[James Toback, Francis Ford Coppola at the premiere of Tetro. All photos by CHANCE YEH for PMc] Director Francis Ford Coppola was all smiles last night as he walked the red carpet for the premiere of his newest film Tetro, his first original screenplay since 1974’s The Conversation. Guests at the event varied greatly on Hollywood’s A to Z list, and included the likes of the movie’s cast, VH1 comedian Paul F. Tompkins, and the Karate Kid himself, Ralph Macchio. More»

In line with the trend of saving more and spending less, we’ve set out to prove that you can continue to enjoy the best of everything the city offers on a tighter budget.  After doing a bit of research and asking some friends, including an up-and-coming designer, a journalist for an indie zine, a restaurateur cum musician, and a financial consultant, GofG has put together a list of some choice deals, discounts and bargains so that you can live it up even if your stocks are going down.

Dining: By now we’ve all seen those signs around town for the recession special.  But let’s be honest, there’s no spaghetti and meatballs recession special that will curb a craving for gourmet food.  And for this reason, it would insane not to take advantage of:

• Restaurant Week’s extension through March 20th.  Bargain prix fixe lunch or dinner menus at the likes of the 21 Club, Nobu, Spice Market (or any of the Jean Georges establishments, for that matter), and Dovetail are a few of the offers: check the complete guide to participating restaurants at NYCGO.

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[Installing the awnings for Ritz Asia, via Flickr]

Nobu (Nobu Next Door, Nobu Fifty Seven) fans rejoice….Taking over the northwest corner of MacDougal and Bleecker is Japanese newcomer, Ritz Asia. The owners managed to recruit two chefs from the Nobu Waikiki at the Waikiki Parc Hotel to head up the kitchen. Although they firmly dismiss the culinary crime of menu piracy, it is hard to deny the presence of so many Nobu classics. But with prices listed at nearly half the cost, who cares! Pending some disaster with bad ingredients, this may very well be the best recession news to hit the food scene yet…

Nobu items in Red / Ritz Asia in Blue:

• Bigeye & Bluefin Toro Tartar $34 / Tuna Tartar $10
• Nobu Sashimi Tacos (3 pieces) $21 / Tuna Tortilla Pizza $9

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