Matt and Allison Robicelli take the cake, Elizabeth Falkner is sweet on the Slope, and Smith Street gets it’s own crack at pie in this week’s sugary slice of down-home gossip.
In the books: It was only a matter of time before our favorite cupcake-baking team, Matt and Allison Robicelli, snagged their own cookbook deal (if Pippa Middleton, Hobbit scholars, and Louisiana vampires can be paid to pen food-tomes, why not this fun-loving duo?) As they officially shared with Grub Street — and unofficially shared with us in a personal e-mail — the Penguin/Viking published venture will feature pastry techniques, a comic-book section, essays, and (of no surprise to us), “a lot of four-letter words.”
Taster’s choice: The Village Voice’s annual Choice Eats tasting event always proves to be a feast of epic proportions — with some of the best restaurants in the city serving bites of their best dishes. This year’s lineup proves that our fair borough is quickly becoming the epicenter of gustatory goodness, with 29 Brooklyn-based businesses (by far the most in Choice Eats’ history), laying down the gauntlet with premium ice cream (Ample Hills), top-notch noodles (Zuzu Ramen), killer bivalves (Littleneck), bodacious deli-meat (David’s Brisket House), fantastic Filipino (Umi Nom), and more.
All pain, all gain: Sleeper sofas are nice, but how can they possibly compete with smoked salmon tartines, homemade walnut bread, and pain au chocolat? The Brooklyn Heights blog reports that the borough’s first branch of Le Pain Quotidien will fill the old Jennifer Convertibles space on 121 Montague St.
San Francisco treat: Famed Bay Area pastry chef Elizabeth Falkner — formerly of Citizen Cake and the competition shows Top Chef Masters and The Next Iron Chef — is readying to take a walk on the savory side (of the East Coast). The blog Inside Scoop SF reports that Falkner (a recently certified Neapolitan pizzaiolo) will open a pizza, pasta and cocktails joint in either Park Slope or Boerum Hill by summer.
Grand hotel: Add another entry to Andrew Tarlow’s considerable Brooklyn empire (think the ever-popular Roman’s, Diner, and Marlow and Sons). Reynard’s — an addition to the upcoming boutique Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg — will feature “whole animal, wood-fired cooking,” and daily-changing menus that “center around the produce of farmers throughout the seasons.” You don’t say!
More momofuku: Hot on the heels of news that Williamsburg’s branch of Momofuku Milk Bar had added expanded delivery service comes this tasty tidbit — Eater has uncovered this bit of news from Momofuku Milk Bar’s incarnation in Carroll Gardens. Look for soft-serve cereal milkshakes to take over 360 Smith St. soon!
The earl of sandwiches: Is this the best thing to hit Fort Greene since sliced bread? Although the Brooklyn Sandwich Society — an upcoming farm-to-table sammy store on Dekalb Avenue — sounds alluring, it has a lot of sublime area competition (No. 7 and Food Freaks, anyone?) According to Brownstoner, the shop will source most of its product from the nearby Greenmarket to use in creations like the Carlton; roasted lamb, fava mash, grilled ramps and mint persillade on sunflower rye. We might have to stage a chomp to the death against No. 7’s General Tso’s filet-o-fish!
