Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

• The Guggenheim is planning to open a restaurant named The Wright inside the museum. [NYT]
• Le Cirque is now morphing into a club on Friday nights. Just don't actually call it a club, though. [GS]
• Former Tailor chef Sam Mason has a new cooking show on Independent Film Channel and reports he may open something new in Brooklyn. [NYT]
• Má Pêche (aka Momofuku Midtown) is serving cocktails. [F&W]
• Is the Department of Health waging a war on pizza? It seems so. [Slice, GS]
• Starbucks is rolling out more of its brand-less coffeehouses. [NYT]
• If you haven't had a chance to get to know Vadim Ponorovsky, the owner of Paradou, please do so. He's a delight, both in print and on the phone. [Gawker]

• A group of Greenwich Village residents are waging war against the Jane Hotel Ballroom over noise issues. They've hired a lawyer and filed complaints with the city. Naturally, they're blogging and tweeting the action, too. [NYDN]
• Drinks at the Standard's Boom Boom Room will run you $25 when it opens. Provided, of course, you get inside and have the chance to order one. [BB]
• Related: More on Kurt Gutenbrunner's beer garden at the hotel. [VV, DBTH]
• Dean Poll, who takes over Tavern on the Green on Jan. 1, is in for a rough ride: He's already facing off against the restaurant's very vocal union. [NYT]
• An interview with the very prolific restaurateur Michael "Bao" Huynh. [Zagat]
• How the Manhattan Motorino compares to its Brooklyn predecessor. [GS]
• A group of pizza aficionados claim the best pie in town is located at Salvatore of Soho on Staten Island. In case you feel like taking a ride. [NYDN]

• The toughest reservations in town are at Frank Pellegrino's Rao's in Harlem and David Chang's Momofuku Ko, in case you're keeping track. [GS]
• Big clubs and bottle service are out and cheap, dingy dive bars are in, according to the Times, pointing out that Marquee's revenues are down 22 percent so far this year. Possible evidence to the contrary: "table service" at Marquee's new sister spot, Avenue, will run you a minimum of $350. [NYT]
• Related: Marquee appears to be NYC's "most fined" nightspot. It's handed over $100,000 to the State Liquor Authority over the past year alone. [NYP]
• New York's Eat Cheap issue is out. A highlight: Robin Raisfeld and Rob Patronite's "handbook" to the Neapolitan pizza "revolution." [NYM, NYM]
• Restaurants that recently opened, or will be opening soon. [Eater]
• A roundup of New York's "82 most notable burgers." [GS]
• The Canadian donut chain Tim Hortons landed in Manhattan today. [AMNY] More

Nicky Hilton outside Joe's Pizza in the West Village last night. [Splash News]

Don't Try This At Home | In case you missed it, New York's first pizza-eating competition was held in Times Square this past weekend. The winner? Joey Chestnut, the reigning hot-dog eating champ, who downed 45 slices in 10 minutes. Oh, and in case you're wondering, he took in 11,700 calories in the process. [NYDN]

♦  The Observer picks its favorite pizza joints around town. [NYO]
♦  Andrew Carmellini has a new restaurant in the works, although he isn't sharing too many details. [GS]
♦  Trader Joe's may open a store on 72nd and Broadway next year. [GS]
♦  The meltdown is having an impact on the restaurant biz. Duh. [Time]
♦  The Times travel section spends 36 hours in NYC and offers up "plenty of reasons not to stay at home watching CNBC." [NYT]

♦  The 2009 Zagat guide to New York restaurants was released today. Momofuku Ko was named best newcomer, while Per Se led the pack in food and service. [Zagat]
♦  Vice just released a New York restaurant guide, too. [Vice via Eater]
♦  A list of bars where you can watch the debate. [NYM]
♦  What are Wall Streeters doing now that they have no money? They're skipping power lunches and opting for pizza instead. [NYP]
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