A real bunny boiler for Easter.

Tired of the same old Easter Egg hunt? Kind of hate the Easter Bunny? This holiday, depraved diners can finally find out if rabbits have anything in common with Jesus by visiting their favorite restaurants and watching for any signs of resurrection during digestion.

As DNA Info points out, three restaurants in the city will be offering Easter specials involving little fluffy cottontails, including Lincoln, Red Gravy and Gentleman Farmer. And that doesn't include all the gourmet chefs who already have rabbit on the menu. I Sodi, Zero Otto Nove, Maialino at Gramercy Park, SHO Shaun Hergatt, Marlow and Son's, Lucien, The Breslin Bar & Dining Room, Wallse ... all guaranteed to make sure your children are so scarred by images of a braised bunny that for the rest of their lives, the mere mention of "chocolate eggs" will have them reaching for their therapist's number.

Like most things in Men in Black, this restaurant does not exist.

If you ever watched a Men in Black, The Fisher King or that episode of Seinfeld, you may have a certain idea of how a Chinese restaurant in New York should look. Red walls? Big golden statues? A wall that's a fish tank? Well, of course, there's always Congee Village, but for the most part, New York's finest Asian eateries look nothing like their Hollywood counterparts, according to ScoutingNY.com.

The post really has a problem with tourists who specifically want to eat at a restaurant like the one from Men in Black:

But I really wish they’d realize that the reason they think New York is filled with MIB-style Chinese restaurants is not because of reality, but because of what they’ve seen in the movies and on TV. For a city that has nearly everything, there’s a LOT of alternatives to choose from, and I really hate having to fake the few things it doesn’t have just to do the same cliche over and over and over and over …

We've never encountered that exact complaint before from visiting friends or relatives, as they are usually more worried about other issues. "What's that sign mean, 'Grade Pending?'" or "These aren't real frog legs on the menu, right?" But then again, we don't run into a lot of people whose suspension of disbelief in films goes so far that it becomes a sort of guide to the real world. If you do happen to see one of these folks, kindly direct them to the nearest sound stage and tell them to enjoy the craft services.

Gateway shopping center in Brooklyn was (relatively) packed.

Cars are still submerged on Wall Street, regular subway service may not resume for weeks and huge swaths of Lower Manhattan lie in darkness, but small signs suggest that New Yorkers are more than ready to return to normal—or at least feeling a little stir crazy.

As soon as the rains stopped Tuesday afternoon, the streets of Crown and Prospect Heights filled with joggers, apparently undeterred by the fact that all New York City parks remain closed and that the sidewalks are littered with tree branches. And not all of them looked like the fitness gurus who can be found running in any squall. We spotted at least one runner pausing gratefully at the stoplight (most of them were working, although a few flashed yellow).

Bodegas, restaurants and bakeries drew crowds of hungry Brooklynites, even in neighborhoods where no one had lost power. Scratch, on Bedford Avenue in Bed-Stuy, contended with a line stretching out the door and a dwindling supply of baked goods in the late morning. Apparently, even one day of home cooking was one day too many for some. Roman's in Fort Greene was also open for foodies with cabin fever, as was Marlowe & Sons in Williamsburg, which The Observer heard was also been packed with desperate gourmands before the storm struck on Sunday.

At Gateway Center in East New York, the Target and Home Depot were mobbed, although most of the other stores remained shuttered. Were shoppers worried about shortages in the East Coast supply chain or just looking to get out of the house? Even those who weren't busy stimulating the local economy were out surveying the damage, blinking into the overcast sky as they studied the uprooted trees and leaf-damp streets.

kvelsey@observer.com

Midtown residents can count on the Breslin for breakfast Monday.

As Hurricane Sandy approaches, New Yorkers have been stocking up on packets of ramen and cans of beans, unhappily contemplating the less than appetizing meals that they'll be eating over the next few days, meals that will more than likely involve a lot of peanut butter and jelly.

But for those who can't bear the thought of lunching on crackers and tuna fish, there is hope: the subways might be down, but fine dining doesn't stop just because there's a hurricane on the way. A number of the city's best restaurants are planning to serve as usual on Monday and Tuesday, providing a ravenous public with foie gras, lobster bolognese and miso-glazed salmon.

That is, so long as Sandy doesn't obliterate Manhattan altogether.

Restaurants in hotels, backed up by generators and with a captive clientele, are the most reliable bets for finding a three-star Michelin meal during the frankenstorm. Jean-Georges, lodged securely in the Trump International Tower, has no plans to close.

"Absolutely, tomorrow we will be honoring all reservations," said maitre d' Kyle Lohr, who was presiding over a "quieter than normal" restaurant Sunday night. A hard hit from Sandy could change things, he admitted, with the limiting factor being staff—it requires quite a large one to run a three-star restaurant properly.

Jean-Georges's sister restaurant Jojo, on East 64th Street, was planning to close for lunch on Monday, but would be open for dinner.

Per Se was also open on Sunday night, with the last reservation at 9 p.m. rather than 10 p.m., but the restaurant had yet to make the call about whether to open on Monday or not.

But at least a foodie can be sure of the Breslin Bar and Dining Room at the Ace Hotel, which was open until 10:30 p.m. on Sunday night and planned to open again at 7 a.m. Monday for breakfast. Alas, the hurricane will not help fearless foodies score a reservation at Breslin's kin The Spotted Pig, which was closed Sunday night and all of Monday, much like a few other standbys of deep-pocketed foodies: Nobu, Daniel, Sandro's, Gilt and Sushi of Gari. Nor can New Yorkers comfort themselves with a huge slab of Peter Luger steak: the restaurant shut down at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Telepan on the Upper West Side was busy Sunday night, dishing out liquid courage to a crowd at the bar while workers scurried around below, clearing out its basement in case of flooding. Too bad the restaurant would not be serving any bay scallops coddled eggs come Monday. As for Tuesday, the owners planned to play it by ear.

Likewise, Gramercy denizens will have to wait and see whether Casa Mona opens on Monday after closing at 9:30 Sunday night, two and a half hours earlier than normal to allow staff to get home before the storm struck. La Sirene in Soho, which was open Sunday night, is tentatively serving Monday dinner. And Saxon + Parole in Noho also sent its staff home early, dismissing everyone who didn't live in Manhattan at 4 p.m., although the restaurant served dinner.

"As of right now, we will be open tomorrow, although that may change," said hostess Emily Erickson when The Observer called. Good news for Noho dwellers, who kept the restaurant's remaining staff on their toes Sunday night with a steady stream of walk-ins. Fortunately, the managers, who filled the serving vacancies, only had to deal with around a third of the patrons the spot would normally see on a Sunday.

At least Eleven Madison Park, which will be open for lunch and dinner on Monday and Tuesday, is a sure thing. And Tribeca's Odeon wants to be.

"Our intention is to stay open if it's safe; if we can, we will be open," said manager Dave Moody, who was busy scanning the humming eatery as we spoke.

"It's been quite busy tonight," said Mr. Moody. "And there's a really nice mood. It's like, everybody's happy, they've all done their preparations, now they're ready to relax and have some drinks together before the storm hits."

kvelsey@observer.com

“Don’t stop eating,” joked Nicolo Maltini, the U.S. Ambassador for Antinori, as we were leaning full bore into an excess of food, wine and family on a regular basis, without trying too hard—the kind you find in Tuscany, Italian households through the city and its suburbs, or Olive Garden.

Quite frankly, we'd like to know how the prestigious winery—now in its twenty-sixth generation, tracing back to 1385—has escaped alcoholism/obesity and the dysfunction that we assume would accompany it.

“Italian culture is to have wine with our food at our home,” explained Allegra Antinori, who deals primarily with the hospitality side of the family business. Through the pop up Cantinetta Antinori at the Mondrian Soho Hotel, “guests can understand better our lifestyle"—which is to say a real booze buffet.

What you’d expect for $160 per head.

A likely crowd of guests from the wine world indulged in Tignanello 2001 (Antinori is famous for its red wines), including Michael Yurch, President of Sherry-Lehman. Mr Yurch explained how his job went beyond supplying wines to the palates of New York, like the time he provided a live goat to a Sheikh after successfully sourcing a rare bottle of Chateau Margaux for him.

Wine wills the weirdest things.

It was therefore somewhat grounding when Allegra’s sister, Alessia Antinori, spoke about the “family culture and philosophy” related to this great produce and to Cantinetta Antinori, “a little restaurant where people came to sample products from the countryside,” that originated, and still exists, in Florence.

It has expanded since then though with concessions in Vienna, Zurich and Moscow. The pop up event is the first time it touches down on American soil.

The first time, also, for Chef Lorenzo di Martino. “This is the possibility to breathe Antinori,” he explained, “everything we cook has a meaning—represents a moment in history.”

With the help of  Kim Wiss, from the Antica Estate in Napa Valley, the pair hope that, for the price tag, guests will experience Italian history in the form of “really simple, fresh, original recipes” that represent authentic Tuscan food, and some of the finest Italian wines, amongst mini olive trees and candle light.

Teetotals and dieters need not apply.

Back in June, the New York Observer published a piece by Manhattan restaurateur, blogger and soon-to-be-book-author Eddie Huang about Red Rooster chef Marcus Samuelsson, tied to the release of Samuelsson's memoir, Yes, Chef. In it, Huang took a look at the cultural and culinary implications of Red Rooster, one of Harlem's most critically hyped (and priciest) dining destinations.

Samuelsson did not take kindly to the piece then. And over a month and a half later, he's still talking about it.

In an interview with the Washington Post's Tim Carman, Samuelsson responded with vigor to a question about Huang's piece. Emphasis ours:

TC: This seems like an appropriate time to mention Eddie Huang’s essay for the New York Observer, which essentially argued that your perceptions of Harlem were patronizing.

MS: That’s also giving it a lot of thought. The other quick answer is that maybe he wanted to punch up.

TC: Punch up?

MS: Are you kidding me? It’s a joke. You’re dealing with a guy who doesn’t want to enter a conversation. Even discussing it is a waste of time. I trust the New York Times. I trust The Washington Post. I trust the New York Herald. [1] I trust the Tribune. I trust the journalists that I’ve read and that have carefully thought about what to [say], and then render their judgment. I also trust my own work. I have zero interest to get into people who want to get famous. There’s two ways to get famous. There used to be one way: You worked really hard, and you were really good. That was the only way to get known. I still believe in that one. [2] So if I poured a beer on you and we put that on YouTube, maybe we’ll get 4 million hits. I have zero interest in that.

I can tell you my reality: I moved myself from Midtown 10 years ago. I looked at Harlem, at 22 percent unemployment [3]. I look at that block where [Red] Rooster is today, where there’s zero unemployment. I look at the 110 employees that I have, where 80 of them come from Harlem. I’m not here to defend garbage; I trust my work. It takes an incredible amount of effort, an incredible amount of skill to do that. To even answer garbage, why should I lower myself to that level? I, as a mentor, as a mentee, as an employee, as a chef, I have a responsibility, and it’s not to go bottom fishing and enter garbage. [4] It is to rise above and be the person that I set out to [be]. So I hold myself to that standard. Garbage will come.

Criticism is part of the creative man’s journey, and I appreciate it. [5] Garbage is not part [of it]. I see the game. The game is about punching up today. The game is about ‘Here’s somebody that does something great. Well, rather than applaud it, I can now punch up and be part of that conversation.’ [6] What’s fascinating today is that ... before, there was not an outlet for that garbage, and today, real platforms are actually writing about that. [7] That’s what’s fascinating to me; the real platforms are lowering their guard.

A few notes:

[1] The New York Herald hasn't been a newspaper since 1966.

[2] Eddie Huang's writing has certainly made him some type of name, but his cooking isn't bad either. It's been praised by the New York Times (twice), New York magazine, the Village Voice and plenty of others.

[3] In 2002, Harlem was actually at 11.4% unemployment, as opposed to the 22% unemployment rate Samuelsson cites. As far as "the block where Red Rooster is today" having "zero unemployment," we can't speak to the particulars of that block, but the 10027 zip code where Red Rooster is located has a current unemployment rate of 10.27%, which is more than twice the average New York rate of unemployment (4.32%).

[4] Maybe this is a matter of semantics, but if Samuelsson didn't want to "go bottom fishing," he wouldn't continue to discuss Huang's piece—as he does here, as he's done previously—more than Huang ever did.

[5] Eddie Huang's response to a bad review of his Lower East Side restaurant, Xiao Ye, was to admit that he had done something incorrectly. In response to open criticism of his piece about Samuelsson, Huang was receptive and open to conversation. Marcus Samuelsson's previous response to bad reviews and failure was to abandon ship.

[6] Samuelsson keeps referring to Huang's "punching up." Huang's memoir is going to be published by Random House in February 2013. Samuelsson's memoir was published by—of course—Random House as well. If anything, it'd seem at least in one regard (though maybe more) Huang is punching laterally. Also, Huang and Samuelsson both worked on The Great GoogaMooga together (as you can see above).

[7] Other "real platforms" that are "lowering their guard" by covering Huang that we haven't already mentioned: Time, Esquire, Salon and The Wall Street Journal, to name a few.

Huang has taken to Twitter to comment on the interview, not on Samuelsson's response, but on Washington Post interviewer Tim Carman's questions (and how Carman, in Huang's eyes, let Samuelsson off the hook by dismissing criticism as punching up). Huang has a point: Carman could have known with very little research that, if anything, Huang was (as we have just pointed out) punching laterally. Then again, it seems as if Carman may have had his mind made up about Samuelsson going into the piece.

Some choice descriptors of Marcus Samuelsson (from Carman, the interviewer):

• "You seem meticulous by nature ..."
• "You’ve been very successful ..."
• "In some ways, your journey has been a more difficult experience ..."

Of course, Eddie Huang wrote the piece for the Observer, and while not everyone at this paper will agree with what Huang had to say, most of us would argue his right to say it (on the sure footing of the aforementioned facts alone).

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

We like to think that because most New Yorkers live above the shop, we are the restaurant capital of the world. Yet even with the heralded arrival of Danny Bowien, it turns out San Francisco kicks our (pork) butt when it comes to restaurants per capita. Even worse, so does Fairfield County in Connecticut and--gulp--Long Island.

Those were the findings of Trulia economist Jed Kolko:

Using Census data, we found the metros with the highest density of restaurants and bars, adjusting for the number of households (details at end of post). We didn’t try to measure quality since that’s a matter of personal taste, and the best-restaurant or favorite-bar debate can get fierce. Instead, we focused on the quantity of restaurants and bars that locals can choose

When it comes to bars, neither we nor San Francisco even come close, with New Orleans taking the top spot, followed by a bunch of depressing Midwestern cities, which, given the collapse of local industry and the recent droughts, sure could use the drinks.

Interestingly, there seems to be no correlation between the cost of homes and the density of eateries and breweries, except that the places with more of the latter tend to be quite a bit cheaper, which, when you think about it, makes quite a bit of sense.

Looking at the three critics' first six months on the job side-by-side, The Daily Meal's executive editor Arthur Bovino found that Mssrs. Wells, Sifton, and Bruni all reviewed the same number of restaurants. During those heady and caloric early days, Mr. Wells gave out three more stars than Mr. Bruni and fourteen more than Mr. Sifton.

"Sifton was twice as likely as Wells and five times as likely as Bruni to drop a big fat zero. Both Sifton and Bruni were almost twice as likely as Wells to give a restaurant one star," Mr. Bovino wrote.

The Daily Meal, the two-year-old food site run by former Forbes.com CEO Jim Spanfeller, has also deemed Mr. Wells "the czar of the two-star review."

All told, Mr. Wells averaged 1.8 stars per restaurant while Mr. Bruni averaged 1.7 stars and Mr. Sifton averaged 1.3 stars.

Maybe the restaurants are just getting better?

For more detailed analysis—including by borough, neighborhood, and cuisine—click through to The Daily Meal.

This morning, The Observer published a column by culinary bon vivant, chef, restaurant-owner, and writer Eddie Huang on the matter of Red Rooster, the Harlem fine-dining restaurant serving the nu-soul food of culinary darling Marcus Samuelsson, whose memoir Yes, Chef comes out this week. The reaction has been—to say the least—fiery.

Now, Marcus Samuelsson himself has weighed in.

In an interview with Paper magazine's website pegged to the book, the site got a question in about today's column—which was none too kind to Mr. Samuelsson's book (which earned a comparison to Rudyard Kipling) or restaurant (and what it means to the neighborhood)—in which Mr. Huang had a Harlem native, rapper-producer Shiest Bubz, accompany him to dinner.

Via PaperMag.com (emphasis ours):

How did you feel about Eddie Huang's piece in the Observer today, in which he basically calls you out as an outsider in Harlem?

I feel that the more you try to be positive, the more you try to make change, and the more people are going to have a point of view on it. It's not like he's a relevant person in this place, but we live in a diverse environment where people have every freedom to comment. I can live with the fact that we have created jobs and that we make people happy. I stand by our work every single day regardless of who has a comment.

We would dare argue: On the contrary, Mr. Samuelsson!*

fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek

[*Who, of course, would have to have some idea of Eddie's 'relevance,' having co-signed at least one of the same massive undertakings as he.]

No more splendor. (Getty)

Does anybody want to run Tavern on the Green anymore?

Once the most profitable (if also mocked) restaurant on the planet, Tavern on the Green cannot seem to get any love anymore. Not even Donald Trump wants anything to do with it, nor do most of the two dozen restaurateurs who first checked in on the space. According to  Crain’s, there are six firms vying for control of the once-hallowed haunt, none of whom are especially distinguished.

People familiar with the selection process say about a half-dozen operators are being considered. According to news reports, Legends Hospitality management, a catering venture that specializes in sports arenas, and Beau Monde, a Philadelphia-based restaurant, submitted proposals.

Michael Dorf, CEO of City Winery, said he is on the "short list" of candidates as well. "We are in the running, giving them lots of answers to many questions," he said.

Parks officials, for their part, say only that "the selection process is still ongoing."

City Winery's a great place, but it's not exactly a fount of culinary excellence. As for the other two, it might as well be Yankee Stadium. Actually, the food may well be better there.

It looks like the hope that Tavern would become something worthwhile has been dashed. We’d sooner visit the new Maoz in the park.