For foodies: This week's dining events and news

Photo credit: Urbanite

The Russian Tea Room has begun serving a children's tea, for $25 per child.

By Emily Mathis

Special to amNewYork

Montenapo opens in NY Times building: Opened yesterday, Montenapo is an upscale Italian bar/restaurant occupying the 5,200-sq.-foot glass-enclosed dining space overlooking the birch and moss garden in the center of The New York Times Building.

Executive Chef and Bice Restaurant veteran German Lucarelli is offering traditional Italian dishes and focusing on natural, organic ingredients. Pasta dishes are broken up into The Classics, with dishes such as vongole linguini with Spumanti wine sauce, and The Modern, with dishes such as dry vermouth and lemon zest trofie pasta with baby scampi bisque. Customized menus and chef visits are available to tables of eight to 12. Lunch and dinner is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to midnight.

250 W. 41st St., btwn 7th and 8th aves.

212-764-7663 (reservations) or 212-764-7227 (take-out).

Cooking with cheese class and tasting: From 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Monday,

June 1, Dirt Candy’s Amanda Cohen and cheese expert Max McCalman will

lead a cooking class at Artisanal Cheese Center. The $85 class will feature a half-hour fondue reception with cheese and sparkling wine, a goodie bag, and a three- course cooking class featuring onion soup with brown butter cheddar, a kumquat marmalade appetizer, tarragon and beet green pesto, and zucchini cake with cream cheese ice cream, all paired with wines selected by McCalman.

500 W. 37th St., second floor entrance on Tenth ave., 212-871-3141 or

ArtisanalCheese.com/Cheese_Classes/Dom DeLuise Memorial Day BBQ: The late comedian who starred in classics such as Cannonball Run and Robin Hood: Men in Tights will be remembered on Saturday (3 p.m.) at Brooklyn’s The Bell House with $1 hot dogs and burgers and $2 cans of Presedente and Modelo. 149 Seventh St., Gowanus, 718-643-6510,

Riesling Week through May 24: Craft, Bar Olivino, Le Colonial, Spice

Market, Union Square Wines, and Long’s Wines & Liquors are just a few

of the dozens of restaurants and wine retailers offering free tastings, discounts, food pairings, and wines by the glass as part of the fifth annual Riesling Week.

DestinationRiesling.com for a complete list of participants and schedules.

Mixing cocktails for charity: Release your inner mixologist at "Mix, match and splash,” a benefit Dress for Success. For a $60 entry fee, up to 5 people can enter as a team competing to create the best cocktail. Each entrant will be given a mystery box of spirits and mixers with 30 minutes to create their cocktail. The winning drink will be determined by popular vote and featured at New York's silverleaf tavern for the month of June, with proceeds benefiting Dress for Success. 100% of the entry fee benefits Dress for Success. The winning team receives a private cocktail party for 10 at silverleaf tavern. While cocktail mavens mix it up, guests can bid on fashionable clothes and accessories from famous designers as well as luxurious getaways. General admission is $10 (for anyone not competing), and includes cocktail samples and hors d'oeuvres. For more, contact Ilana Alperstein at ialperstein@baltzco.com, 212-982-8300. Thursday, May 28, 6 p.m. at silverleaf tavern at 70 Park Avenue and 38th Street.

Russian Tea Room offers children’s tea: The Russian Tea Room's new Children's Tea is for kids 12-years-old and under. The two-course menu is served High Tea style. The first course includes PB&J on a Blini, a Miniature BLT, and a Little Pig-in-a-Blanket. The second course features sweet treats such as a red velvet cupcake with sprinkles and chocolate mousse topped with mixed berries. There’s a choice of six decaffeinated teas or hot chocolate, served with whipped cream and marshmallows. And get this … a special Paddlefish Caviar offering can be for an additional $10.

Children's Tea is offered daily from 2-4:30 p.m., for $25 for each child. 150 W. 57th St., 212-581-7100.

(Emily Mathis)

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