Eleven Madison Park Once Got a Surprise Drag Queen Performance as a Tip

Actor Ben Feldman once sent a drag queen to Eleven Madison Park

Actor Ben Feldman (Superstore, Mad Men) sure knows how to reward good service. In a video on Vulture, Feldman says that after getting sent a bunch of comps while dining at Will Guidara and Daniel Humm’s vaunted tasting menu restaurant Eleven Madison Park, he didn’t have money to offer extra tip. (The restaurant is service-included.) Instead, he later sent over a drag queen during the restaurant’s pre-service meeting “to bust into this super snooty, fancy restaurant in full drag,” he says. The queen then sang “Thank You for Being a Friend,” pulled out $100 in singles, threw them into the air, and then stormed back out of the restaurant.

Revived LIC institution Crabhouse turns into a Latin restaurant

Nearly 40-year-old Long Island City restaurant Crab House closed a few years back when the owner died and was shortly after revived as Crabhouse by new owners. But it seems like it’s the end of the line for seafood at the space. Joseph Lucil and Skinny Lee have transformed Crabhouse into The Loft LIC, according to LIC Talk. Decor has only changed slightly, and the restaurant now serves Latin food.

A look at Angie Mar of Beatrice Inn

Tejal Rao at the Times profiles chef-owner Angie Mar of West Village meatery Beatrice Inn, with a particular look at the way she runs the kitchen. Mar uses honorifics like “Mr.” and “Mrs.” with staff and tries to spend time each day talking about books, films, restaurant reviews, and the staffers’ favorite chefs of the moment. She says the goal is to offer training that she didn’t always find when she was coming up. “We need to focus on bringing the next generation up. Because what really matters is where my cooks are in 10 years, and who they’re mentoring in 10 years,” she says.

Rainbow bagel purveyor hops on another social media moment

The Bagel Store — a Williamsburg shop best known for its viral rainbow-colored bagel — is now selling a savory, twisted black-and-white bagel with truffle oil in honor of the #TimesUp movement against sexual harassment. But despite the slew of hashtags, none of the proceeds from the bagels are actually going to the Time’s Up fund, which provides legal support for people who have experienced abuse in the workplace. In response to criticisms, the store said that they “support many amazing causes on all levels.”

Philippe Chow apparently still a celebrity magnet

Looks like pan-Asian clubstaurant Philippe Chow still draws in the celebs, even young hip ones like rapper Cardi B. The artist behind hit “Bodak Yellow” ate at the Upper East Side location this week with a whole crew of ladies. They sat in the private wine cellar and ate Kung Pao chicken, spicy prawns, veggie fried rice, cotton candy baked Alaska, and the famed chicken satay, with extra hot sauce.

Bushwick beer destination The Sampler reopens with new owners

A once-popular Bushwick craft beer shop and bar called The Sampler is back in business. The former owners closed it last summer, saying that it wasn’t getting enough business or a steady employee base. New owners Leo Tineo and Richard Mercado, who’s a Bushwick fireman, are both locals who wanted to reopen the bar with the same upscale bar snacks and craft beers, but with “a touch of their Latino heritage and classic neighborhood flare,” Bushwick Daily reports. Meanwhile, here’s Garret Oliver on how to become a brewmaster: