Johnny the Tofu-Maker’s Wobbly Treat Blows Into the East Village; ChinantlaBedford-Stuyvesant: Grungy bodega Chinantla, known for its Eat for Victory–approved $2 tacos, has just undergone a massive clean-deli renovation. The tasty tacos haven’t just survived the transition; they’re better. [Brooklyn Based]
Chelsea: Trestle on Tenth highlights the wines and cheeses of the Jura region (which extends through France and Switzerland) in special pairings on offer March 4 to 9. [Grub Street]
East Village: You can find high-quality prepackaged tofu by Kyoto’s “Johnny the Tofu-Maker, Blowin’ in the Wind” at Sunrise Mart, and the jiggly treat is so creamy you might want to forgo a sprinkling of soy sauce for a drizzle of honey. [Gothamist]
Hell’s Kitchen: Zanzibar has a new bar menu that’s served Monday through Saturday until 2 a.m. and includes Mediterranean meze and Asian appetizer platters. [Grub Street]
Meatpacking District: 4-Foodies hits up Sue Torres’s communal Mexican spot Los Dados for its next tasting event on Monday, March 10. [4foodiesusa.com]
Midtown West: Trying to decide between a Five Guys burger and one from Burger Joint? This handy midtown-hamburger slideshow should help. [Zagat]
Tribeca: David Bouley pulled back his application for a liquor license for Brushstrokes in response to community opposition, postponing, not bowing out of, the fight. [Eater]
The New York Diet
Santogold Indulges in a Cookie (or Two or Three) While in the Studio
It’s been a happy New Year for Rolling Stone “Artist to Watch” Santogold (née Santi White), who just returned from a British tour with M.I.A. to see herself on the cover of this month’s Fader. What sort of challenges might 2008 bring? “I do these detoxes where for 20 or 30 days I can only eat organic fruits or vegetables,” she says. “It makes you not even really be able to eat greasy food — you can, but it feels disgusting. By the end of the year [after not doing the detox for a while], I tend to crave fried food and chocolate all the time.” That doesn’t mean you’ll find her eating cheesesteaks like she did growing up in Philly (she now lives in Bed Stuy and has been a pescatarian for twelve years), but this week she did hit the vending machine at the Soho studio where she’s recording her debut self-titled album, out in April.