[What fuel powers the extraordinary dancing prowess of CBS anchor Katie Couric? Momofuku Noodle Bar, of course. We bet she got the chilled spicy noodles, because they, like her, have an icy exterior belying a fire within.]

• 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]

• Is Thomas Keller opening a new resto in NYC? Depends who you ask. [TFB]
• The animal rights group that staged a foie gras protest outside Momofuku Noodle Bar back in May will return to the scene once again on Sunday. [GS]
• Word has it Rande Gerber's Stone Rose is exiting Time Warner Center. [P6]
• Speaking of exits, Frank Bruni will step down as the Times' restaurant critic in just 21 days. Eater offers up a few guesses as to his replacement. [Eater]
• Café Boulud will be providing the food when the Surrey Hotel reopens. [VV]
• Village on West 9th has closed. So has Midtown's City Burger. [GS, ML]
• The vast majority of the chocolate that Jacques Torres sells is manufactured in Brussels, Belgium, not at his NYC factories. Just so you know. [Forbes]
• Want to watch Gwyneth Paltrow roast a kitchen? Go right ahead. [GoaG]

• Tonight's waiter may be yesterday's trader: "Carlos Araya used to order lobster, filet mignon and $200 bottles of red wine at the Palm Restaurant in midtown Manhattan. Now, he seats customers at its Tribeca branch." [WSJ]
• Somewhat related: Swiss bankers depressed about the downturn are finding comfort in Italian food because of its "soothing factor." Go figure. [NYT]
• It's not all bad news: Some 28 new restaurants opened in May. [Eater]
• Time Out has issued a list of the best new pizza places in NYC. [TONY]
• Momofuku Noodle Bar has applied for a full liquor license. [DBTH]
• The East Village yakitori spot Mr. Jones is now closed. [Eater]

♦ Jean-Georges Vongerichten is opening his first "green" restaurant inside ABC Carpet. [NYM]
♦ British chef Fergus Henderson is cooking at Momofuku Noodle Bar tonight as part of his annual "FerguStock" publicity tour through New York City kitchens. [Eater]
♦ New York's Adam Platt tasted seven different coffees and ranked Abraço's the best and Starbucks the worst. [NYM]

♦ 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]