One-Time Celeb Chef Todd English Is Now Trying to Expand His LaGuardia Pizza Spot

Todd English will franchise his pizza thing, Figs

Luster-losing celebrity chef Todd English, who was accused of sexual harassment in 2017, is handing his casual pizza restaurant Figs to a franchiser. Founded in Boston, Figs by Todd English operates locally at LaGuardia. It’s already a small chain, serving oblong pizzas with various toppings as far as the United Arab Emirates. But now Fransmart will sprinkle it liberally around the world. Watch out, Wolfgang Puck Express.

English was once a huge deal in New York and had lots of restaurants in the city, with announced plans to open more. Most of them have closed though, and several high profile deals went kaput.

A local scallop harvest disaster

A catastrophic bay scallop harvest in Peconic Bay, Long Island, has devastated fishermen, and is attributed to climate change and hotter waters. Farther north, in Massachusetts, the scallops appear to be okay — so they’re not coming off New York menus anytime soon. But for local fishermen, it’s a gut punch. “I’m scared,” one Peconic fisherman told the New York Times. “I don’t know what I’m going to do at this point. This is what I was banking on.”

In other news

— Just Pho, a Northern Vietnamese-style restaurant from chef Trung Nguyen, is serving simple, clarified and unadorned broth — until he runs out — across from Penn Station, and it’s “more carnal and more delicate” than more-commonly-found Southern-Style pho, says Times writer Ligaya Mishan in her review.

— Barney Greengrass is not only back open after a health department shut-down, but it’s actually got a good health score.

— Anime convention Anime NYC arrives next weekend at the Javits Center, featuring both actual Japanese food from across New York, and illustrated food, with a panel including the authors of a comic book cookbook called Let’s Make Ramen.

— Bringing the country together: