Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

• A look around Ward III in Tribeca, which opens tomorrow night. [GS]
• Lever House on Park Avenue will reopen as "Casa Lever" this fall. [NYP]
• Frank Bruni downgrades JGV's Spice Market in the Times today, giving the spot owned by the "clone-happy" chef one star instead of two. [NYT]
• The New Yorker's Lauren Collins doesn't have anything good to say about the Armani restaurant located inside the designer's Fifth Ave flagship. [NYer]
• Ryan Sutton is of a similar mindset, concluding that Montenapo, "like Armani Ristorante across town, serves mediocre hotel-Italian at absurd prices. [BN]
• Restaurant Girl gives Monkey Bar (otherwise known as "Graydon Carter's uptown dinner party) two stars out of five in the News this week. Over on her own site, she sits down with Keith McNally for a chat. [NYDN, RG]
• Lobster prices haven't been this low in more than 20 years, FYI. [Atlantic]
• Gansevoort Café opens in the former Florent space next month and the dining conglomerate New York City Restaurant Group will have a hand in it. [TFB]

♦  Armani has signed Victoria Beckham to appear in the new campaign for Emporio Armani underwear. You'll have to wait until spring '09 to see the Mert and Marcus-shot ads. [WWD]
♦  He's not crazy, he's just, uh, spiritual: Elton John apparently only eats off Versace crockery because he believes "the designer's spirit lives in every plate." [NYP via Racked]
♦  Narciso Rodriguez doesn't talk about his recent split with Liz Claiborne, but he does share a bit about his forthcoming book which will be published by Rizzoli later this month. [stylefile]
♦  Finally! Nicole Richie's jewelry line is now on sale. [The Cut] More

• Is Jovovich-Hawk over? Milla Jovovich tells Lucky magazine she's finished with the line. [The Cut]
• Veteran stylist Phillip Bloch is turning his attention to design: He's teaming up with Emma & Posh to create a collection for the holidays. [Vogue UK]
• Emporio Armani is launching a line of women's lingerie. [WWD] 
• Diddy is not showing off his spring/summer Sean John collection in the Fashion Week tents. Or anywhere else. Instead, he'll be hosting a low-key editor's preview in his midtown office in mid-August. [FWD]
• It's National Underwear Day, whatever that means. Appropriately, Lydia Hearst will be hosting a party tonight in honor of the occasion. [The Cut]