• The critics: Sam Sifton of the Times shows no love for Le Caprice, giving the Brit import a zero-star review; New York's Adam Platt reports on the Breslin and gives it two stars; Time Out's Jay Cheshes gives Danny Meyer's Maialino four stars out of five; and GQ's Alan Richman weighs in on Casa Lever.
• Scott Conant has a name for his new restaurant at the Cooper Square Hotel: It's called Faustina and it will open for friends and family on Friday. [NYT]
• Expansion plans: Five Napkin Burger is opening its second location on the UWS; and Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is planning locations in Brooklyn and Queens.
• The Post's Steve Cuozzo has a few choice words for Alain Ducasse. [NYP]
• Ted's Montana Grill, owned by Ted Turner, has been closed by the DoH. [P6]
• Famed Spanish chef Ferran Adrià is closing El Bulli for two years. [AP, WSJ]
• Growlers are the "beer accessory of the moment," apparently. [NYT]
• Who's benefiting from long lines at airports? Airport eateries, obvs. [NYDN]
• Silliest trend of the week: yoga studios for foodies. [NYT]
• Whole Foods rewards its skinny employees, punishes its fat ones. [NYDN]

• Will the LeRoy family be permitted to auction off Tavern on the Green's "disco lighting," logoed canopy, "revolving coat-check system," and wood paneling next month as they'd hoped? It seems a judge will have to decide. [Bloomberg]
• The week in reviews: Time Out's Jay Cheshes pans Le Caprice, calling it "overhyped" and "bland"; the Times' Sam Sifton hands out a star to Brooklyn's Purple Yam; and Alan Richman of GQ raves about Danny Meyer's Maialino.
• A woman has filed a negligence suit against White Slab Palace on the LES: She says a 150-pound stuffed moose head came crashing down on her. [WPIX]
• Lists: The Post's Steve Cuozzo shares his favorite dishes for winter; Sam Sifton lists 11 memorable dishes he consumed in 2009; the Times recaps its $25-and-under favorites this year; and a "best of '09" list via the WSJ.
• The forthcoming Shake Shack in Nolita will sport a rooftop terrace. [Eater]
• A bunch more NYE dining options, in case you're interested. [GS, Gothamist]

• A roundup of restaurants that just opened, or will be shortly. [TONY, Eater]
• Stephen Starr, the mega-restaurateur behind such intimate spots as Buddakan and Morimoto, may be opening a Vietnamese spot next. [GS]
• Le Caprice, the posh British import now open at the Pierre Hotel, hasn't wowed critics, but New York's Adam Platt gives it two stars this week. [NYM]
• Tavern on the Green closes in two weeks. Is a TotG hotel next? [Crain's]
• Cold weather special: A guide to the 50 tastiest soups in NYC. [NYM]
• The Christmas tree at Hotel Griffou went up in flames last week. [P6]
• A big bunch of dining recommendations for New Year's Eve. [Zagat]
• A Times article about power lunching at the Four Seasons managed to get the restaurant confused with the hotel. How unfortunate. [NYT via Eater]

• The week in reviews: Sam Sifton of the Times pronounces Madangsui the best Korean BBQ in Manhattan and gives it one star; the Post's Steve Cuozzo isn't all that impressed with Le Caprice; Time Out's Jay Cheshes has mixed feelings about Susur Lee's Shang; GQ's Alan Richman heads over to Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield's Breslin; and Gael Greene checks in on Café Boulud.
• It's looking likely that Scott Conant will take over the Table 8 space. [Eater]
• A peek inside the Guggenheim Museum's new restaurant, Wright. [NYT]|
• Nightlife: A new club on West 29th Street called Amnesia debuts tomorrow; and Mike Satsky's meatpacking club Provocateur should open shortly.
• More on the Tavern on the Green auction scheduled for next month. [NYT]
• Time Out lists off the 100 best things to eat and drink in New York. [TONY]
• The Flatiron Indian eatery Tamarind is opening a branch in Tribeca. [Zagat]
• Frank Bruni and Jonathan Safran Foer debated meat last night. [TONY]
• If your kid refuses to eat at McDonald's, watches Iron Chef religiously, and studies up on varieties of cheese, you probably have a "gastrokid." [NYP]

• Openings: Michael Huynh's OBAO opens tonight. Rye House, a Flatiron gastropub just opened; and a roundup of other spots opening shortly.
• Cafe Gitane's second location opens at the Jane Hotel tomorrow. [GS]
• Taavo Somer of Freemans and the Rusty Knot is looking to expand. [Eater]
• Add Boston to the list of locations where Shake Shack is expanding. [GS]
• If you turn up at the NYC outpost of Le Caprice and you're not famous or important enough, expect to be turned away. Even if it's empty. [NYP]
• Take the wine ratings and reviews you read with a grain of salt. [WSJ]
• A Q&A with Nick Anderer, the chef at the newly opened Maialino. [Zagat]
• The Four Seasons is going to war with a caterer by the same name. [NYDN]
• The life of a Michelin inspector doesn't sound like much fun. [NYer]

• Opening soon: The NYC branch of London's Le Caprice opens at the Pierre Hotel on Monday; Tipsy Parson, by the owners of Little Giant, plans to open its doors early next week. [GS, TONY]
• Now closing: Alex Ureña shuts down Pamplona on East 28th Street today. [NYT]
• Photos and the drink menu from Daniel Boulud's new Bar Pléiades at the Surrey Hotel. [GS]
• Oceana is looking to get someone to pay $275 to eat a 70-year-old lobster, although reaction to the offer/PR gambit hasn't been all that positive. [BN]
• Sparks Steak House has settled a class-action lawsuit which accused it of stiffing waiters on tips; $3 million will be distributed to 200 employees. [NYP]
• Sad: The iconic Empire Diner in Chelsea (above) is now up for lease. [Eater]

• Today it's the New York Times' turn to preview what's on tap this fall. [NYT]
• It's been a rough few months for restaurant owners on account of the recession, although a fair number are figuring out how to make it work. [NYT]
• The sour economy hasn't put a damper on Richard Caring's plans. The Brit restaurateur and owner of Soho House is spending $7 million to revamp the former Cafe Pierre and turn it into NYC outpost of Le Caprice. Meanwhile, Tony May is gearing up for the opening of his big new Italian restaurant, SD26, which may be "one of the more theatrical debuts of the fall." [NYT, NYT]
• What should you make of the new crop of resto-clubs, like Hotel Griffou, The Gates, and LevantEast? Not much, reports Time Out's Jay Cheshes. [TONY]
• The 10 "big deal" restaurants to keep an eye on this season. [Eater]
• The new Oceana finally has its liquor license. So it's now celebrating. [Zagat]
• Su Casa, a bar/lounge/speakeasy in the Village, opens this weekend. [GS]

• Richard Caring, the mogul who owns London's Le Caprice and Soho House, is taking over the Cafe Pierre and renaming Le Caprice New York. [NYT]
• Simon Oren is opening a bistro, bar and bakery on West 33rd St. [NYP]
• Barry Wine of Quilted Giraffe fame is working with Tishman Speyer to find a new restaurateur to take over the Rainbow Room. [NYO]
• Tavern on the Green has been sued once again. [Eater]
• Veritas on East 20th Street has unveiled a brand new menu. [TFB]
• You ask, Frank answers: "Is it considered poor manners to insist that a waiter write down an order instead of attempting to commit it to memory?" [NYT]
• St. Patrick's Day is a week from today. Zagat has a few bar ideas. [Zagat]
• Sales are up at McDonald's thanks to the recession. [NYP]
• Want some credit crunch cookies? They're "crisp and loaded with chips," although at $8, you may be better off sticking to Pepperidge Farm. [NYDN]