywhere you'd like. more ›

This week as you enjoy your poison of choice at your favorite watering hole, raise your glass to the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. This Friday, December 5, celebrates the end of 13 years of mandated teetotaling. And it has become increasingly apparent that the products of artisanal distilling and brewing that were squelched by the introduction of Prohibition are starting to make a return. Liquors that have not seen these shores in years - genever gin, sloe gin, and absinthe - are making their way into stores or being produced domestically. more ›

Restaurant Week is risky business. In order to secure a spot at the best restaurants during the prime 7 p.m. dinner hour, you'll have to book two to three weeks in advance. But even the most careful planning and meticulous research will not guarantee a perfect meal. Like the best things in life, Restaurant Week is high risk, high reward. Which is to say, when it's good, it's really good; and when it's bad, it's really bad. more ›