Eat Cetera: Mini V-Day Market, Oyster App, Choice Eats
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<em>Mast Brothers, courtesy <a href="http://www.zeitgeistudios.com/category/design/">Zeitgeist Studios</a></em><p></p><strong>V-Day Market:</strong> You can't go wrong by going the handcrafted route on Valentine's Day, and the excellent <a href="http://www.newamsterdammarket.org/">New Amsterdam Market</a> is here to help with a special three-day "<a href="http://www.newamsterdammarket.org/events.html">Valentine's Market & Apothecary</a>" starting on Saturday. Those who can’t wait for spring to shop for artisanal products, food and crafts at the popular open-air market can stock up at their storefront in the South Street Seaport area. Stop by between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. to pick up treats from vendors including <a href="http://www.liddabitsweets.com/">Liddabit Sweets</a>, <a href="http://www.mastbrotherschocolate.com/">Mast Brother Chocolates</a>, <a href="http://www.bellocq.com/">Bellocq Tea Atelier</a>, <a href="http://www.nutsplusnuts.com/">Nuts + Nuts</a>, <a href="http://www.thebentspoon.net/">The Bent Spoon</a>, <a href="http://www.shandakenbake.com/">Shandaken Bake</a>, <a href="http://www.citylore.org/">LORE</a>, and master hand-set printer <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/nyregion/05experience.html">Robert Warner</a>.<p></p>There will also be a couple of free events throughout the three days (RSVP recommended to [email protected]), such as a calligraphy class led by Deborah Delaney from New York Society of Scribes, who'll show you how to personalize your Valentine. And on Monday night they'll stay open until 7 p.m. for last-minute love day shoppers. <em>224 Front Street</em>
<strong>Oysterpedia:</strong> Last night <a href="http://www.themermaidnyc.com/">The Mermaid Inn</a> in the East Village officially unveiled Oysterpedia, a neat new iPhone, iPad and Android app. It's an informative resource tool (and first-date conversation piece) for the next time you order oysters and want to educate yourself on what you're sucking down. The free version features details and tasting notes on 60 varieties of East Coast and West Coast oysters, while the $1.99 version kicks the number up to 200. Both versions enable you to rate the oysters you've eaten and save them in My Oysters, so that the next time you go on an oyster binge, you can reference your favorites. There's only one problem with the app as far as we can tell; while you're tinkering with your gadget and enlightening your table-mates about the oysters, they're<em> eating them.</em> <p></p>Available for <a href="http://www.androidapps.com/shine/apps/566670-oysterpedia-the-mermaid-inn-nyc">iPhone</a> and <a href="http://www.androidapps.com/shine/apps/566670-oysterpedia-the-mermaid-inn-nyc">Android</a>.
<em>John Del Signore/Gothamist</em><p></p><strong>Choice Eats: </strong>The Village Voice's annual <a href="http://choiceeats.villagevoice.com">Choice Eats</a> feeding frenzy—which brings together restaurants from all five boroughs under one cavernous roof—<a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/03/23/eat_cetera_1.php">can be a lot of fun and full of discovery</a> if you go in with the right attitude and strategy. First, don't be too attached to your personal space, because it gets pretty crowded. Second: Don't act is if there's any shame in gluttonously balancing four little plates of food and a glass of wine in two hands. Third: Line up early—as we said, it gets crowded, and fortune favors the early-birds. And this year waiting on line before the event will be made more tolerable by the addition of top NYC food trucks outside the venue offering a variety of free samples for those on line.<p></p>Choice Eats isn't until March 29th, but we're telling you about all this now because it's almost sold out already; there were less than 300 tickets left as of this morning. <a href="http://choiceeats.villagevoice.com/2011/tickets.php">Tickets cost $45</a>, which includes three hours of tastings and an open bar. A portion of the proceeds go to benefit <a href="www.SlowFoodNYC.org">Slow Food NYC</a>'s Harvest Time Program, which brings "good food education" to four schools in New York City: one in East Harlem, one on The Lower East Side, and two in Williamsburg. <p></p>The 69th Armory on Lexington Avenue, 68 Lexington Ave at 26th Street