• The top restaurant in New York City, according to San Pellegrino's list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants: for 2009: Per Se, naturally. [Serious Eats]
• A look at the Gates, the new venue in the former Biltmore Room space. [GS]
• Be advised: Morton's is now charging $2.50 to add ice to your drink. [IC]
• It's been two years since the banh mi trend surfaced, apparently. [GS, Eater]
• Yet another victim of the recession: hot-dog cart vendors. [NYDN]
• Andre Balazs isn't saying much about the restaurant opening in the Standard Hotel, although he's willing to admit he's naming it after his daughters. [GS]
• Sorry, sex fiends: The Casbar, a sex club in the Brooklyn that was featured in the New York Times in February, has been shut down. [DBTH]

• A handful of top NYC chefs recount their favorite meals of 2008. [Metromix]
• Chinatown's HSF dim sum house is no more. [Zagat]
• The Standard is supposedly opening for friends and family on Sunday. [Eater]
• Only a holiday miracle will keep Via Delle Zoccolette in business. [Eater]
• Free sliders at Morton's tomorrow from 5-6, if you're interested. [GS]
• Boqueria is now serving lunch; breakfast at the Oak Room begins 1/1. [GS]
• A few food trends you can look forward to in 2009. [Gourmet]

The good news for Beverly Hills residents is that a West Coast outpost of Soho House will not be opening where Morton's on Melrose used to be. The bad news? A restaurant owned by the proprietors of Soho House will be going there instead! After British millionaire Richard Caring bought out minority investors, he announced he would open outlets of the snobby club/hotel everywhere from Chicago to Shanghai, but tough-as-nails neighbors near the landmark restaurant's former site complained about potential noise and parking issues. Caring has since relocated his plans to West Hollywood, but the arrival of Cecconi's may not ease the pain so fast; first up on the restaurant's event schedule is taking over Morton's annual hosting of the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, which we're sure won't attract the least bit of traffic. [Page Six]