Here's a short list of gift ideas that looked interesting to us. Happy holidays!

Loves Wine:
Visit the Terroir gift store for a selection of wine themed T-shirts presumably designed by the grape guy himself, Paul Grieco. T-shrits like the one celebrating winemaker, Bartolo Mascarello, poster-man for sticking to traditional methods of producing wines while everyone else looked for the short-cut as well as a simple shirt that says, "jerez de la frontera" are available, each for $19.

Loves a Variety of Meats:
Pick up a house made terrine from chef Pierre Landet of Cercle Rouge. A half-pound (minimum order) serves 4-5 people and costs $47.50 and can be ordered by calling 212-226-6252 before Dec. 19. Would make for a nice hostess gift or Christmas day hors d'oeuvres.

Loves Pig and Beer:
Purchase a gift certificate to Blue Hill's 4th annual sausage and beer dinner. Partake of this 5-course banger and brew fest at Blue Hill Manhattan ($150) or upstate at Blue Hill at Stone Barns ($190). The dinner will feature fresh and cured sausage and meats paired with locally brewed beers. Check out Blue Hill's newly designed website and watch video of some of the featured farms that Blue Hill sources their product from.

Loves the Ocean:
Marx Foods has several different oyster samplers to choose from. You can order 3 dozen live Pacific oysters for $105  or choose the Live Oyster Sampler, which includes 4 dozen Pacifics, Kumamotos, Virginicas, and Olympias for $114.

The Book Lover:
Whenever we interview a chef, we ask what cookbook inspires them. One of the most recommended books is Ma Gastronomie by the legendary French chef, Fernand Point. This outstanding book was just republished and includes a forward by Thomas Keller.

Terroir, Palm Court, Sookk and soon...Momofuku Ko

So we launched our new web site, but we don't know what you think. We'd be ever grateful if you were to take our two minute survey and share your thoughts.

If you haven't yet become a member of Savory Cities, sign up now for a chance to win dinner for two at any restaurant featured in a Savory video. Click here to sign up.

RECENTLY OPENED

• Terroir - From Savory Tidbits: "Chris and I were lucky enough to grab two seats at the bar and were handed a red binder with "I Hate" written in white-out on the front cover. "It's nothing personal" said our bar friend with a smile. (read more)
• Palm Court in the recently re-opened Plaza Hotel. High tea and fine dining brought to you by Didier Virot (FR.OG) and Nicole Kaplan (formerly of Del Posto).
• Sookk - Inspiration from the Yaowarat District of Bangkok delivered to the Upper West Side.
• Bistro Milano - A new Italian spot from the Bice Group. Not to be confused with Jason Denton's forthcoming Bar Milano.
• Elote - The old Santa Fe in Williamsburg gets a name change and menu update.

OPENING SOON:

• The JakeWalk - Cocktail and cheese bar collaboration from Michele Pravda and Patrick Watson, the proprietors of Smith & Vine and Stinky Brooklyn. Opens tomorrow at 282 Smith Street in Cobble Hill
• Momofuku Ko - You may have heard of this guy, David Chang. Opens Wednesday, March 12. Reservations will be available exclusively through the Ko website.
• Ippudo - New East Village ramen shop scheduled to open in 1-2 weeks.

THIS WEEK'S RESTAURANT REVIEWS

• NY Times: Frank Bruni gives wd-50 a much deserved ratings boost (3 of 4 stars). "[Wylie Dufresne] pushes hard against the envelope of possibility and the bounds of conformity to produce food that's not only playful but also joyful and even exhilarating."
• Peter Meehan digs Egg in Williamsburg.
• Bloomberg: Ryan Sutton visits newcomers Eighty-One and Greenwich Steak & Burger.
• The New York Sun: Paul Adams visits East Village restaurant Seymour Burton, where he's not overly enthusiastic about the food but likes the "homespun feel" of the restaurant.
• The New York Daily News: RG has 2.5 of 4 stars for Alain Ducasse's Adour: "For every dish that dazzled, there was another that utterly disappointed. On one visit, an unusually juicy beef tenderloin was presented alongside a mushy sea bass draped with manila and razor clams, devoid of their characteristic brininess."
• Village Voice's Robert Sietsema goes to Broolyn's, Restaurante Taqueria Guerrero.

BLOGS AND NEWSLETTERS

• NYCNosh checks out the Financial Districts new burger joint, Burger Shoppe.
• Gotham Gal visits Salt in SoHo.
• MUG highlights Greenpoint Brooklyn food options including a Polish meat market, a bakery for babka, 2 Polish restaurants and a taste of Portland (OR), found at The Queen's Hideaway.
• We visit Terroir on opening night.

EVENTS AROUND TOWN

Sunday nights at Pravda; Movies, vodka and caviar. What more could you ask for. From the press release: Pravda's new Sunday night event: Early 20th Century Russian & Eastern European Films with Vodka and Caviar celebrating Russian Constructivism; the art movement that inspired Pravda 12 years ago. For more info, call or visit Pravda's website.

Daily Candy 's email blast for 3/5 gives information on the Urban Bee Keeping event happening this weekend at Wave Hill. With 60 minutes re-airing their story on the mysterious and devastating disappearance of honey bees, we're now obsessed with anything bee-related. Regardless of current events, this sounds like it could be a fun day.

Opening night jitters were non-existent for Paul Grieco and Marco Canora as they opened the door to their new East Village wine bar, Terroir. This lovely, small yet big windowed spot is located about six doors down from Hearth, the duo's first restaurant. Chris and I were lucky enough to grab two seats at the bar and were handed a red binder with "I Hate" written in white-out on the front cover. "It's nothing personal" said our bar friend with a smile ("I Love" was written on the back). There are several of these high-school-style three ringed binders, scrawled with indelible ink doodles, distressed to look like they were pulled from an 11th graders locker. The pages it contains, aren't innumerable, nor is there a wine tome, and it was devoid of a manifesto. The binders contain just a few printed sheets laying out the thoughtful wine and food options.

In typical Paul Grieco fashion, the wine list is truly unique. It is adventurous, but at the same time accessible. Paul Grieco is a master when it comes to choosing wines and what he's done with Terroir shows off his talents (similarly displayed at Hearth and Insieme). The difference with Terroir is that at their two other restaurants, you arrive expecting a big list. You might even expect a big list at Terroir given the name, but instead you're given a concise list that still has a respectable breadth of choice.  I spoke with Paul briefly a few months before the opening and he told me that he strongly believes in the seasonality of wine. From what I could tell from tonight, it seems like the format for wine at Terroir will follow this philosophy. Only time will tell.

Terroir works because not only do you get to drink fantastic wine, but you can do so while eating Marco Canora's food. I believe, "off the hook" would be an appropriate term to use here. We've eaten at both Hearth and Insieme and had great meals each time. But what Marco's doing at Terroir is really exciting because you get to sit down in a casual environment and eat expertly crafted food without the commitment of a bigger meal.

We ordered a few of the smaller plates on the menu and each one was A+. A trio of beet risotto balls delivered the perfect balance of a crispy fried exterior, delicate earthiness from the beet and a slight punch from a touch of Gorgonzola. A turkey wing was deboned, cut in half, deep fried and lightly dressed with a mild tomato-based sauce. Baccala mantecato was served warm on a piece of rustic country bread. The smooth texture and rich flavor of the fish made for a very comforting bruschetta. With a large chunk of the menu still left to explore, we look forward to returning soon.