• Sneakers at Bouley? Not acceptable. You can wear them to Per Se, though, provided you also bring along a doctor's note. [TONY]
• A list of 75 outdoor cafés that have opened, in case you're feelin' brave. [GS]
• The Times would like to remind you that people are still spending big bucks to hit up brunch at Bagatelle and Merkato 55, recession or not. [NYT]
• Braeburn gets a middling, one-star review of in this week's New York. [NYM]
• A fire did serious damage to Coney Island's famed Totonno's pizzeria over the weekend, but the owners say they plan to reopen in six weeks or so. [NY1]
• Speaking of pizza, the highly-anticipated Kesté opens next week. [GS]
• Looking to open a restaurant? Cool! Here are some availabilities. [Eater]
• More trouble for Gordon Ramsay: A week after selling his LA eatery, he's been forced to sell off flagship in Paris because of the credit crunch. [NYP]
• Eric Ripert will tack one more honor to his resume tonight when he's awarded the Legion d'Honneur, France's highest award, at the French Consulate. [TFB]

• A list of spots where you can save on stress and dine out on Christmas. [NYM]
• Tips on how to avoid food poisoning at Grandma's house this year. [NYDN]
• Frank Bruni checks in on Tom Colicchio's Tuesday Dinner and Brian Bistrong's Braeburn in today's Times. [NYT, NYT]
• Is champagne too ostentatious given current events? Try punch. [NYT, NYT]
• Just in case you feel like skipping ahead to New Year's Eve, here's a complete rundown of events planned for the big night. [Citysearch]

♦ Hayashi Ya on the Upper West Side is implementing a 3 percent tax on diners who don't finish their food. Really. [CBS2]
♦ The Vesuvio bakery in Soho is up for sale. [Eater]
♦ A look inside Emma Hearst's Sorella, the northern Italian wine bar which just opened in Chinatown. [GS]
♦ Braeburn gets two stars out of six from Danyelle Freeman. [NYDN]
♦ A list of the strangest restaurant names of 2008. [Metromix]
♦ Possibly the strangest concept to come to NYC in a long time: At La Cave des Fondus, which opens tomorrow, wine and beer will be served in baby bottles. It's the thing to do in Paris, just so you know. [NYT]

♦ Adam Platt reviews Apiary and Delicatessen in this week's issue of New York. While the former earns a star, Delicatessen is ravaged for, among other things, "a Reuben sandwich that looks like it's been issued directly from the kitchens of Continental Airlines." [NYM]
♦ Gray's Papaya's "recession special" just got a little less special: Two franks and a drink will now cost you $4.45. [NYT]
♦ The best street food in NYC? Calexico took home top honors at the annual Vendy Awards. [Eater]