When I first met Miami chef Michael Schwartz, he was busy manning the kitchen during a Cayman Cookout dinner this past January. Knee-deep in the fast-paced hubbub of Chef Dean Max’s restaurant, The Brasserie, Schwartz was calm, cool, and collected as plates flew by on the prep table. Snapping away at photos, I had the chance to observe as the affable chef, along with members of his and Max’s kitchen crews, put the finishing touches on each delish dish before passing them off to servers-in-wait.
Having read many of the glowing …

Oy! Sometimes you just never know when your writing may be called in for legal questioning! Such is the case of former New York Times restaurant reviewer Frank Bruni, who’s restaurant review and personal emails are now part of a wrongful termination lawsuit currently underway in New York.
According to Grub Street, Bruni’s communications regarding Dan Barber’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant were taken into consideration in the suit recently brought on by a former employee. Allegedly fired due to “not [being able to] perform her duties at a level …

As I mentioned in my previous post, my favorite event of the 2009 Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival was certainly hearing from restaurant critic and food author Frank Bruni. With stars added to and dropped from restaurants at any given time, I, like many others, wondered how Bruni determined his star ratings. In this bit of video, Bruni discusses his thinking behind the rating system with Eater‘s Ben Leventhal.

~Jennifer Heigl

Traveling to New York this past weekend to visit the 2009 Food Network New York Wine & Food Festival, I have to admit I probably spent more time dining at all the wonderful restaurants than actually attending any festival events. Given that Daily Blender is a little more food and business than Food Network, I picked my events and activities accordingly, visiting great restaurants like Apiary and Rouge Tomate, and attending a few of the festival highlights, including former New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni’s chat with Eater‘s Ben …

According to a recent Zagat survey, more restaurants opened in New York this year than the number of restaurants who shuttered their doors. Despite closings from big names like Payard and Tavern on the Green, survey results show that 157 ‘notable’ restaurants opened this year compared with 102 that closed. The survey also notes that overall pricing of a meal in New York actually rose 2.5% even with so many hot spots cutting back on expensive food items and offering lower-priced prix fixe meals. However, while restaurants continue to open, …

Foodies were making the round on late night television last week and we’ve got the video clips to prove it!
Former New York Times restaurant reviewer Frank Bruni made a visit to Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report to talk about his memoir, “Born Round”, and his relationship with food.

Frank Bruni

 
Foodie fan favorite Rachael Ray stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! as well. The daytime cooking diva offered tips for cooking on a budget while getting a little saucy about her tomatoes.

This week, the Humane Society of the United States began a campaign against popular breakfast spot, IHOP, or the International House of Pancakes. Following the release of details from an undercover investigation by activist group Compassion Over Killing, which reported the horrendous conditions of IHOP egg supplier Michael Foods, the Humane Society is petitioning IHOP owner DineEquity, Inc. to move towards the use of cage-free eggs. It’s a move that many national restaurants, including Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Red Robin, have already made.
“Given consumers’ overwhelming opposition to the mistreatment of farm …

Goodbye Summer! I’m leaving you for Fall. Think of all the fun we had together. Look at the big things that happened while you were here!
1) Bruniocalypse! In mid-May, New York Times restaurant reviewer Frank Bruni shocked everyone when it was announced that he would be leaving his post at the paper in order to pursue other activities – namely promoting his book, Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-time Eater. Eater NY declared it a Bruniocalypse and foodies everywhere began to wonder who would take his place. Sam …

New York Times restaurant reviewer Frank Bruni created an uproar among media, fans, and fellow foodies when he announced his resignation in May. Tonight, Bruni, who’s been less-than-publicly-visible due to his position at the Times, hits Nightline to promote his memoir, “Born Round: the Secret History of a Full-Time Eater.” According to a sneak preview at Mediabistro.com, he’ll talk healthy eating, fad diets, and his distaste for Choco Tacos. (The staple of my school lunches for years!) Be sure to check out the full interview on ABC!
Curious what it’s like …

The food world seemed astonished earlier this week when New York Times restaurant reviewer Frank Bruni unleashed a four-star rating on Danny Meyers’ Eleven Madison Park. With previous two and three star ratings, the highly regarded food aficionado awarded an additional star to the New York establishment, commenting that it’s “the best restaurant Danny Meyer has ever operated.”
In response to the collective foodie surprise, Bruni followed up his initial review with more thoughts on the four-star rating, expounding on his reasoning for the additional star while discussing others who have …

Vegas Uncork’d uncorked! Aspen Food & Wine devoured! On to the New York Wine & Food Fest! Arriving again this October, the 2009 New York Wine and Food Festival takes over New York during Columbus Day weekend. Masterminded by South Beach Wine & Food Fest producer Lee Schrager, the NYC festival, now in its second year, features a number of 2008 crowd favorites (Meatball Madness, TimesTalks) as well as a few new top-notch gatherings (Paula Deen’s Down South Up North). The kids aren’t left out either, with the festival offering …

Ever curious why the waiter seats you by the bathroom in an empty dining room? Revered restaurant reviewer Frank Bruni posted a bit yesterday on the mystery of receiving a bad table in a nearly deserted restaurant. While the inquiring customer seemed baffled by the mis-seating, Bruni notes that it’s rather common, with most restaurants leaving empty tables for no-show reservations, late night VIPs, and kitchen relief.
“All of that said, you could be sitting at a bad table at a bad time in a half-full restaurant because the restaurant is …

Oy! Whatever will we do without Bruni? In case you missed it, the big food news of the week is regarding New York Times and Diner’s Journal writer Frank Bruni. According to the Times announcement, after five years at his regular post, Bruni is leaving to focus on personal writing projects, like his upcoming memoir, and settling into more of a writer-at-large role for the Times’s Sunday magazine. Needless to say, food blogs across the interweb are all a-twitter, not only with the announcement but as to who will be …

Posted by Jennifer Heigl

Author Frank Bruni has a great post today on his New York Times blog, Diner’s Journal, commenting on the recent move of many restaurants to begin charging for their ‘extras’, namely the standard bread and butter.
It seems many diners have a problem with being charged for items that were previously complimentary, so Bruni tries to take an alternate view, suggesting that more restaurants charge for bread and other assortments. He offers that perhaps, with charging for such items, you’d receive a higher quality of item, rather than …

Posted by R.K. Gella
On Wednesday employees of three B.R. Guest Restaurants arrived to work without jobs.  Coming across the wire was news that Steve Hanson, the founder and president of B.R. Guest Restaurants, was closing three venues, Fiamma (SoHo), Ruby Foo’s (Uptown) and Blue Water Grill (Chicago), all effective immediately.
Hanson said, in a statement to the press via his PR office:
“I just couldn’t sustain the restaurant with one 6:00-9:30 seating. And on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays we weren’t even doing that. Wall Street’s [woes] have been devastating to business. These …