I read Serious Eats using the RSS feeds. Recently the Chicago feed has started getting duplicated in the Required Eating feed. Is that intentional/do you plan to continue doing it?

Two reasons I don't like it:
1. I have to scroll past each story twice. Once is enough!

2. Assuming you're doing it with Chicago, then presumably you'll start adding other cities' content to the Required Eating feed as you roll out additional cities. I already have more than enough to read and would unsubscribe from Required Eating if I suddenly had content from other cities I wasn't interested in cluttering up that feed.

A friend and I will be in Manhattan in February, and because time is tight, we only have one night to get together with all of our local friends. That means a group dinner is in order. Because it's an eclectic group, I'd love to get some suggestions from other SEers.

Here are the parameters:
1. Downtown'ish (west side, probably no further north than Union Square, since several will be coming from Battery Park or through the Holland Tunnel)
2. Able to accommodate a group of 8-12 on a Tuesday night in early February. (i.e., not a place where you need to make reservations months in advance).
3. Something a bit hip that will still appeal to the foodies. (It's a group that includes everyone from investment bankers to arts & entertainment folks to those who work 9-5 corporate jobs.)
4. Reasonably priced by NYC standards.
5. Some place that gives us food cred with our local friends.

Where would you go if you were pulling together this kind of group?

I made the mistake of trying a new chili recipe yesterday, and was profoundly disappointed. I used the Cook's Illustrated January 2008 recipe for Simple Turkey Chili with Kidney Beans and it was disappointing on a lot of levels. (Among them, that Cook's Illustrated recipes are usually so dependable.)

Two of the problems have obvious solutions. (It was too watery, and the meat was bland.) But third problem puzzles me. I'd describe the chili as "grainy," for lack of a better word. What I mean is that if you look at a spoonful, you'll see tiny particles suspended in the liquid. The ingredients didn't seem to meld together. (Obviously I'm referring to the liquids and spices, not the turkey meat, onions, tomatoes and beans.) The closest analogy I can think of, is imagine that you've made tea with milk and you add a squeeze of lemon. Suddenly the milk & lemon clots together and the particles are suspended in the liquid. Any idea what would cause this in a chili recipe?

(I don't want to violate copyright rules by posting the recipe, but I'm hoping some of you are familiar with it. It was a different process than chili I've cooked in the past. Onions & seasoning were first sauteed in oil, then meat was added to the mixture and sauteed until very lightly brown. (Obviously not drained after sauteing, since the onions & seasoning were also in the pan.) Diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, drained/rinsed beans and chicken broth were then added and the entire mixture was simmered. After about an hour, another pound of raw ground turkey was added to the mix and cooked for another hour.)

Thanks.

Rather than going out for an overpriced dinner for New Year's Eve, my boyfriend and I have tentatively decided that we'll celebrate at home with a fantastic dinner. The cost of ingredients isn't an issue, because I figure we'll still spend less than we'd spend at a restaurant, and we're both good cooks, so I don't think we'd be challenged by most recipes. That said, I'd love to hear your suggestions for a dream dinner for 2!

(I should also note: I'm from the NE United States, he's French, so neither of us have foods that are culturally associated with NYE except for champagne and foie gras.)

I'm not sure if we'll do a traditional meal, or a series of smaller plates.

Things I'm contemplating:

Starters:
Caviar and blinis
Foie gras
Jamón Ibérico de bellota

Entree:
Seafood paella (incl. lobster, shrimp, mussels and clams)*
or
Beef Wellington or Salmon Wellington (would need a side for this)
or
Bouillabaisse*

Alternate dish ideas if we went for a few smaller plates and skipped the entree:
Cheese souffle or Raclette
and
Some kind of salad
and
Some kind of light meat course--maybe baby lamb chops?
(though as I write this, I realize that the 3 would make a full plate for an entree course, but we'll probably be grazing over the course of several hours and would stagger these 3 dishes)

Bread:
Cook's Illustrated no-knead bread v 2.0

Dessert:
Raspberry and dark chocolate semi freddo

Our wine collection is strong, so I don't think we'll have to buy any wine.

(*The only downside to paella or bouillabaisse is that we're probably leaving town on Jan. 1, and I'd hate to throw away what are usually fantastic leftovers!)