Geoffrey Zakarian will reconceive the upstairs portion of Country as Country Steak. [Grub Street]
Nightlifers Kyky and Unik's meatpacking spot Merkato 55 now has a long-promised subterranean lounge, Bijou. [DBTH]
Employees at Tao are suing the restaurant for skimming tips and withholding overtime pay. [NRN]
Marquee and Pacha both got shut down over the weekend. [EdgeNewYork]
Photographer Daniel Krieger has pics from Florent during its closing weekend. [Eater]
Is Momofuku Ko the next Sotheby's? After a reservation at the restaurant fetched $2,870 in an online auction, Portfolio's Felix Salmon suggests David Chang make auctions a regular event. [Portfolio]
News flash: As the economy heads south, so do tips. [NYP]
New York's faux-retro diners are going the way of its real retro diners—they're closing. [Crains]
