An Eye on the Apple

Foodwise, it’s a bit of a slow news day ’round these parts. So let’s turn our attention to NYC, the great gaping maw of the North, to see what’s happening there:

Mesa Grill, the flagship restaurant of Bobby Flay’s empire, got a one star spanking from Frank Bruni in today’s NY Times. Also, did you know that Mr. Foobooz, Bobby and I are now the best of friends?

Maybe it’s a good thing we don’t have any decent sushi restaurants in Philly, since the mercury levels in the tuna at some of New York’s top sushi spots is dangerously high, according to a lab test commissioned by the NY Times. If you want to learn more about how that mercury-filled tuna gets from the ocean to your plate, we recommend reading former Philly mag writer, current Boston Globe writer and all-around bon vivant Sasha Issenberg’s The Sushi Economy.

If you want to eat that Whopper in blissful ignorance, you’ll have to do it outside of NYC. The Board of Health has voted to require restaurants to post calorie counts. CNN posts:

Some restaurants already make the calorie counts of menu items available, but beginning March 31 they will have to put the numbers on menu boards and menus.

The change will affect restaurants with 15 or more outlets — roughly 10 percent of all city restaurants.

Think that will ever happen in Philly? People didn’t think the trans fat ban would pass here either, but some of us had an inkling it just might. We’re just sayin’.