Sunny Balzano Remembered, Pulled Pork at Hill Country, And More Intel

— Hill Country Barbecue has added pulled pork to the menu, something that would have seemed anathema to the very notion of Texas-style barbecue almost decade ago, when the restaurant first opened. But owner Marc Glosserman tells Eater that pulled pork, long associated with Carolina and Tennessee styles, has begun appearing on menus in Texas.

— Shake Shack opened in Los Angeles yesterday, and Eater LA was all over the story with a live blog and extensive coverage.

— Red Hook came out en masse yesterday to celebrate the life of Sunny Balzano. The beloved owner of Sunny's bar died last week. Writer Tim Sultan, who wrote a book about Balzano, paid tribute to his friend in the New Yorker: "Sunny had a great appreciation for each person’s significance and he reflected that worth back on us. One always seemed to feel better after a visit with Sunny."

— Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer will team up with young gun chef Deuki Hong on March 30 to offer a four-course $95 prix fix that includes a copy of Koreatown: A Cookbook. Tickets for the K-Town Comes to Toro dinner are available via email.

— Popular Texas-based indie cinema with good food, the Alamo Drafthouse, has started hiring for the Brooklyn location set to open at 445 Gold Street, indicating that the oft delayed project should be screening soon.

— In other theaters with food you want to eat news, the restaurant portion of Metrograph, the ambitious cinema and dining complex that debuted last month, is expected to be open in early April.

— Brooklyn gourmet grocery and deli Court Street Grocer really wants to let you know that their health grade is no big deal.

Lol @ restaurants pic.twitter.com/ZeNQnN93dB

— Priya Krishna (@PKgourmet) March 16, 2016

According to health department records, Court Street received violations for cold food held over 41 degrees, evidence of mice in non-food areas, food not protected from potential sources of contamination, and a non-vermin proof facility.

— Westville will open its fifth location at 81 Washington Street in Dumbo later this year, its first outpost in Brooklyn. The bustling chain popular with the brunch set currently operates four locations in Manhattan.

— Buddha Bar is attempting to open an outpost in the space that last housed mega-flop Megu in Tribeca. It will likely face community opposition, as the party scene at Megu (and Obeca Li before it) was described as a "horror." If the application is approved, it will be the second entity at the 62 Thomas Street to have a giant statue of Buddha in the dining room.

— The city has dropped its opposition to dogs in outdoor restaurants and bars after Albany passed legislation freeing canines and their owners.

— And on the subject of dogs here is a look at the Burger King hot dog, which is no Papaya King: