The Tribeca Film Festival may be Robert DeNiro’s love letter to Lower Manhattan, but that’s not the only role the city plays in this year’s cinema circus. New York stars in 21 of the festival’s films, but with tickets hard to come by here’s a sneak peak at which films are worth your $18 ticket.—Heather Corcoran

By Elizabeth Valerio
It’s time for your annual spring break—Eurotrip? Asia? The most posh and upscale accommodations are necessary. But when all the hotels seem so ordinary, where do you book your tickets when even the chicest resort won’t do? Head for the estates where royalty get their fix—vacation at a castle.

Orsay (1057 Lexington Ave.) is a bustling French brasserie, popular with the fashionable local Upper East Side crowd. Ladies who lunch can choose to settle into tall banquettes or dine on the terrace, where Executive Chef Jason Hicks serves his classic fare, with a twist. He tells the Resident about the perfect meal in Paris and the time frogs escaped from the kitchen.—Sascha Brodsky

By Elizabeth Valerio
As New Yorkers, we are spoiled by our shopping. It seems that no matter what section you’re strolling through, there’s always a store worth spending at. In fact, it’s hard to believe that there are other cities with different—maybe even better—shopping options. Overseas cities offer vintage threads, high-end electronics and everything in between. These urban shopping scenes could give you a run for your money – literally.

By Rachel B. Doyle

We all do things to make money, some more excruciating than others. My worst job, by far, was taking reservations for hot-spot Balthazar for two dreadful months this year. After only two weeks of sitting in small, stuffy office talking to disconnected voices for eight hours at a time, surrounded by similarly down-on-their luck creative types, I began to genuinely despise humanity. There’s only so much anonymous abuse that one person can handle, before losing their mind. I started having nightmares about phones ringing and food poisoning, and answering personal calls with “good afternoon Balthazar, can you hold?”

It Takes More than Food to Make A Great Eatery
By Heather Corcoran

You’ve landed a star chef and found a great location, and now you’re ready to open the next hit restaurant. But in a city with 20,000 eateries, what does it take to survive – and thrive – when 50 percent of restaurants in the city don’t make it through their first year?

Latino Sushi Chefs Sweep Manhattan

By Claire Levenson

Jose Espinal didn’t know anything about Japanese food when he arrived in New York. In his hometown in Honduras, the only Asian restaurant was Chinese.

Ten years ago, New Yorker Jim Leff co-founded Chowhound.com, where the catch phrase is “for those who live to eat,” because he felt the need for a network of “real food experts.” Since then, the Web site membership has swelled considerably, CNET has taken over, and Leff has started and finished a North American culinary tour. The Chowhound-at-large took some time off from steaming Swiss chard and millets to talk to the Resident.—Rhea Saran

Sal Scognamillo is the head chef and co-owner of Patsy’s Italian Restaurant, the hangout of stars, reputed mobsters and gourmands. Founded in 1944 by Pasquale “Patsy” Scognamillo, Patsy’s Italian Restaurant has been in its current and only theater district location (in the building just next to the original site) since 1954. Patsy’s has had only three chefs—the late Patsy himself, his son Joe Scognamillo, who has been at the establishment since the tender age of seven, and Joe’s son Sal, who has been manning the kitchen for the past 15 years.

By Elizabeth Valerio

New York City may be the king of restaurant cities. But here are some foreign restaurants you shouldn’t miss.

Begin in Berkshire, England with Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck (fatduck.co.uk). The restaurant first opened in 1995 as a bistro in a pub-style environment, serving appetizers, entrees and desserts ranging in price from $9 to $20. Today, the a la carte menu is available nightly for $160 per person and the chef’s tasting menu, which samples Blumenthal’s specialties, costs $230 per person. Dishes offer some unusual tastes like the sardine on toast sorbet or the snail porridge with joselito ham. Stay in Berkshire more than one night to taste both menus: the restaurant’s Web site posts helpful links to hotels, inns and spas in the area and dinner reservations can be booked up to two months in advance.