— Altamarea Group's strangest restaurant, The Butterfly, is probably closed for good. In July, the restaurant closed for what the management claimed was a month-and-a-half vacation. The team promised that once renovations were complete, The Butterfly would return after Labor Day. But the restaurant never sprung back to life, and now Tribeca Citizen notices that the space is for rent. The restaurant was only open for two years.
— Down in the Financial District, Fulton Center is getting a slew of food vendors. Pop Karma, Wasabi, Irving Farm Coffee Roasters, and Zaro's Bakery are all slated to open inside the transit hub in the near future. Next year, a location of Shake Shack will also open make its Fulton Center debut.
— Steve Cuozzo is a big supporter of Danny Meyer's decision to eliminate tipping at his restaurants. The Post critic writes: "Many customers and employees will go bananas — at first. But the new way of doing business might save the American dining scene from its lack of professionalism compared with other countries."
— Meanwhile, the King of Tribeca, Drew Nieporent, is not certain that diners will embrace this new system. The legendary restaurateur tells the Times: "Tipping is a way of life in this country...It may not be the perfect system, but it’s our system. It’s an American system."
— Shauna Lyon of Tables for Two enjoys her meals at Seamore's in Little Italy: "Tacos are a great bet; one night, mackerel tacos were satisfying, if odd, but it was the fried dogfish that everyone wanted. Gorgeous batons were crisped in a fluffy beer batter and topped with chipotle mayo, avocado cream, and shavings of kale, purple cabbage, and radish."
— David Chang finally shares his thoughts on this week's three-star Times review of Momofuku Ko:
So proud: The @momofuku Ko team just getting started, its a marathon @seanalexgray and & team just getting warmed up http://t.co/1XujSp27VW
— Dave Chang (@davidchang) October 14, 2015
— The owners of Moishe's Bake Shop replaced that old, graffiti-covered window with a fresh pane of glass.
— M. Wells Steakhouse chef/co-owner Hugue Dufour is returning to Montreal on October 30 for a special Children of the Corn-themed pop-up at Aéropaul.
— The La Sonrisa team just added a new empanada cart on 50th Street between Fifth and Sixth aves.
— And finally, here's how to make Middle Eastern spreads like Einat Admony: