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.

Had a little bit of a rough day yesterday, so my kind husband suggested we eat out somewhere local and fun. We found ourselves strolling to Centro Vinoteca, and from the minute we walked in the door to the thumping beat of Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" a smile came back to my face. Though it's right down my block, I hadn't been to Centro in months. We sat at the triangular bar, sipped a quartino of rose, and thoroughly enjoyed nibbling on tiny meatballs, rice balls, and zucchini-and-parm fritters. But the real highlight was the pasta: farrotto with lobster, mint and mushroom--an unusual, delicious combination; and an even more impressive Yukon gold ravioli--so thin and delicate it was more like a film than pasta--with mixed mushrooms. There was a bit of a nightclub vibe in the air as the bar became more crowded and the tunes cranked up--Beyonce to Tom Tom Club to the Beatles. Even chef Anne Burrell, who was dining with friends at a bar table behind us, couldn't help but jump up and shake her hips along to the Jackson Five.

Thanks, Centro. For a little while, I was able to put aside the baggage of the day. And I'm still smiling remembering the night, and the meal.

Eater reported on some of the gossip Daniel Boulud divulged at the Cafe Boulud press luncheon yesterday, which introduced chefs Gavin Kaysen and Raphael Haasz along with Jim Leikin, who will be behind Boulud's Bowery burger spot. Here's another tidbit: As Cafe Boulud embarks on its 10th anniversary this summer, it will undergo a full renovation. Until then, here are some highlights from the spring menu:

Kona Kampachi Sashimi--delicate slivers of fish set on gingered carrot puree with cubes of lime gelee, tiny avocado rounds and coriander blossoms.

Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi--light and luscious, with butter-poached shrimp and green asparagus. The remaining sauce was bisque-like; many (including me) couldn't resist sopping it up with bread.

Jamison Farms Roasted Saddle of Spring Lamb--the standout dish (pictured). A great usher into the season with sugar snap peas, flagolets (which our waiter called "jelly beans"), tomato confit and morel jus.

The meal ended with a chocolate hazelnut bar with Meyer lemon sorbet, and Daniel's signature mini madeleines, of course.

Photo courtesy of Bravo

So long Erik. Soggy corndogs do not make tasty block party food. And what was up with carting out a plate of slop to Rick Bayless and passing it off as tacos with a fine dining twist? Oh wait, that was the challenge ...

This week, we turn our attention to New York transplant Dale Talde, the sous chef at Buddakan who clocked time at Jean-Georges' Vong, along with Opera and Spring (where he worked with fellow castmates Stephanie Izard and Valerie Bolon) in his native Chicago. The cheftestant, who worried on last night's episode about sacrificing "elegance" in presentation at a neighborhood street party, notes that his strengths are in Modern Asian cuisine--Chinese, Japanese, Thai--everything but Filipino. "I cannot cook Filipino food to save my life," he said. Somehow we doubt it.

VM: In the first episode, at least how the clips painted you anyway, you're portrayed as a p-r-i-c-k. Is that fake or real?
"I'm Asian, not the tallest dude in the world and I look like I'm 12. In the kitchen, you have to have a presence about you or you're gonna get eaten alive. You're always running at 100 percent. You don't know when to stop. I have no off button."

VM: Yeah, chefs are pirates.
"I've gotten a lot better about my temper. I've learned to start to relax. You can't go around throwing plates. You'll give yourself a heart attack."

VM: How is the "Top Chef" environment different from your own kitchen?
"When it's your kitchen, it's a collaborative effort. The executive chef, the chef de cuisine, we're a unit. You really have to massage each other's egos here. You can't really say, 'Hey, ---hole, put those ducks in the oven."

VM: What flavors did you grow up with?
"I had home-cooked food everyday. My parents were always like, 'Why are you going to go out when we have food cooked here?' I love Filipino food ... kare-kare, oxtail ... but I'll leave it up to them. I just don't want to make it. I think it must be an Asian parent/child thing."

VM: So you knew Stephanie and Valerie before the show?
"Yeah, Stephanie and I worked together for a year (in Chicago). Our chef de cuisine, Jeff, was a mentor. When Val stepped in (on the set of the show), it was a total shock, but that was cool."

VM: Why do you want to be the next Top Chef?
"I think it's the next progression in my career. I've got that swagger. I used to want to be an emcee when I was kid. I still have part of that rock star in me."

While the West Village awaits Anita Lo's Bar Q to blossom this spring, I bade farewell to winter at her flagship, Annisa, this past weekend. The 8-year-old eatery's Asian-accented cuisine still impresses. Here are the highlights of the soon-to-expire winter tasting menu:

Slow Cooked Egg with Parsnips in Truffle Broth: The waiter explained that this egg (which tasted freshly laid) is cooked for an hour at 148 degrees, giving the white a custardy texture and the yolk the consistency of "hot fudge."

Tuna With Three Mints: Pineapple mint accompanied a pile of spicy tartare; spearmint and fennel perked up slabs of tataki; and chocolate mint and cocoa nibs transformed the confit into something otherworldly.

Seared Foie Gras with Soup Dumplings and Jicama: Lo's signature dish, a true stand-out on the menu since day one. A rectangle of foie rests atop the plump dumpling, loaded with rich chicken, veal and pork stock; foie gras mousse; jicama and Asian spices. Sublime.

Filet of Cobia with Carrots, Cumin, Blood Orange and Cilantro: The cumin and blood orange combo really marked the fish, changing it from mild to wild.

Braised Shortrib with Cauliflower, Caperberries and Parmesan: A wonderfully rich preparation that made saying goodbye to winter cooking a bittersweet event.

To say Michael Psilakis has a lot on his plate at the moment is an understatement. He mans the stoves at Michelin-starred Anthos; is in the midst of moving Upper West Sider Kefi and opening a restaurant with another concept in its place (though he's not giving details); and he's somehow finding the time to write a memoir/cookbook for Little Brown. We recently caught up with the refreshingly humble chef to discuss everything from what's on the menu at Mia Dona to whether his name will be on the awning at his next restaurant, a la his collaborator, Donatella Arpaia.

KS: The crispy rabbit at Mia Dona, which I'm calling "rabbit in a bucket," is finger lickin' great! What inspired that brainstorm?

Chef Michael Psilakis: We have an amazing, big bar at Mia Dona and I wanted to come up with some great bar snacks. Obviously wings fit into that category, but I wanted to take it to another level. I thought about working with rabbit instead of chicken, and we serve them with potato chips made from pickled potatoes and cucumber remoulade. It's a fun dish and it sells like crazy.

KS: I noticed pitchers of Pabst Blue Ribbon on the menu. Were you concerned about that being too lowbrow for the neighborhood?

Like the rest of the food-loving, TV-watching world, we're more than a little obsessed with "Top Chef." And our chat with Chicago's Stephanie Izard marks the first in a series of interviews we'll be doing with some of this season's contestants. Have a question you'd like one of the contestants to be asked? Send it our way.

Stephanie Izard, who emerged victorious in the second challenge on last night's season premiere of "Top Chef," had already wowed Chicago with her inventive takes on seafood. In fact, everyone in the Windy City let out a collective sigh when she suddenly closed her restaurant Scylla--which in addition to being named after a mythical sea monster was arguably one of the hottest tables in town--to travel. What? You broke up with us? Just like that?

But wouldn't you know it, Izard has made a comeback, quietly contending in a stew of egos. Last night's gussied-up version of duck l'orange--a braised duck roll with orange reduction sauce--stunned Rocco, Tom and Padma. Izard spoke with Citysearch Wednesday from Honduras, where she is honing her scuba skills. "Scuba is my second love," she said. Naturally.

What was the audition process like?
"I've been a big fan of the show since the first season. I knew Dale (a runner-up on last season) and he encouraged me to go for it. I figured what the hell. Why not? It was a fun process. We got to meet with the producers. A few of them came into Scylla so I basically just sent them everything on the menu."

How is working in this environment different from your own kitchen?
"Being in a new kitchen is always a challenge. There are 16 of us running around like crazy people. It's a little bit more chaotic than most kitchens."

What other food do you like working with?

Morimoto isn't alone in offering its $24.07 Restaurant Week lunch deal all year round, but it's probably offering the most generous deal around. I popped in for what I thought was going to be a "light" lunch recently, choosing the prix-fixe chef's choice of sushi. First, a tofu miso soup arrived, followed by a mizuna salad nicely dressed with kabosu vinaigrette and crispy shallots. Then--wham--came a giant circular platter with a whopping nine pieces of sushi (chu-toro, toro, ika, fluke, saba, eel, hamachi, shrimp, and salmon) and a six-piece roll (the terrific spicy hamachi and scallion). Given that the lunchtime toro tartare appetizer alone is $28, the hamachi roll $9 a la carte, and that single pieces average $6 a pop, this is one, giant ichiban bargain for the books.

(Photo courtesy of Morimoto)

Everyone is agog over the charcuterie at Bar Boulud, and with good reason. I was most enamored, however, of these escargots persillades, and not only for their pretty presentation. The tender, juicy snails are bathed in a blessedly un-oily garlic and parsley sauce. Stuffing one inside an accompanying potato croquette brings on one bewilderingly blissful bite.

If you couldn't get into your restaurant of choice for V-Day, or you just think the whole thing's a bunch of hooey, here's an alternative: Stay home and get cozy with a cocktail or five. At a Godiva event last week at the Rockefeller Center store, Katie Lee Joel (yes, Billy's filly and pre-Padma "Top Chef" host) whipped up a few love potions using the chocolatier's liqueurs. This white chocolate peppermint martini certainly put me in the mood.

Godiva White Chocolate Peppermint Martini

3 oz. Godiva white chocolate liqueur

1 oz. Smirnoff vanilla flavored vodka

1 oz. peppermint schnapps

Pour white chocolate liqueur, vodka and schnapps into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into 2 chilled martini glasses. Garnish with a Godiva Dark Mint Medallion.