In the restaurant world, terminology like "organic," "local," and "seasonal" have become so commonplace they can be easy to ignore. But, when Market Table – which offers all three of these – opened on Carmine Street (at Bedford) in the West Village last September, they highlighted a new buzzword: market. With an emphasis on bringing food from the market directly to the table, the restaurant simultaneously offers a capacious (and beautiful) dining room headed......

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......

The mice at The Mermaid Inn’s East Village location picked a mischievous moment to scurry out into the dining room a few nights ago – as luck would have it a writer for Time Out New York was there waiting for a table! The immodest mice must have been looking for their 15 minutes of fame, because they timed their appearance perfectly with TONY staffer Jordana Rothman’s emergence from the bathroom. As she made her......

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Sam Mason’s Tailor. Loves the design of the place, and—along with everyone else—the pork belly, the arctic char and the drinks. Overall? “[Mason’s] infatuation with his own imagination doesn’t leave room enough for a self-appraisal of the results… a duck-and-eel terrine in a chocolate consommé tastes like cat food splashed with Yoo-hoo.” Hee. In Dining Briefs, Bruni goes to Toloache. Calls the upscale Mexican restaurant a “welcome addition”......

The Mermaid Inn, that inviting East Village bistro beloved for its rich seafood entrees, has moved on up to the west side with a mostly new menu. Their second Manhattan outpost is appointed with old nautical maps, dark wainscoting and roll-up doors that will surely suck in the crowds during warmer months. (Alec Baldwin must be pleased about the eatery boosting Amsterdam Avenue’s cachet.) The Inn’s famous lobster sandwich survived the move, but there’s now......

Community Food & Juice: If you like the Clinton Street Baking Company, you'll like Community Food & Juice. DeDe Lahman and Neil Kleinberg bring the magic uptown with not only the same delicious comfort food, but this time with spot that meets Green Restaurant Association guidelines. 2893 Broadway, between 112th and 113th Streets, 212-665-2800. dell’anima: former Batali alums Chef Gabriel Thompson (Del Posto) and sommelier Joe Campanale (Babbo) team up to create a cozy neighborhood......

Bacaro: Frank DeCarlo of Peasant and his wife Dulcinea Benson transport you to Venice in their 80-seat wine bar/restaurant on the Lower East Side. Northern Italian menu offerings include cicchetti, (think Venetian bar snacks) like crostini, sardines, artichokes, and more, cheeses selected by Lou DiPalo, and pastas, quail, and duck for those seeking heartier fare. 136 Division Street, between Orchard and Ludlow Streets, 212-941-5060. Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill: The Blue Ribbon team is......

Market Table -- Mike Price, formerly of the Mermaid Inn has partnered with the Little Owl's Joey Campanaro and Gabriel Stulman, moved into the former Shopsins space and created a market/restaurant where, among other things, they'll be selling the kick-ass pork chops served at the Little Owl so you can attempt to re-create them at home. The market portion is in the soft-opening stage, and the restaurant is due to open the week of September......

October 7: Beer on the Pier Drink up at the third annual Beer on the Pier, where you'll find brews from around the corner as well as from around the world. Spanky's BBQ will be offering food (not included in the ticket price), and $43.50 will get you a bottomless cup. Pier 94, 55th St at West Side Hwy. Two shifts: noon–4pm, 6–10pm. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit beeronthepier.com. October 10: Eat......

- Ruh roh. Several subway lines are experiencing problems because of the heavy rain. From the MTA: Due to weather conditions, E, F and R service is currently suspended in Queens. V service is suspended in both directions. 2 and 3 service has resumed with delays. 4, 5 and 6 service has resumed with delays. There is no 1 service south of Chambers Street. - The angry ex-member of a commune knew when and......

We got this fortune at The Nice Restaurant down on East Broadway on Friday night. But shouldn't the lucky numbers be something more like 18006969696? [Related: New Yorker Talk of the Town piece on Wonton Food, and a Fortune Teller Fish from The Mermaid Inn.]......

September 25-29: Latin Beer Tasting Dos Equis, Sol, Corona and Negra Modelo, are paired up with tasty (and Kosher!) Latin dishes in a prix-fixe menu from September 25-29; cost is $49 per person. For details, visit their website. Park East Grill, 1562 Second Ave., 212-717-8400. September 27: Eat Out '05 Time Out New York continues to celebrate its tenth birthday with Eat Out ’05, a tasting event benefitting the Food Bank For New York City.......

Jill Singer, Mediabistro Deputy Editor...

You can tell a lot about a year by seeing which posts were popular, and from Gothamist's standpoint, it's been a banner year for our readers who are perverts or nerds (we're hoping the loyal readers are both). Here are a few of our most popular posts: Thoughts on the Matrix Reloaded; 100 Best Songs; when we pretended to know all about friendster messages; Paris Hilton sex tapes and her SNL appearance; Nicole Richie's racial......

The NY Post gives date suggestions for where to take girls, whether they be trend surfer, a highbrow glamour-puss or a proud bohemian" - apparently proud bohemian also means "cheap date." (And it seems like the Post doesn't think the Olive Garden is a good date option. D'oh!) Some of the usual suspects are named: Sumile, The Sanctum at Tribeca Grand, the new cafes at the Met. But, if you want to show someone a......

Newsday reports that 71 establishments (of a possible 20,000) had been cited for violated the smoking ban - and most for having ashtrays out and not having dinstinct signs saying "No Smoking Allowed" - and some restaurant owners claim the smoking ban has affected business by 20%. Gothamist started to wonder if the smoking ban violations were recorded yet, and we stumbled onto the Department of Health's searchable database of restaurant inspections, which is where......

Again, we'd like to thank all the people that came to the Gothamist and 601am Happy Hour. A great time was had by all though only remembered only by some. - Gothamist enjoys The Mermaid Inn - Amusement park rides in Central Park - GPS dog (Japanese, of course) - Memphis' new attraction besides the Kind, barbecue, and Al Green: Pandas - Behavior modification for teens, in Jamaica - New York City budget game -......

The torrential rain almost put a damper on plans to go to the East Village's best new restaurant, The Mermaid Inn, last night, but luckily the rain subsided. We put our names on the list at 7PM and only waited 30 minutes for a table (they said 45 minutes, but ended up calling 15 later to offer a table in the garden, but with the weather so crazy, we decided to wait for an inside......

Last week... - City sales tax hike - Damn the pretty boy singers - What is pococurante - The New New York Quality of Life - Photo Blogs in the New York Times - Mermaid Inn is yummy - Andrew Giuliani is all growed up - Listening to sad music while reading depressing things - Clint Eastwood's Mystic River - Token of a memory Go see Tinkle on Sunday. We're going to the Big Apple......

Get your ass out from behind your desk and go down to the Mermaid Inn and get some food. I'm serious- I've eaten in a lot of places in this town and I haven't had a meal this good in four or five months. The restaurant is amazing- Cape Cod atmosphere- unpretentious feel- food that will knock the jadedness right out of your mouth. Gothamist's recommendations? We started with a selection of the appetizers: fried......