••• The paper came off the windows at the storefront on the southwest corner of Harrison and Staple today, and the windows were washed. Is it finally turning into something?

••• From Torly Kid: “Calling all Torly girls ages 7-10: The folks at HBO just stopped in to post about a casting call on Sunday 10–5 p.m. at Shelter Studios for an HBO television pilot based on the book The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. Need more info? Email us or pop into store for a flyer.”

••• My friendly little survey is very close to having the number of recipients I was aiming for—so if you haven’t filled it out, please do, so I can stop pestering everyone about it.

••• I went to Greenwich Grill for lunch today—its $12 three-course prix-fixe lunch (for pasta as the main; meat costs you $18) is an amazing deal, even if they swap out cloth napkins for paper. I’m a snob! You knew that! But what I was most charmed by was the frequent luncher card: Buy 10 lunches over $10 and you get one prix-fixe lunch free.

••• From 83 Franklin’s Facebook page: “Tune in tonight to Selling New York/HGTV at 10:30 E/P. The show follows Doron Zwickel during a three month period as he prepares for the launch of 83 Franklin.” If you see a weird guy skulking around an open-house party, it was me.

UPDATE: I’m told that “Italian without borders” referred to borders within Italy.

Ristorante Aglio is at 277 Church (between White and Franklin), 212-343-0277; ristoranteaglio.com.

P.S. When you go to Ristorante Aglio—and you should!—share your thoughts on its page in the Tribeca Citizen Restaurant Guide.

Recent New Kid on the Block articles:
• Kutsher’s Tribeca
• Artsee
• Tribeca Tap House
• Cheryl McGinnis Gallery
• François Payard Bakery
• Laughing Man Marketplace
• JEM Café
• Lolë

The rules: Participants can choose which of 40-odd questions they’d like to answer, but they have to answer numbers one through four (and at least 12 total).

1. How long have you lived in the area? Where did you move from? Where are you originally from? Originally from Michigan. Moved to New York 24 Years ago. Stella Digital’s office has been in Tribeca for the last 9 years. I moved down to Tribeca from NoHo two years ago so I could walk to work.

2. Married? Partnered? If so, what’s his/her name and occupation? Not married.

3. Kids? Pets? Two girls, 8 and 4 years old.

4. Where do you live? BPC—great for kids!

5. The best deal around: Not really Tribeca but close—Staten Island ferry! Great to get out on the water—get someone you like to be with, good sushi and some beer and take a sunset cruise past the the Statue of Liberty, etc. then come back to NYC. Nice ride and it’s free. (I haven’t done this since college but I remember it being fun.)

6. My most-frequented restaurants: Nobody takes better care of me than the Odeon. I also like Marc Forgione, Greenwich Grill, Blaue Gans, the Harrison….

7. For special occasions, I go to: Marc Forgione is good—but then so is that Palm at Walker’s [see #10]….

8. Best sandwich: Columbine [now Café Clementine], Grandaisy Bakery, and Mangez Avec Moi all make good sandwiches—but one of the best sandwiches on the earth is the BLT at the Odeon.

10. Most delicious cocktail: The Russian Caravan at Brandy Library is really good but that place is a bit stuffy—there are also good cocktails at Smith & Mills. The best might be a cold Palm beer poured by my friend John at Walker’s.

16. How I stay fit: I used to go to Peter Anthony. It’s really a great place to get in shape! I just got too busy to make it there. If I find some more time I’ll definitely go back.

17. Where I get beautiful: Well, I do own a retouching company….

18. What’s the area’s best-kept secret? Wouldn’t be a secret if we told….

20. A worthy splurge: Wine! Chambers Street Wines and Tribeca Wine Merchants [left] are great.

21. A recent case of sticker shock: [Please avoid real estate.] The frickin’ parking garage. It’s a little annoying to pay a small rent to park one’s car.

23. Rainy-day activity: Swimming with the kids at the Downtown Community Center!

25. Kids’ classes you’d recommend: Downtown Dance Factory is great!

33. If money were no object, I’d…. I have a friend (and Tribecan) involved with an amazing charity called Edible School Yard. I would like to see all the schools here put gardens in like they’ve done at P.S. 216. If money were no object, I’d make it happen.

39. If I could change one thing about the neighborhood: Tribeca could really use a great Mexican place. I won’t name the one or two we have but let’s just say, they’re not up to par.”

45. If I couldn’t live here, I’d live in…. Argentina.

If you’d like to do the TCQ&A—or you want to recommend someone—email tribecacitizen@gmail.com.

Recent TCQ&As:
• Dan Kohn

Located at 277 Church, TriBeCafe was a half-sister to Greenwich Grill.

“Yes, it is a sudden change, given that we just launched a new menu,” emailed Yoko Izu, who handles PR, marketing and events for the restaurants. “But, we’re excited about the new restaurant that is in the works and think it will be a great addition to the little Restaurant Row that’s forming on Church Street.” Looking forward to it! Although Reboot Row might be a better name, seeing how White & Church (née Il Matto) and Stuzzicheria have both undergone recent reinventions and the Matsugen space is in a big question mark.

••• Added to the calendar: Nili Lotan is having a sample sale on Monday, Apr. 7, and Tuesday, Apr. 8 (noon to 7 p.m. both days). Spring merch 75% off.

••• Also: Japanese mothers who live in the area are throwing a benefit for Save the Children—Japanese Earthquake Tsunami Relief on Sunday, Apr. 10, at the Downtown Community Center. For information on attending or donating goods and/or services, click the link above.

••• Terrace Fish & Chips on Church has closed. When it opened, I remember telling my partner all excitedly that we’d have to try it. I had just moved from the West Village; I lived near Salt and Battery or whatever that fancy-ish fish-and-chips place on Greenwich is called. He just rolled his eyes.

••• The coming-soon Agatha Ruiz de la Prada store at Greenwich and Watts has signage.

••• I only just learned that Greenwich Grill has what may be the best lunch deal around: $12 for a choice of four appetizers, a choice of four pastas (one is a risotto), the dessert of the day, and coffee, tea, or espresso. Or you can choose one of four entrées for $18.

••• Shake Shack Battery Park City is hiring “for a May opening.”

••• I got all excited when I saw the green buds on this tree on Vestry/Laight—you know, that bend next to the Holland Tunnel offramp. But then I saw that the trees on Trimble, next to Tribeca Tower, are really about to blossom (see below—it was breezy so I couldn’t get my camera to focus).

••• From Steven Alan: “Help us support the people of Japan. We will donate 15% of all sales made between March 14-17 to the International Medical Corps.”

••• From Terroir: “Offering Yoshi’s Fried Chicken Japanese Style (YFC) at both Terroirs starting Wednesday P.M. All $ to Japanese Relief.”

••• From Mehtaphor: “On Wednesday, March 16, all proceeds of sales for reservations made between 6pm and 8pm will be donated to the Red Cross to aid in relief efforts for the earthquake/tsunami.”

••• From Trattoria Cinque: “To celebrate the milestone [150th anniversary of] Italian unification, Trattoria Cinque will offer a complimentary glass of Prosecco to any customer dining with us that will mention this email on Wednesday, March 17th, 2011.”

••• From Stuzzicheria: “March 18–20, in honor of La Festa di San Guiseppe (Saint Joseph’s Day, March 19), dinner tables will receive a complimentary order of  Zeppole di San Guiseppe (St Joseph’s Fritters) to celebrate one of the most festive and popular feasts in Southern Italy.”

••• From Sweet Lily Natural Nail Spa: “Beginning this Friday, March 18th, we’ll be serving complimentary white wine with all of its treatments. (Available 4pm to closing daily.)”

••• Mark your calendars: Shoe designer Matt Bernson‘s annual sample sale will be April 30 and May 1 at 450 Greenwich; times TBD in early April (will post them then).

••• Tweeted by @NYCdowntowndiva: “Red Mango frozen yogurt and smoothie shop opening on Fulton between William and Nassau… hopefully just in time for summer!”

••• “You’ll have dreaming about that sandwich,” predicted the bartender yesterday at Ponte’s about the Angry Lobster roll—the restaurant’s famous lobster (cooked with garlic, red pepper flakes, and basil) on a roll made from Ponte’s pizza dough. She was so right!

••• In the summer promotion from American Express and NYC & Co. (the city’s tourism arm), you can double American Express Membership Rewards points if you register your card at nycgo.com/getmorenyc and then shop (between July 1 to September 5) at 92YTribeca, Bed Bath & Beyond, Bridge Café, Capsouto Frères, Centrico, Century 21, Greenwich Grill, J&R, Nobu, Next Door Nobu, The Palm, Ponte’s, Sushi Azabu, Thalassa, Tribeca Grill (and other spots around the city). I still don’t get the point of registering. It’s not like Amex doesn’t keep track of where you’re spending money—and couldn’t just hand that info over to NYC & Co.

••• “Friends, colleagues and collaborators” will gather to celebrate Alex Chilton on July 28 at City Winery. And on July 23, 25, and 30, the venue will host benefit concerts to aid the region affected by the BP spill. And on Tuesdays from June 29 to August 10, City Winery will host the second-annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival, with food from Great Performances, in the parking lot behind the winery (enter on Spring).

••• On July 1, at the Access Theater, Blue Coyote is presenting a reading of Reasons for Moving, a play by Matthew Freeman: “two neighbors hatch an unlikely plan to escape a seemingly menacing stranger.” It’s free but you have to RSVP at bluecoyote@bluecoyote.org.

Which restaurants do you frequent most often?
It’s nearly impossible to have a bad meal in Tribeca: Landmarc, Thalassa, Nobu Next Door, and Greenwich Grill, to name a few, all have great atmosphere, food, and wine. Also, Ecco [left] on Chambers Street is a real gem hidden in plain sight and Ray, the manager, is terrific.

Which restaurants do you tend to go to for special occasions?
Greenwich Grill is my new favorite for any and all occasions. The food is great and the staff are incredibly nice and accommodating.

Where do you order in (or get take-out) from? Are there dishes you always order?
Wichcraft and Columbine are delicious for lunch while Zutto and Roc are dinner favorites. (At Wichcraft, I love how you can go online and pre-order food  to be ready at a specified time. It’s awesome to be able to breeze in and grab food or a latte with no waiting during a busy lunch hour.)

Which shops do you find it hard to resist popping into when you pass by?
There are so many great shops in Tribeca, especially in my line of work—Steven Sclaroff, Mondo Cane, Karkula, Room, Hostler Burrows, and Carini Lang [right] always have something interesting that inspires me.

What was the last non-essential item you bought in Tribeca?
Brownies and ice cream sandwiches at Tribeca Treats—they are heavenly.

Are there any services (salon, fitness, etc.) that you’re particularly glad are in the neighborhood?
I have been training at Real Pilates for years—they have some of the best instructors in New York. Of course this makes sense because Alycea, the owner, will accept no less. SoulCycle is a great new addition to the neighborhood. They are offering some really interesting new classes in their schedule.

What’s Tribeca’s best-kept secret?
Definitely the Inside Tribeca Loft Tour which happens in October with the proceeds benefiting the Friends of Duane Park [left: a stop on a previous tour]. Also, my hands down favorite, Halloween, because all of the kids are out trick or treating in the neighborhood. It’s an epic amount of cuteness—last year, one of my clients dressed her son as a lobster in a lobster pot. It was unreal.

Where do you always take out-of-towners?
Brunch at Locanda Verde followed by a walk along the promenade in an attempt to burn off the calories.

Which neighborhood building do you wish you lived in and/or owned?
No contest—it would be the firehouse on N. Moore [right], especially since it’s the Ghostbusters firehouse.

What’s your favorite part of Tribeca (street, park, whatever)?
I like the northern part of Greenwich Street because it reminds me of a movie set, especially at night.

Your most memorable Tribeca celebrity sighting?
Tracey Ullman having dinner with Meryl Streep at Greenwich Grill—even after living in New York City for over 20 years and seeing a zillion celebrities, that was really cool.

If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what would it be?
I wouldn’t actually change anything. Tribeca is a very special neighborhood and I feel fortunate to be able to spend so much time there.

What’s changed in Tribeca that you like? That you don’t?
I believe that Tribeca has been “discovered,” which is not really terrible because it has become a hub in lower Manhattan. The only downside I have found is that it is no longer possible to find a parking spot, especially on weekends.

Why Tribeca?
It is has the perfect blend of urban and small town at the same time. It is still very much a neighborhood.

Any questions you wish you’d been asked?
Do you know a good interior designer?

Previous TCQ&As:
• Donna Marotta: “The Number of Nail Salons Baffles Me”
• Susan Bernfield: “I Almost Invited Jon Stewart Over on Passover”
• Paulette Goto: “I Buy ‘Play-Date Punch’ at Chambers Street Wines”
• Wendy Gardner: “I Bought a Stuffed Wombat at Moomah”
• Dan Rubenstein: “Kitchenette’s Turkey Meatloaf Is My Favorite”

Paulette Goto left Utah (“No, I’m not a Mormon, yes I ski, and yes I watch Big Love—and yes that’s what life is like in Utah”), to pursue her dream of becoming a pastry chef. Once in New York City, she attended the French Culinary Institute, and upon graduation, landed a job at Le Cirque, where she met her husband, Ken. (He was the pastry sous chef, and then he left to co-launch Jacques Torres Chocolate.) Goto, who still makes cakes on a freelance basis, is a stay-at-home mom, raising their 6-year-old daughter. She has also started writing a blog, sugarlovingfashionista.blogspot.com. “It’s my take on food, fashion, pop culture, and being a mom,” she says—and as you can see from her TCQ&A, she’s quite fun to read.

How long have you lived in Tribeca?
We journeyed all the way down here from Union Square in 2005. We loved Union Square but after  9/11 it was more like Times Square, and after we had our daughter we wanted a more family-friendly ‘hood. (That and a neighborhood with no methadone clinics. We’re picky that way….)

Which restaurants do you frequent most often?
This one can’t be a short answer…. We love Roc, it’s like the Cheers of Tribeca, you’re guaranteed to see friendly faces and they treat everyone that walks through the door like a family member. I think I may be the Norm of Roc, except I dance on tables and drink Kir Royales.

When we renovated our kitchen, we ate everywhere. Our daughters’ favorite is Nobu and Nobu Next Door, she loves everything on the menu, especially the Ankimo (monkfish liver). Don’t knock it till you try it; it’s duh-vine. We also love the Harrison: It’s “fancy” and kid-friendly and oh-so-yummy, all at the same time. Marc Forgione is great and has such great lighting. Everyone looks dead sexy. Greenwich Grill is sick good. It’s so good I just get sick with cravings for it—hell, I’m salivating now just thinking about it. The upstairs has Japanese-style pasta and the downstairs, Sushi Azabu, has some amazing sushi. Kitchenette also saved us through our kitchen renovation. I had every salad on the menu and my husband loves the fried chicken and our daughter loves the chicken noodle soup.

Which restaurants do you tend to go to for special occasions?
It depends on who the special occasion is for. If it’s for our daughter, Nobu or Next door Nobu….. Or Ninja, which our daughter loves (definitely for the theme and not the food). Locanda Verde is insanely good and I’ll make up a special occasion to go there, like for instance, it’s Tuesday! Let’s celebrate at Locanda Verde!

Where do you order in (or get take-out) from? Are there dishes you always order?
My husband and I are both chefs so we really enjoy cooking at home. We don’t order in that much but when we do it’s usually from Tataki or Landmarc. Wichcraft and Columbine know how to make a sandwich like no one’s business. Those places are like church for lunch. Can I get an amen?!

Which shops do you find it hard to resist popping into when you pass by?
I loved Tribbles and I was so sad to see it go—it always had such good finds. Petticoat Lane is filled with stuff that I only realized that I really needed after I set foot inside. And PB & Caviar is also great.

What was the last non-essential item you bought in Tribeca?
A case of Bugey Cerdon from Chambers Street Wines. I refer to it as play-date punch (but, really, that’s a staple).

Are there any services (salon, fitness, etc.) that you’re particularly glad are in the neighborhood?
I love Euphoria Spa. It’s a small space with no frills, but the staff is always so helpful. I think I’ve had appointments with every massage therapist there and they’re all amazing. It’s impossible to have a bad visit. For pedicures, I prefer i-Plaza Nail & Spa: They can get the bottom of my of my feet as soft as a baby’s ass—which is what I strive for but that’s my business. Resale-Riches is an amazing service/online consignment shop. Tania only takes items in pristine condition, and when you want to clean out your closet, she comes to your house and goes through what she can take to sell. She makes it easy for her clients to do as little as possible and I love that.

What’s Tribeca’s best-kept secret?
Does Smith & Mills count as a secret? Or maybe the secret is how many times I’ve ended up there at the end of the evening….

Where do you always take out-of-towners?
To a nearby hotel. I hate when people think that staying with us is an option. It’s sooooo not. I have to take people to Jacques Torres Chocolates at King and Hudson, because my husband is Jacques’s business partner and people who know us seem to want to go there when visiting New York City. Go figure. In the ‘hood, we always take people to Nobu to give the appearance that we live like Jay-Z, ’cause we’re showy peeps. Bling bling yo! And it’s a must to show off the parks we’re surrounded by—Washington Market Park, Teardrop Park, and Rockefeller Park are all wonderful.

Which neighborhood building do you wish you lived in and/or owned?
My husband has a complete crush on 101 Warren. We watched it go from a small, empty field to a high-rise luxury building that stole our water views, but who’s bitter? We used to live in a high rise in Union Square and that’s something my husband really misses. For me there are several. Tribeca is just dripping with wonderful historic and newly built unattainable over-priced real-estate that I just love to drool over. A girl can dream (and work hard to attain said real estate—that’s right, we’re moving on up, just like the Jeffersons).

What’s your favorite part of Tribeca (street, park, whatever)?
I love Greenwich Street—it feels like Main Street, Anytown, U.S.A. (My sister, who does live in Anytown, Utah, says I’m crazy for feeling this way about Greenwich Street but this is my interview not hers.)

Your most memorable Tribeca celebrity sighting?
Tribeca is a celebrity f@#%fest—there’s a celebrity sighting every day. Honestly, I see a celeb on the reg. When our daughter started nursery school, we got to meet and become friends with some celebs in the ‘hood (which always blows this country bumpkin’s mind). For me, looking at Mike D. of the Beastie Boys is like looking at Elvis. I’ve met him a few times and I can’t look him in the face. I feel like a young girl meeting Elvis or the Beatles. I bow to thee, Mike D. My daughter is in kindergarten with a really famous celeb’s son, and he and his wife are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. It’s just a bit overwhelming to have a conversation with a living legend. And once, my daughter played peek-a-boo with Meryl Streep at Tribeca Grill and I just about peed my pants.

If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what would it be?
Stop the construction of new buildings already! There are enough people down here and the neighborhood feels like it’s getting squeezed out at the seams.

What’s changed in Tribeca that you like? That you don’t?
I don’t like the ritzy, trendy mothership gyms that have landed here. (That’s a whole other interview.) I love that Whole Foods, Barnes & Noble, and Bed Bath & Beyond have moved in, and it was so kind of them to move in right across the street from where we live.

Why Tribeca?
Tribeca feels like a little village tucked away in New York City. It’s a little slice of suburbia in Manhattan without the hassle of all that yardwork. And in my world I am just as famous as any other celeb that lives here, so I fit right in. (My world may or may not be under the influence of medication and/or alcohol.)

Any questions you wish you’d been asked?
Do you have any good gossip?

Previous TCQ&As:
• Wendy Gardner: “I Bought a Stuffed Wombat at Moomah”
• Dan Rubenstein: “Kitchenette’s Turkey Meatloaf Is My Favorite”
• Pam Chmiel: “I Wish I Could Renovate Pier A into a Waterfront Home”
• Jeff Tabak: “I’d Put the Sawdust Back on the Floor of Morgan’s”
• Kimberly Reed: “My Puppy Would Not Stop Sniffing Ed Burns”

The handsome room is a rectangle with a bar along the left side, just past the stairs that lead down (from the outside, through the red doors in the photo) to the basement bar called B Flat. Along the right-hand wall is a banquette with two- and four-tops, and past that is a large circular booth with two tables inside it. There are more tables at the far end of the room, on the left side. The wall behind the bar is brick and lined with high shelves of bottles (and there’s a metal ladder on rails, like in a library). The other is covered in a sort of thatched wallpaper—I’m sure there’s an interior-design word for it,but I don’t know it. Multi-bulbed light fixtures—they’re too masculine/industrial to be called chandeliers—add significant character.

While the food is defined as “Tokyo casual,” there’s a dignity to the place that reminds me very much of Greenwich Grill; the staff, for instance, is in starched white. Unlike Greenwich Grill, however, no one greets you—or at least not last night—so entering can feel a bit awkward. Our waiter, however, couldn’t have been nicer, and the bartender took his drink-making very seriously, stirring my Manhattan with one large ice cube in a cut-crystal beaker. (And I love that the Manhattan, which was only $9, wasn’t huge. Cocktails shouldn’t be served in glasses that could double as fishbowls.)

And the food? I posted the menu here. We had the daily carpaccio (fluke), the mentaiko spaghetti, the salmon teriyaki, and the Ebisu beef curry—and while everything was delicious, the portions are on the smaller side, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, given that (a) prices are cheap, and (b) I then had an excuse to order French fries.

I was pleased to see that like Greenwich Grill, the restaurant has a hard-to-describe quality that I remember from Tokyo. There’s something quintessentially Japanese about both places, and it’s not just the food. If that’s what sometimes makes them feel like they’re operating on their own frequency, it’s also what gives them charm.