What better way to launch into the summer than with some fantastically juicy and unconfirmed rumors from the restaurant world. Here, now, our favorite new rumors, but please, readers, tipsters, restaurant folks, do send your own in to the tipline. As always, anonymity is 100 percent guaranteed.
CARMELLINI'S FRENCH CONNECTION — Is Andrew Carmellini planning a French restaurant in the Chinatown Brasserie space? That's the million dollar question. Several reliable sources tell Eater that he's plotting his return to French cuisine with a possible takeover of the corner space on Lafayette Street, although there has been no confirmation of the move just yet.
MCNALLY LOOKS PAST PASTIS — Rumors persist that the end may be approaching for Pastis as the building owner has supposedly sold the air rights above the restaurant. Keith says it's not true, but this rumor just won't die. Also, there are whispers of a new McNally project by the end of 2012.
THE SOUTH WILL EXPAND, AGAIN — A trusted source tells Eater that Robert Newton and Kerry Diamond, of Seersucker and Smith Canteen, are working on a new restaurant. Definitely Southern, absolutely in Brooklyn.
UPTOWN, DOWNSTAIRS — Now that Joe Ng and Eddie Glasses snagged the laundromat below Red Farm, expect a new bar space to open by the middle of the summer. Ms. Gael Greene hints that there will also be seating for about 20 people at a communal table, but Eater hears that this area will mostly be for cocktail sipping, not eating. An UWS restaurant is apparently in the works, but Eddie won't say where just yet.
HAVING A BALI — It's a wacky rumor, but it comes from a very reliable source: the team behind hipster ice cream shop Van Leeuwen are planning a Balinese restaurant in Greenpoint. If everything works out, the new place could open by the end of the year.
DAY OF THE JAECKLE — Eater hears that ex-Ai Fiori star Chris Jaeckle has signed on to a new project set to debut sometime the year. Word on the street is that El Chod may be involved.
A BUN IN THE OVEN — Apparently, the boys from ramen hit Chuko are working on a sandwich/bun shop in Park Slope, although they haven't settled on a space just yet.
BATTERSBY: THE NEXT GENERATION — A few food world insiders tell Eater that the duo from Cobble Hill critical darling Battersby are already planning their next restaurant. After Pete Wells drops in for a meal, they'll need a place for the overflow.
GOING UP THE COUNTRY — Fatty 'Cue guru Zak Pelaccio has already mentioned plans to open a farm-to-table restaurant with his wife in Old Chatham, NY. The word on the street is that he might stay upstate, and possibly dissolve his relationship with the Fatty Crew. As we know, there have been some power shifts at the restaurant group lately. UPDATE: Pelaccio says that he's not leaving the Fatty fold. A new restaurant in Hudson, NY is in the works, and he's taking a trip to Hong Kong soon with his team to look into the possibility of opening a Fatty 'Cue or Fatty Crab over there.
RECETTE TO EXPAND — Although his reps deny it, there's a persistent rumor that Jesse Schenker is plotting a follow up to his critical hit Recette. Expect something slightly more casual in a West Village space.
SUPER MARIO GALAXY— Joe Bastianich has flip-flopped on the subject of expansion lately, but according to industry gossip mill Chomp Chump, Bastianich and Batali are toying with the idea of at least one new NYC project. This might even be a location of their L.A. hit, Mozza.
WHITE LIGHT, WHITE HEAT — Michael White's always got a few projects in the works that he's not telling anyone about. Right now, the rumor is that he'll be expanding his yet-to-open pizzeria Nicoletta to a new space in Jersey (his rep denies this). There have also been whispers of a steakhouse project in Midtown or the Gramercy area, but that won't see the light of day until 2013.
THE RETURN OF CHRIS CANNON — Mark those calendars: 2013 will be the year that White's former business partner Chris Cannon returns to the dining scene. The revered restaurateur has been making the rounds and reconnecting with his friends and associates, and apparently, the guy looks great. There are no concrete plans just yet, but the rumor is that Cannon might begin his comeback in New Jersey.
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