1) Flatiron: A tipster emails moderately momentous news: "Paper is off the windows and people are having meetings at the new Carmellini hotness on 26th Street [at Madison]. Looks decorated, has tables set up. Soon." Soon indeed. This is A Voce, the new Italian eatery from Andrew Carmellini (right), a former Food & Wine Best New Chef and, for the past six years, the chef de cuisine at Cafe Boulud. Leuzzi chatted him up in the Sun on Wednesday, stating, "It's a promising proposition: A simple, straightforward menu of recognizable dishes, with great service and wines." The nice woman answering the phone—(212) 545-8555—tells us next Wednesday is the official opening day (long delayed from late fall). [See also: NYMag preview, BizBash preview, MUG's preview (N.B. original name: Orto); Carmellini bio]
2) Upper West Side: "Looks like Kitchen 82 [the recently shuttered Charlie Palmer restaurant] is becoming an Irish bar. Walked by on Monday night and there is a new beautiful bar, and Guinness signs everywhere."
3) East Village: Another restaurant-turned bar report: "Workers were taking the Smoked signage down and on the truck were red/black backlit signs with Bounce Deuce with a billiards-like graphic. Really cheap/cheesy looking." Another tipster adds, "SMOKED was sold and is being renovated into a sports bar by the owners of Bounce Sports Bar and Grill & VERO Wine Bar of the Upper East Side."
4) West Village: "Did you guys know where the Blind Tiger Ale House is reopening? It's the corner of Bleeker and Jones St., in the corpse of one of those always-mediocre Italian restaurants that seem to congregate on that stretch. There's a notice of a liquor license application in the window." [Eater's Blind Tiger closing coverage]
5) West Village: Slice recently queried its readership, "We received an e-mail inquiry over the weekend as well as some comments asking if we knew anything about John's Pizza on Bleecker going through renovations. Word is that half the joint is closed for remodeling."
And for those whose lust for plywood is not yet sated, Gotham Gastronomy has a beguiling blind-item teaser from the Upper West Side, as well as rumors about Colors' expansion dreams.
· Good Idea, Bad Idea [Gotham Gastronomy]
