Photo: Flickr/gsz

Each week, we choose four cities and round up the latest bar and restaurant openings, recipes, and general food-related chatter.

This being our first Grazing post, we caught up on a few highlights of summer, and chose the four prominent cities of Fashion Week.

New York: Le Comptoir opened its doors in Williamsburg. We went, and enjoyed warm lentils served with strange burgers and a French toast crème brulée. Olio Pizza e Più, pictured, opens in Greenwich Village—think Neapolitan-style crusts topped with fancy, hearty fare, like spicy mozzarella and pumpkin. Lowcountry will open in September where Bar Blanc Bistro once lived. Chef William Sullivan will serve up fall comfort food mainstays like pork chops, albeit drenched in a potent bourbon-and-cider sauce.

London: Umai at Japan Centre has a new location and look: chillers full of biodegradable bento boxes and cartons of sushi to go. Order hot ramen at the counter—like New York's Momofuku, minus the fluff. Leiths Cookery School publishes Leiths Meat Bible. Each chapter is dedicated to the preparation of one animal, with a bonus section on exotic types—ostrich, crocodile, and snake.

Milan: La Cucina Italiana shows us how to make the perfect gelato. San Pellegrino is revamping their advertising campaign and will feature photographer Elliott Erwitt's work. And whilst Milan is known more for its fashion than food, a few suggestions for stylish dining come Fashion Week: Nobu Armani and Café Trussardi (order the panzanella).

Paris: Daniel Rose opens a second installment of Spring near the Louvre. Parisians flock from the 9th Arrondissement, and we plan to take a trip this fall. Mariage Frères reminds us that tea is just as caffeinated as coffee. Think: green, black, red, spicy, and floral flavors. We'll set the kettle and enjoy with breakfast.

And far off the beaten track: We've embraced the farm dinner movement before—for no reason other than that it's delicious—and now, Jakes, a bohemian-style hotel on Jamaica's South Coast, introduces a unique take on such dinners. Guests are greeted with cocktails using fruit from the same farm they are dining on, and enjoy dinners cooked tableside.

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It's incredibly difficult to convince Manhattanites to cross a river—whether the East, the Harlem, or the Hudson—and if all that awaits them is "diner food," the task grows even more Herculean. But M. Wells, the new Quebecois-American restaurant two 7-train stops into Long Island City, Queens, is no ordinary diner and it rewards pioneering eaters with what we agree is "some of the most innovative cooking in the city."

Set in a diner from 1954, the decor is comfortably classic, with a counter for solo diners, two-top booths, bigger rough-hewn tables, and chrome details everywhere. The seasonally inspired menu is both familiar and innovative: the beef-and-lamb hamburger comes slathered with harissa mayo, the egg-and-potato hash is paired with tuna confit and crab, the summery heirloom tomato salad is sourced from the nearby Sunnyside Greenmarket. It's comfort food made with high-quality ingredients even the most obsessed farm-to-forker can appreciate.

But perhaps most refreshing are the prices: A cup of Brooklyn-roasted Oslo coffee is just $1.50, cheaper than a Starbucks brew in Midtown. The most expensive item is a $14 pork chop cassolette smothered in wild mushroom sauce, but most items are in the single digits, an unfortunate rarity in New York dining. As Serious Eats observed, M. Wells offers innovative, lovingly made fare with a price tag "no higher than your average diner tab." A worthy investment indeed—even if we do have to ride the subway under the East River to get there.

Photo: Burger Bar’s loaded High Hog burger

New to Chicago’s gourmet burger scene is Burger Bar, launched this month by Levy Restaurants' former chef de cuisine John McLean (Spiaggia, Bistro 110). The calorically conscious beware: diminishing the risk of clogged arteries doesn’t seem to be McLean’s M.O. when it comes to dressing his burgers, but that is why Lipitor and Cheerios exist, right? 

Take his High Hog, a half-pound BBQ pork burger topped with applewood-smoked bacon, ham, Wisconsin white cheddar, and apple-cabbage slaw. Paired with fresh-cut fries and a hand-spun milkshake like the Chocolate Three Way—yes, it's as sinful as it sounds—a medley of banana, Nutella, and cheesecake, and you have yourself a satisfying food coma. There are always the 60 craft brews to round out your meal, too (1578 N. Clybourn Ave.; 312.255.0055; burgers $11-$12).

Simultaneously launched under McLean’s Good Eats Restaurant Group is Sono Wood Fired, an Italian eatery specializing in pizza. Focusing on Midwest-raised ingredients, McLean makes a crispy wood-fired crust topped with goodies like caramelized fennel, goat cheese, and mascarpone (1582 N. Clybourn Ave.; 312.255.1122; entrées $12-$15).

Photo: Ecco's future home, as seen on Google Street View

When it comes to coffee there are those that are content with a street vendor cup o’ joe and there are those who start tapping their foot with excitement (or one espresso shot too many) at the thought of “brew by cup,” “single origin,” and “small batch roasting.” Coffee lovers will be happy to hear that construction is under way at 1125 Mariposa St. in San Francisco, the new home of Ecco Caffé.

Founder Andrew Barnett is expanding his decade-old boutique roastery to include an accompanying café. Ecco will be taking brewed-by-the-cup orders—yes, that means they won’t brew your coffee until you order it—while working their 30-pound small-batch roaster to produce a refined collection of single-origin coffees and espressos that are certified organic and fair-trade.

If you aren’t lucky enough to be around Potrero Hill for the opening this fall you can always get your hands on their beans here.

Photo: Greg Vore

If you're a foodie who's free this weekend, there's still time to book a last-minute culinary getaway. Salt Water Farm in Lincolnville, Maine is offering 10 percent off its culinary long weekend, which includes events and classes that focus on local and sustainable food, starting Thursday, August 12.

The "Maine Event" getaway, which was created by the people behind The Meat Hook, Roebling Tea Room, and Brooklyn Brewery, costs $1,500 for one and $2,750 per couple, and the price includes all meals, drinks, classes, and lodging in pine cottages at Point Lookout Resort.

Get ready to get your hands dirty in a pig butchery class, or enjoy Maine's rugged coastline while sailing on the Penobscott Bay. And after you go blueberry picking, kick back for a "Pig and Beer Party," which promises live bluegrass, local brews, a feast, and "riotous fun." To book, visit Salt Water Farm's website and be sure to mention our friends at jauntsetter for the discount.

As if Times Square wasn't already enough of a tourist trap, Pop-Tarts' latest publicity stunt is an eyesore that plans to stick around until January. Pop-Tarts World NYC, which officially opened yesterday, is a rainbow scaffolding nightmare and, not surprisingly, a tourist disaster.

The purple-blue glow of the lighting inside Pop-Tarts World gave me the feeling I was at a bowling alley, and the amount of small children and camera-toting parents in the crowd made me feel like I was trapped at a Chuck-E-Cheese birthday party.

The attractions include a counter-service cafe that makes custom Pop-Tarts and other strange creations such as "Pop-Tart sushi" (the Tart is minced and wrapped in a fruit roll), a robot vending machine called the Varietizer, which will create a custom box of six Pop-Tarts just for you, and a t-shirt making station.

But what falls particularly flat about this PR extravaganza is the "social media station," or a row of computers on which guests can play Pop-Tarts games, watch Pop-Tarts videos on YouTube or connect to Facebook to tell the world about Pop-Tarts. This bald-faced brand promotion might pass as acceptable if the rest of the campaign was actually savvy or interesting. But I sincerely doubt that the eight-year-olds clad in "I Love NY" t-shirts and their overprotective parents will want anything more than a sugary treat made from high-fructose corn syrup.

Photo: Flickr/praytino

San Francisco's second annual premier food, wine and spirits festival kicks off today with SF Chefs Restaurant Week, which lasts until Sunday and will feature $35-$50 three-course menus at participating restaurants. But before you indulge every day this week, be sure to save room in your stomach for this weekend's main event: Starting on Friday and lasting through Sunday, the festival's Grand Tasting Tent in Union Square will be open for a series of tastings, classes and seminars. 

The festival, of which Condé Nast Traveler is a sponsor, highlights Northern California's local ingredients and the chefs, winemakers, and spirits professionals who serve them. Savor dishes from more than 30 acclaimed chefs and restaurants, or taste dozens of wines from regions as close as Napa or as far away as New Zealand. Then shake things up with the city's best bartenders, who will be creating unique San Francisco-themed cocktails from local ingredients and produce. 

To purchase tickets for all festival events, visit www.sfchefs2010.com.

Photo: Ed Anderson, reprinted with permission from Ten Speed Press

Unless you're a wine professional, the world of wine can often be an intimidating place full of tannins and tasting notes, spitoons and sauvignon blanc. But those who are eager to learn anything and everything about wine will be in luck this October, when celebrated sommelier Rajat Parr releases the book he co-wrote, Secrets of the Sommeliers: How to Think and Drink Like Top Wine Professionals.

As its title implies, the book offers advice and information from and insider's point of view. And as wine director of the 17-restaurant Mina Group of celebrated chef Michael Mina, Parr brings his profound knowledge of wines on to every page. Secrets of the Sommeliers covers everything from the basics of wine tasting to types of corkscrews to the art of decanting. In addition, the book features lists and explanations of key wines and sommeliers worth knowing. It's a comprehensive book that's perfect for any oenophile—or anybody wanting to become one.

Rendering of the proposed Bisoux restaurant at LGA.

In the wasteland of airport dining, finding that elusive decent restaurant can sometimes prove to be more difficult then getting through airport security. However, Delta Air Lines plans to change that with a new slate of fancy restaurants at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

The Atlanta-based airline announced yesterday it will open 13 new food and beverage outlets by summer 2011. The first phase of construction will begin August 21. Delta chose OTG Management, the same company that developed JetBlue's JFK restaurant concepts, to run the project.

Some of the restaurants to be built include French-inspired café Bisoux, Prime Tavern, a steakhouse from celebrated chef Michael Lomonaco, and Tagliare, a New York-style pizza shop from chef Dominick DeMarco. Other top New York chefs, including Jason Denton and Riad Nasr, are getting involved too.

Shaking Beef "Moo Shu" from Ginger Park, Boston. Could this be the first Spotlight restaurant?

OpenTable, known for its e-reservation system, is taking the wraps off its new service today: OpenTable Spotlight.

"OpenTable not only saves tables—it saves money!" the site cheerfully explains, adding that Spotlight lets customers purchase $50 gift cards to select restaurants for just $25. The first two 50-percent-off offers will be released at 5 p.m. EDT today, at one restaurant in Boston and one in New York City.

They are keeping the restaurants' identities secret for now but do offer some hints. In Boston, the participating restaurant is in South End and the chef learned her cooking skills from Bobby Flay. (We think it's Ginger Park.) In New York, the restaurant is "under midtown's starry sky" (open-air?) and combines French technique with American cuisine—and we're still guessing at its identity.

If the program takes off, OpenTable plans to expand it beyond Boston and New York.