Things That Former Reporters Do

Hamilton Nolan · 05/04/09 04:38PM

So many reporters leaving their jobs now. What are they becoming? Hippies, and paranoid types:

Eating & Drinking: Monday Edition

cityfile · 05/04/09 03:30PM

• The new owners of the Florent space are turning it into something called the Gansevoort Cafe; a Fiamma replacement is on the way, too. [Eater]
• 'wichcraft is introducing a "sandwich-inspired" dinner menu. [GS]
• Daniel Boulud's forthcoming DBGB will offer 14 kinds of sausage. [TONY]
• Le Souk is abandoning the EV and moving to Bleecker and LaGuardia. [Eater]
• Organic food is more popular in NYC, less popular in Idaho. Crazy! [NYT]
• Cookbook sales are up, which, naturally, has to do with the recession. [WSJ]
• A film shoot gone awry damaged the Sbarro in Times Square today. [NYP]
• The James Beard Awards go down tonight; Eater has a liveblog. [Eater]

Love in the Age of SMS

Owen Thomas · 05/04/09 01:46PM

Things were simpler when the only medium for asking someone out was the telephone. Text messaging, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace have complicated romance, if not ruined it, the Washington Post reports.

The Creepiest Hotel Suite in Town

cityfile · 05/04/09 01:38PM

Whether this is a draw or a drawback is up to you, but guests who book the 46th-floor penthouse suite at the Helmsley Park Lane gain access to many of Leona Helmsley's old "personal belongings," including her "king-size bed with satin covers," "lacquered dining room table and crystal chandeliers," and the salon chair that Frédéric Fekkai once used to style "her trademark short brown hair." Access to her private swimming pool isn't part of the package, alas, although hotel employees do say they've "spruced" up the place, which is nice to hear since they also point out she went through about five packs of cigarettes a day when she lived there. [NYDN]

Lady Layoffs at Men's Journal?

Hamilton Nolan · 05/04/09 01:27PM

In your cloudy Monday media column: Rumors of woman-centric layoffs at Men's Journal, Warren Buffett gives up on newspapers, Newsweek goes through "the change," job moves galore, and more!:

The French Have It Better

cityfile · 05/04/09 01:22PM

Something to think about while you scarf down your lunch in 10 minutes and bemoan the fact that you're only getting four hours of sleep as you try to keep yourself employed in these challenging economic times: The average person in France spends two hours each day eating, and gets close to nine hours of sleep every night. [AP]

The Monday Party Report

cityfile · 05/04/09 12:36PM

Celebrity stylist Harry Josh and nightlife kingpin Nur Khan hosted "Spring Fling" at the Gramercy Park Hotel on Saturday night. A bevy of celebs and social scenesters turned up for the fête, including Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone, Naomi Campbell, Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady, Kate Hudson and mom Goldie Hawn, Ed Norton, Ashley Olsen, Spike Lee, Winona Ryder, Liv Tyler, Phillip Lim, Narciso Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Karolina Kurkova, Georgina Chapman, Rachel Zoe and Rodger Berman, Kate Bosworth and James Rousseau, Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr, Josh Hartnett, Daria Werbowy, Lily Donaldson, Molly Sims, Hamish Bowles, January Jones, Richie Akiva, Peter Som, Richard Chai, Christian Siriano, Cherry Jones, Jason Sudeikis, Guy Oseary, Lake Bell, Brian Atwood, Zoe Kravitz, and Quincy Jones. [PMc, VF, FWD]

Dining with Tom

cityfile · 05/04/09 12:23PM

If you spot Tom Colicchio eating out and he appears to be displaying bad table manners by not having his napkin on his lap, keep in mind it may have been an intentional move on his part. Colicchio's biggest pet peeve at restaurants: "I do not want the server to pick up the napkin and put it on my lap. I know it belongs there; maybe I don't choose to put it there." Duly noted! Oh, and if you should happen to invite Tom over for dinner and he takes you up on your offer, avoid preparing any dishes with okra or grated mountain yam, and make sure your fridge is stocked with Fresca. He'll be forever grateful. [NYT]