Blue Bottle Coffee Pours Over to Rock Center

Blue Bottle Coffee announced yesterday that their Rockefeller Center location is officially open.  That marks the third New York City locale with one on Berry Street in Williamsburg and another on West 15th Street in Chelsea.

That's one small step for man, one giant leap for Midtown coffee culture.

Two Stars for Chef Mads Refslund's Acme

Acme is the Cajun-turned-Nordic restaurant on Great Jones Street.  Mads Refslund is the chef and he's very locally minded.  He's also half of the chef team that opened Noma, the 44-seat restaurant in Copenhagen that San Pellegrino has dubbed the best in the world for the past two years.  (If you're lucky enough to have a reservation at Noma, don't pull a no-show).

Mads was present for the beginning of New Nordic Cuisine, an ideal that restricts kitchens to ingredients that can be grown, caught, or locally foraged.  "My whole philosophy is to tell the story of where you are," he says.

Mads Refslund is a man of his word.

It's Perfect Chardonnay Weather

In the 60s and 70s, Oregon oenologists had the idea that if pinot noir, the red grape of Burgundy, grows well in their terroir, so must chardonnay, Burdundy's white grape.  Subtle differences proved otherwise and it wasn't until the 80s, with the arrival of Domaine Drouhin, that Oregon got on the right track and planted vines that thrived in the unique climate.

Eric Asimov and Florence Fabricant sat down with Blue Pilkington, a somm at Cafe Boulud, and Dustin Wilson, the wine director at Eleven Madison Park, to taste through a selection of Oregon chardonnays.

The winner was a 2009 reserve chardonnay from Lemelson, in the Willamette Valley. $22

Lights Out at Romera

Dr. Miguel Sanchez Romera closed the doors to his fantastical neurogastronomical underground lair in the basement of The Dream Hotel after service this past Saturday.

The effort was not lacking in Chef Romera's food on offer at Romera.  But, with a staggering $245 prix fixe for twelve courses, the clientele was.  The place got a tepid one-star review from Pete Wells and received some backlash from Frank Bruni. 

Romera's six month stint comes to a close as the Dr. bids adios to his Romerian mosaics.

Brooklyn Fare Soon to be Manhattan Fare

Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare opened three years ago.  Since it's inception the restaurant has earned 3 Michelin stars and is the only one in Brooklyn to do so.  Cesar Ramirez's $225, 20-plus tasting menu is one of the most expensive and most difficult to land a seat at.

Moe Issa is the owner and he has decided it's the right move to open at a space in Hell's Kitchen, on 39th Street between 9th and 10th.  The chef's table at the Manhattan location will be downstairs in a wine room, with only 10 seats.  The restaurant itself will be 60 seats and have an a la carte menu.

Manhattan could see an interpretation of Chef Ramirez's food as early as June.

Dear Bleecker Street Letter from Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield

Pending a meeting with Community Board no. 2 next week, Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield are going to add a cafe on Bleecker Street to their empire.  The address is 264 Bleecker and a note posted nearby does a splendid job introducing the duo to the neighborhood.  If residents need further convincing, the 21 hour schedule (they plan to operate from 7am - 4am Thursday - Saturday) does a pretty good job showing their commitment.

Crack Pie is Heading to Carroll Gardens

Christina Tosi has chosen Carroll Gardens as the location for her next, and fifth, Momofuku Milk Bar.  The Department of Health has them listed at 360 Smith Street, at the corner of 2nd Place.

The Great Googa Mooga, aka Foodstock

It was announced last week that Prospect Park would be the site for a food festival in May.  It turns out The Great Googa Mooga is going to be pretty epic.  Brooklyn strongholds Frankies 457, Char No. 4, and Mile End will be there.  M. Wells, DBGB, Joseph Leonard, Minetta Tavern, and Spotted Pig are some others.

We're still waiting to hear which bands are going to be booked but check out the list of restaurants that are going to be there.

The two-day festival on May 19th and 20th is free, but you will have to register.  You can do so here starting next Thursday (the 15th) at noon.