Bon Chon Chicken, Park Avenue Spring, Pomme de Terre, Ippudo

Destination Dishes: Bon Chon Chicken Wings

Last month we asked writer Elizabeth S. Bennett to track down NYC's finest chicken wings. She reports back in a three part series highlighting the tastiest and most skillfully prepared wings she found on her journey. This week, find out why Bon Chon Chicken is worth the wait and how they get their wings so deliciously crispy.

For reasons beyond our understanding this season's Top Chef has featured more guest chef judges from NYC than from the shows host city of Chicago. Whether this is due to laziness on the part of the producers or some other factor, it's a shame. If you've watched any of the videos on Savory Chicago you know that there are many incredibly talented and articulate chefs working in Chicago today. One of them is Shawn McClain, who is featured in a trio of new Chicago videos. Click through to watch McClain talk about his clean food and simple presentation with vegetables at Green Zebra, seafood at Spring and artisan meats at Custom House.

There are only four days left to sign up for Savory Cities new web site to have a chance to win dinner for two at any restaurant featured in a Savory video. Click here to sign up now.

Recently Opened

• Park Avenue Spring - Right on schedule Park Avenue drops Winter and re-emerges as Spring. The decor, menu and wine list have all been updated. If you just can't wait for spring vegetables to show up at the Greenmarket, Park Avenue offers a good way to get an early fix.
• Pomme de Terre - A new French bistro in Ditmas Park from the owners of the Farm on Adderley.
• Ippudo - It's official opening is on Monday but the restaurant opened for previews this week. We stopped by the preview party last week and were impressed with the rich, flavorful Shiromaru Classic ramen.

This Week's Restaurant Reviews

• New York Times: Frank Bruni re-reviews Mas (farmhouse) and increases its star count from 1 to 2. "For the most part this isn't a restaurant for diners with big, blunt appetites. It's for those who revel in little surprises and unexpected nuances, like the smoked celery root purée that came with grilled turbot one January night."
• Theatre District pizza joint Nizza and hyper-focused Upper West Side Thai restaurant Sookk are reviewed in this week's Dining Briefs.
• New York Magazine's Adam Platt checks out Merkato 55, Marcus Samuelsson's new Meatpacking District eatery. "Will this semi-exotic menu transport you for a fleeting moment or two from the grubby confines of Gansevoort Street to the markets of Addis Ababa? It just might. But the terroir of the meatpacking district exerts its own powerful pull, and the rhythms of the meal at Merkato 55 (crowded bar area, festively themed cocktail drinks, a heavy club- music backbeat) inevitably play out according to the time-honored customs of the neighborhood." (2 of 5 stars)
• Bloomberg: Richard Vines continues his tour of the classics, this time visiting Daniel, which is scheduled to close for renovations later this year. "I'm awarding three stars for the first-class food and service and holding back on a fourth because I'd like to see more of a wow factor."
• The New York Sun: Paul Adams visits Mia Dona. "Mia Dona occupies a middle ground between Anthos, the Michelin-starred flagship of the Psilakis-Arpaia empire, and Kefi, Mr. Psilakis's cheap and simple Greek bistro. But it's awkward: In trying to incorporate the best of both worlds -- that is, culinary refinement alongside beer-laden informality -- the restaurant achieves neither, and strands itself and its customers in that uncomfortable place."
• The New York Daily News: RG gives 2 of 4 stars to Commerce. "Bent on proving his versatility and culinary repertoire, Moore overreaches with a self-conscious and pricey menu that feels notably out of sync with the informal tavern setting."
• The Village Voice: Robert Sietsema goes to Merkato 55. "Certainly, you can get better West African food in nearly any borough. Yet what other place dares to offer such a spectacular--if flawed--catalog of African dishes?"

Blogs & Newsletters

• The Girl Who Ate Everything visits cheap eats spot Yola Cafe in Williamsburg and is unable to fend off her horchata craving. The carne enchilada torta and vegetarian burrito both get good marks.
• The Paupered Chef prepares a turducken. See the play by play, from the selection of the fowl at the live poultry market under the BQE, to the bird "hanging," to brining, de-boning, assembling, cooking and, finally, feasting on the bird within a bird within a bird.

Events Around Town

This Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. the good folks at Flatbush Farm will host a BBQ featuring grilled venison sausage, red cabbage, grilled Blue Point oysters, vegetarian chili, veal and marjoram sausage with saurkraut, grilled lamb skewers and Sixpoint Craft Ales. Call 718-622-3276 for more details.

In Other News

Thomas Keller appears on Charlie Rose and talks about lessons learned from his early years as a chef, the importance of his relationships with suppliers and the one book that is required reading by his kitchen staff.