• Tom Colicchio says he has a new restaurant planned for 2010. [Eater]
• Todd English is creating a "food hall" in the basement of the Plaza. [NYT]
• Monkey Bar is getting a bit more democratic. The restaurant now has a phone number commoners can call for reservations. For lunch only, though. [TONY]
• Bouley and Allen & Delancey have some health code issues to sort out. [GS]
• Anthony Bourdain is no fan of street food, in case you were wondering. [ML]
• Fewer bars and clubs are getting permits for all-night NYE parties. [NYP]
• Ever want to look inside Ruth Reichl's fridge? Now you can! At last! [Salon]

• Taavo Somer and the team from Freemans are opening a "classic American diner" in the old Kelley & Ping space on the Bowery. [VV]
• Ryan Skeen and his team have been ousted from Allen & Delancey. [GS]
• Midtown Italian eatery Bice won't be forced to close, after all. [Crain's]
• Donatella Arpaia's revamped, Psilakis-less Mia Dona has reopened. [GS]
• Does Michael "Bao" Huynh have yet another spot in the works? [TONY]
• Rooftop lounge 230 Fifth will be handing out Snuggies to its patrons. [Eater]
• ABC News treated the Heene family (of Balloon Boy fame, yes) to a "fabulous sushi dinner" at Ocean Grill last night, just so you know. [TMZ]

• The week in reviews: The Times's temp critic Pete Wells hands out a single star to the Standard Grill (and some controversy follows); NY's Adam Platt has mixed things to say about "pre-recession throwback" SHO Shaun Hergatt; Bloomberg's Ryan Sutton takes a knife to the new Aureole; and TONY's Jay Cheshes bestows four out of five stars on Ryan Skeen and Allen & Delancey.
• The Jane is striking back at its very angry (very noise-averse) neighbors. [P6]
• Coming in 2010 (maybe): Chumley's, the Village landmark that closed a couple of years ago, is hoping to make a return. And Todd English is looking to open a hotel restaurant named Oliver Todd on Great Jones Street. [Eater, GS]
• How did Danny Meyer come up with Shake Shack? Allow him to explain. [BT]
• Wine prices are at all-time lows, in case you haven't heard. [Reuters]
• How are some chain restaurants luring in customers during these tough economic times? By offering up discounts on drinks, naturally. [WSJ]
• Did you know Sunday is International Pickle Day? Now you do! [Decider, BB]

• Allen & Delancey has filed for bankruptcy, but will remain open. [Eater, GS]
• A peek inside the new Oceana opening near Rockefeller Center. [Eater]
• Le Souk is reopening on Ave B and now plans to open a second location. [GS]
• New NYT dining critic Sam Sifton on having his photo all over the web: "I look different now... I'm using a comb for the first time since the 1990s." [WWD]
• Which chain has better coffee: Starbucks, Mickey D's, or Dunkin'? [Slate]
• How does Padma Lakshmi keep thin? Exercise, believe it or not. [NYT]

• Di Fara sells the city's most expensive slice of pizza. (The price was just raised to $5.) A symptom of the recession? A sign the recession is over? Something else? Now even the mayor has been forced to weigh in on the subject. [NYT]
• The Oyster Bar in Grand Central has lost its liquor license. [Eater]
• Closings: Centovini on West Houston will close tomorrow; Brooklyn's Bonita closes in August; and Baraza on Avenue C has already closed its doors.
• The insanely messy legal feud between Philippe and Mr. Chow continues. [GS]
• The perfect complement to a summer lobster roll? Lobster ice cream. [GS]
• The critical deets from yesterday's "beer summit": The president drank a Bud Light; Joe Biden had a Bucklers; Henry Louis Gates opted for a Sam Adams Light; and Cambridge cop James Crowley sipped on a Blue Moon. [NYP]

• Rumor has it the end may be near for Marcus Samuelsson's Aquavit. [TFB]
• Café Noir, on the other hand, will live on. Following reports the Soho spot would be forced to close its doors this summer comes word that the owners have convinced their landlord to renew their lease for another year. [Eater]
• Danyelle Freeman of the NYDN gives four out of five stars to Andrew Carmellini's "thoughtful and imaginative" cooking at Locanda Verde. [NYDN]
• Philippe Bertineau, the executive chef at the now-shuttered Payard, speaks out about the UES pâtisserie/bistro's untimely demise. [TONY]
• Butcher Bay, the seafood spot in the East Village, has filed suit against Community Board 3 over its decision to deny it a liquor license. [Eater]

• Rachael Ray says her long-awaited burger joint will open in 2010. [TFB]
• A roundup of all the restaurants that shuttered this week. [Eater]
• Eric Ripert says he is not planning to launching a line of prepared foods, despite what you may have read elsewhere. [TFB]
• Allen & Delancey is offering for half-priced cocktails on Tuesdays. [GS]
• Butcher Bay opens up on East 5th Street tonight. [Eater]
• Patrón is launching a new line of super high-end vodka. Great timing! [WSJ]
• A look inside the recently-reopened Holland Bar. [GS]
• The yellow eel in John Dory's fish tank has gone missing, but Joe Bastianich has some theories on where it went. [NYT]

• The city is accepting proposals from restaurateurs interesting in taking over Tavern on the Green. Be advised you may have to do battle with current owner Jennifer Oz LeRoy, who has vowed to hang on to the landmark eatery. [NYO]
• Shang's Susur Lee earns a two-star review from Adam Platt this week. [NYM]
• Lunetta on Broadway and 21st Street has closed after 15 months. [Eater]
• Kyle Bailey is replacing Neil Ferguson at Allen & Delancey. [NYT]
• Yet more tax trouble for the Cipriani clan. [NYP]
• Mega-restaurateur Stephen Starr, Alto owner Chris Cannon, and broker Steven Kamali on the troubles facing the city's restaurant economy. [NYT]
• Another ex-Hawaiian Tropic hostess is suing for sexual harassment. [NYDN]
• Mention the word "bailout" at the Chocolate Bar at Henri Bendel between now and the end of the month and you'll get a free brownie. [New Yorkology]

♦ Adam Platt visits Irving Mill (left) and Inside Park at St. Bart's for New York this week. Chef Ryan Skeen's "meaty, calorie-rich repertoire" earns two stars for Irving Mill, but Platt is a little less enthusiastic about Inside Park, which gets a single star on account of the "eerie" atmosphere and despite his description of the food as "generally first-rate." [NYM]
♦ Eater has pics of David Chang's new Momofuku Bakery/Milk Bar, which may open next week. [Eater]

♦ Just what you need in these lean times: a handy map of recession specials at restaurants across the city. [Eater]
♦ Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto went on a ramen tasting tour through the East Village and—surprise—gave David Chang's Momofuku top honors. [GS]
♦ Allen & Delancey chef Neil Ferguson has left his two-star home for "moral and personal reasons" to join Soho House as executive chef. [Eater]

• The Observer has issued its list of ten top restaurant newcomers. The top three pics include Smith's, Allen & Delancey, and Dovetail. [NYO]