Actor Justin Theroux’s New ‘Dive’ Bar Is a ‘Cringe-Inducing’ Scene, Writer Says

Stephen Ross is hosting a Hamptons fundraiser for Trump

Billionaire Stephen Ross — the real estate developer behind maligned luxury development Hudson Yards — is hosting a fundraising luncheon for Donald Trump in the Hamptons this weekend, at his home with wife and jewelry designer Kara Ross. The Friday event costs $100,000 per person and includes a photo opp and food. For $250,000, attendees can also partake in a “roundtable discussion,” according to the Washington Post. It’s likely the same mansion where Ross hosted companies like &Pizza, Resy, and Milk Bar last year, part of a gathering of businesses where he has cash. No word yet on what food will be served, but Ross, who used to live at his other development Time Warner Center, is apparently a regular at Per Se and Masa.

Justin Theroux’s “dive” bar is “cringe-inducing air of a brand desperate for cool points”

Actor (and Jennifer Aniston ex) Justin Theroux recently opened a new bar called Ray’s that he’s calling a dive bar, and people are apparently scoffing at the label. The Post popped in, finding that it “teems with buttoned-up bros and Soho scenesters,” has “eye-popping prices,” and the decor that looks fake. One customer said “it’s trying way too hard,” while another noted it’s “where you come to drink PBR with your pinky up.” Overall, “between Theroux’s unabashed p.r. and cheesy Instagram posts, Ray’s is far more deluxe than dive,” the writer says.

Danish bakery Ole & Steen expands — plus other openings and a temporary closure

Well-received Danish bakery Ole & Steen is already growing in New York. The chain has opened a new, bigger outpost near Bryant Park in Midtown with 62 seats, inside the Beaux-Arts building. Further north at Rockefeller Plaza, City Winery is popping up from now until the fall. Light bites will be available, and the company’s wines will be on tap.

Over in the East Village, a coffee and pastry joint called Cafe Social 68 has opened. A more robust menu with sandwiches and salads is coming later. But on the Lower East Side, one of the city’s top Vietnamese restaurants has been quiet recently. Pho Grand looks like it’s under renovation, though it’s not clear when it’s expected to reopen.

Chef at Ferris leaves for his own project — and other chef shuffles

Chef Greg Proechel, formerly of Le Turtle, has left his post at Made Hotel restaurant Ferris. Under his tenure, the restaurant gained two stars in the Times, with the critic being impressed by Proechel’s ambitious Japanese-inflected fare. The chef plans on pursuing new restaurant-related projects under his own to-be-announced hospitality group. The New American restaurant remains open and will not see drastic menu changes, Proechel says. “The food is exactly where I’d like to to be. They’re continuing the excellence across the board,” he says.

In Greenpoint, Cherry Point now has a new chef. Yusuf Lovett, formerly of the Finch and Legacy Records, is putting in more composed plates, with lots of British touches based on his upbringing in the UK, such as a Scotch quail egg.

At Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud, pastry chef Johana Langi has taken over. Langi (Bouchon Bakery, Eleven Madison Park, Junoon) has added dishes like a frozen aerated chocolate mousse at Boulud Sud and a custard-based tart at Bar Boulud.

And finally, Franklin Becker is growing his footprint. His hospitality group is now charged with running the kitchen Claudio’s, the Greenport seafood restaurant which reopened after renovations.