EaterWire: Talbot Rumored Out at MePa Space, Minetta Tavern to Serve Black Label, Zen Shutters, and More

MIDTOWN— The city's one vegetarian fast food burger joint is dunzo. Midtown Lunch reports the sad news of Zen Burger: "The letter blamed 'extremely high rent' for the closing, and said to watch out for news about 'future locations.'" [ML]

MEATPACKING DISTRICT— The Post reports that Sam Talbot isn't making moves on the Inn at LW12 space after all: "'Someone else applied for a license there in his name,' said a source without elaborating. 'He does plan to open in a different location soon.'" Interesting since the person making the case in front of the community board last week dropped Talbot's name like nobody's business. On another note, as pointed out by Grub Street, the photo editor at the Post got Talbot's photo wrong, again. [NYP via GS]

TRIBECA— Macao Trading Co. is launching a new late night menu tonight. It's offered from midnight to 3:30 a.m. nightly, and can be viewed in full here. [EaterWire]

GREENWICH VILLAGE— As Keith McNally's revamp of Minetta Tavern gets closer to opening, new details leak out. Like this one from a mole at Pat LaFrieda: "City Burger won’t be the exclusive home of Pat LaFrieda black label burger mix for long...The Minetta Tavern, though, is the first restaurant to commit to serving Black Label when it opens in four to six weeks." [TFB]

NEW YORK CITY— And coming from the news wire, Governor Paterson is proposing a new "obesity tax" of about 15% on all non diet soda drinks. [NYDN]