The AP is reporting that extensive smoking regulations may soon be enforced in Iraq, where packs run as little as 50 cents. If passed, there would be no lighting up in “government buildings, schools, movie theaters, sports facilities and on public transportation. It also bans the sale of cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18.”
Come again? Freakin’ Wyoming can’t even pass a statewide ban on smoking in your enclosed workplace, and last I checked there was no threat of federal schism, Iranian manipulation, bombed out infrastructure, and/or murderous insurgency in its last throes or otherwise anywhere near Pappa Cheney’s huntin’ grounds. If al-Maliki and co. think they can enforce a law this Giuliani, Broken Windows-esque even in Iraq, perhaps it’s time for Barack, or at least Petraeus, to start printing up some “Mission Accomplished” banners of his own.
Next up on Wheel Of Priorities, pooper-scooper crackdown in Kabul.

Like many of the newly employed-ish, I am always searching for ways save a little cash. I have expanded my definition of the acceptably soft avocado, abstained from fancy imports such as Olde English, and I make my own coffee as often as my days allow. However, on torpid summer nights, I usually lack the foresight and/or sobriety to brew a pot and refrigerate it. As such, I am generally willing to drop a couple of bucks on a large iced coffee to make an inexplicable 15 minute wait for an L that much more pleasurable.
But I mean a few dollars. When the L Stop Cafe opened last Saturday at 490 Metropolitan, I had hopes that anyone heading to Lorimer from the west would have an efficient, affordable alternative to Sunac, and their occasionally hot-to-the-touch iced offerings and limited counter space. But at $4, L Stop’s large iced is 60 percent more expensive than that at Sunac, Atlas, and almost any other shop nearby, where the going rate is $2.50. Even at Oslo, Grumpy, and your other ethos-included joe slingers, you’re talking $2.75 or so. (Smaller maximum size, perhaps, but a darn sight better.) At the chains, you’ll pay up to $3.03 at Starbucks, $2.65 at Cafe Europa, and about $3 for a large at Dunkin’ which, I believe, is roughly equal in volume to your recommended daily intake of oxygen. In fact, the only other place I’ve ever seen a $4 iced is Espresso 77 in Jackson Heights. As the lone upmarket coffee shop in that ‘hood, I was willing to chalk that up to supply and demand, but the L Stop, with plenty of competition nearby, has no such excuse. So is this the way the world is headed? Seems like only yesterday, before Neapolitan pies, people ate slices of pizza and the ever-rising cost of those had the city all worked up, talking inflation this, income disparity that. Is our ritualized, warm-weather caffeine boost any less important? Why get mad when our newly-arrived street urchins ask for our change if we’re willing to throw it away on such grossly overpriced refreshments? And does anyone have any other examples of the $4 and up large brewed iced from around town to add to my nascent blacklist?
(Bonus: If someone can explain to me how the refrigerator space and ice require the huge markup on iced coffee to begin with, I’ll buy you one myself. The $2.50 kind, that is.)

Following announcements that Caroline Fidenza’s Saltie is opening down the block and Stephen Tanner will take over Black Betty across the street, Spuyten Duyvil and Fette Sau owner Joe Carroll has further bolstered his claim to the corner of Havemeyer and Metro, as if it were ever in doubt. He tells that he has been quietly preparing a haute snack food joint in the building adjacent to his legendary bar, 355 Metropolitan. (Not to be confused with the ongoing Knitting Factory transformation at 361.) Though the menu is far from finalized, as a loyal son of Bergen County, Carroll will assuage the needs of Garden State natives with Jersey diner-inspired fare such as hot dogs, homemade sausages, White Manna-style burgers, disco fries, and pork roll, AKA Taylor ham. Major construction has yet to begin, so expect a mid-fall opening, at which point one of the only remaining reasons to jump on NJ Transit or a PATH train will to bribe an underpaid, unqualified elected official. (Too soon?)

There has been word of a strange liquor license swap between Motorino and its pizza-topia predecessor, Una Pizza Napoletana, for a while now. Finally some clarity: it looks like our Motorino, one of the neighborhood’s biggest success stories, will be taking over the the UPN space when chef, er, pizzaioli, Anthony Mangieri, takes off for the West Coast. The news comes just as Bruni declared both joints to be among the city’s best, so I suspect the East Village will eventually learn to cope with their loss. [Eater]
Meanwhile, on the waterfront: Jimmy’s No. 43 owner and cook-off maven Jimmy Carbone is throwing a locally-sourced BBQ contest at the LIC Water Taxi Beach on July 21, from 6-9pm. For $35, you’ll get to gorge yourself on not only the contestants’ fare, but that of Fette Sau and the upcoming Fatty ‘Cue as well. As The Feedbag points out, and Eater recently surmised, this could be your last best chance to try the ‘Que before you actually have to get your hog-loving self down to South 6th Street.
Hachi, the ‘hood’s newest pan-Asian joint, is now open, and surprisingly not on the Bedford strip. The decor of the Grand Street spot may be about as subtle as a Jack Black, but early reports from the FreeW crew suggest that the very affordable sushi is well worth the visual affront, though the entr√©es don’t fare as well. Full menu and pics at Grub Street.
For a heartier meal, you can head over to Pop’s at North 8th and Bedford to catch their hot dog-eating contest tomorrow, July 11, at 4pm.
And last, a venue so new all we can tell you is the name: Bakeri. Work on the old St. Helen’s Cafe spot on North 7th and Wythe has managed to come quite far without attracting any attention. More info when we have it. [Thanks, Skeeter]

Surrounded by some of the loudest, sidewalk-hogging-est places in the neighborhood—Zabloski’s, Sea, Hugs—it’s not a huge surprise that the nearly month-old Green Canteen, on North 6th between Berry and Wythe, has flown a bit under the locals’ restaurant radar. But, like a too timid carbon cap-and-trade bill (I’m looking at you, House of Representatives) the place has something going for it that will either finally get the eco-ball rolling or deter future attempts, depending on its success: the state’s first silver-LEED certification granted to a restaurant.

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A funny thing happened on the way to opening Phorum, the one-week old pan-Mediterranean restaurant on Starr Street in Bushwick. Enzo Gugliuzza and his wife Anna Maria Palmiotto, Italian natives and long-time foodie travelers, were so in love with the idea of opening a restaurant in the building they owned and lived in that they ended up building it in what had been their own living room. ‚”I evicted myself,” said Gugliuzza, now a Queens resident.

Their loss looks like Bushwick’s gain, though, as the menu does have that labor-of-love vibe: house-made mozzarella, at least one pasta that can be tailored for vegan palates, and a couple of wine options for less than twenty dollars a bottle. With the guidance of head chef John Ciccinelli, the couple even went so far as to create some wholly original recipes themselves. A green apple and cinnamon ravioli is paired is served in a Hudson Valley duck ragu and a lamb sausage with panelle (Sicilian chickpea fritters) and mint yogurt blends Middle Eastern, Italian, and Greek cuisines.

Those dishes, along with appetizers of braised artichoke hearts in olive oil, mint, and garlic and PEI mussels with chorizo, white wine, cilantro, and smoked paprika, as well as a pork chop stuffed with spinach, asiago, and prosciutto have been the early hits. The biggest draw, however, might be the surprising affordability: no entr√©e is over $16 and diners can have pizza or pasta for as little as $8. (Note: the older menu on their website lists significantly higher prices.) In the age of the more profligate Rye and Walter Foods–something even Bruni commented on recently–such low prices alone may elevate Phorum to part of a holy trinity of Bushwick dining, alongside Roberta’s and Northeast Kingdom.

Phorum
50 Starr Street, Bushwick
718-417-7830
phorumonstarr.com

It’s (almost) official: Al Franken is Minnesota’s newest senator, says the state’s Supreme Court. Sure, it’s possible that Norm Coleman may appeal and keep his now 238-day-old fight going. And, yeah, the Dems having 60 votes in the senate probably won’t be quite the magic cure-all some hope it will be. Still, for any of you (fine, us) hoping to reduce monthly health care bills by, I dunno, 100 percent at some point in the future, this is some damn fine news.
Here’s to you, Al. You’re good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, voters like you.

Tired of giggling about South Carolina governor Mark Sanford’s dalliance in Buenos Aires but still hungry for more political slapstick? Well look no further than the Times’ latest attempt to ascertain what exactly our esteemed doucheba…er…state senators have been up to of late. In short, since one of the two Democrats who defected to the Republican side of the aisle returned to the fold, the two parties have been tied at 31 members each, both claiming leadership, forcing Governor Paterson to call a mandatory special sessions in order hold votes on gay marriage and, oh, every other issue needed to run New York. The parties “feuding junior high schoolers refusing to acknowledge each other, began holding separate legislative sessions at the same time,” complete with dueling gavels. Here are some zingers from what must be the funniest vaudeville act in Albany:
“Democrats gaveled the session to order at 3:02 p.m. After a few short speeches in which they said the governor’s proclamation for a so-called extraordinary session had constitutional and legal problems, they adjourned at 3:07 p.m. ‘Our members will be going home,’ said Malcolm A. Smith, one of the leaders of the Senate Democratic conference.”
“[State Supreme Court] Justice McNamara..continued to implore the sides to resolve their dispute on their own. ‘This has to be resolved by you, no matter what I do or don’t do on Friday,” he told the sides in court, adding: ‘I guess I’m talking like a human being, but I don’t understand what’s going on. You guys have to resolve this.’”
“Senator Dale M. Volker, 68, a Republican from the Buffalo area who is a former police officer, joked while he was riding up an elevator, ‘I might have to start carrying my sidearm again.’”
“‘This is turning into the worst reality TV show ever: ‘I’m a Senator, Get Me Out of Here,’ said Thomas R. Suozzi, Nassau County executive and former Democratic candidate for governor. ‘Jon and Kate are fighting less than these guys.’”

Photo of turncoat Pedro Espada Jr., now a Republican, care of Village Voice

At Atlas, you’ve been able to nosh on savory pastries, salads, and sandwiches–and down wine or beer with your brunch–for some time now. But starting this Friday, you and your MacBook have reason to linger after dark when the Italian-owned cafe completes its transformation to full-fledged restaurant. Chef Andrea Milazzo, who did indeed work under Ducasse in Monte Carlo, and later opened the slightly less glamorous PT on Bedford, will be serving up a small selection of roughly four appetizers, four pastas, and a handful of desserts. (Menu details coming soon.) Owner Enrico Lorenzetti also confirms that prior to dinner, you will be able to deaden your coffee buzz with aperitivo service, starting around 6pm, and that he will be offering a few incentives–free beer and coffee, say–to lure diners away from Lodge and all the newcomers on Grand Street’s restaurant row. If it works, dinner service will stick around, despite the advertised end-of-summer cutoff. Watch your back, Fiore: you dethroned Baci & Abbracci but now someone is gunning for you.

Joining Zenkichi and Bozu, you can add Sui Ren to the pantheon on neighborhood izakaya hotspots. The menu, put together by owner Morgan Chang, formerly of Kai and chef Jun Hiroshima, from Bond St. Sushi focuses mostly on yakitori (the grilled skewers) and kushi katsu (fried skewers) though the concoctions‚Äîlight on the tongue, hearts, and offal in general‚Äîaren’t likely to be found on a traditional Osaka menu. Of the cold skewers‚Äîperfect for summer‚Äîthe bachi maguro to udama (marinated big eye tuna, soft yolk quail egg, and Korean seaweed; $8) and the tomobara (24-hour slow poached shortrib and baby turnip; $7) have already proven themselves popular, as have the nasu dengaku (Japanese eggplant with mascarpone sweet miso; $7) and the yaki gaki (grilled Malpeque oyster with spiced beurre blanc; $8). With dishes ranging from $3 to $12, Sui Ren can skew either towards cheap snack joint or–thanks a nicely-lit room and rather romantic wooded exterior, a la Bozu–a splurge on date night. If you go for the latter, be sure to order the panko-fried mackerel or grilled Japanese smelt. Nothing says ‚”I love you” more eloquently than supporting sustainable fisheries.
Sui Ren
302 Metropolitan Avenue (Roebling)
718-218-7878
Sun-Thur 5pm-1am
Fri-Sat 5pm-2am
www.suirennyc.com