Despite the rain, the crowds poured in at Citymeals-on-Wheels Chef's Tribute fundraiser in Rockefeller Center last night. This year's theme -- Crème de la Crème, a tribute to the great French masters, many of whom were in attendance. As one might expect, honoring the world's best French chefs includes a large quantity of foie gras, caviar, duck, and truffles, and America's top chefs certainly put them all to good use. Each chef prepared two dishes:......

To bring the Momofuku Ko Craigslist reservation controversy full circle, Insatiable Critic Gael Greene (pictured incognito) has finally published her side of the story. For those just joining us, one Tom Dobrowski posted a Craigslist ad inviting a guest to buy him dinner in exchange for his impossible-to-get reservation at David Chang’s 14-seat Momofuku Ko. Greene took him up on the offer, but last week witnesses from Eater reported that their date was meal by......

That Momofuku Ko "resi" that hit Craigslist recently, where the poster was looking for a culinary companion, was not only filled -- but the story gets juicier than kimchi consommé with pork belly. The woman who accompanied the Craigslist poster, Tom Dobrowski (a real estate investment expert), was none other than the Insatiable Critic, Gael Greene (pictured). She got her in by responding to his post with: “Momofuko Ko with a mouth that has forty......

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Lebanese Ilili, saying “Ilili is probably the atmospherically grandest excursion into Middle Eastern cooking that New York has ever seen.” While much of the menu is inconsistent, he loves the kebabs and kaftas. Says the service is “occasionally confused.” And get the essmalieh for dessert. In Dining Briefs, Peter Meehan goes to Abraço Espresso (pictured), says “it’s tiny, it brews excellent coffee, and the little food that it......

This week in the Times, Bruni two-stars Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill (the new one, at Columbus Circle). After a few rocky meals immediately after the opening, “the food has been consistently first-rate,” says Bruni. “Much of it also reflects the [owners’, Eric and Bruce] Bromberg’s winning playfulness.” He also says that while the sushi isn't the best in town, the fried chicken may be. In Dining Briefs, Bruni visits Cooper’s Tavern (pictured) in......

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Irving Mill (pictured). Says, “It’s a self-conscious heir to Gramercy Tavern…if only it performed that way.” He does like some of the food, and the wine list. “At Irving Mill’s finest moments, with its finest dishes, it’s decidedly more than pleasant,” he says. But the cooking is inconsistent, the menu sounds more flavorful than it tastes, the desserts are only so-so, and the space too big, says Bruni.......

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Primehouse New York . Calls it “an estimable [steakhouse], with virtues that will rightly earn it the affection of many discerning carnivores and give it a solid chance in a competitive field.” On the downside, the quality of the meats isn’t always quite what it should be, service is uneven, and beyond the steaks, the menu doesn’t have much to offer. In Dining Briefs, Bruni revisits One if......

Mike Huckabee, featured in a profile in Sunday's New York Times magazine, chose to eat at T.G.I.Friday's when given a choice of lunch spots in Manhattan. The author vetoed his choice, and they ended up at his second choice, the Olive Garden. Politics aside, that's reason enough for us not to vote for the guy. Then again, we're pretty impressed that he lost over 100 pounds and runs marathons despite eating such crap. Gael Greene......

This week in the Times, Bruni two-stars Allen & Delancey. Loves the atmosphere; says “the food at Allen & Delancey is at once sophisticated and accessible, reliant on fail-safe luxuries deployed in a modestly creative and occasionally playful manner.” Says that in some ways it’s similar to what he did uptown (at Gordon Ramsay at the London) but it works much better in this context. In $25 and Under, "> Peter Meehan goes to Food......

This week in the Times, Bruni goes to Grayz, gives the restaurant one star. He says of the restaurant that refuses to call itself a restaurant (it’s a ‘cocktail lounge that serves small dishes’): “These dishes demand fuller attention than the setting allows, and the prices—$39 for the short ribs—only make total sense if eating is the point of a visit.” In Dining Briefs, Bruni goes to Belcourt, which he says is much better than......

This week in the Times, Bruni three stars Fiamma and rates it a top pick. Says that the restaurant is not, by any means, classically Italian, but “when a restaurant turns out this many dishes that make you stop mid-chew, nudge a companion and nod your head vigorously—because you’re excited; because you need to start working off the calories any way you can—it needn’t worry about fitting into a tidy box.” Also in the Times,......

Esca's Dave Pasternack is a Midtown Lunch'r too. His faves include Pakistani Restaurant on 38th and 9th, Grand Sichuan, and Han Bat on 35th between 5th and 6th. Restaurant Girl makes her Daily News debut, dines with Gael Greene, looks glamourous. Zagat goes mobile with Zagat.mobi. iPhone not included. Epicurious 2.0 has arrived with a redesign and more bloggers (because what isn't better with more bloggers?). RUB commissioned Orange County Chopper to create a mobile......

Last week at the 92nd Street Y some people took time to hear the fantastic Mike Colameco host the legendary chef Jacques Pepin, critic Gael Greene (now of the Insatiable Critic blog), food maven Arthur Schwartz, and old-school restaurant mogul Michael Whiteman hash out whether NYC dining scene was better then ever. Pretty cut and dry, no? Schwartz and Greene mostly argued that it is not a better scene today, lamenting the arrival of the......

June 3: A Day A Whey (the Sequel!) Join Saxelby Cheesemongers for a day trip to the Valley Shepherd Creamery in New Jersey to see a sheep dairy in action. Learn about the cheesemaking process from start to finish and end the day with a picnic on the farm. 11 am to 7 pm. Tickets are $75 and are available online. June 4: Japanese Food Demonstration and Tasting Head on over to the Brooklyn Kitchen......

May 26 - 27 Barbecue at Flatbush Farm The gang at Flatbush Farm hosts a barbecue the last weekend of every month, including this one. Feast on grilled clams, barbecued chicken legs and ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, veggie chili and more. 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 76 Saint Marks Avenue, Brooklyn. Call 718-622-3276 for details. May 29: Is New York Dining Really Better Than Ever? Ask the experts! Mike Colamenico will moderate a panel discussion......

SoHo standby Lucky Strike has brought on a new Executive Chef, Wen Chen, formerly of Odeon and Papillon. To celebrate his arrival, during the week of May 6-10, he'll be preparing a special 3-course prix fixe menu, which will change daily, including an appetizer, entrée and the "Lucky Lemonade" a cocktail comprised of Ketel One Citron, lemonade, cranberry juice and mint. The luck continues at the end of your meal, when you'll pick a number......

On this day when many are reveling in gifts, there are others who need the most basic of things. This morning, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn helped deliver Christmas Day meals with Citymeals on Wheels - the Mayor delivered the estimated 34 millionth meal. The 25 year old program was started by New York magazine restaurant critic Gael Greene, who also got James Beard involved, and Citymeals on Wheels supports agencies......

Today in the Times, Frank Bruni gives Greek-Italian Dona two stars, says it reaches high and far--too high at times. As predicted by the oddsmakers at Eater. Elsewhere, Dona got three stars from New York magazine's Adam Platt, who said that the food is "always arresting, and often excellent," and had some love for female restauranteur Donatella Arpaia, who collaborates on Dona with chef Michael Psilakis. But according to another New York-er, Gael Greene, Psilakis......

Set your TiVo's, kids. "Celebrity Cooking Showdown" is scheduled for the week of April 17th on NBC. This week-long competition pits various "celebrities" against each other in a culinary smackdown of sorts, judged by food critic Gael Greene and high-end event planner Colin Cowie. The motley crew of celebs includes Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez, Ja Rule, Tom Arnold, Gabrielle Reece, Days of Our Lives' Allison Sweeney, supermodel Naomi Campbell, reigning Miss USA......

New York magazine's Gael Greene on Per Se: "Fate was a cruel bitch to Thomas Keller, shooting flames up the wall of his precious kitchen, closing down his $14 million Per Se in its infancy." Gothamist wonders how Thomas Keller (pictured, right) feels about being fate's bitch, but we guess he's probably cool with it since French Laundry was named the world's best restaurant by Restaurant Magazine (although we feel the list is definitely UK-biased).......