The Arlo Hotel group is cranking out new restaurants of late: first, we got the splashy Italian-inflected spot Sungold over at the Arlo Williamsburg location and now its Manhattan sibling, the Arlo NoMad (11 E 31st Street), is welcoming a new all-day eatery to the property: The NoMad Diner. 

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Helmed by chef Fred Maurer (BKLYN Larder, Bar Boulud), the reimagined diner concept will be serving up nostalgic classics that “are equal parts comfort food and innovation,” per a press release. On the breakfast menu, you’ll find homey stuff like vegan biscuits and gravy ($22), cornmeal pancakes ($16), and shrimp and grits ($22). In the afternoons and evenings, meals kick off with appetizers like deviled eggs with togarashi, furikake and trout roe ($12); disco fries with Gournay cheese, chicken gravy and chives ($15); and Grandma’s Ham salad, served with good-old Ritz crackers ($12). There will also be classic bowls like matzo ball soup and creamy tomato bisque. 

The newfangled diner vibes continue with dishes like a spaetzle mac and cheese with smoked gouda ($22), a truffle chicken salad with toasted sourdough ($18); a Sloppy Joe made with vegan chorizo, pickled onion and queso fresco ($18); and an Arlo Dog loaded with kimchi, crispy shallots and kewpie mayo on brioche ($15). (Fun fact: Chef Mauer was dubbed the “Hot Dog Boyfriend” for his work as Chef Charcutier at Dickson’s Farmstand Meats.) Heartier entrees include a half roast chicken with rainbow Swiss chard ($34); steelhead trout with sunchokes and beurre blanc ($31); and a meatloaf plate with mashed potatoes, gravy and Obie’s Favorite peas ($26). 

Further elevating the usually Formica-laden diner concept is a room dressed up with rich wood tones with metals and elegant marble stone, framed photography from Los Angeles-based interdisciplinary artist Hayley Eichenbaum, and handcrafted cocktails from mixologist Megan Grauer. On the drinks line-up, you’ll find options like “The Green Door” (honey vodka, pistachio orgeat, rosewater, orange blossom, lime and egg white for $17), the “Mack the Knife (parmesan cheese-infused vodka, caper brine and dry vermouth for $19) and the “Around the Clock (brown butter-washed bourbon, chocolate bitters and maple syrup for $17).

Check out some of the dishes and digs at The NoMad Diner below:

* This article was originally published here

The Brooklyn coastline is about to get all glammed up: Bloomberg reports that New York City just took control of 122 acres of rugged land from the southern edge of Brooklyn Bridge Park down to Red Hook. Authorities plan to redevelop the area into “housing, retail, green space and a modern, environmentally friendly port.”

The news is a pretty big deal: until now controlled by both the city and the Port Authority, the area will now be under the complete purview of the city and state, a fact that will hopefully make it easier to actually redevelop the decrepit zone. As part of the deal, the city will also give the Port Authority operational control of a 225-acre portion of Staten Island’s Howland Hook Marine Terminal.

During an official press conference, Mayor Eric Adams announced a whopping $80 million investment to repair Piers 7, 8 and 10 by the Brooklyn Martine Terminal and a $15 million investment to fund a new electrified container crane for operations on site.

“For 20 years, skeptics thought this deal couldn’t get done, but our administration prioritized the ‘Harbor of the Future’ and now we have the potential to create thousands of new jobs, generate billions in economic impact, and create a neighborhood on our shoreline that truly displays the promise of New York City,” said Mayor Adams in an official statement, specifically mentioning his initiative that seeks to transform the city’s watrfront. “By assuming control of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Red Hook in our city government’s largest real estate transaction in recent memory, our administration is demonstrating that we will continue to deliver big wins for New Yorkers, day after day.”

The city has already applied for over $350 million in federal grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation to complete the revamp of the terminal into a more modern facility that could handle low-carbon freight movements. Even more specifically, the requests mention the need to replace Piers 9a and 9b, which are in horrible conditions at the moment. 

The developments follow years of stalled projects that never came to fruition. Here’s to hoping things will finally move forward.

* This article was originally published here

New York City’s battle against rats continues: Mayor Eric Adams just revealed that the city will host the inaugural National Urban Rat Summit this fall, on September 18 and 19.

The, let’s be honest, hilarious-sounding event will bring together rodent experts from all over the country, from academic researchers to municipal pest control managers. Together, the gurus will teach attendees how to deal with rat-related issues, mitigate their impact and explain how the pests thrive in urban environments.

Adams’ absolute distaste for rats is no secret: officials have implemented countless measures to stop the rodents from multiplying and invading neighborhoods throughout the past few years, including the release of a map that tracks all their movements and the decision to hire a rat czar. We dare say that we’re actually winning the war against them! 

“With rat sightings down nearly 14 percent in our city’s Rat Mitigation Zones year over year, we continue to make progress, but we’re not stopping there. The best way to defeat our enemy is to know our enemy,” the Mayor said in an official statement. “That’s why we’re holding this inaugural summit, to bring experts and leaders from across the country together to better understand urban rats and how to manage their populations.”

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Cornell University’s New York State Integrated Pest Management Program will host the summit but details regarding potential passes for the general public have yet to be announced.

New York City rats, get ready for the next phase of war.

* This article was originally published here

Every year, New York has one of the biggest Pride celebrations anywhere in the world, one that involves exciting programming all the way through June. This year, though, things are looking a bit different: NYC Pride just announced that it’s cancelling two of its flagship summer events. 

Heritage of Pride, the organization behind NYC Pride events, revealed that Pride Island, the annual flagship music festival, and Pride Rally, an event that involves community leaders discussing the most pressing LGBTQ+ issues of today, will not happen this year.

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“We are still very much working in a ‘post’ COVID environment, taking into account the impact on our community and the city,” Sandra Pérez, Heritage of Pride’s Executive Director, told 1010 WINS/WCBS 880. “The cost of doing business has risen dramatically for everyone, that is no secret. While we may receive the same level of support from partners, it simply doesn’t cover all of the expenses we incur so we’ve had to reexamine key events.”

She added that, to make up for the changes, Heritage of Pride will work on pushing LGBTQ+ programming throughout the year, and not just June.

If you’ve been to NYC Pride before, then you know that the cancellation of these two happenings is a pretty big deal.

Pride Island is a big music festival that happens on the last weekend of June and attracts some of the biggest names in music. In 2022, Pride Island took place on Governors Island and featured Lil’ Kim and Kim Petras. The year after, the festivities took over the Brooklyn Army Terminal, with Christina Aguilera as the headliner. 

Pride Rally, on the other hand, brings together activists and advocates to discuss some of the biggest topics and issues in the queer community. Last year, the event featured trans rights activist Raquel Willis and Sage Dolan-Sandrino.

It’s important to note that Pride Rally is not the same thing as the citywide Pride march, which happens on the last Sunday of June, and is very much still happening this year. 

Even though this isn’t ideal news, don’t despair: NYC Pride is still hosting many of its other flagship events, including TEAZE, bringing together New York City’s most diverse queer parties into one space on June 22nd; Bliss Days, an event that focuses on queer women happening on June 30th at the DL; and PrideFest, an outdoor festival that features different exhibitors and food vendors.

Outside of Heritage of Pride events, June will still be jam packed with queer-adjacent festivities throughout the city, including drag brunches, queer plays and no shortage of parties.

And yet, it’s hard not to mourn the loss of two of the most emblematic Pride events of the year, a development that speaks to a larger set of economic challenges that queer organizations are facing.

“We know from our colleagues that NY Pride is not alone—the investment in Pride organizations across the country is sorely lacking,” said Pérez. “But here is the real challenge: while we have an economic impact in our communities, that isn’t reflected in the support we receive from city and state agencies and others who benefit from the work we do.”

* This article was originally published here