WEST VILLAGE—Page Six reports that none other than Harvey Weinstein is the newest member of Socialista's investment team, which puts him in the company of producer Ben Silverman and Sting-wife Trudie Styler at the Cuban-themed cafe and club under construction at 505 West Street. But, here's the real nugget, straight from an Eater informant, deep under cover: Socialista frontman Armin Amiri doesn't own any of it. Zilch, nada, bupkis, not a penny. He's a salaried employee of one very savvy Giuseppe Cipriani. [NYP, EaterWire]
MIDTOWN WEST—Cutlets gets his week started off on the right foot, with some juicy news about Gordon Ramsay's $8 mil midtown stinker: "Given that Ramsay’s London Bar is even less talked about than the adjoining restaurant, it makes sense, then, that the London Bar will soon be rebranded as Maze, and fitted out with a much more modern menu. Or so a source with access to Ramsay inner circles tells us." Tellingly, Susan Magrino, Ramsay's PR, is denying the switch, which makes it all but a certainty. [Cutlets]
LOWER EAST SIDE—Buried in Allen Salkin's surprisingly chunky survey of the Lower East Side dining scene, was some news about the future of Katz's: Standing at the counter, sampling a slice of pastrami, he chatted with a co-owner, Alan Dell, and set up a meeting. Many offers for Katz’s have been received through Misrahi Realty, including one that would keep the restaurant running at street level while building a residential building above, Mr. Misrahi said. The potential buyer might also market a line of Katz’s cold cuts. [NYT]
