Reports of restaurant closings, largely submitted by alert Eater readers...
1) Some big news to kick this week's report off: Park Avalon has closed. So passes a longtime Park Avenue South staple (11 years old, to be exact). Notes a disappointed reader, "Damn, I'm gonna miss the seared tuna sandwiches they have on the lunch menu periodically." And another Eater reader fills in the blanks on what comes next: "BR Guest is opening a new joint venture with Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in the same space that will serve catalan tapas and a large selection of Spanish wines. It will be called Barca 18 (pronounced Barsa)." Indeed, 'tis true; new digs set to open later this month.
2) The end of an experiment: "Bongo Fry Shack in Chelsea: RIP." The good news is that sister bar Bongo, one of far west Chelsea's best-kept secrets, remains open. A recent chat with a bartender yielded this nugget: "We've been here six years. We're not going anywhere."
3) A reader meditation on anti-plywood: "What's with all the closings in Lower Manhattan? Coast. Shore. Le Zinc. Many businesses have closed in the Tribeca area in the last couple of years -- but in the last year or so, nothing is coming in to replace them. The streets are getting quieter and the For Rent signs more plentiful."
