Gramercy Park Hotel
Photo: Courtesy of Gramercy Park Hotel
- If the LeRoy family loses the bid to operate Tavern on the Green, the Central Park restaurant will lose its name—a title owned by Warner LeRoy's descendants—as well as its decor. [NYT]
- Donald Trump is fighting state park officials over a claim that he owes interest on back rent for a Jones Beach property, a spot where the real estate mogul is planning to build a banquet hall. [Crain's]
- Restaurateur Danny Meyer will be taking over the restaurant at the Gramercy Park Hotel, a space formerly occupied by Waikiya. [NYT]
- And while Meyer is "intrigued by the possibilities of collaborating with Ian Schrager," the owner of Union Square Cafe and Gramercy Tavern is not interested in operating the Rainbow Room and is uncertain about running Tavern on the Green. [NYO]
- The Thursday opening of Yankee Stadium also debuted Tommy Bahama's first stand-alone bar, the result of a sponsorship deal between the baseball club and the Seattle-based resortwear brand. [WWD]
- Later this month, television stars Pamela Anderson and Audrina Patridge will open Sapphire New York, a strip club attached to the Upper East Side's Prime 333 Steakhouse. [Fox News]
- Although General Growth Properties filed for bankruptcy protection, it's doubtful this will mean the end of the South Street Seaport and the plan to redevelop the downtown area. [NYT]
- Upper East Side eatery Frederick's Madison, owned by Frederick Lesort, has filed for Chapter 11. [Crain's]
- West 14th Street nightclub the Plumm has closed. [NYP]
- Luxury hotels are being forced into bankruptcy or foreclosure, many suffering from what analysts are calling the "A.I.G. effect," a situation caused by corporations reluctant to book rooms and conference centers for fear of public scrutiny. [NYT]
- From its exterior—papered windows and no signage—the Charles seems under construction, but the West Village eatery is open and earned only a satisfactory rating from Frank Bruni. [NYT]
- For Adam Platt, Inakaya—the restaurant inside The New York Times headquarters—has a "Disney-style atmosphere," but offers "an array of dutifully authentic Japanese drinking dishes." [NYMag]
- Steve Cuozzo visits Armani Ristorante, the Italian restaurant atop the new Armani emporium on Fifth Avenue, and deems the spot "comfortable and welcoming," a place that "boasts some strong dishes" and a "welcome addition to the life of Midtown." [NYP]
- Alan Richman compares Keith McNally's Minetta Tavern to Graydon Carter's Waverly Inn, finding that the "food is certainly steadier at the Waverly Inn (also homier), but the service and the wine list are better at Minetta Tavern." [GQ]
- In the eyes of Danyelle Freeman, Scuderia, the sister restaurant to Da Silvano, is "really an Italian diner" and "a great spot for dessert." [NYDN]
