Kitchen Dish

ANOTHER STEAKHOUSE The owners of Uncle Jack's Steakhouse, who have a 10-year-old restaurant in Bayside and a three-year-old one at 34th Street and Ninth Avenue, have signed a lease to open a third unit, at 44 W. 56th St. (between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-245-1550). The two-story restaurant will have between 100 and 120 seats and will focus on serving dry-aged USDA Prime steaks as well as American Wagyu and Akaushi beef — both American versions of Japanese Kobe beef.

The targeted opening date is late April 2007.

MORE ESPRESSO A boutique selling espresso machines and premeasured capsules will open in the old Gauthier space on Madison Avenue (761 Madison Ave., between 65th and 66th streets) on Monday. Nespresso Boutique Bar also will operate an espresso bar.

DOWNTOWN CAMBODIAN Kampuchea Noodle Bar (78 Rivington St. at Allen Street, 212-529-3901) opens for dinner tomorrow. The Cambodian restaurant will feature not just noodles, but salads, sandwiches, soups, and satays. Crêpes, too. Lunch service will begin in January.

DRINKS & CHOCOLATE Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit (5 W 19th St. at Fifth Ave., 212-929-2323) is holding an open house this Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m., offering free tastings of Michel Cluizel chocolate paired with different beverages. Examples are 45% milk chocolate matched with rum, 64% single-plantation dark chocolate from Papua New Guinea with Banyuls, and 72% dark chocolate with port.

TEMPORARY CAVIAR The Petrossian Collection Store has set up shop on the second floor of the Time Warner Center (646-413-3006) until January 4. Caviar, smoked salmon, sturgeon, and other goodies are available.

FOR VIEWING ONLY Stop by the New York Marriott Marquis (1535 Broadway, between 45th and 46th streets, 212-398-1900) starting Monday to see the entries in the fifth annual Gingerbread on Broadway competition. Teams from East Coast culinary schools are building gingerbread houses in the contest, and the products of their efforts will be on display on the 8th floor of the hotel for as long as they remain standing. (They must be made only of edible ingredients.)

A panel of judges will begin examining the houses at 11 a.m., but a people's choice award will be given, too. Visitors who vote will have a chance to win dinner for two at the View, dinner for two at Katen Sushi Bar, or brunch for 4 at Encore Restaurant, all in the hotel.

Mr. Thorn is food editor of Nation's Restaurant News. He maintains nrnfoodwriter.blogspot.com.