• The Cutting Room is hoping to re-open on Franklin Street. [Eater]
• Anthony Martignetti says he plans to close and revamp Bar Martignetti. [GS]
• Frank Bruni gives a single star to Cabrito in his Times review today, subtracting points for the eatery's "maddening" inconsistencies. [NYT]
• More on the "21" Club's decision to end its 79-year tie requirement. [NYT]
• John Doherty is stepping down as the Waldorf-Astoria's exec chef. [NRN]
• Keith McNally chats with the Observer about Morandi, Minetta Tavern, and the "pizzeria with a twist" he plans to open a year from now or so. [NYO]
• Are Wall Streeters really eating at McDonald's to save on food? Maybe! [NYP]
• Health commissioner Thomas Frieden's latest target? Salt! [NYT]

Sherri Shepherd may have mixed feelings about the gays, but today on The View, she allowed one to demonstrate how to lay in a sling, perk up one's ass, and start panting. And why not.

We hear Jim Clark, the billionaire Netscape founder, may marry his fiancée, Australian swimsuit model Kristy Hinze, in March on Richard Branson's Necker Island — the same place where Google's Larry Page said "I do."

All that goodwill Obama whipped up in the Muslim world yesterday? That may be over. A CIA station chief apparently drugged and raped at least two women in Algeria, ABC reports.

Rosenberg: Fired Doug Allen "too good" for SAG. [The Wrap]

So much media news already this Wednesday, but there's more(!): WaPo Book World's gone, Super Bowl parties are canceled, and Reader's Digest's brutal recession memo:

Unclaimed Funds Database [New York State Comptroller's Office]
Steve and Christine Schwarzman [Cityfile]

Rod Blagojevich's hilarious media tour has succeeded! Sure, he'll still be kicked out of office tomorrow, but now everyone in America loves him!

The American Idol taco truck pulled into Jacksonville last night, where aspirant Darren Darnell—a radioactive people person with a seemingly bottomless bag of party tricks—nominated himself holding tank spirit-squad leader.

With the steady crumbling of Conde Nast, you have to wonder how long their chairman, Si Newhouse, can hang tough. Great media baron families like his are a dying breed.

Those ladies who talked to the Times today about the horrific pain and sacrifice involved in dating men who work on Wall Street amid the recession? Yea, well, they just scored a book deal. Happy Wednesday, struggling novelists! [Fashionista]

You've got pink slips: AOL axes 700 of 7,000. Memo!

A satellite image from the National Weather Service shows a storm system—maybe caused by our ladyfriend La Niña?—that appears to be giving us here in the Northeast a big, lipsticky kiss. [via Gothamist]

Thank goodness Paris Hilton's nascent presidential campaign never took off: not only would she have worn Kitson to all the presidential balls, but she thinks the British prime minister is someone else entirely.

Former Clinton White House mouthpiece Dee Dee Myers just called Barack Obama "the most famous living person in the history of the world." Whatever! What about, like, The Pope? Or Tom Cruise!

Now we know why Starbucks was so quick to put its $45 million jet on the market yesterday. The company announced moments ago that it plans to cut nearly 7,000 employees and close an additional 300 stores. The company's CEO, Howard Schultz, also says he plans to take a steep pay cut; he'll now earn approximately $4 a month if you subtract out his benefits package, which is almost (but not quite!) enough to pay for a venti Frappuccino once a month. The Wall Street Journal has more here. Melissa Allison of the Seattle Times has more detail here on the company's efforts to sell off its jet.

Aw, that's cute. Reality stain Olivia Palermo—the bitchy also-ran on The City—wants to be a "serious actress". What kind of roles could she play? Let's speculate after the jump.

Change is here so remove that perma-frown because ideeli has 500 reasons for you to be smiling. Join ideeli today for a chance to win a $500 shopping spree on ideeli.

1/27 — So I was moving among the gay gladiators of Gold's Gym Hollywood, where who should I find cranking away at the handbike but relatively drama-free Grey's Anatomy hunk JUSTIN CHAMBERS. Here's what I'll tell you about Justin Chambers: handsome, weight-conscious (he got on the scale), entourage- and trainer-free, and generally seemed like a nice guy. How can I tell all this by observing him from a safe distance? I just can. [Hollywood PrivacyWatch is written by and for Defamer readers; send your sightings to tips@defamer.com.]

What's your kid planning to do this summer? For a mere $5,000-$9,500, an outfit called University of Dreams guarantees it will score your kid an internship at Donna Karan, or you get your money back. Private yoga and Kabbalah sessions with Donna herself not included. [WSJ]