Shuttered Park Slope Favorite Franny’s Is Bringing Clam Pies Back for One Night in Brookyn

Franny’s will resurrect in Brooklyn in March for pizza pop-up event

Park Slope restaurant Fausto will host a one-night pizza pop-up on Tuesday, March 5, bringing in guest chef John Adler, who was the executive chef of Franny’s, which was in the space before Fausto. He’ll be teaming up with Fausto chef Erin Shambura, who will oversee antipasti. Adler will make four individual-sized pies, including the popular clam pie formerly served at Franny’s. Desserts will be provided by pastry chef Caroline Schiff. Tickets, now on sale via Resy, are $65 per person including tax and gratuity.

NYC restaurants could soon be impacted by a smokehouse closure in Virginia

A nearly century-old smokehouse in Surry, Virginia supplies top NYC restaurants like Eleven Madison Park and Momofuku Ssäm Bar with pork products like dry-cured, hickory-smoked country ham, and its main location burned down three years ago, forcing its purveyor Sam Wallace Edwards III to use temporary locations for his operation. Due to a dispute with his insurance company following the fire, he might have to shutter the business. He’s suing the insurance company for alleged fraud, and the court hearing is slated to kick off today, potentially determining NYC’s smoked pork future.

Openings and coming attractions

Brooklyn ramen shop Kogane Ramen opened a second location in Chelsea at 337 West 14th St., serving its signature tonkotsu ramen topped with pork jowls and cheeks. A fifth location for the grilled cheese chain Melt Shop opened at 135 Fourth Ave. in East Village. The space previously housed a Make Sandwich, which was part of the Melt Shop brand and closed in December.

Next month, chefs Ryan Lory and Adam Bordonaro are teaming up to open Ardyn, a 36-seat American restaurant serving seasonal, local food as well as cocktails and a tasting menu option. It will open at 33 West Eighth St. and will include a chef’s table seating six that will have two seatings a night for a $85 per person tasting menu with a $60 add-on option for drink pairings. Another restaurant from co-chefs, Nahid Ahmed and Arjuna Bull, called Luthun will open in the spring at 432 East 13th St., offering tasting menus with global inspiration, including one that is vegetarian.

Two permanent closures downtown

Tapanju Turntable, a Korean tapas restaurant, temporarily closed in the fall due to a gas problem, but that shutter appears to be more permanent now, with the landlord taking legal possession of the space. And after extensive renovations and a rework, troubled LES restaurant Brigitte has closed. It had just reopened in November.

Society Cafe taps a new chef

Chef Manuel González is now in the kitchen as the new executive chef of Greenwich Village’s Society Cafe. He previously served as the chef de cuisine and formerly worked at Marc Forgione and Khe-Yo. He is whipping up dishes like a wild red snapper with littleneck clams, chorizo, daikon, and hen-of-the-wood mushrooms.