Eater did a nice write up of the Brasserie Cognac party last night. I don't have to much to add beyond what was said before, plus this extra look at the bread-filled clock tower. To me, the space certainly has the look of a Times Square hit, just on the right side of brasserie-as-theme-park. The public will get to make their own decision when it opens next Monday.

"Chop suey, chop suey! Good, bad, intelligent, mad and screwy." I never thought I'd be able to use lyrics from "Flower Drum Song" on this blog, but these pretty much sum up our critic's take on Zak Pellacio's new pan-Asian restaurant.

In more exciting news, we take a look at the relocated 2nd Avenue Deli (seen above), which prompts this choice intro from our critic, "Like Streisand on repeat, the 2nd Avenue Deli recalls an endless strain of the way we were." And, in a bonus for pastrami-lovers, we also have a brief look at Friedman's Deli, Chelsea Market's bid in the kosher competition. Get all the meaty details in the full list of the week's new and notable restaurants.

Plain-old haggis? Not all that dare-worthy. Free haggis "hot dogs" from a temporary street cart near Times Square? I double-dog dare you. Prove your foodie mettle at this Scotland Week event, at the corner of 52nd Street and Broadway (near the Continental Airlines billboard), April 4th and 5th, 11am to 5pm. After this, dirty-water hot dogs will seem like kids stuff.

(Photo courtesy of Edzell.org)

Zak Pelaccio has been an unstoppable force ever since he emerged on NY's dining radar in 2003. After initial praise at Williamsburg's Chickenbone Cafe, he has since wielded his whisk at 5 Ninth and Fatty Crab, and has scored consulting gigs at 230 Fifth, Borough Food & Drink and most recently Chop Suey. The city's busiest chef was kind enough to chat with us  about his ubiquitousness, what he's up to next and who else in the culinary field has cool hair.

KS: How does consulting for a restaurant differ from being the in-house chef?

Chef Zak Pelaccio: Another word for "consulting" is "advising." Perhaps that adds a bit more clarity to the role. I offer advice to an operator as to dishes they may want to serve, recipes, etc. However, it is at the operator's discretion to accept that advice or not.

KS: What are some of the rewards of being a consultant instead of the in-house chef?

ZP: For me, the opportunity to consult came about during a point in my life where my personal life required greater immediate attention than anything else. Consulting/advising afforded me the ability to maintain a steady income while not being responsible for day-to-day operations and therefore spend some necessary time with my son through what was a difficult couple of years.

KS: What is your response to critics (i.e., Eater) who feel that you collaborate too much?

While I admit that I'm no expert on kosher food, as far as I can tell, there's nothing about kosher requirements that should keep the food from tasting good. Last night I went to a press shindig at Clubhouse Cafe, a kosher restaurant in Times Square from chef/owner Jose Mereilles (who also runs steakhouse Le Marais nearby). With mentions in the invite of duck empanadas and Spanish-style tortillas, I was excited to check out Mereilles' attempt to spice up kosher fare. Sadly, most of the food being passed around on platters was of the caliber you'd get at a sports bar. The chili (pictured above) was timid, the tortilla flavorless, and the empanadas had a crust similar to something Mom would take out of the freezer for slumber party snacks. Only the simple beef sliders and potent caprihanas passed muster. Maybe the entrees fare better than the appetizers, but really, how often does that happen?

You know those off-the-radar places that are so good that you don't want to share the news? Well, it's my job, so my loss is your gain. I'd read about Sake Bar Hagi, and had always meant to go, but it was after I saw it on Anthony Bourdain's show that I decided to actually get off my butt and go.

My timing couldn't have been worse: The holiday-shopping-tourist hordes in Times Square are one of the few things that actually turn me into a Travis Bickle-style New Yorker. So it was quite a relief to duck out of the madness, through a simple marked door and down a flight of stairs. The basement space is windowless and undecorated, save for a few bamboo trellises and TV screens. And yet the place is packed by 6:30pm on a Friday, and after munching on izakaya fare like yakitori made with duck, bacon wrapped asparagus and salted eel, you'll understand why. Pitchers of Kirin run $10--you may have trouble getting back out to wrap up your purchases.

Though the Lower East Side has more condos than bohos these days, the space at Allen & Delancey does take an ambitious (if highly coiffed) stab at recreating some long-lost dream of a writer-filled saloon. Looks like the perfect place to develop an opium habit, no? Click through to find out if the food lives up to the sumptuous atmosphere, and read our reviews of Times Square sushi spot Omido and more new and notable restaurants.

(Photo by Orianna Riley)

Broadway strike negotiations broke down over the weekend, leaving many theaters dark for Thanksgiving week, one of the biggest box-office weeks of the year. Restaurants in the area will be feeling the sting as well, and since they don't have much say in the situation, they could certainly use some financial support. Every day this week except for Thanksgiving, 28 spots in the area, including Osteria Del Circo and Barbetta, are offering a 15 percent discount on lunches and dinners. For the full list of participating restaurants, and which meals they're discounting, visit NycVisit.com. And if you don't see anything that grabs you, be sure to check out our list of restaurants near Times Square.

(Photo courtesy of Osteria Del Circo)

According to a PR blurb that just came in, the recently completed New York Times building will be getting two new food options in 2008. One, an outpost of Dean and DeLuca and, two, a Japanese grill restaurant called Inayaka. From the release: "Inakaya, which now operates three restaurants in Tokyo, offers an entertaining and lively dining experience that features meals prepared 'robatayaki,' an haute Japanese style of cuisine in which food is cooked over a large rustic grill in full view of the diners."

(Photo of Inakaya courtesy of www.bento.com)