RAW CAFES Chef-restaurateur turned raw food guru Mathew Kenney now has a chain of organic raw food cafes. Mr. Kenney was the chef-owner of Commune, Commissary, and other former restaurants, as well as of Pure Food & Wine, which is still open but not his anymore. He opens his fourth Blue/Green organic juice cafe today, after opening the first earlier this month. The signature $7 smoothie contains young coconut, blue-green algae and “a hint of agave,” the cactus used to make tequila. Another $1.50 each will get you such “enhancements” as hemp protein, acai powder, or a scoop of the cafe’s raw “ice cream,” which, in accordance with the principles of the raw food movement, contains neither dairy nor refined sugar.

Blue/Green’s food, all made at the main restaurant in Brooklyn (25 Jay St., between Plymouth and John streets, 718-722-7543) and distributed to the other locations (203 E. 74th St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-744-0940; 248 Mott St., between Houston and Prince streets, 212-334-0805, and Equinox Fitness Club in Darien, Conn., 203-655-2300), also follows raw food principles and has never been heated past 118* Fahrenheit. Items include portobello fajitas and zucchini pasta with tomato herb sauce, kalamata olives, pine nuts, and cashew “parmesan.”

For those looking for more variety in their diets than the raw food lifestyle might offer, Mr. Kenney opened Heirloom (191 Orchard St., between Houston and Stanton streets, 212-228-9888) on Monday. It features vegetarian and vegan as well as raw offerings, including a portobello “foie gras.”

BACK IN TOWN Franklin Becker, who was chef at Capitale, Local, and Trinity before moving to Philadelphia to work for restaurateur Stephen Starr, has come back to New York and is cooking at Brasserie (100 E. 53rd St, between Park and Lexington avenues, 212-751-4840).The menu will stay the same until after the holidays, and then Mr. Becker will start adding his own dishes.

CHEAP CHEESE Speaking of Philadelphia, Woody McHale’s (230 W 14th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues, 212-206-0430) is offering a special through December on its Philly cheese steaks. They’re $5.59 instead of $9.95. If you like your cheese steaks with Guinness, Woody is selling pints of the Irish stout for $4.

DRINK UP Secretes (513 E. 6th St, between avenues A and B, 212-228-2775) now has a liquor license. In celebration, it’s offering a sangria special on Tuesdays – a pitcher and three tapas for $27. Bring your own wine on Mondays for a $10 corkage fee.

Mr. Thorn is food editor at Nation’s Restaurant News. He can be reached at bthorn@nrn.com.