My husband just quit his job and last night was the first of a few farewells. Being that his office was located in Tribeca, I eagerly anticipated where the dinner might be. The Harrison, perhaps? DeNiro's new hotspot, Ago, maybe? When he announced we'd be going to a spot called 2 Rivers, I asked, "Where??"

I've been writing about NY's food scene for almost a decade, so it's a rarity when someone mentions a restaurant that I've never heard of. But the minute we arrived I could see why it's not on the fooderati radar. The restaurant's name is misspelled as "2 River" on the window, while the awning has it right. Inside, the front room is dominated by a bar full of shot-swilling suits and a few mustard-colored booths awkwardly shoved in, making the area appear like a warehouse for diner cast-offs. More dingy diner booths outfitted the back room along with a motley array of tables, muraled mirrors, and a few carelessly hung pieces of art. TVs throughout showed the ballgames, while pop music loudly thumped from the sound system. "Is this even a restaurant?" I asked.

Apparently so. Decent old-school Italian fare set the tone as we were presented with platters of mozzarella and prosciutto; giant, saucy, nicely-seasoned meatballs; spicy rigatoni arrabbiata; abundant plates of sausage; and the surprise of the night, an incredibly moist and mellow lemon chicken. The service was efficient, the management friendly, and as I looked around the room, everyone was having a good time.

At the end of the night, Amy Winehouse blared from the speakers. This spot needs rehab, I thought. But then again, just like Wino, I realized that's part of its charm.

Had a red sauce dinner last night at East Village old-schooler John's of 12th St, where the spiedino mozzarella Romano--a giant, garlicky, cheesy loaf drenched in marinara--was the throwback guilty pleasure of the meal. Another charming antiquity: The owner, Mike, stopped by the table to make sure we enjoyed our meals. He also divulged that the booths across from the bar will soon be removed to make way for a brick oven. Surely, it will add another dimension to dishes like their classic baked manicotti. But the real question is: Does this mean that this John is going head-to-head in the pizza game with another long-standing John?

Today is ANZAC Day--the Memorial Day of Australia and New Zealand. Why do we care? Because Down Under dining spots, like Kingswood, Eight Mile Creek and Wombat, are sure to be aflurry tonight. The Sunburnt Cow, for example, is hosting a tournament of Two-Up, an Australian coin toss game, and sister Bondi Road will supersize your cocktails tonight. Both places will be giving away free ANZAC biscuits, made of rolled oats, coconut and golden syrup. But you can keep your cookies. All I want for ANZAC day? Tickets to see Flight of the Conchords at Town Hall on May 6. Thank you so much for asking.

(Photo courtesy of HBO)

New York gets a little cheesier starting tomorrow, when chefs all over town will serve complimentary pecorino pastas outside at 23 restaurants, including Blue Fin, Da Silvano and One if By Land, Two if By Sea. For a listing of times and venues, click here. You can stop smiling now.

I was happy to hear that Jehangir Mehta's Graffiti won Time Out New York's "Best Pastry Chef Run Restaurant" at this year's Eat Out awards, especially since the menu doesn't shove the "I'm really a pastry chef" aesthetic down your throat with weird combinations like tamarind-clam juice-marinated-anchovies-with-cilantro-sorbet-and-manchego. One of his more brilliant dishes is a recent add, and since it's so undersold on the menu, I'll do the honors. The "Graffiti Burger" is actually two juicy sliders geniusly spiced as if they were Indian kebabs. The patties are packed with mint, lemongrass, onion seeds, fennel, cumin, and coriander, and are so flavorful it's nearly a sin to slather on the accompanying ketchup or chipotle mayo. So the writing's on the wall, folks: Don't miss this dish.

When atmospheric townhouse restaurant Bobo opened this fall, an instant scene came along with it. But so did kitchen trauma when opening chef Nicolas Cantrel (now Bagatelle) was out after only a few months tenure. Then Jared Stafford-Hill (ex-Hearth) stepped in. His new menu--and green initiative--is finally drawing more attention than the celeb patrons, the name (a David Brooks-coined combo of bohemian and bourgeois), and the gorgeous interior design. I chatted with the chef recently about exactly how he's making his mark.

KS: What do you bring to the Bobo equation and what changes did you make to the menu to reflect that?

Jared Stafford-Hill: Well, I'm somewhat of a Bobo myself. I'm a creative type that enjoys the finer things in life. So I think I bring a passion for the highest quality ingredients and some refinement and luxury to the Bobo equation. The jamon Iberico and beef Fiorentina with oxtail soffrito are dishes that show that.

KS: Which dish on the menu do you feel is the most "bohemian?"

JSH: The charcuterie rustique (pork rillettes, parsley'd ham terrine, frisee and bacon salad, pickled pearl onions and carrots) because it's authentic, traditional country food.

KS: Which dish is the most "bourgeois?"

Despite recent reports of shuttering, long-standing Mexican Mi Cocina was alive, well and celebrating the opening of its new tequila bar last night. The front dining room has been transformed by a communal bar table, snug window-side seats, and a curving, elevated shelf displaying 80 brands of the good stuff. At the party, proprietor Jose Hurtado Prud'homme (pictured) mentioned that Mi Cocina is the first restaurant in New York to be certified by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila, which is basically the AOC/DOC of Mexico. Some of the new fiesta-worthy cocktails being served: "Que Curvas," a smooth blend of tequila, mango and lime; "Besame Mucho," which blends tequila with damiana, the Mexican fertility flower; and a quirkily delicious combo of anise, tequila and honey liqueur. The tequila bar at Mi Cocina is officially open to the public tonight.

I'm not above me-tooism, so since everybody else is doing it, here's my two won on Anita Lo's new Asian barbecue spot, Bar Q.

Love the ivory room--it adds a sense of calm to all the buzz inside. I also enjoyed the chartreuse-colored Japanese pickletini (gin, cucumber ice, Japanese pickle) served to me by the friendliest bartender in the world (he's the one who looks like a young Todd English). We started with the light and lovely trio of tartare (tuna, salmon, hamachi) in avocado soup--a great summer dish. But we were more in the mood for an all-out pig-out. Luckily, there are plenty of porcine pleasures on the menu. I loved the DIY pork buns, especially for the crunch of the cracklings against the moist belly. And the stuffed spareribs had a great layering of flavor from lemongrass, peanut and Thai basil, and more meat than I expected. Tuna ribs were the surprise of the night--charred slivers of meat on the bone, powerfully seasoned with salt, green chili and yuzu. The tender duck breast was marked by moistness and we quickly slurped up the noodles on the side. Too full for dessert, the pig-out mission was accomplished.

There were so many tempting sounding plates that I didn't get to try. Next time: spicy pork wings, unagi and scallion fritters, and grilled shortrib.

Young men's fancies are turning to thoughts of love, daffodils and cherry blossoms are blooming, and pea shoots are available at Union Square Greenmarket. It's really springtime, everyone! So celebrate the season before it turns to a swelter with this easy recipe courtesy of Lee Gross, executive chef of veggie-heavy Broadway East.

Spring Pea Shoots with Shiitakes

2 handfuls fresh, crisp pea shoots (not tendrils)

1 small handful (about 5) very fresh shiitake mushrooms

juice of half a lemon

1-2 tsp excellent quality olive oil (fruity or grassy)

good quality sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

hard grating cheese

--Remove stems from shiitakes. Slice caps as thin as possible. (A Japanese vegetable knife or mandoline will work best).

--Combine pea shoots and sliced mushrooms in wide, shallow serving bowl.

--Sprinkle with sea salt and toss gently. Let sit one minute.

--Drizzle vegetables with lemon juice and olive oil. Grind in some pepper and toss lightly again.

--Shave very thin slices of cheese over vegetables and serve immediately.

If Weather.com can be trusted, there looks to be some seriously spring-like weather headed our way, with the end of the workweek topping out at close to 80 degrees. And since every place with even a square inch of outdoor seating is going to be a madhouse, why not start planning your 5:30pm seat-grab now? Check out our guide to the city's best outdoor dining, including everything from L'Impero to Lamb & Jaffy (above). Wherever you go to soak up the rays, be sure to call ahead to confirm that the sidewalk section/patio/back garden is actually open for business.