How Sweet it Was!

Last Saturday night, after a full schedule of eating par excellence, it was only fitting that New York's fooderati finally got their glucose on. In connection with the first-ever New York City Wine & Food Festival, dessert-lovers in the know descended on the West Chelsea event hot-spot la.venue (a sprawling, cavernous and gorgeous space, in case you have not yet had the pleasure) for Sweet, a showcase of confections prepared by forty-five of the city's most talented pasty chefs. Among the masters whose sugary work was available in more than ample quantity were Dominique Ansel (Daniel); Marc Aumont and Patrick Clark (The Modern); Pauline Balboa (Kyotofu); Jansen Chan (Oceana); John Fraser and Vera Tong (Dovetail); Heather Fratangelo (Spigolo); Brooks Headley (Del Posto); Johnny Iuzzini (Jean Georges); Michael Laiskonis (Le Bernardin); Richard Leach (Park Avenue Autumn); John Miele (Eighty One); Nancy Olson (Gramercy Tavern); Pichet Ong (P*ONG); François Payard (Payard Bistro); and Alex Stupak (WD-50). Sweet's invite promised "the greatest collection of sweets ever found in one location," and it did not disappoint. The delicious description further enticed with teasings of "frosted layer cakes with filling flavors you’ll love; dark chocolates infused with exotic spices that will ruin you for everyday candy bars; cookies crafted from the finest ingredients and resembling works of art; and ice-cream so rich and creamy you will dream about it for days." Indeed, it's been four days since Sweet and we're still dreaming. And dreaming. The goodie-laden evening was sponsored by Ferrero Chocolates, Perrier Jouët Champagne and Absolut Vodka. An after-party, sponsored by the Macy's Culinary Council, was held at Xchange next door. Congratulations to Lee Schrager, the mastermind who brought the the Wine & Food Festival to New York and to all of his team who helped make the inaugural event such a resounding success. We're already dieting in preparation for next year's extravaganza. In the meantime, bring on Miami Beach!

For more photos, click here.

The Best Italian Restaurants? Fuhgeddaboutit

Zagat, compiler of the likes and dislikes of America's restaurant-goers, nightclubbers, business travelers, golf players and movie denizens, has just released "America's 1,000 Top Italian Restaurants." New Yawk being New Yawk, we've laid claim to over 150 of them—more than any other city. Not a surprise in a city filled with chefs with names like Batali and Carmellini. Among the Manhattan eateries that made the list include NewYorkInsider faves San Domenico, A Voce, Gennaro, Vice Versa (responsible for the delectable pasta dish pictured above), San Pietro and Del Posto. With 27-percent of U.S. diners citing Italian as their favorite cuisine (trailed by American, at a distant second—16-percent), we have a feeling this handy book will more than prove its weight in mortadella. For a limited time, Zagat is offering the guide for free. To claim yours, click here. What's your favorite Italian restaurant? Let us know. (And if you can't wait for your Zagat guide to arrive and want to know whether your red-checked tablecloth go-to place made the cut, drop us a line and we'll give you the scoop.)