• Will Café des Artistes be reborn one of these days? A number of investors have expressed an interest in reviving the famed venue, apparently. [Crain's]
• As for Tavern on the Green, which is supposed to change hands on Dec. 31, a judge has given the LeRoy family more time to vacate the premises, which will prevent it from having to lay off 400 employees over Christmas. [NYT]
• The Todd English case goes on: The chef's bride-to-be Erica Wang is maintaining her innocence and gave a statement to police today. [NYP]
• A $1 billion lawsuit has been filed against Greenhouse for allegedly denying a group of people entry because of their race. Yes, $1 billion. [NYP]
• Mayor Bloomberg has weighed in on his fave bagel for some reason. [NYDN]
• Maialino, Danny Meyer's restaurant at the Gramercy Park Hotel, is on track to opens next month. But he's not sure when the next Shake Shack opens. [GS]
• Any interest in some "Viagra soup"? Yea, didn't think so. [NYDN]

• The Shake Shack expansion cannot be stopped. Late last week, word dropped that Danny Meyer's burger chain was planning to open seven locations in the Middle East and three new outposts in Manhattan; today comes word that the first of these three will be at the corner of Mulberry and Prince Streets.
• A Voce will soft open this evening in the Time Warner Center. Here's a peek inside. And here's an interview with chef Missy Robbins. [Eater, Zagat]
• This week's reviews: New York's Adam Platt gives one star apiece to DBGB and L'Entrecôte; Bloomberg's Ryan Sutton is very pleased with what he finds at the Standard Grill; TONY's Jay Cheshes visits Brooklyn's Prime Meats; the New Yorker's Shauna Lyon checks in on to Locanda Verde; and the Village Voice's Robert Sietsema finds the food at Joseph Leonard "often spectacular."
• The John Dory closed on August 29. Now the eatery's landlord has filed suit against Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich for $75,000 in unpaid rent. [NYDN]
• Josh Picard (Chinatown Brasserie, Lure, Locanda Verde) is taking over the old Cub Room space; meanwhile, Jason and Joe Denton of 'inoteca will be taking over the space formerly occupied by Frederick's Downtown. [Eater]

• Not everyone was sad to hear the news that Café des Artistes was closing. Lonnie Barnett, a former general manager of the restaurant says working there was "possibly the most hellish restaurant experience ever." [P6]
• Did Irving Mill close for summer vacation or is it a sign of trouble? [GS]
• Laurent Tourondel's BLT Grill, which is slated to open at the new W Hotel in the financial district, has been greenlighted by the community board. [Eater]
• Buddha Bar was forced to change its name after it lost a trademark lawsuit. Now it's come up with one: Ajna Bar. It also reports that it has a new chef, Hung Huynh, the winner of season three of Top Chef. [Eater]
• Champagne producers have agreed to pick 32% fewer grapes this year, which will leave "billions of grapes to rot on the ground." Why? Because you're not going out and buying as much champagne as you used to. [WSJ]
• Interesting in some sushi or a selection of cheeses the next time you fly coach? You may get the chance—provided you're willing to pay for it. [WSJ]

• Is Drew Nieporent thinking about taking over Café des Artistes? "It's a great space and I'm always interested in great spaces," he says cryptically. [BN]
• A guide to some of your food options at the US Open. [Gothamist]
• Yesterday, the city unveiled its new anti-obesity campaign against sugary soft drinks and the like; today, the beverage industry fired back. [NYP]
• As part of the deal giving him control of Tavern on the Green, Dean Poll also settled a dispute with the city over $100K in unpaid fees. Convenient! [NYP]
• Some tips and tricks to ordering off a menu, courtesy of Frank Bruni. [GS]
• A roundup of recent restaurant closings around town. [Eater]
• Turning your gross black tar rooftop into a sustainable garden full of tasty fruits and veggies is all the rage, in case you haven't heard. [MSNBC]

• After more than 30 years in business, Café des Artistes is no more. The landmark restaurant closed on August 9 for a monthlong vacation. Now the owners, George and Jenifer Lang, say they've decided against reopening it in September following "steady losses and a union lawsuit." [NYT]
• Another notable closing: Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield's John Dory, which unexpectedly closed its doors on Saturday after just nine months in business. The duo say they're hoping to find a new location for it. [Eater, NYT]
• One place that is not closing, contrary to a rumor that made the rounds late last week: the meatpacking club Griffin, which reports all is well. [P6]
• A Voce should open in the Time Warner Center next week. [GS, Eater]
• A roundup of other spots slated to open over the next week or two. [TONY]
• A roundup of places scheduled to debut over the next few months. [Zagat]
• Kurt Gutenbrunner (Wallse, Blaue Gans, Cafe Sabarsky) has signed on to oversee the menu at the new beer garden at the Standard Hotel. [Eater]
• If Dean Poll wants to keep the Tavern on the Green name when he takes over the venue, he may have to pay as much as $19 million for the rights. [NYP]