We’ve been covering various NYC restaurants, food, drinks, bars, etc. news intel over on our daily newsletter (please sign up if you haven’t already!), but we’re also making it easier for everyone to catch up by rounding ‘em up here every week (check
out July’s and June’s).
It seems as though NYC fast-casual wonder Taïm hasclosed, per Reddit. There’s a seizure notice posted at its Midtown location on West 56th Street, stating that “this property has been seized for nonpayment of taxes, and is now in the possession of the state of New York.”Nation’s Restaurant News reports that Taïm’s parent company, Craveworthy Brands, owes around $632,000 in business taxes.
Its four New York City locations are listed as “temporarily closed” on Google and the respective phone numbers ring out; its Instagram account hasn’t been updated since July 22; its online ordering site isn’t active; and its Goldbelly store is gone. The D.C. location shuttered this past July. Currently, Taïm doesn’t seem to be on Craveworthy’s list of restaurants anymore either.
Co-founders and couple chef Einat Admony and Stéfan Nafziger started Taïm in 2005, becoming known for their falafel, pitas, and hummus. The business expanded to several locations. (At its height in NYC, it had 14 locations.) In 2021, Untamed Brands, a then-new company run by Phil Petrilli, who had been a Northeast regional director for Chipotle for 13 years and had previously invested in Taïm, acquired it as the group’s first restaurant. Then, in 2024, fast-casual restaurant company Craveworthy Brands bought Untamed Brands. Eater has reached out for more information. — Nadia Chaudhury
A new high-end Chinese duck restaurant’s coming to NYC
iDen’s Beijing Duck House is opening Tuesday, September 1, in what had been La Grenouille, a New York institution since the 1960s. The restaurant, at 3 E. 52nd Street, between Fifth and Madison avenues, follows the sibling location in Vancouver that opened six years ago. The chef, Matt Chen, had run the kitchen of Le Palais in Taipei, apparently the first restaurant in Taiwan to receive three Michelin stars. The menu lists a nearly $200 tasting menu as well as a la carte options like a duck and egg yolk roll ($26); surf clam and okra salad ($28); venison with Sichuan-pickled vegetables ($58); and the Beijing duck, which starts at $128. — Melissa McCart
An over-100-year-old deli is shuttering
A longtime Queens deli that’s been open for over 100 years, Manor Delicatessen, is closing on Friday, August 21. The Retrologist reports that the Woodhaven deli is up for sale. — NC
New dining changes coming to NYC transportation hub
Grand Central is going all-in on dining options, the New York Post reports. An elevator shaft with doors that open onto Vanderbilt Plaza will become a grab-and-go spot. Then, the people behind Grand Brasserie, Vizz Group, will open Osteria Centrale, a 250-seat restaurant in what had been a Rite-Aid. — MM
Get out of town while eating and drinking well
Check out my favorite spots in Atlantic City, Montauk, and the Catskills, all handily on the Eater app. — NC
NYC multi-hyphenate chef debuts a new series
Eddie Huang, behind Baohaus in the East Village, Canal Street Dreams, and various projects at the intersection of art, culture, and food, has his own series again, this time with Complex: Huang’s World features the chef and his wife, Shia Blanca, exploring food and storytelling from around the world; it follows the original from Viceland from 2013 to 2017. For the relaunch in September, the series will focus on 12 New York City chefs. — MM
A Brooklyn food bookstore pivots
Bed-Stuy food bookstore and cafe BEM, which opened in October 2025, has closed for in-person shopping as of Sunday, August 9. The Instagram announcement notes that co-owners and sisters Gabrielle and Danielle Davenport want to “put our programming focused on Black food, books, and cultures front and center.” They renamed the space to the BEM Cultural Foundation, and tease cookbook launches, film screenings, and dinners in the fall. In the meantime, people are encouraged to become members. — NC
Get into the Irish spirit
Tara Mór, the Midtown Irish pub near Madison Square Garden, hosts Mór Fest NYC from Wednesday, August 19 to Sunday, August 23 — five days of live music, comedy, sports panels, and food and drink from Irish producers, with organizers billing it as the city’s first fully Irish festival. Expect Guinness on tap (with a perfect pour competition closing out the week), plus the pub’s spice bag and full Irish breakfast served throughout. General admission runs $50 for full-week access; VIP passes are $200 and include drinks. It’s at 150 W. 30th Street, between Sixth and Seventh avenues; tickets via Eventbrite. — MM
August 7
A Wine Bar-Vodka Bar Switcheroo in Greenwich Village
Parcelle Wine closed its Greenwich Village location on Tuesday, July 28, per Swurl. The publication reports that cocktail bar Vodka Bar is taking over, opening in the fall. Parcelle’s Chinatown location remains open, and its Instagram notes that the team is looking for a new location in the same neighborhood. — Nadia Chaudhury
Chez Fifi partner is expanding with new cafe
Upper East Side Basque and Parisian restaurant Chez Fifi partner Justin Wands is opening something new this fall, named Cafe Wands. — NC
RIP Barcade… in three years
Barcade in Williamsburg will be closing in 1,000 days or so, because its lease is expiring in 2029. — NC
Japan-based vegan ramen is coming to the East Village
Vegan ramen and sushi roll spot Redwhite Boneless Ramen, which first opened in Japan then expanded to Boston, is opening in the East Village, EV Grieve reports. The restaurant will fully open by Thursday, August 20, but before that, it may have limited hours and menus starting on Friday, August 7. — Melissa McCart
A Soho restaurant’s temporary configuration
A pipe burst in Lure Fishbar, so the Soho staple will have to redo the floors. In the meantime, the restaurant is open outdoors for lunch and in the dining area (not the bar) for dinner. Mercer Street Hospitality owner John McDonald told Eater he’ll have to close for a week or so for the repairs. — MM
Pay what you can for meals at these really great NYC restaurants
The second edition of Pago Lo Que Puedas/Pay What You Can day — where diners can pay what they can for meals across participating restaurants in 12 countries, organized by Mexico City restaurant Masala y Maiz — is happening Wednesday, August 26. New York’s lineup includes Caribbean prix fixe Kabawa; HAGS (which is known for its similar brunch program); burrito joint Vato; and Mexican American restaurant Hellbender. — NC
New tea tasting destination
An homage to Japanese tea culture with classes and tastings has opened inside Matchaful in Williamsburg. Ritual Bar debuted on Wednesday, August 5, at 92 Berry Street, at North Eighth Street, Wednesday through Sunday, with walk-ins welcome from noon to 3 p.m. Class reservations are on Resy. — MM
A Brooklyn chef leaves via Chicago
Eli Sussman, the go-to restaurant industry meme-r who had been the chef of Prospect Heights bistro Gertrude’s (where he trained actor Dominic Sessa for his role as Anthony Bourdain in Tony), has left New York City for Chicago. Caper reports that he’s now the director of brand strategy and communications at DineAmic Hospitality, which oversees restaurants like modern Italian restaurant Siena Tavern and steakhouse Prime & Provisions. The newsletter notes that Sussman is still a partner of the Brooklyn restaurants, and that he’s working on a satirical book, Me Chef, You Chef, Oui Chef, publishing in 2027. — NC
