Pasta Night at Osteria Morini with Alexander Hamilton

Starting this Monday, the 14th, Osteria Morini is offering any of the pastas from their menu for $10.  The special runs from 9:30 to close (11pm), and is supposedly an "I'm in the industry" deal, but anyone can get in on the ravioli in nettle pesto, the shrimp & seppia ragu with fava beans, or any of the other 10 pastas.

Aside from the blatant deal of a $10 pasta, Michael White will be there to cook it for you.

Gym, Tan, Laundry, Max Fish

It was believed that iconic Lower East Side dive bar Max Fish was going to close at the end of January last year.  Owner Ulli Rimkus fought for a lease renewal that got Max Fish and neighboring Pink Pony another year.  That took them up through January 31st of 2012, when they signed on for another year and now stay open on a year to year basis. 

Max Fish is now expanding to Asbury Park and there are plans for a shuttle bus that will run once a month and take people on a Max Fish-a-pa-looza from the LES location to the Asbury Park location and back.  Max Fish at the Beach Bar will be opening this weekend and remain a weekend only bar until Memorial Day, whereafter they'll be open every day through October.

Located on the boardwalk, there will be Skee-Ball, pinball, and shaved ice drinks.

Have a Long Night with Hearth and Some German Wine

Paul Grieco is responsible for the wine program at Hearth and Terroir and he just won the James Beard Award Monday for Outstanding Wine Professional.  You can drink with him and other wine enthusiasts tomorrow night at Hearth starting at 11pm as Hearth presents Lange Nacht des deustschen Weins, aka A Long Night of German Wines.  Chef Marco Canora is roasting two sucking pigs for the ocassion and the wine is coming courtesy of Stuart Pigott.  Stuart is a longtime Hearth buddy and wine expert and he is having 10 cases of wine sent over from his and his friend Roy Metzdorf's cellars.

There is a $50 admission fee with every penny of that going to the Hope Charity in South Africa, which raises money to prevent HIV and AIDS.

Hearth is at 403 East 12th Street (1st Ave), get your ticket here.

One Star for Midtown's La Silhouette

In today's Times, Pete Wells awards La Silhouette one star in a review that reads like Bruni's recent article about having gout.  Chef Matthew Tropeano's menu has more than one foie gras dish on it.  There is a foie gras sauce, truffled forcemeat, sweetbreads, duck pate, and butter poached lobster.  It's a rich menu and you may be better off walking to 362 West 53rd Street to taste its offerings than taking the subway.

As for all the goose liver, Mr. Tropeano "ought to know his way around a lobe of foie gras.  He spent eight years in the kitchen at La Grenouille, mastering old-guard French dishes that fewer and fewer chefs in New York know how to pronounce."

La Silhouette "is on the extremely short list of good French restaurants in walking distance of the Broadway theaters," despite the fact that it operates in a "dark space that is about as inviting a spot for a restaurant as the Holland Tunnel."

NYC People and Places Shine at the JB Awards

The annual James Beard Awards took place last night at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center and some of the city's talent walked away with great honors.

Paul Grieco won for Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional, PDT won for Outstanding Bar Program, and La Grenouille gets the Outstanding Service award. 

Christina Tosi, the mind behind Momofuku's Milk Bar empire, won the Rising Star Chef of the Year award, one that is given to "A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come."

Responsible for the kitchens at The Nomad and Eleven Madison Park, Daniel Humm takes home the Outstanding Chef award for his work at EMP.

After some time away from the kitchen to recover from open-heart surgery, Gramercy Tavern chef Michael Anthony won the award for Best Chef: New York City.

Here's the list of all the winners and photo's from last nights event.

Here's to a New Legacy...

Skylark opened last week in the former Timboo's space.  It's the new bar from owner Leah Allen, who also owns Abilene Bar on Court Street.  The original bar from Timboo's got a facelift and remains intact.  You can belly up to it starting at noon everyday and get one of 14 beers available on tap.  A few sandwich options like chicken cordon bleu and roast beef, cheddar, and mashed potatoes on white bread will help absorb some of the booze.

There's no more pool table but you can get your pin ball on at either the Star Trek or Harlem Globetrotters machine.

If you look close enough you can see it still says "Bar" on either side of "Skylark."  This is from the old facade that was in place since 1969, when Timboo's opened on the corner of 11th Street and 5th Ave in Park Slope.

James Shaves His Beard Tonight at Lincoln Center

The annual James Beard Awards are being held tonight at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center.  The awards highlight North America's gastronomic elite, and from upcoming chefs to restaurant of the year, you can follow the awards in real time via the JBF blog.

In honor of the foundation's 25 years, the Empire State Building will be lit up with orange and yellow lights tonight.

Here's a recap of the JBF Book, Broadcast & Journalism Awards that took place Friday.  Congrats to Gabrielle Hamiliton for winning the Writing and Literature award for her excellent memoir Blood, Bones, and Butter.

Eat Like the Chefs this Weekend

If you're looking for a place to eat this weekend, or ever, consult this epic list of New York's Best Cheap Eats picked by some of the world's greatest chefs.

David Change eats Sichuan at Hot Kitchen in the East Village, Wolfgang Puck classes it up at Daniel and Marea when he's in town, and everybody's favorite chef, Rene Redzepi of Noma, apparently has a soft spot for Brooklyn.  Aside from thinking "Momofuku Noodle Bar is a must," Rene likes Franny's, Roberta's, and has "heard promising things about Isa."