SECOND HELPINGS

Moving day at Second Helpings

After 2 1/2 years, we've been evicted from this space. Find us at our new home here. Or just sit tight and let the automatic redirect do the work for you.

Updated: Future book signings

You can always tell when the holidays are coming. All of the celebrity chefs start making appearances in our area to promote their new cookbooks.

Here'a a rundown of who you'll find at public signings in the next month or so:

New Latin restaurant in Clifton

Empanada's Spanish Grill, a Latin-American restaurant, will open Monday in the Allwood section of Clifton. It will feature a mostly Caribbean and Cuban menu, specializing in baked empanadas, rice and beans. While it primarily offers takeout, there is seating for about 15 customers.

Empanada's Spanish Grill is at 8 Market St., Clifton; 973-272-8202.

Flirt to open in Paramus mall

Flirt, the R-rated sushi bar, will be opening a second Bergen County restaurant Thursday, at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus. Owner Marko Radiscic is the latest business owner to set up shop in local malls, a point noted by my colleague Joan Verdon a few weeks ago.

Flirt is at Westfield Garden State Plaza, on the lower level near Lord & Taylor; 201-291-8889; flirtsushi.com.

Pourquoi Pas ending lunch

Pourquoi Pas, a French bistro that was one of the few restaurants here where you enjoy duck breast with pears and walnuts for lunch, will stop serving lunch after Friday, owner Bernard Vard said in an e-mail blast today.

Pourquoi Pas is at 31 Westwood Ave., Westwood; 201-722-8822; pourquoipaswestwood.com.

Health inspectors at work

Some notables from the latest list of health inspection results, which will be published on Friday in the Better Living section:

Zeytinia Fine Foods in Oakland was fined $500 on Oct. 1 for displaying potentially hazardous foods out of temperature and in a non-functioning refrigerator.

Taste of the Giants is Oct. 19

The third-annual Taste of The Giants will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Stadium Club at Giants Stadium and include dishes from restaurants throughout the region, a meet-and-greet with current and former Giants, a tour of the locker room and stadium field and live and silent auctions. The price is $250 ($400 for VIPs, who can arrive at 6 p.m.) and proceeds benefit ShopRite Partners In Caring.

The Stadium Club is at 50 Route 120, East Rutherford. More information: giants.com.

Andiamo gets its funny on

Andiamo Restaurant will host its final comedy dinner of the season at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 14. Comedians include Kerry White, Tim Hoffman and Tim Riccabono. The three-course meal is $49 and reservations are required.

Andiamo Restaurant is at 23 Hardenburgh Ave., Haworth; 201-384-1551; andiamorestaurant.net.

Upcoming wine, beer events

A few noteworthy events coming in the next few weeks:

Italian wine dinner at Amanda’s: The restaurant will host a five-course wine dinner with five pairings from David Vincent Selection at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The wines will be introduced by David Vincent Selection founder David Servello. The price is $65 and reservations are required. 908 Washington St., Hoboken; 201-798-0101; amandasrestaurant.com. Menu here.

Sandra Lee taping in Cresskill

The Food Network's Sandra Lee is in Cresskill this week, taping an episode of her four-week special "Sandra Lee Celebrates" which will air on HGTV toward the holidays.

The episode, "Sandra Lee Celebrates: Holiday Homecoming" will air at 8 p.m. Nov. 28. Here's the desciption from her producers, who are taping through Wednesday:

Gourmet magazine to close

The New York Times is reporting that Gourmet magazine will cease publication in November.

Its notable names include Ruth Reichl, the editor-in-chief, and Sara Moulton, the executive chef, but the contributions I most looked forward to every month were by Paterson's Romulo Yanes, who handled all studio photography.

Food drive this weekend

A reminder that North Jersey Media Group's annual Action Against Hunger food drive is Sunday, with donations of canned and dry goods being accepted from noon to 4 p.m. at supermarkets all across this corner of the state.

The drive is the single biggest source of food and cash that pantries in Bergen, Passaic, Morris and Hudson counties receive annually.

Adios and Slán, Jose O'Reilly

Jose O'Reilly, the Norwood pub that opened 2 1/2 years ago, will shed some its Irish-Mexican decor starting Monday, in preparation for a concept change that will occur over the next month.

By November, the restaurant will have evolved into a moderately priced steakhouse like its older sibling, The Porter House in Montvale.

Upcoming wine/beer dinners

A few dining events and menus to get on your radar:

Wine dinner at Chakra: The restaurant will offer a three-course dinner with hors d’oeuvres and pairings from Trevor Jones wines of Australia’s Barossa Valley at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The price is $60 and reservations are required. 144 Route 4 east, Paramus; 201-556-1530; chakrarestaurant.com. Menu here.

New cafe in Little Falls

Gli Cappuccino, a cafe serving salads, sandwiches, pastries and and an assortment of coffee drinks, has opened in Little Falls. It's in the original home of The Fine Grind coffee bar, whose flagship is now based out of a shopping center storefront around the corner.

Gli Cappuccino is at 420 Main St., Little Falls; 973-256-2635.

Today in North Jersey dining

In today's Better Living section, Elisa goes inside Bazzini in Ridgewood, a few months after Gordon Ramsay filmed an episode of "Kitchen Nightmares" there. (The episode doesn't have an airdate.)

Also inside, a profile of the new Bistro 55 in Rochelle Park, the latest from the South City Restaurant Group.

New menu at Etc. Steakhouse

Etc. Steakhouse, the fairly new kosher steakhouse in Teaneck that got an excellent review in The Record a few weeks ago, has unveiled its fall menu. It includes sweetbreads, oat- and dill-crusted bronzini (a holdover from the last menu) and pomegranate hanger steak.

Etc. Steakhouse is at 1409 Palisade Ave., Teaneck; 201-357-5677; etcsteakhouse.com. The menu follows:

New buffet in North Bergen

The Fun House Buffet, which replaces the Hudson Buffet Restaurant in North Bergen, opens Saturday in the Columbia Park shopping center. It features 100 dishes, 300 seats and takeout.

The Fun House Buffet is at 3117 Kennedy Blvd., North Bergen; 201-601-3888.

New Mexican grill

Vista Hermosa Mexican Grill has opened in Ridgefield Park. The tiny restaurant does enchiladas, tacos, tostadas, soups, fajitas and seafood. 35 Ridgefield Ave., Ridgefield Park, 201-373-9463.

Cresskill Pizza relocates

Cresskill Pizza has moved around the corner into a double-wide storefront on East Madison Avenue that has been under renovation for most of the year.

The new address is 29 E. Madison Ave., Cresskill. The phone remains 201-871-3795. And it's very unfriendly Web site is cresskillpizza.com.

Two openings in Wallington

Liberty Plaza, a new shopping center in on Main Avenue in Wallington, finally has a tenant: Wallington Farmers Market, an Asian market that sells produce and sushi. Phone 973-773-1919.

And Mawal has opened in the former home of Riverside Grill and the Super China Buffet, where Main Avenue meets Paterson Avenue. It has a Lebanese menu and the stench of cigarette smoke. Phone 973-458-0800. 

Closings in southern Bergen Co.

A few closings to pass along. Let us know if you've seen any others:

• The Avenue Diner, a Wallington diner on Paterson Avenue that came under new ownership only a year or so ago (it used to be Tommy's Diner). It will become Canyon Hearth Grill, according to a new sign on the building, which is being renovated. The sign indicates it will serve bagels, baked goods, salads and burgers.

New Mediterranean restaurant

The former Il Piacere restaurant spot in Garfield is now Mediterranean Grill, a Mediterranean restaurant. The menu spans the region, with gyros, kebabs, burek and such Italian standards as chicken parm and lasagna. The dining rooms seats about 50.

Mediterranean Grill is at 190 Harrison St., Garfield; 973-685-7732.

... and speaking of Duff

... here he is with Victoria Finkel, 10, of Glen Rock, who won A&P's Best Birthday Moment essay contest for A&P.

Finkel, one of 50 finalists chosen to meet Duff at a luncheon at The Boathouse in Manhattan, had her essay selected by Duff as the best. She received a $3,000 gift certificate for a custom cake from his Charm City Cakes in Baltimore.