A rendering of the Whitney Museum of American Art's proposed satellite location
Rendering: Courtesy of Renzo Piano Building Workshop and Cooper, Robertson & Partners
- The current operators of Tavern on the Green and the Parks Department are prepared to fight in court over the rights to the Central Park eatery's name. [Crain's]
- Meanwhile, a federal judge ruled to allow the LeRoy family to occupy the restaurant past December 31—the expiration date of its lease—giving them time to auction off Tavern on the Green's assets. [NYT]
- Governor David Paterson has some critics concerned that he may be supporting one of the groups currently bidding for the Aqueduct Racetrack project. [NYP]
- The Whitney Museum of American Art has signed the final agreement with the city to build its Renzo Piano-designed satellite venue at the foot of the High Line; construction should begin within the next five years. [NYT]
- Bagatelle in the meatpacking district will open a new outpost in Midtown, taking over the 54th Street space that last year housed Grayz, according to Page Six. [NYP]
- The owners of Artichoke pizzeria have teamed up with nightlife veterans Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss to open an 80-person sit-down restaurant in the West Village. [Eater]
- On Thursday, the owners of the Box opened Purgatorio, a haunted house-style theater and nightclub inside Times Square's Crest; the temporary installation will run through Halloween. [NYP]
- Two Midtown properties are slated for November openings—the Strand Hotel is likely to open by November 16 and the Distrikt Hotel is expected to debut on November 15. [HotelChatter]
- In his first official review, the new Times critic Sam Sifton tackles DBGB, the newest branch in Daniel Boulud's empire, finding the chef continues his "great genius" by producing restaurants that are true to the "training and the underlying flavors of his French childhood." [NYT]
- Filing a review on both Caravaggio and the Hotel Griffou, Adam Platt finds that the former is a " dose of extreme pre-bust nostalgia" and the drinks are better than the food at the latter. [NYMag]
- Steve Cuozzo, claims Oceana is "the new face of 'fine' dining" and, with a reinstated rating system, awards the new eatery three out of four stars. [NYP]
- Conversely, Ryan Sutton believes the new incarnation of Oceana "is no longer the excellent restaurant it was," but admits the place still serves "some great fancy fish." [Bloomberg]
- Echoing that, Jay Cheshes refers to the seafood spot as "a classic expense-account mess hall—an aquatic alternative to the old-fashioned steak houses surrounding it," but suggests the "kitchen fares best when it sticks to the basics." [TONY]
- At A Voce Columbus, Alan Richman finds an "incongruous wine list, muted cuisine, and corporate feel," which doesn't quite create a "restaurant that challenges the upscale ordinariness of the Time Warner Center." [GQ]
