SUGAR, SUGAR
New to the scene...
Cake decorator Penny Stakiewicz, who counts Tony Bennett, John Mayer, Hugh Jackman and Russell Simmons among her clients, is opening a café in East Williamsburg. Sugar Couture (386 Graham Ave.) is set to open Tuesday and sell cakes, sweets and savory food. Breakfast options include the bacon jam croissant ($5.50) and an oatmeal cranberry breakfast cookie ($5). Soups and sandwiches will be offered at lunch, but cakes are the star. Try combinations like lemon ginger cake with strawberries and passion fruit buttercream; or banana cake with caramel buttercream ($4.50 to $6.50 a slice). For more, go to sugar-couture.com. High-end Hamptons Chinese restaurant Red Stix has come to Manhattan. Located in the former Chin Chin space at 216 E. 49th St. in Midtown East, the restaurant offers Beijing-style fusion cuisine with dishes including chicken satay ($16), salt and pepper calamari ($12) and green prawns ($28). The specialty is a seven-poundseven- pound Peking duck which is carved tableside ($75).
Get it while you can...
Upper East Side kosher bakery William Greenberg Desserts (1100 Madison Ave.) is offering a Gingerbread Chanukah House for the holidays, decorated with blue and white sugar gummy candies, and gelt. Since the houses are handmade, advance orders are recommended, but a few will be available every day for walk-ins. (212) 861-1340.
Happening this week...
Hill Country Barbecue Market (345 Adams St.) in Downtown Brooklyn is hosting a family singalong with Brooklynbased singer-songwriter Jason Resichel this Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. There will be games, face painting and crafts. Kids can get a Fam Jam special ($8.50) with brisket, mac & cheese and a chocolate chunk cookie, and there will be happy hour specials all day for adults. East Village German restaurant and beer garden Zum Schneider (107 Ave. C) is holding Christmas caroling parties this Sunday and next Sunday, Dec. 21. Owner Sylvester Schneider and musician Ben Ickies will play guitar, accordion and the hammered dulcimer and guests get copies of a song book to sing along. Complimentary Christmas cookies will be served, as well as Stollen, a German fruitcake, and guests can order holiday specials like Christmas goose ($27), mulled wine ($7) and Weihenstephaner Christmas Pale Ale ($9). For more go to nyc.zumschneider.com.
Pure Maple Syrup from Canada is partnering with the Snowday Food Truck to give out free maple treats to New Yorkers on Wednesday, which happens to be National Maple Syrup Day. Stop by the truck at Fifth Ave. near 20th St. between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to get free samples of maple grilled cheese (above), maple bacon popcorn, mulled maple cider and more. Follow @SnowdayTruck and @PureCanadaMaple on Twitter the day of for the exact truck location.