• The week in reviews: Pete Wells of the Times shows little love for Hotel Griffou this week, leaving the Village hotspot starless; TONY's Jay Cheshes has nice things to say about Michael Psilakis' Gus & Gabriel; NY's Patronite & Raisfeld weigh in on Brooklyn's Fort Defiance; RG visits Yerba Buena Perry; and Gael Greene shares thoughts on Jeffrey Chodorow's latest, Ed's Chowder House.
• More photos/details about the new MePa venue Abe & Arthur's. [TFB, Eater]
• Are those calorie counts that are now posted for all to see (sigh) actually making a difference? Unclear, but the city is now conducting "research." [NYT]
• Incoming Tavern on the Green operator Dean Poll says it will take up to four years (and lots of cash, of course) to finish renovations on the space. [NYP]
• Nevermind the endless delays and appalling lack of legroom, some airlines are now offering passengers their very own signature cocktails. Yay! [VV]
• Do you know a "foodiot"? Probably, although you may be one, too. [NYO]
• If Mike Bloomberg asks you to bring over dinner, you can't go wrong with the half chicken with herbs at Quatorze Bis or the Sichuan shrimp from Shun Lee Palace. Whatever you do, do not pick up anything from Blue Smoke. [NYT]

• Tonight's waiter may be yesterday's trader: "Carlos Araya used to order lobster, filet mignon and $200 bottles of red wine at the Palm Restaurant in midtown Manhattan. Now, he seats customers at its Tribeca branch." [WSJ]
• Somewhat related: Swiss bankers depressed about the downturn are finding comfort in Italian food because of its "soothing factor." Go figure. [NYT]
• It's not all bad news: Some 28 new restaurants opened in May. [Eater]
• Time Out has issued a list of the best new pizza places in NYC. [TONY]
• Momofuku Noodle Bar has applied for a full liquor license. [DBTH]
• The East Village yakitori spot Mr. Jones is now closed. [Eater]

• Sam Mason's Tailor in Soho has filed for bankruptcy protection. [Crain's]
• More on how the downturn is hurting NYC's pricier places: Sirio Maccioni says his Las Vegas outpost keeps Le Cirque in NYC alive; Le Bernardin has yet to renew its lease; and rumor has it Chanterelle is seeking investors. [NYM]
• The silver lining: restaurant rents are down substantially, which may explain why there's been a spike in applications for restaurant permits. [AMNY, NYO]
• Larry Poston (Waverly Inn, Pastis) has teamed up with Johnny Swet (Balthazar, Freeman's) to take over the former Marylou's space. [P6]

As rumored, the Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Times Square is closing. But it's not because dozens of women have sued the place for discrimination, assault, and harassment! The flesh factory is just shutting its doors on Saturday because it plans to make some much needed repairs and plans to re-open in May. "One has nothing to do with the other," says manager Jamie Galler. And if you believe that, you're probably also thinking that Rod Blagojevich will win the White House in 2012 and name Bernie Madoff his Treasury secretary. [Gothamist]

• A day after the city asked for bids on the Tavern on the Green space comes word the restaurant's been sued for failing to pay its meat supplier. [Eater]
• Soho's much-maligned Delicatessen has a new menu courtesy of its new consultants, club owner David Rabin and chef Franklin Becker. [GS]
• Embattled Soho eatery Lola shutdown last Friday. [NYO]
• Joe Bastianich is hoping to plant Eataly, a 60,000-square-foot Italian food market, in a space "between Union Square and Madison Square Park." [NYT]
• Philippe's expansion continues: The chain plans to set up an LA location. [P6]
• It looks like the end is near for the Hawaiian Tropic Zone. [TFB]
• Legendary Union Square veggie peeler Joe Ades has died. [NYT]

• The city is accepting proposals from restaurateurs interesting in taking over Tavern on the Green. Be advised you may have to do battle with current owner Jennifer Oz LeRoy, who has vowed to hang on to the landmark eatery. [NYO]
• Shang's Susur Lee earns a two-star review from Adam Platt this week. [NYM]
• Lunetta on Broadway and 21st Street has closed after 15 months. [Eater]
• Kyle Bailey is replacing Neil Ferguson at Allen & Delancey. [NYT]
• Yet more tax trouble for the Cipriani clan. [NYP]
• Mega-restaurateur Stephen Starr, Alto owner Chris Cannon, and broker Steven Kamali on the troubles facing the city's restaurant economy. [NYT]
• Another ex-Hawaiian Tropic hostess is suing for sexual harassment. [NYDN]
• Mention the word "bailout" at the Chocolate Bar at Henri Bendel between now and the end of the month and you'll get a free brownie. [New Yorkology]

Remember how the Hawaiian Tropic Zone was slapped with a $600 million lawsuit two weeks ago after four women alleged they'd been harassed (and, in one case, raped) by a former general manager of the restaurant? Yea, well, it doesn't seem the venue learned anything from the PR fiasco: Not only is it inviting prospective waitresses to show up at the restaurant to speak to the manager with their headshot and a "bodyshot" in hand, the company's Las Vegas outpost is offering up a free boob job to the woman who collects the most candy at its Halloween party.

The Post has a follow-up to the suit filed yesterday by four women who claim they were sexually harassed (and, in one case, raped) by a former manager of the Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Times Square. The women, who are seeking $600 million in damages from the former GM and the restaurant's parent company, Dennis Riese's Riese Organization, tell the paper that they're hoping the lawsuit ends up shutting down the company's entire chain of 113 restaurants. Unrelated: At least two of the four women are aspiring singers, in case you're curious: see here and here. [NY Post, previously]

It seems having oiled-up chicks traipsing around in bikinis didn't create such a friendly workplace for employees of the Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Times Square. The restaurant was smacked with a $600 million lawsuit today: Four women allege that the restaurant's former general manager, Anthony Rakis, raped and sodomized a manager, harassed female waitresses, and forced prospective hires to strip down for "examinations." The women claim that the restaurant's owner, Dennis Riese, was part of the problem, too, helping to turn Hawaiian Tropic Zone "into a disgusting meat market." Riese hasn't responded to the charges yet, but we'll point out that this is the same man who told The New Yorker last year that he describes himself as a feminist ("I love women and believe in them") and chalked up any grievances to nature. "I don't think these girls are feeling exploited," he said. "If a bunch of guys are coming in and ogling them, it's because they're guys and those are girls! And that's part of our biological nature."

The Hawaiian Tropic Zone restaurant is apparently a safe place for women! Owner Dennis Riese tells the New Yorker that he likes the ladies, and in a good, gyno-positive Naomi Wolf way.

Remember Tina Marino, the Hawaiian Tropic Zone waitress who dished about the downsides of her plasticy job? Well, today the Observer brings us another dispatch from that den of sanitized sin, sending an intrepid reporter to ask the tough questions about what goes on in the HTZ subsidized housing, where the girls live together to find out what happens when boobs stop being real, and start getting fake. So, the reporter asked, is it sooo much fun in the dorms? "We have slumber parties and popcorn parties. We all get along really well," enthused one concierge. Uh huh! Seems like she's trotting out the HTZ pageant-y party line. Yawn.