1) Lincoln Center/UWS: A call to the restaurant confirms that Ed's Chowder Bar, El Chod's transformation of the failed Center Cut space, will be opening this Thursday. In the kitchen will be Ed Brown (eighty one), who will offer up raw bar items, seafood entrées, and of course, a whole bunch of chowder. Status: Opening Thursday. Empire Hotel, 44 W 63rd St., (212) 956-1288
2) Williamsburg: The Feed brings word that Mercat Negre will be opening at 65 Grand St. This will be Mercat's sister restaurant, helmed by Barcelona chef Oriol Sala Colomer, who will "cook shareable dishes, such as grilled red mullet with eggplant puree and marinated endives." Status: Unknown, but they are making serious progress on the space (above); 65 Grand St (No Phone)
3) SoHo: A tipster writes in with the news that La Crepe Parisienne will be opening up on Spring Street: "All of the brown paper is down from the windows. Last night I saw a couple of people working in there, testing out the crepe griddles and setting up the espresso machine... Just in time for San Gennaro -- not sure if that's a good thing or bad -- they will certainly have plenty of foot traffic... Maybe too much for a grand opening!!!" Status: Signs point to open. 51 Spring Street (No Phone)
4) SoHo: The Feed also posts the news that Macbar, the mac and cheese annex to Delicatessen (you heard us), will soon be opening at 54 Prince. The menu will feature "twelve versions of the dish, [ranging] from the Mac Quack with duck confit to the Mac Lobsta’ with lobster, tarragon, cognac and mascarpone cheese." Add the folks at TONY: "The quirky space itself is worth a visit: The interior is shaped like a giant tube of pasta." Status: Not open. Opening "sometime this month." 54 Prince St., (212) 226-8877
5) LES: The owners of Blue Elm confirm that the restaurant will be opening to the public on Thursday. Grub Street previously reported on the project, which will be located at 198 Orchard in the former Regate space, a few doors down from Bia Garden. Malik Fall, who has been executive chef at both Asia De Cuba and China Grill, will create a menu fusing French, African, and Asian cuisines, which will include items such as "'Avocat Aux Crevettes Senegalais,' consisting of a dozen shrimp stuffed with avocado, chickpeas, Spanish onion, tomatoes, and hard-boiled eggs." Status: Opening Thursday. 198 Orchard St.,
6) Midtown: ML is excited to post the news that Onya, the Japanese udon spot from the folks behind Beard Papa, will be opening today. "According to the owners, it will be the first restaurant in New York City to serve freshly-made, authentic udon from Osaka, Japan - going so far as to say that they will do for Osaka udon what Ippudo has done for ramen from Fukuoka." Status: Certified Open. 143 E. 47th St. (No Phone)
—Gabe Ulla