MIDTOWN EAST—Smith & Wollensky Group, owner of Quality Meats, Cité and an eponymous steakhouse, has been purchased by Patina Restaurant Group (The Sea Grill, Brasserie), reports Crains, to the tune of $79.6 million. Patina hopes to expand the Smith & Wollensky brand outside of New York. [Crain's]
MIDTOWN WEST—So, here's something. A reader writes in with a query about Chod-o-blog:"why has no one commented yet that the chodoblog is still without new posts?! It makes his whole attack seem even more pointless, with the abandoned blog somewhat of a demolished monument to his insanity." [EaterWire Inbox]
LOWER EAST SIDE—The Orchard Street space that houses Kebab House, otherwise known as the poor man's Bereket, is for rent. According to Halstead's listing, whoever invests in the place will "profit from low rent." No matter how cheap it comes, the space seems cursed: Although located smack-dab in the center of Hell Square, that corner doesn't receive much foot traffic. Entrepreneurs, you've been duly warned. [Halstead]
GREENWICH VILLAGE—Booking a table at Batali, Bastianich and Ladner's Thompson Street gem Lupa just got a little bit easier—the Italian restaurant is now in OpenTable's database (though the system is, strangely enough, not currently accepting resys just yet). [Opentable]
