Photo credit: Krieger

Can you believe it’s been a year since Catch first opened? Mark Birnbaum and Eugene Remm have been beyond busy for the last few years, I mean they have 3 venues on three blocks alone, and they show no signs of stopping. They caught up with Eater for their one-year anniversary and chat about Catch, 199 Bowery, expansion to Miami, the next 20 years and why they don’t get hung up on reviews. [Eater]

These all look like healthysmoothies/ juices, until you realize that there’s booze in them. Love it and love this video!

Living in FiDi there is practically nothing to do. I mean one can only go to Stone Street but so many times. But thanks to Will Strozier and Rob Zahn I can start going to Manhattan Proper – Bar & Social Club.

Located in Tribeca, another place with a whole lotta nothing, MP is bringing you sports BIG with an 103-inch HD projector and five, seventy inch LED TV’s mounted on a white-washed brick wall. WHERE was this projector during the Olympics? 103 inches of Ryan Lochte? Yes Please!

Executive Chef Rachon (Rae) Banks, previously owned and operated a successful New Orleans restaurant called Storyville Spirits Co. and will be bringing unique twists to traditional menu items such as Andouille Sausage Sliders, Baked Mac & Cheese and Sweet Potato Pie, as well as great Vegetarian options and gourmet salads. Derived from Rob Zahm, the drink menu caters to an assortment of tastes offering beers, wines and Proper signature cocktails like the Signature Proper Peach Tea, GM Spiked Sangria and a Cucumber Lemonade Chiller.

I’m checking the place out this week (and by checking out I mean eating everything in site) but you can peep the menu below while you wait for my review.

For the longest time I focused on clubs and booze, but now that I’ve found someone who takes me seriously even when I’m cursing Peyton Manning with buffalo sauce all over my face, I can embrace my real loves: sports and gourmet bar food.

I’ve been to more sports bars than I can count and I am ready for something new. Luckily for me, Paige Hospitality Group will be opening up Ainsworth Park in the old Japonaise space on 18th street and Park Avenue South. Ainsworth Park is a 7,000 square foot space boasting approximately 65 antique mirrored televisions and a 40-person seated patio.

The Sunday menu will feature much of the same sports-watching eats as its sister restaurant along with beers on tap & specialty Ainsworth cocktails. PHG is also bringing The Ainsworth to Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, which is set to be THE sports-meets-nightlife venue. I keep saying I’m going to take a trip there, but dammit it may be time!

And if that wasn’t already enough, this fall we’ll also see the opening of The Chester which will be a great new place to have brunch. Located in the Flatiron District The Chester will be a rustic-style bistro with an Italian-based menu. I’ll give you more info about that as it become available.

I’m super stoked they’re opening up these two new spots. I am ready to EAT!

Barrio 47 is a new bar/restaurant in the the West Village. Located at 47 Eighth Avenue between Jane and Horatio Street, the 60-seat restaurant is built on the tradition of the classic cocktail and wood-fired, Mediterranean cuisine.

The industrial decor consists of a white Carrara marble bar and a Euro-style high seating at communal and individual tables, but it’s really the open kitchen and large wood-fired brick oven that take the cake. Executive Chef Miguel A. Rosado, who hails from The Core Club, produces mouth watering dishes that are well worth eating away from the crowds in the Meatpacking District.

Here’s what I ate and drank:

Last week I did something I rarely do. I try a new restaurant outside of the city. As much as I love Queens, I haven’t really seen anything that will make me go across the 59th Street Bridge. That was of course, before I found Alobar. Located on Vernon Boulevard, the first 7 train stop in Queens, Alobar Restaurant is a great neighborhood restaurant with top-notch service, an old-industrial New York feel and locally farmed ingredients. It’s the best of all worlds just ask the reviewers on Open Table.

It’s summertime so that means there are deal on deals on deals in drinking and dining. The latest: summertime supper at The Darby.

Weekdays from 5:30pm-7:30pm Executive Chef Alex Guarnaschelli will be serving a 3-course prix fixe menu for only $45. I’ve eaten there and it is superb and the The Darby Band is amazing.

For Reservations email Reservations@TheDarbyNYC.COM  or call 212-242-4411.

Dan’s Taste of Two Forks, Presented by Farrell Building Company, will take place on Bastille Day, Saturday July 14th and will be hosted by the legendary Jean-Georges Vongerichten who will also grace the July cover of AVENUE magazine, Dan’s sister publication. Apparel designer Nicole Miller, who has been named Food Critic of The Daily Dan, for the summer of 2012 and the “Ambassador of Taste” for Dan’s Taste of Two Forks, will join Chef Jean Georges.

This year’s event will once again take place at the beautiful Sayre Park at 154 Snake Hollow Road in Bridgehampton, NY. Tickets are on sale through the event website and are going fast with VIP tickets available for $225 including early admission from 6:30pm-7:30pm and general admission tickets for the event from 7:30pm – 10pm available for $150.

This weekend I had the opportunity to cover Tastes NYC in the Meatpacking District. Benefiting the NYC Lab School, there were great stands from some of my favorite restaurants in the area.

I had salmon, meatballs and mashed potatoes from Smorgas Chef, burgers from Bill’s Bar and Burger, Chicken liver and fois gras mousse from Pastis, pulled pork sliders with papaya bbq sauce and pickled red onion from Friedman’s Lunch, home made cherry Yuzu soda and tuna tartare w/ soy ginger marinade, avocado and radish from Jean Georges, mediterranean lamb meatballs with walnut pesto, corn and tomato salad from The Meatball Shop, chicken fried rice and panag curry beef from Chelsea Thai, classic yellow cake with pink frosting from Amy’s Bread and local strawberries with chili-sugar-salt from Fatty Crab and I didn’t even have a chance to try everything.

This is a great event for a great cause and it was so delicious! Next year it will happen again on the first Saturday in June so mark your calendars now!

If you didn’t notice it’s food festival time, you definitely do not like to eat as much as I do. June 11th is the Taste of Times Square event and there will be food galore from Junior’s, Barbetta, B.B. King Blues Club and Grill, Ruth’s Chris, Havana Central, Firebird, Carmine’s, Toloache, Virgil’s Real BBQ, Le Rivage and more!

I normally can’t survive in Times Square, but if I can go to Brooklyn, I can go here. For each ticket is $1 and tickets are redeemable towards beverages and tastes of food. The one thing I cannot deal with is lines but you can avoid them. Advanced tickets are available every day from 9AM – 6PM and 9AM – 3PM on the day of the festival. Sure this only works if you work in the area, but I’m sure you know someone in the Viacom building you can visit.