1) Meatpacking District: A tipster wanders by the old Lotus space to get an inside shot (above) of the current state of Abe & Arthur's, the new club with a food program headed up by chef Franklin Becker. [PLYWOOD]
2) East Village: The Feedbag spies construction inside the recently shuttered Panificio space on Avenue B. "A little birdy" says the owner scored a liquor license and plans to reopen the formerly booze-free restaurant with a bar and maybe a new name. [PLYWOOD]
3) East Village: EV Greive reports that an "elegant wine bar and tapas" joint is slated to open in the old Tribe space on 1st Avenue and St. Marks Place. New owner Danny Riviera assures neighbors, "My plan is to make the space for the community." [PLYWOOD]
4) East Village: Down By The Hipster notes yet another Asian restaurant in the works for St. Marks Place. Adding insult to injury, the late, lamented Mondo Kim's will soon house Pho 32 and Shabu. [PLYWOOD]
5) Greenpoint: From Brooklyn Based comes a nice roundup of three gourmet food stores soon to open in the borough. On April 1 Greenpoint gets Brooklyn Standard, an upscale bodega run by Cody Utzman from Papacitos and Brooklyn Label. [PLYWOOD]
6) Boerum Hill: Opening mid-April, Brooklyn Fare is a Dean & Deluca-esque market (an on-site butcher! Intelligentsia coffee!) with an emphasis on prepared foods made by Cesar Ramirez, a Bouley vet. He'll also teach cooking classes in the space. [PLYWOOD]
7) Prospect Heights: The kind folks at Franny's bring you BKLYN Larder, a much-anticipated specialty food and takeout place. Details are few, but the scheduled opening date is mid-May. [PLYWOOD]