Where to Find Manga for Your Kid, Fugu for Your Daredevil Spouse and Ramen for the Whole Family (Without Leaving New York)

It’s hard to come down to earth after the otherworldly thrill of a trip to Tokyo. Giant towers filled with secret stores press up against Shinto temples, with their lit-paper lanterns and prayer letters. Rock star wannabe schoolgirls, complete with uniforms and pink hair, clutter the otherwise orderly sidewalks.

Since she first burst onto the scene in 1987, Sinead O’Connor has never been afraid to take on controversial topics both on and off the stage. This week, the outspoken singer returns to New York to promote her latest double album, “Theology”. From her home in Dublin – the singer who once shredded an image of the pope on TV – talked with the Resident about religion, God, and the difference between the two. —Heather Corcoran

In the wine country of Willamette Valley, Ore., Harry Peterson-Nedry has noticed climate change first hand. Fifteen years ago, the highest elevation he could successfully grow grapes at was 600 feet; now warmer temperatures allow him to reach 1,000 feet. His last three out of four vintages have benefited from the hottest growing seasons on record. “I’ve definitely noticed, over the last 20 years or so, better and better ripening periods [due to] more heat,” he said.

Beets don’t draw the eye with their round brownish roots, languishing between radish and turnip. But red beets are simple to prepare and take top billing on many of the city’s best menus. — Sylvie Bigar

For the last year and a half, Chef Bill Telepan has brought greenmarket-inspired, sophisticated cuisine to the restaurant-starved Upper West Side. He mixes the best local ingredients with a solid technique he perfected at the now-defunct Judson Grill and changes his menu regularly to tickle his guests — a mix of Lincoln Center attendees and happy foodies. — Sylvie Bigar

By Kristin Elise Phillips

Biologist Kathleen Nolan steps off the makeshift pier – a patchwork of concrete slabs, wooden and plastic decking, and bare earth – and balances between rubble and the still waters of the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. Leaning over the bulkhead, she fills a container with chilly water. She is sampling the water as she has before, bringing her students from nearby St. Francis College.

After a career season with the New York Jets and a switch from defensive end to linebacker, Bryan Thomas predicts the Jets will return to the playoffs. No. 99 talked to the Resident about what it’s like to sack Tom Brady and how to build his ultimate dream team.—Heather Corcoran

Photographer Terry O’Neill has made a career from a level of celebrity access that most photographers can only dream of. Long before paparazzi and tabloids took over, O’Neill elegantly captured revealing and candid moments in the lives of his famous subjects.

PB&J Makes the Jump from Lunchbox to Luxury
Upper East Side restaurant David Burke & Donatella is taking peanut butter and jelly sandwiches upscale. Forget about the white bread, Skippy and Smuckers. For $23, their Hudson Valley Foie Gras PB&J Tourchon provides layers of macadamia nut butter, strawberry-vanilla jam and foie gras on a toasted brioche.–Kerri Fortune

Spa Treatments
Though some of the treatments offered in top New York spas sound like torture techniques, Manhattanites seeking the means to whiplash-inducing beauty will gladly pay top dollar for them. Here are some places you can bring your body for a tune-up. — Cotton Delo