NYC’s famed Four Seasons restaurant gets new chef _ an Italian culinary star

September 28th, 2009 NEW YORK - Two Manhattan power restaurants, where sitting US presidents have dined for decades, have got entangled in a bitter battle over who will feed Barack Obama first. The current commander-in-chief has yet to eat at either of the Four Seasons and the '21' Club, both in Midtown.

September 25th, 2009 Renowned British chef apologizes to sick dinersLONDON — Chef Heston Blumenthal has apologized to diners who fell ill after eating at his celebrated Fat Duck restaurant — and has invited them back for a free meal. Blumenthal says he is sorry that the diners had a bad experience at his restaurant— known for outlandish food like egg and bacon ice cream— in a letter made public Friday.

September 24th, 2009 DC's new Michelle Melt: Turkey burger with a causeWASHINGTON — There's a new burger in town, and it's got Michelle Obama's name on it. The "Michelle Melt" turkey burger at Good Stuff Eatery was unveiled Thursday by chef Spike Mendelsohn, a former contestant on Bravo's "Top Chef" competition.

September 10th, 2009 NYC's Tavern on the Green files for Chapter 11NEW YORK — Tavern on the Green, the landmark restaurant in New York City's Central Park, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The filing comes just four months before the 75-year-old restaurant is to hand over its license to another operator.

September 4th, 2009 Coffee break pays off for Minnesota deputiesMANKATO, Minn. — Two Blue Earth County sheriff's deputies didn't have to work too hard to track down four burglary suspects.

September 4th, 2009 Deputies breaking for cup of Joe spot suspectsMANKATO, Minn. — It didn't take much work for two county sheriff's deputies in Minnesota to track down four burglary suspects.

August 24th, 2009 Buffalo wing celebration in, where else, BuffaloBUFFALO, N.Y. — If you're looking for the place where buffalo wings started, you'll naturally want to head to Buffalo, N.Y.

August 24th, 2009 Obamas' Filipina chef at home with healthy waysMANILA, Philippines — For the White House chef, serving homegrown vegetables straight from the garden is just like preparing food in her native Philippines — healthy and simple. Filipino-American Cristeta Pasia-Comerford, the first woman and first minority to serve as the executive chef in the White House, credited the first lady for making sure her family eats steamed, organic vegetables from the garden Michelle Obama planted in April.

July 20th, 2009 NEW YORK - If you were French President Nicolas Sarkozy, you could probably get a Buddhist chef to cook meat for you. That's what happened when Le Bernardin chef/co-owner Eric Ripert got an urgent call from Sarkozy's office, asking him to cook for the French president and UN President Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann at the French consulate.

July 2nd, 2009 Man says bear mugged him for his Italian sandwichVERNON, N.J. — A northwestern New Jersey man said he was mugged in his driveway by a sandwich-craving bear.

June 22nd, 2009 NY restaurant uses Italian grandmas as chefsNEW YORK — Now that's Italian! A Staten Island restaurant is relying on a group of Italian-born grandmothers for its menus. The women take turns cooking at 35-seat Enoteca Maria, using recipes from the different parts of Italy they come from.

June 11th, 2009 Thief in northern Wis. has taste for finer thingsWASHBURN, Wis.

May 5th, 2009 Winners of the 2009 James Beard Foundation AwardsThe winners of the 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards include: RESTAURANTS AND CHEFS (NATIONAL) — Outstanding Restaurateur: Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group, New York — Outstanding Chef: Dan Barber, Blue Hill, New York — Outstanding Restaurant: Jean Georges, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Phil Suarez, New York — Outstanding New Restaurant: Momofuku Ko, David Chang and Peter Serpico, New York — Rising Star Chef: Nate Appleman, A16, San Francisco — Outstanding Pastry Chef: Gina DePalma, Babbo, New York — Outstanding Wine Service: Le Bernardin, Wine Director: Aldo Sohm, New York — Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional: Dale DeGroff, Dale DeGroff Co., New York — Outstanding Service: Daniel, Daniel Boulud, New York CHEFS (REGIONAL) — Best Chef: Great Lakes Michael Symon, Lola, Cleveland — Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic Jose Garces, Amada, Philadelphia — Best Chef: Midwest Tim McKee, La Belle Vie, Minneapolis — Best Chef: New York Gabriel Kreuther, The Modern, New York — Best Chef: Northeast Rob Evans, Hugo's, Portland, Maine — Best Chef: Northwest Maria Hines, Tilth, Seattle — Best Chef: Southwest Paul Bartolotta, Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas, Las Vegas — Best Chef: South John Currence, City Grocery, Oxford, Miss. — Best Chef: Southeast Mike Lata, Fig, Charleston, S.C.

May 4th, 2009 Brawl breaks out during karaoke at Ore. restaurantPORTLAND, Ore.

April 25th, 2009 Jazz broadcaster Hundley to retireSALT LAKE CITY — Utah Jazz broadcaster "Hot" Rod Hundley is retiring at the end of the season. Hundley has been broadcasting Jazz games since they were an expansion team playing in New Orleans in 1974.