Customers Angry Over $1.75 Dipping Sauces Allegedly Caused $25K in Damages at LES Fries Shop

The three patrons responsible for a violent attack at Bel-Fries in the Lower East Side now face criminal assault charges, reports the New York Post. Bowery Boogie initially reported that at around 4 a.m. on July 4, staff allegedly asked three customers to pay $1.75 for extra dipping sauce. That set off a bashing that, according to owner Annalee Schlossberg, caused $25,000 dollars in damages to the property and led to an injured employee who needed a staple in her head after being struck by a tablet cash register.

Say goodbye to the power lunch

As business deals close online and remote work persists across the country, upscale restaurants that hosted the once prevalent power lunch are canceling the meal, reports the New York Times. In New York City, lunch reservations fell 38 percent, according to an OpenTable survey, and Eric Ripert said Aldo Sohm Wine Bar, which he co-owns, has felt the hit. Meanwhile, Per Se, Eleven Madison Park, and Jean-Georges have not resumed lunch service.

Can Papaya King be saved?

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) slammed Papaya King landlord without mentioning the company by name, which also happened to donate over $33,000 to her campaign, reports New York Daily News. “The new building owner is trying to kick them out to develop the site,” she wrote on Twitter. “NYC has lost far too many of its historic eateries. Let’s not lose another small business that helped shape this city.” Prolific real estate developers Extell Development filed plans to tear down the hot dog shop at 179 East 86th Street and Third Avenue. Papaya King has been a New York institution since 1932. Over the years, it has opened several outposts (Hollywood, St. Mark’s Place, Downtown Brooklyn) but all the others have closed.

Parcelle rolls out new wine bar+shop

Retail shop-wine bar Parcelle, at 135 Division Street, near Canal, opens this week, a place that bills itself as the place where somms and regular people can brush elbows and clink glasses. The new space brings an evening bar and restaurant to the Lower East Side with a wine list of over 500 picks, also available for purchase online or for next-day delivery. A monthly subscription program, called Wine Drop, allows customers to “elect for personalized recommendations from and access to their sommeliers by email or text message following their visit.”