Lidia Bastianich’s Midtown Restaurant Slapped With Another Wage Theft Lawsuit

Workers file a wage theft lawsuit against Felidia

Two former employees of Lidia Bastianich’s Felidia are suing the Midtown Italian restaurant for wage theft. The workers claim they spent over 20 percent of each shift performing non-tipped duties, but were paid at tipped wage levels. They’re alleging that they worked more than 40 hours a week without overtime pay and had to pay for family meal that they didn’t consume. The employees are seeking unspecified damages; the full suit is below. This isn’t the first wage suit to hit Felidia — the restaurant, along with four others owned by Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, agreed to pay out $2.2 million in 2018 after a former busser at Felidia filed a class action suit against them.

Katz’s invites Meg Ryan to finally return to the scene of her infamous orgasm

In a long interview and profile in The New York Times Magazine, actress Meg Ryan admits she has not returned to Katz’s since her infamous orgasm scene filmed there for classic romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally. She answered with a simple “no” when asked if she’s been other than that time. Now, the owner Jake Dell tells Eater that the Jewish delicatessen would formally like to invite Ryan to return to judge a “faking it” contest. “There’s few people we would trust more with this very important task,” Dell says.

Bodega owners fight for right to eventually sell marijuana

NYC bodega owners held a rally in the Bronx on Sunday to fight for their right to sell marijuana once it’s legalized in New York state. United Bodegas of America president Radames Rodriguez argued that “bodega owners need increased revenue to survive, we have paid our dues.” The organization is drafting a letter to send to Governor Andrew Cuomo on the topic.

“Get out of New York, all the good restaurants are closed”

After grousing about the “cost of living, the filth, the notorious New York attitude,” and the fact that his son couldn’t obtain a gun a in NYC, a Washington Examiner contributor declared that New York is over. The final straw? “Most of the worthwhile restaurants are gone,” the writer says. He laments the loss of places like Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro, Carnegie Deli, Primehouse, BLT Prime, and Blue Water Grill. Luckily, though, some of his favorites remain: Doughnut Plant and Serendipity 3. Eater will withhold comment on this man’s restaurant choices.