Meghan Markle also hit up Polo Bar with Serena Williams on her NYC trip
Aside from spending time at famed French macaron bakery Laduree, duchess Meghan Markle continued her luxe New York City trip at the Polo Bar in Midtown, where she dined with pro tennis player Serena Williams and stylist Jessica Mulroney. She also dined at high-end French restaurant Café Boulud on the Upper East Side, where she was staying. Markle was in town for her baby shower, which was held at the Mark Hotel on the UES.
Annual Hamptons party hosted by the James Beard Foundation is no more
The James Beard Foundation has reportedly bid farewell to its annual Hamptons bash, a summer charity event called Chefs & Champagne that started in 1990. It’s been a hot event for the last 29 years, in which celebrities like Richard Gere and Star Jones mingle with top New York chefs like Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller, amongst other people who pay $200 to $375 to be there. Restaurants like Don Angie and Sen Sakana participated in last year’s party, which raised money for charities. According to the Post’s sources, the organization is trying to make the awards have more national appeal and not be so NYC-centric.
Donut Pub is opening a location in Noho
The Donut Pub is finally expanding after 50 years in business with a new store in Noho. New menu items will include miniature doughnuts and gelato. Owner Buzzy Geduld’s daughter Nancy will run the shop at 740 Broadway, near Astor Place, as general manager. Geduld is a Wall Street trader but has kept the doughnut shop open as a side business all these years. Now, with the added success of his doughnuts on social media, he’s decided to add a second location to his roster.
Mr. Bing is planting a second brick-and-mortar location in Midtown
Beijing street food favorite Mr. Bing is relocating its Times Square kiosk to an indoor, permanent store at 8 West 46th St., near Fifth Avenue. The Chinese jianbing-selling kiosk is now closed, and the new store should open by mid-March, owner Brian Goldberg tells Eater. The new Midtown spot — his second standalone store — will have 10 seats, although the restaurant is traditionally known as a grab-and-go operation. Mr. Bing opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Chelsea last month, with a standup bar-top big enough for four diners at a time and a grab-and-go window.
UWS diner is flipping into a fine-dining restaurant
Upper West Side ’80s diner Big Daddy’s is reportedly closing soon — only to be replaced in a few months with a fine-dining restaurant. The restaurant at 2545 Broadway, near 91st Street, will be renovated, add a bar, and adopt Mediterranean fare, seemingly under the same ownership. The kid-friendly restaurant has another location in Gramercy. Its spot on the Upper East Side closed in 2016.
A collab between Contra and Mexico City’s Pujol
Acclaimed Lower East Side tasting menu spot Contra will throw a collaboration dinner with Cosme chef Enrique Olvera’s acclaimed Mexico City fine-dining restaurant Pujol, according to an Instagram post by Contra chef Fabian Von Hauske. It will happen on March 9, and reservations can be made through Contra’s website or by emailing info@contranyc.com.