Josh Hartnett broke countless hearts this week when he stepped out with his new flame, Bright Star’s Abbie Cornish. Hartnett and Ryan Phillippe’s ex looked very “coupley” at Macao Trading Co., where they helped the equally smoking Channing Tatum celebrate his 30th birthday. Meanwhile, Paul McCartney was spotted with his own leading lady, 6-year-old daughter Beatrice. The former Beatle and daughter ate steamed veggies and fries at Serendipity 3 — a complete waste of ice cream. Read our roundup of celebrity sightings, below.

Bocca di Bacco: Dustin Hoffman embraced the old truism “when you gotta go, you gotta go” when he rushed into the Italian restaurant merely to use the bathroom Monday afternoon. [NYDN]
Cipriani’s: The beautiful and newly single Halle Berry was full of smiles at a DKMS event at the midtown eatery Thursday. [Just Jared]
Commerce: The very fit Jane Fonda was joined by Carly Simon and four friends for dinner in the West Village. [Page Six/NYP]
Haru: The Tribeca Film Festival was the hot topic for Laura Linney and Alexander Chaplin who ate dinner together Monday night. [NYDN]
Greenhouse: Ryan Phillippe enjoyed a boys’ night out with SNL funnyman Will Forte, True Blood star Mehcad Brooks, and a lot of beer. [Page Six/NYP]
Macao Trading Co.: Dear John’s Channing Tatum celebrated his 30th birthday with his wife, Jenna Dewan, Josh Hartnett, Abbie Cornish, Hayley Duff, and friends at a private dinner thrown by artist Neil Grayson Saturday. [Just Jared]
Nobu 57: Citigroup’s current chairmen and onetime Time Warner CEO, Dick Parsons looking happy as he ate dinner at the midtown sushi spot. [Gawker]
Nobu Next Door: The Hurt Locker’s Jeremy Renner was full of smiles and chatter as he sat smooching a pretty blonde in a corner of the Tribeca restaurant. [Page Six/NYP]
Serendipity 3: Decked out in a casual oxford shirt and jeans, Paul McCartney ate a savory lunch with his daughter at the dessert mecca. [Page Six/NYP]
Standard Grill: True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgård took a break and relaxed with friends at the restaurant on the ground floor of André Balazs’s Standard Hotel. [NYDN]
The Mark: Clive Davis and Jane Fonda were treated like royals when Martha Stewart, Ambassador Carl Spielvogel and his wife Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel stopped by their table at the Upper East Side restaurant to pay their respects. [Page Six/NYP]

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Filed Under: celebrity settings, commerce, greenhouse, macao trading co, serendipity 3, the mark

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Carroll Gardens: Starting at noon on Monday, Abilene will be open for lunch on weekdays. [Pardon Me for Asking]
Chelsea: Scarpetta will celebrate its second anniversary May 9 through May 13 with a four-course prix-fixe menu designed by chef Scott Conant. Items include creamy polenta, short-rib agnolotti, black cod, and Conant’s selection of desserts. The menu is $50 per person and includes complimentary wine pairings. [Grub Street]
Clinton Hill: A crêperie will open on Grand Avenue in the space previously occupied by Brown Betty. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Greenpoint: Vamos Al Tequila has moved into 162 Franklin Street and plans to open within ten days. [New York Shitty]

Midtown: Today will be the last day for Panini Tozt on 50th Street between Madison and Park Avenues, as the building is slated for demolition. [Midtown Lunch]
Red Hook: Food trucks return to the baseball fields this weekend and will be open through October. [Brokelyn]

Filed Under: neighborhood watch, abilene, boqueria, carroll gardens, chelsea, clinton hill, dumbo, greenpoint, midtown, panini tozt, red hook, scarpetta, smack mellon, soho, vamos al tequila

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Much like the original West Village location, Jason Hennings’s new Mexican “saloon,” Diablo Royale Este, will traffic in such familiar fare as tacos and fajitas when it opens on Cinco de Mayo. But the East Village outpost is twice the size, with a downstairs bar and a 30-seat garden. That’s where chef Peter Klein will use a roasting box called La Caja China to cook large-format specials like spit-roasted suckling pig prepared two ways: pibil (achiote-marinated and wrapped in banana leaves) or al pastor (spice-rubbed with pineapple), each going for $40 a person with sides. A few menu additions are meant to reflect the European Colonial influence, like croque monsieur chimichangas stuffed with ham, and Chihuahua and Gruyère cheeses. And the so-called basement bordello will offer a roster of new cocktails, including Le Colonial (mezcal, Champagne, and Aperol).

Diablo Royale Este — Full Menu [PDF]
Diablo Royale Este — Gaucho Barbecue Menu [PDF]

Diablo Royale Este, 167 Ave. A, nr. 11th St.; 212-388-9673

Read more posts by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Filed Under: openings, diablo royale este, jason hennings

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M2 and its sister club Pink Elephant were closed by the city, then reopened, and then promptly closed again when the NYPD had problems with security at an official NFL Draft party last week. Now the SLA has announced, via a press release, that it has issued an emergency suspension of the club’s liquor license owing to “at least fifteen separate fights” and “eleven documented incidents of illegal drug activities” in the past year. Here’s the release.

M2’S LIQUOR LICENSE LIFTED
Numerous Fights, Drug Sales and Unlawful Activity Leads to Emergency Suspension

New York, NY -New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) officials today seized the liquor license of the 530 West 28th Street LP & Paradigm Management LLC, or the “Pink Elephant” also known as “M2” at 530 West 28th Street in New York City. The license was confiscated following a vote by the Members of the State Liquor Authority for an Emergency Summary Suspension during meeting of the Full Board on Wednesday April 28, 2010.

The decision to suspend the license is based on numerous violent incidents, disorders and drug sales occurring at the premises. The club has become a focus of police attention and a drain on department resources, as the NYPD have been repeatedly summoned to the club to break up fights, investigate drug sales, and respond to other illegal activities. Since July 2009, there have been at least fifteen separate fights at the M2, including instances where club bouncers assaulted patrons and incidents where NYPD officers were injured. In addition, over the past year and a half there have been eleven documented incidents of illegal drug activities at the M2, including sales and use of cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana at the club. Citing the persistent and continuing pattern of illegal activities, the Members of the SLA, Chairman Dennis Rosen, Commissioner Jeanique Greene, and Commissioner Noreen Healey, voted for an emergency suspension of the license. Effective immediately, no alcohol can be served or consumed on the premises.

“This emergency suspension is another demonstration of the SLA’s recognition that City residents should not have to tolerate reckless licensees that break the law, disturb the peace and threaten public health and safety,” said SLA Deputy CEO Michael Jones. “The Members of the Liquor Authority continue to show they will not hesitate to take immediate and decisive action to close down dangerous clubs.”

Previously, the SLA imposed a $5,000 civil penalty and a seven day suspension on the licensee on October 22, 2005 for selling to minors and a $2,500 civil penalty for an unlimited drinks violation on September 9, 2005. In 2006, the SLA fined the club $6,000 for several violations occurring in 2004.

The SLA’s decision to summarily suspend a license is not a final determination on the merits of the case. The licensee is entitled to an expedited hearing before an administrative law judge to address the alleged violation(s) that led to the suspension. An order of summary suspension remains in effect until such time as it is modified by the State Liquor Authority or reviewing court.

The State Liquor Authority regulates and controls the manufacture, sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages within the state. The Authority works with local law enforcement agencies and localities across the state to ensure compliance with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. In addition, the Authority issues and renews licenses and permits to manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers of alcoholic beverages.

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Filed Under: closings, m2, nightlife, pink elephant, state liquor authority

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There’s more to Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s ABC Kitchen than freshly foraged Greenmarket vegetables — namely, there is this $19 Akaushi cheeseburger installed on the menu just last week. It’s a big, fatty flavor bomb made from eight ounces of Wagyu beef (house-ground chuck and short rib) raised on a Texas ranch. According to cattle-company propaganda, as well as an earnest waiter who was dressed like Jethro Bodine, Akaushi (a.k.a. Japanese Red) is renowned for its high levels of monounsaturated fat and CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid. In short, it might be better for you than the ABC Kitchen crudité plate.

That’s not all: It comes on a grill-toasted Eli’s bun with a fine grating of Cato Corner Bloomsday cheese, an ingenious arugula-basil-and-chive mayo, and Satur Farms jalapeños pickled in Champagne vinegar, all of which might add up to the best burger-condiment combination since the New Mexican green chile met the individually plastic-wrapped slice of cheese. The herb-dappled fries are good, too.

Read more posts by Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Filed Under: what to eat, abc kitchen, burgers, jean-georges vongerichten

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Weeks after Jewish food commentator David Sax defended the 15 percent tip, City Room’s “Complaint Box” column now runs one Steven Jay Weisz’s kvetching about the time this waitress short-changed him four cents. As if the complaint itself weren’t petty enough (does he ask for his small change every time a cabbie rounds up?), he calls it “the Great Roundup,” a term used for the 1942 arrests of Jews in France. Not exactly the phrase we would’ve used — first they came for your nickels, and then they came for your dimes? Either way, the Times may want to heed the commenter who asks, “How come stories like this reinforce the worst stereotypes about certain ‘ethnic groups’” and make sure the next inane complaint about tipping comes from a gentile.

Complaint Box | Exacting Change [Diner's Journal/NYT]

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Filed Under: eatiquette, david sax, stereotypes, steven jay weisz

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It’s 4 p.m., and that means it’s time to play Two for Eight. We just asked seven restaurants the best time they could squeeze a couple in for dinner; you need only make your chosen reservation. (As always, we make the calls but don’t guarantee the results.) Today: Platt’s Best New Restaurants.

Minetta Tavern (Menu)
212-475-3850
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Aldea (Menu)
212-675-7223
Two for eight? No
Best available: Fully booked

Maialino (Menu)
212-777-2410
Two for eight? No
Best available: 11 p.m.

SHO Shaun Hergatt (Menu)
212-809-3993
Two for eight? No
Best available: 6 p.m.

A Voce Columbus (Menu)
212-823-2523
Two for eight? No
Best available: 9:30 p.m.

Seasonal Restaurant & Weinbar (Menu)
212-957-5550
Two for eight? No
Best available: 8:15 p.m.

Marea (Menu)
212-582-5100
Two for eight? No
Best available: 11 p.m.

Filed Under: two for eight, a voce columbus, aldea, maialino, marea, minetta tavern, seasonal restaurant & weinbar, sho shaun hergatt

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On the “Brian Lehrer Show” today, listeners toasted Freddy’s, which as we mentioned yesterday closes today (for further reading, see the Times eulogy and a video interview with manager Donald O’Finn below, care of the Tavern). At WNYC’s website, everyone from former employees to the wife of a man who wrote a novel in the basement of the bar (and took her on their first date there), are writing in to add their memories. Our favorite: “I’d like to propose a toast to the wonderful bartender who let me cut off my mullet there one evening.”

Meanwhile, the nostalgia isn’t quite as thick over at Diner’s Journal, where some are sharing fond memories of Empire Diner ahead of its May 15 closing, and others are more cynical: One commenter describes it as “the first beacon of the gentrification that is now engulfing West Chelsea,” and another adds, “the look of the place is the only thing it had going for it (which I assume will remain under the new ownership).”

Memories of the Empire Diner [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
Open Phones: Farewell to Freddy’s [WNYC]
Last Call at Freddy’s Bar [NYT]
Episode #1: Donald and Episode #2 [Vimeo]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: closings, donald o’finn, empire diner, freddy’s, nightlife

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With one of yesterday’s big rumors at least partially confirmed, Frank Bruni weighs in to confirm another one, sort of: Eater had reported that Michael White and Chris Canon just inked a deal to take over dining operations at the Setai 5th Avenue, and now Diner’s Journal clarifies that the deal is still being negotiated. One thing’s for sure: White’s Soho restaurant will be called Osteria Morini, after his mentor (and the founder of San Domenico in Italy) Gianluigi Morini (the new restaurant will focus on the Emilia-Romagna region, where San Domenico is located). When the 100ish-seat restaurant opens in July, apps will range from $8 to $12, pastas from $14 to $21, and entrées from $18 to $26.

Homage Alla Bolognese: Osteria Morini [Diner’s Journal/NYT]

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Filed Under: empire building, osteria morini, san domenico, setai 5th avenue

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With the Luckyrice Festival in full swing as of last night’s opening party, your mind may just be on Chinatown. Well, in addition to the two bakeries and the dim-sum-palace bar that opened in recent weeks, you can add this to the fray: Bowery Boogie notices that Pho Grand has reopened a few weeks after a fire closed down the block, and Serious Eats encounters Pho Cho Ben Thanh, a new Vietnamese spot at 76 Mott Street. Commenters are lukewarm about the newbie.

Meanwhile, change may be coming to the neighborhood’s existing restaurants: According to a press release, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is announcing today “a new cooking oil recycling program in Chinatown that collects restaurant waste oil and recycles it into biodiesel fuel for cars and trucks, home heating systems, and generators. Jing Fong Restaurant, the first business to volunteer to participate in this initiative, will have its cooking oil collected today by the Doe Fund’s waste oil pump truck.” Given how much oil those dim-sum palaces go through, we’re assuming today’s yield could fuel a flight to Guangdong.

Pho Grand Has Reopened [Bowery Boogie]
Pho Cho Ben Thanh Open in Former Custard King, Sweet ‘n’ Tart Space [Serious Eats NY]

Read more posts by Daniel Maurer

Filed Under: reopenings, chinatown, chinese, cooking oil, dim sum, jing fong restaurant, openings, pho cho ben thanh, pho grand, recycling, sheldon silver, vietnamese

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Via a statement, a rep for Zengo confirms that Akhtar Nawab, who was originally said to be hired as chef de cuisine (as odd as it sounded at the time), is on his way out, though we’ve still been unable to confirm rumors that he’s headed for a certain downtown Mexican hot spot (presumably La Esquina). Here’s the official word:

With the opening of Zengo, 622 Third Avenue, Chef Akhtar Nawab is wrapping up his work with Chef-Owner Richard Sandoval. As part of Chef Sandoval’s culinary team Ahktar, along with Corporate Chef John Calloway, Chef de Cuisine Adan Trinidad and Chef de Cuisine
Graham Bartlett, helped bring Chef Sandoval’s Latin-Asian cuisine to New York City. Akhtar says, “It’s been great collaborating with Richard. I am thrilled with the successful opening and I wish the entire team the best.”

Says Chef Sandoval, “Akhtar offered unique insights and contributions throughout the opening of Zengo. Our culinary team has been able to deliver a restaurant I am very proud of. We all wish Akhtar good fortune as he takes on new challenges.”

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Filed Under: chef shuffle, akhtar nawab, la esquina, richard sandoval, zengo

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What else would you expect from the team behind the West Village’s Employees Only but an atmospheric retro-fitted…

East Side Social Club

230 E 51st Street, New York

(212) 355-9442

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