● Highlands (West Village) - Authentic Scottish gastropub enters the Village.
● Purple Yam (Ditmas Park) - Soho restaurant relocates to Brooklyn, brings a truckload of Asian pizzazz.

Jason Zukas is recognized most often as a winner on Food Network's TV show Chopped, but the Tom Collicchio look-alike has achieved more than 15 minutes of reality TV fame. A Queens native, Zukas couldn't afford culinary school, so he taught himself to cook with the help of a Culinary Institute of America instruction book. The education paid off; Zukas has worked at some of the city's most reputable restaurants, including Ouest, La Bottega and Blue Water Grill. In August, Zukas was named chef at Charles, filling in for Kristine Mana-ay (on maternity leave). We met Zukas at Charles midday for a quick chat about the ups and downs of the restaurant biz.

Last week on Gossip Girl, many of the characters took a cue from the show's queen of manipulation, Blair Waldorf. Nate lied to Serena, Vanessa lied to Dan, Dan lied to Olivia, Olivia lied to Rufus and Lily. Most tragically of all, Blair lied to Chuck, her man and partner in crime. (She manipulated him into seducing a male NYU alum so she could give the freshman toast.) Last season of GG was dedicated to the tumultuous on and off, "I love you," "I don't love you." Every time Chuck changed his mind, Blair would cry, and I would too (a little). But this season promised to move past all that. They're finally in a committed relationship; we see Blair waking up in Chuck's bed while he strolls around in a silk robe. This is romance, people.

● Flatbush Farm (Prospect Heights) - Everything you'd expect from a restaurant with "Farm" in the name: local, organic, sustainable. Decor is more modern than country, save for the bangin' backyard overflowing with green.
● Vinegar Hill House (Dumbo) - Cast iron dishes, straight from the wood fire oven, are killer tasty and surprisingly affordable. Mismatched knickknacks and vintage furniture make the space a real charmer.
● Rose Water (Park Slope) - It's not surprising that a seasonal menu helps the coop crowd get off. Park Slope's favorite date spot comes with flickering candles and chocolate pot de crème.

While advanced copies of Jukebox the Ghost's full length album Let Live and Let Ghosts have been on sale since January, the album will enter stores for its official national release on Tuesday, April 22. The DC-based trio consisting of piano, drums, and guitar showcases a cohesive collection of piano-driven indie rock. Musicianship is dead on, tone is playful, and their over-the-top-energy is never anything but.

Jason Apfelbaum’s new potato bar, Totally Baked, capitalizes on everyone’s favorite starch. As the second gourmet potato bar in New York (you've got competition, NY Stuffed Idaho Potato), TB nevertheless raises the bar with the opportunity to drop $55 on a truffle potato. Inside, glorified images of enlarged potato dishes look damn tasty, while patron spud Mr. Potato Head peers down from multiple vantages. Overly friendly staff dish out samples of sweet potato heath bar crunch gelato (it’s to die) as we decide exactly what garments we want to accompany our taters. Of course, the eternally classic potato—chives, sour cream, bacon, cheese—is the first option on the menu. But one is by no means limited to this cholesteriffic standby. Swap the bacon bits for braised beef brisket, cheddar cheese for shaved Manchego, sour cream for Mexican slaw. Or go to the “healthy” seared ahi tuna potato: one of the “Fresh” salad versions, it's a scooped potato filled with a bed of lettuce. (We invoke the same “this is healthier” logic here as with scooped bagels.) And be sure to sample dessert; the sweet potato pie and gelato, unanimous favorites, evoke the joys of frozen pie filling. One eater complains, “It’s $10 for a potato that’s barely the size of a clenched fist!” That's why it's gourmet. [Photo]