Penny Licks Will Become Radish; Hoping for an LA Fatty Crab

LOS ANGELES— A tipster reports that a manager at the Fatty Crab empire is planning a long trip to LA to scout locations for a possible West Coast restaurant. [EaterWire]

WILLIAMSBURG— Yesterday, we reported that Penny Licks the bakery on Bedford Ave. was closing and holding a fixtures sale. According to Fork in the Road, the space is going to become a new organic grocer called Radish. [FitR]

NOISE COMPLAINTS—The Wall Street Journal takes a look at the ways that trendy restaurant design elements like open kitchens, high ceilings, and bare tables can create acoustical nightmares for restaurateurs, as well some tricks used to keep the noise down. While adding acoustic panels and sound absorbing materials can certainly help, a designer for L20 in Chicago explains that he fixed a noisy spot by adjusting their iPod to only play music without lyrics and songs with less than 100 beats per minute. As a fun bonus, the article also includes sound clips from the host podiums and dining rooms of SF's La Mar, LA's Rush Street, and our entry, SD26 [WSJ via Eater National]