For well-to-do foodies, fall is about more than just the leaves changing color in Central Park. It's about the shifting of seasonal menus, and nobody takes seasonal change more seriously than Park Avenue Autumn, which was previously Park Avenue Summer. The restaurant has been redesigned for a warm, natural look--at least until late November, when it will transform yet again, into Park Avenue Winter.

What's new on the menu? Acorn-fed Iberian ham with grilled cheese toast, Kentucky fried quail with pear slaw, crispy Arctic char with swiss chard in maple-soy brown butter, and filet mignon with Wellington strudel, chanterelles and creminis, among many other dishes. It's almost enough to make you glad summer is over ... almost.

Yet again, you woke up recently lamenting your dry mouth, your alcohol-oozing pores and your raging headache. That's when you swore off drinking. Again. For once, stick to your new determination--at least for a day--by enjoying a new kind of happy hour. Between now and September 15th (5pm-8pm), stop by the East Village outpost of Chocolate Bar, where $5 gets you a mini brownie, a truffle and either a liquid chocolate (iced hot chocolate) or a classic egg cream. While you're at it, also check out our extended list of Restaurant and Bar Deals.

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.

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.

Foodies are a finicky bunch--buying them a gift for the holidays can be a daunting venture. There's nothing more embarrassing than getting an unconvincing "thhhaaaanks" for last year's must-have kitchen gadget. But these five gifts should please even the snobbiest food fan and will hopefully be returned with a thank-you dinner.

Vin-Eau Carafe: $50
The always reliable MoMA Design Store in Soho or in midtown has so much pretty stuff for the kitchen, it's hard to choose just one. First up is the pitcher ($50) seen above, which looks a little like a painting of one of Picasso's lady-friends. It's officially called the Vin-Eau Carafe, but, frankly, no self-respecting foodie would serve wine in those red cups.

Tea Cups: $24.95
Also at MoMA, on sale for a reasonable $24.95 (and only available at the store, not online), is this set of four tea cups. Unless your foodie friend is in college, she shouldn't be drinking tea out of a coffee mug.

To me, baking involves two steps: Slitting open the tube of Tollhouse with a knife, and then divvying it up on a cookie sheet. How about pie to bring to a holiday party? No-ho-ho. Fortunately, there are some great store-bought options, and while we've covered the basics--pumpkin and those other fruits that are always falling out of horn a'plentys--we also have a suggestion for the most sweet-toothed revelers: peanut butter chocolate pie from Billy's Bakery. Whatever your preference, stay on the holiday party invite list with one of these five holiday pies.

Romanesco broccoli--Beautiful and delicious!

Since I don't have the money to fly back home, it looks like I'm going to have to make my own Thanksgiving dinner next week. Luckily, plenty of New Yorkers are in the same boat, including a number of my friends. So what to cook? I'm not exactly experienced in making huge holiday meals, so I figured I'd do my research and find ingredients so good even I can't mess them up.

The Union Square Greenmarket was, as always, a fantastic stop. I discovered the Okinawa sweet potato--a vegetable so hard to grow in the Northeastern climate that the friendly Nevia of Yuno's Farm had to try four times before she got it right. Romanesco broccoli was everywhere at the Greenmarket--it may look weird, but you can cook it basically any way you can cook regular broccoli, plus it makes a great mildly sweet soup.

What else did I find? You'll have to read my complete "Quest for a Perfect Thanksgiving Dinner" to find out. 

Full disclosure: As evidenced by my love of $10-and-under tables, I'm not exactly a wine expert. Out last night at Pete's Tavern, the group turned to me about what wine would go best with our fried zucchini sticks. I quickly deferred the question to my wine expert friend and ordered myself a Brooklyn Lager. So how fortuitous that I received a heads-up about Pour's new online wine tool, which might make life a little easier for the wine-drinking hoi polloi. However, while I'm happy for any help, the categories do seem limited--cheese, meats, seafood, chocolate and nuts. And though each of those breaks down into further specifications, I see nothing for deep-fried vegetables. Also, the store forgot to send me my iPhone so that I can access the thing on the fly.

(Photo courtesy of PourWines)

I'm about to move to Williamsburg from Cobble Hill. And I've got to say, while I'm not going to miss the abundance of overpriced, boring restaurants on Smith Street, I'm really, really going to miss the $10-and-under wine table at Smith & Vine. Whether you're watching TV with takeout or need a last-minute bottle for a dinner party (granted, one not full of wine snobs), it's pretty much fail-proof. My separation anxiety only worsened when I read the Times list of wines less than 10 bucks--it was a great read, but what to do when the No. 1 pick is described as "hard to find"? I think the chances of discovering another store as great as Smith & Vine are next to nil, but are there any other wine stores in the city that have a good selection of bottles under $10?

(Photo courtesy of Smith & Vine)