Masaharu Morimoto Sued by Business Partner — and More Intel

The latest lawsuit involves chef Masaharu Morimoto

“Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto is in hot water after a former business partner has sued him for cutting him out of the profits of a deal. The suit alleges that Rowen Seibel used his connections to help Morimoto open in Las Vegas’ MGM Grand last year, but that Morimoto cut him out of the deal after Seibel was arrested for a $1.3 million tax evasion scheme in 2016, the Post reports. Though the issue is with a Las Vegas restaurant, the suit was filed in Manhattan.

DeKalb Market Hall sets an opening date

This Friday, June 16 is officially the arrival of DeKalb Market Hall (445 Albee Square West), the Brooklyn food hall that houses the first-ever outpost of Katz’s Deli. Other vendors include Smorgasburg regular Kotti Berliner Doner Kebab, Fulton Landing Seafood, Hard Times Sundae, Wilma Jean’s fried chicken from the Carroll Garden restaurant, Bushwick kebab spot BK Jani, and more.

Get tattooed for just one free year of pies

A tattoo will stay with you forever, but it will earn you one year of free pizza from D.C.-based newcomer &pizza. The NoMad pizza shop (15 West 28th Street) is set to open on Tuesday, June 20 and is making the stunty offer of free pizza for a year if you get its ampersand logo tattooed anywhere on your body (it’s also providing the tattoo service). It’s only for the first 22 people who sign up, but it will be interesting to see how many people actually take them up on the offer.

A cream cheese-based restaurant heads to the East Village

122 East Seventh Street will soon be home to Becky’s Bites, a cream cheese restaurant with bagels, parfaits, tarts, and cookie sandwiches — all of which will incorporate that tangy, fluffy New York favorite.

Mark Bittman joins Grub Street

In the food media world, former NY Times columnist and cookbook author Mark Bittman has gone to New York magazine. He’ll be writing weekly about cooking and food policy, accompanied by videos.

Two separate assault incidents at restaurants around town

It’s not easy working the overnight shift at restaurants in NYC, as evidenced by two assault incidents this week. At IHOP in East Harlem, a teenage boy punched a security guard after trying to skip out on paying for his meal, and in the Bronx, a deli worker’s jaw was broken after two men started throwing avocados and bananas at him.

Some of the craziness going on at Morimoto

And finally, a floating uni cracker starts the meal off at Morimoto in Chelsea: