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Salt Warning Freeze, Montmartre's Last Day, and More Intel

Chumley's old archway returns to the space, plus more restaurant news and gossip from around NYC.

The bar at Quality Italian in Midtown
The bar at Quality Italian in Midtown
Daniel Krieger

Chain restaurants hawking sodium-rich food will not be fined $200 if they fail to comply with the city's new salt warning regulations, at least for the time being. The new fines were slated to take effect today, but yesterday a judge in the Appellate Division, First Department put a hold on this regulation. A full panel of judges will make the final decision on the salt warnings in the coming weeks. These warnings apply to a third of New York City restaurants — all the big chains.

— Gabe Stulman's Chelsea bistro Montmartre will close for good after service on Sunday, March 6. Back in December, the restaurateur told Eater: "We've got fans and people that love our restaurant — I meet people who say that Montmartre is their favorite — but the reality is that the number of people that are in that group is not enough, and it sucks." In a letter to guests, Stulman thanks his team and Montmartre's customers. He also notes: "We're working with the current team to find them roles within our restaurant family, so you'll see many of those friendly faces popping up at our other spots."

A decorative arch that hung above the bar at Chumley's was moved into the new version of the tavern this week. The large wooden arch was salvaged by a neighbor who tells DNAinfo: "The framework had been put up, and I was called and I know where it was....So I went and got it." Sushi Nakazawa's Alessandro Borgognone is reopening the bar along with one of the original owners, Jim Miller.

LA's first Shake Shack is slated to open in about two weeks.

Sietsema-approved West Village Syrian restaurant Mirage Kitchen is no longer in business:

[Robert Sietsema]

Bottle whisperer Eric Asimov shares his tips on how to pick a local wine store. One important factor: "No shop will always be able to get you the specific bottle you want, especially with small producers and various government regulations, which give every state its own peculiarities. But good merchants should always be ready to offer something similar."

Fairway is currently $297 million in debt, and its stock is valued at around 30 cents per share. Grub Street tracks its downward spiral, from over-expansion to an IPO that a former executive says was "way too soon."

— Max and Eli Sussman will be serving dishes from their Berg'n stall Ed & Bev's at Humboldt & Jackson this month during lunch, Monday through Friday. The midday menu includes Coney dogs, a tuna melt, cheeseburgers, a Greek salad, and eggs with corned beef hash. The brothers will also be cooking a few pop-up dinners at the Williamsburg restaurant with dishes from their Mediterranean concept Samesa. The first meal is next Monday, and dishes will be offered a la carte.

— And finally, here's how to make doughnuts like the masters at Dough: