The theaters in Battery Park City weren't empty of germs. (Photo: Flickr @smaku)

Ick! Fox 5 NY conducted an investigation of Manhattan movie theaters, taking spot samples from arm rests and concession stands and testing them. You might want to think twice about taking in a flick at the Regal Cinema near Battery Park, since the location had a total of nine sanitary violation points.

One of their key violations? Not keeping food at the required temperature. Maybe you should skip that bucket of popcorn next time you go to this theater. Additionally, a sample taken from the theater’s condiment counter revealed a “gross contamination.”

“This is a pure culture of E. coli ,”the Fox 5 NY inspector said, pointing to a Petri dish from the counter top. “There could be any kind of virus there.” The countertop was inspected solely for bacteria, so other contaminants could very well be lurking.

Jewel Gallagher, a Regal spokesperson, e-mailed the following statement to Fox 5 NY: “The cleanliness of our theatres is a high priority for Regal as we seek to provide a safe and enjoyable environment. On our most recent health department report, Regal Battery Park received an ‘A’ grade from the NYC Department of Health’s rigorous inspections and evaluations. We appreciate any information that Fox 5 can provide us regarding your evaluation, so that we can address any concerns. Rest assured that we take any comments from guests or health officials seriously.”

Does this news make you think twice about seeing a movie at the Regal Cinema?

13 percent of local restaurants earn a “C” grade

The 10006 zip code in Battery Park City/Lower Manhattan came in second in an undesirable category. The area had the second highest percentage of restaurant health code violations in the Big Apple, with 13 percent of food establishments earning a “C” grade, reports AM New York, which studied recent reports of the Health Department. A “C” grade is the lowest a restaurant can receive. Therefore, the only good thing about this rating is that there is nowhere to go but up.

The average rating for a zip code was 8 percent of restaurants being slapped with violations.

The 10026 zip code, which serves Morningside Heights/West Harlem, had the largest percentage of restaurant violations, with 20 percent of eateries receiving a “C” grade.

The letter grade system went into effect last July.

How much does a restaurants letter grade effect your decision to eat there?

SouthWest NY received the most violations in Battery Park City (Photo: southwestny.com)

SouthWest NY, a “contemporary southwestern” restaurant which opened in the World Financial Center in 1999 and enjoys a crowd of power lunchers and happy hour patrons, was slapped with a whopping 70 violation points from Health Department inspectors. The eatery is infested with rodents, roaches and other undesirable critters.

DNA Info reports that SouthWest NY racked up more violation points than any other food establishment in Battery Park City. The restaurant was also cited for its employees slovenly procedures, such as touching food with their bare hands and contaminating raw and prepared food.

Overall, the city is cracking down on restaurants, attempting to grade them on an A through C scale. Any establishment with 28 or more violation points is “awarded” a “C” rating and is subject to monthly follow up inspections until improvement is shown. The restaurants will be forced to shut down if they don’t fix the problems. SouthWest NY obviously ranks in the “C” category but has a chance to appeal once it receives a final rating.

Would you eat at SouthWest NY even if they improved their rating and got rid of their roaches and rodents or has your faith in this foodery eroded?

The new Battery Place Market (Photo: Battery Place Market)

The new Battery Place Market has opened inside the Visionaire condominium , located at 3rd Street and Battery Place. The 4,500-square-foot market is run by general manager / head buyer Ken Jackson, who says the market “is an interpretation of what ‘gourmet’ is today.” The facility, owned by Sung Kim, has a large prepared food section where most of the ingredients are “either organic, locally grown or both.”

The market will carry Portland, Maines’ Coffee By Design, a New York City exclusive and fresh mozzarella daily from Narragansett Creamery, among many other local and national  goods. There’s even a bar area for anyone wishing to hang around and chat with their coffee and tea.

Is this new market in Battery Park City a place you’ll visit?

Will Holton Farms close the gap for BPC residents in search of better produce?

The produce options in Battery Park City are growing. Mainstay Gristedes and nearby newcomer Whole Foods have seen the World Financial Center’s Greenmarket open this year, while delivery service FreshDirect has been heavily targeting our area in an attempt to steal some of Whole Foods’ thunder. We can now add to the mix Holton Farms, a “farm to lobby” service based on a CSA (community supported agriculture) model.

Weekly deliveries from the Farm Truck have begun in the neighborhood for members of the CSA program living in all three “green” buildings, The Visionaire, The Solaire, and the Verdesian.

Holton Farms is looking to expand the program in Battery Park City soon: residents of Gateway Plaza received notification that the Farm Truck could begin making deliveries next year. An informational session at Gateway is scheduled for Saturday, October 9 from 11am-1pm.

Holton Farms seeks to distinguish itself from traditional CSAs by offering a customizable arrangement; customers receive only the produce and groceries they want instead of simply receiving everything the farm produces.

The farm-to-table movement is definitely trendy and likely will prove popular in the neighborhood’s pricier buildings (not coincidentally, some of Holton’s first customers). Whether they are a hit with the rest of the neighborhood remains to be seen. Regardless, competition for our grocery dollar should prove beneficial to everyone!

What do you think? Will you sign up for the Farm Truck delivery if its available to you? Do you think we need more grocery and produce options in Battery Park City? Let us know in the comments.

Eat: World Financial Center Restaurant Showcase

To all of you who work in or near the World Financial Center and are packing your lunch for tomorrow, or thinking about what to order from the usual catering menu, STOP!  Look no further, because tomorrow, the restaurants at the World Financial Center are gathering in the Winter Garden to offer you $1-$5 samples of their signature items, as well as some seasonal selections.

I managed to pick up a menu for the event on the way home, and many of the offerings seem very typical, such as P.J. Clarke’s mini cheeseburgers and pulled pork sliders (2 for $5), Au Mandarin’s pork and shrimp dumplings ($3 and $4 respectively), and Godiva’s chocolate-dipped strawberries, macaroons, and oreos.

However, there were some stand-out seasonal items such as Columbus Bakery’s Corn Chowder with Pomegranate ($4), The Grill Room’s Wild Mushroom Risotto with Parmesan Sauce ($5) and Butternut Squash Soup with Caramelized Apples and Pumpkin Seeds ($4), Southwest NY’s Pumpkin Seed Crusted Salmon with Mango-Jicama Salsa ($5) and Financier Patisserie’s Apple Pumpkin Cake with Vanilla Cream ($3) and Pumpkin Cheesecake ($3).

Here is a list of participating restaurants:

Au Bon Pain
Au Mandarin
Blockheads Burrito
Ciao Bella Gelato
Columbus Bakery
Devon & Blakely
Donald Sacks
Ed’s Lobster Bar
Elixir
Financier Patisserie
Godiva Chocolatier
The Grill Room
Harry’s Italian
P.J. Clarke’s on the Hudson
Quality Burger
Southwest NY
Starbucks Coffee
World Financial Center Greenmarket
Yushi

Governors Island will be transformed into a pork-lover's paradise this Saturday. (Photo: pigisland.com)

Yes, that’s what I said.  Pig Island.  It’s exactly what it sounds like: every Vegan’s nightmare, and every fatass’ food fest fantasy!

Tomorrow, October 2nd,  from 11:30 AM- 4:30 PM, Governor’s Island will be transformed into a “pork-lover’s paradise.”  20 + chefs will be entertaining your senses and your stomach with both innovative and traditional pork dishes, ranging from bbq and porchetta sandwiches to Vietnamese pork soup and Maple Bacon sticky buns.

Tickets to the main event cost $85, although there is a group rate of $80 for groups of 4 or more people.  Although the price seems steep, this ticket gives you unlimited access to the pig feast, as well as Sixpoint Craft Ales and NY State Wines.

For those of you who don’t think an all you can eat and drink pork festival is worth $80, there will be a public area with snacks and drinks available for purchase.

As always, transportation to Governor’s Island is free via ferry, departing from the Battery Maritime building at 10 South Street.

Battery Park City's Best Coffee Spots

Did you know today was National Coffee Day? Which is mind boggling to me because I quite frankly can’t live without the stuff, so everyday is national coffee day in my house.

Whether it comes from your house, from a cart or on the go, we’ve got a million different places in Lower Manhattan to enjoy a freshly brewed cup, but we’ve rounded up some of our favorites.

Several places around the city are giving away cups of Joe in celebration, including our neighborhood. Manon’s Cafe is holding special coffee events for the rest of the week at all three of their locations. To find our more, check out the event page.

Although it has long since shuttered,  an honorable mention to Oren’s Daily Roast which used to grace us in the North Cove area. Here are some other fantastic places to celebrate National Coffee Day.

La Colombe @ 319 Church Street (212) 343-1515
This Philadelphia based company set up shop in NYC and has quickly risen to be one of the top coffee shops in the city. If you like to grab and go, this place might not be for you as the art of the cup is in how you make it.

Bean and Bean @ 71 Broadway, New York (212) 422-8083
One of the great advantages of being a coffee lover in NYC is access to Porto Rico beans. However, if you can’t make it to any of the Porto Rico locations, you can quickly grab a cup from Bean and Bean on Broadway. The coffee shop serves Porto Rico beans as well as offering freshly roasted beans for anyone who wants to brew a cup from the comforts of their own coffee machine.

Kaffe 1668 @ 275 Greenwich St (212) 693-3750
A purveyor of some of the best beans available in the country, Kaffe is a great place to sit, chat and meet new friends. If you’re also interested, you can buy a wooden sheep. (Has anyone reading this actually purchased one of those?)

Dean and Deluca @ 100 Broadway (212) 577-2153
If drinking coffee is only as good as the donut it’s sitting next to, then Dean and Deluca is your place. Before you start clamoring, “But … what about Dunking Donuts?!” I’ll quickly explain. Dean and Deluca offers freshly made and seasonal Doughnut Plant donuts. Never had one? It’s worth the trip to Borders to check it out. They sell out everyday so your best bet is to grab the joe and the dough in the morning.

Financier @ Several Downtown Manhattan Locations
They used to brew Illy beans, but have since started serving up their special house blends. Honestly, they taste just like their former Illy brews, but we will trust they are special. Every cup comes accompanied by a bite sized morsel of their signature financier, a madeline type cake.

Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, Starbucks, (Yada yada!)
You know where they are, and I know you know where they are — but the coffee is worth mentioning.

Hooray coffee! If we’ve left out any of your favorite spots, let us know in the comments!

Pita Grill's Battery Park City Taco

PIta Grill Restaurant in the Financial District is offering some great lunchtime deals for the community.

Starting this week, they are offering a new student lunch menu where tons of items will be offered for $5 and under.

Battery Park City residents can also ask for a “Battery Park City Taco.”

You heard that correct, our neighborhood is now commemorated in taco deliciousness. There are two versions of the Battery Park City taco, including Chicken ($2) and Steak ($2.25).

Plus, all readers who mention this post or any first time orders at Pita Grill will be offered 10% off their entire meal.

Not too shabby for some affordable eats in the neighborhood.

Check out the menu here.

Cipriani Wall Street

Wall Street bankers rejoice!  BlackboardEats is offering a coupon code for 30% off lunch or dinner for a party of 2-4 people at Cipriani Wall Street!  The best part of BlackboardEats is that unlike other companies that provide deals in New York City, they offer their coupon codes absolutely free, no strings attached.  You can get your personal code sent straight to your cellphone- how convenient is that?

If you want this deal, you must get your passcode before 5:30 AM tomorrow, and use it by October 15.  Get it before they run out!