Dining Reviews

Rick Stein, River Cafe Join Pop-Up Series for Haiti (Update1) The River Cafe, Chez Bruce and other leading London restaurants are planning to create a series of one-day, pop-up eateries next month to raise money for Haiti. The chef Rick Stein is also planning to take part.

Best of British Food Being Served Up by a Finn: Richard Vines The Avenue has been around for years, surviving in business without becoming a destination, except for drinkers in search of a bar in St. James where you can enjoy decent wines without paying indecent prices.

Van Gogh’s Last Letter, Jamie T’s Angst: Great London Weekend Rapper Jamie T is bringing his stories of urban angst to the O2 Brixton Academy; start your weekend with him on Friday.

Danny Meyer’s Maialino Brings $72 Pork Roast to Gramercy Park Maialino ran out of its signature maialino during my first visit to Danny Meyer’s porky ode to Rome at Manhattan’s Gramercy Park Hotel.

Cheap Broadway Eats Before Showtime, From Tofu to Oxtail Soup It’s a family affair at Chez Napoleon, a restaurant in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen that opened in 1960. On its walls are oil-lamp sconces, framed jigsaw puzzles and old family photos of its current owners, the Brunos.

Chef Boulud Meets London Rivals, Samples Deer: Richard Vines Daniel Boulud slices into the loin of sika deer baked in hay with root vegetables and chocolate malt.

Ex-Model Miers Seeks Venues for Mexican Restaurants: Food Buzz Thomasina Miers, the face of Mexican dining in London, is seeking new locations for her Wahaca eateries to add to the three existing restaurants.

Robuchon’s $385 Vegas Marathon Meal, Gagnaire’s Strip Joint Dinner for two at Las Vegas’s three most ambitious French restaurants can easily range from $500 to $1,000, and last well over four hours.

Chef Adria Will Stop Blowing Up Olives in 2012: Richard Vines Chef Ferran Adria’s decision to close El Bulli for two years is creating headlines around the world. This raises one obvious question: So what?

For Romantic Dining, Try a Restaurant With Beds: Richard Vines There’s a line on the bottom of the menu at Dean Street Townhouse saying bedrooms go for as little as 95 pounds ($151). Comfort eating is reclining to a new level.

Spago’s Michelin Chef Puck in Talks on London Eatery: Food Buzz Wolfgang Puck, the owner of Spago in Beverly Hills, is in talks with the Dorchester about operating a restaurant at 45 Park Lane, which is scheduled to open next to the London hotel next year.

Masa’s $500 Shaboo Hot-Pot Meal Seduces Lonely Diner in Vegas On a late Sunday night, I was the only one dining at Shaboo, probably the U.S.’s most expensive restaurant.