Cityfile: New York's Most Notable and Influential

• Anita Lo hopes to re-open her fire-damaged Annisa next month. [TONY]
• Closings: Frederick Lesort's Frederick's Downtown closed up shop last Friday; and the UWS outpost of Blondies has been shuttered by the tax cops.
• Frank Bruni shares his thoughts on Bastianich and Batali's Casa Mono. [NYT]
• A rooftop beer garden called Berry Park is coming soon to Williamsburg. [UD]
• The Eldridge had to do some renovations after a vandalism incident. [DBTH]
• The city is looking to support aspiring chefs by turning a 4,000-square-foot space in Harlem into a big kitchen for foodie entrepreneurs. [NYT]
• The boost its bottom line and make employees more "productive," Starbucks is now looking to limit unnecessary "walking, reaching, and bending." [WSJ]
• Tom Colicchio and wife Lori Silverbush welcomed a son into the world on Saturday. He's named Luka Bodhi Colicchio, in case you're wondering. [People]

• The restaurant formerly known as Ago will reopen next Tuesday under the name Locanda Verde. Andrew Carmellini is executive chef and a co-owner with Robert De Niro; Ken Friedman consulted on the new design. [NYT]
• Rumor has it Per Se's Jonathan Benno may be going off on his own. [TFB]
• Tasti-D-Lite isn't intimidated by Pinkberry or Red Mango: It plans to open 35 new outlets over the next decade. Related fro-yo news: Pinkberry is opening stores abroad and a chain called Yogurtland is expanding, too. [AMNY, NRN]
• Famed Coney Island pizzeria Totonno's won't be back in biz until July. [LC]
• Style.com's list of the 13 dumbest boomtime cocktails saves special mentions for local spots like The Eldridge, PDT, and World Bar. [Style.com]More

• Suggestions on places to eat in the vicinity of the Tribeca Film Festival. [NYP]
• It's going to be hot this weekend. Luckily for you, the backyards at Bobo and Table 8 are both open for business (or will be by this weekend). [Eater]
• Balducci's on 14th Street closes this Sunday and there's a big sale underway, not that there's much of anything left on the store's shelves. [GS]
• David Burke's coping with the downturn just fine, thanks very much. [WSJ]
• Matt Levine of Eldridge infamy is making over Thor. [GS]
• Tom Potter, the retired co-founder of Brooklyn Brewery, is hoping to establish Brooklyn's first whiskey and gin distillery. [Brooklyn Paper]
• At last night's City Harvest auction, a private dinner by Eric Ripert went for $45K. Surfing and dinner in the Hamptons with Marc Murphy took in 14K. [GS]

Recession Spurs 'Mocialite Crime Wave | You know the bottom is falling out of the economy when social scenesters are forced to turn to petty crime. Paul Johnson-Calderon—professional partygoer, Paper magazine writer, and ex-boyfriend of Peter Davis—apparently walked out of the Eldridge on Wednesday night in possession of a purse belonging to a hostess who worked there. But the whole episode was caught on a security camera, so he was totally busted. Fortunately, he's since borrowed some cash from his parents and paid the woman back, so he's not headed to jail or anything. But it may very well affect the number of events he gets invited to in the future, which for PJC is quite likely a far crueler fate. [Guest of a Guest]

♦  Sirio Maccioni is already looking at replacements for Le Cirque chef Christophe Bellanca. [Page Six]
♦  Julian Niccolini says says his customers at the Four Seasons aren't skipping power lunches because of Wall Street's woes, although they do seem to be ordering cheaper wines. [GS]
♦  The Eldridge's Matt Levine confirms the existence of laser-engraved admissions cards; he won't comment on whether Prince has ever turned up at the nightspot. [The Feedbag]
♦  A preview of what you can expect from Dovetail's brunch service, which starts this weekend. [GS]

• Julian Niccolini will begin serving breakfast at the Four Seasons. You'll have to wait until January, though, to pay $44 for a croissant.  [NYM]
• Frank Bruni has posted a list of his favorite Italian restaurants in the city. [NYT/Diner's Journal]
• Jerry's Cafe reopened on Chambers Street today. [Eater]
• The menu at The Eldridge is laser-engraved on oak and features a $32 signature drink. [ChiChi212 via GS]
• Will Goldfarb's Dessert Studio closed its doors yesterday. [Eater]
• Tables at Apothéke will run you $1,000 a pop. Hope you don't work at Lehman Brothers. [GS]
• Guest of Guest wonders what will happen to the club economy now that all the investment bankers who pay $800 for bottles of vodka are losing their jobs. [GofaG]

• New York's Adam Platt visits Convivio and gives Michael White's kitchen three stars. [NYM]
• Not all Upper West Side residents are excited about the Shake Shack's opening on West 77th Street in October. [NYT]
• Why isn't there more high-end Chinese food? The Wall Street Journal will tell you. [WSJ]
• Rob Walker of the Times weighs in on the fro-yo wars and quotes Pinkberry's CEO, who claims the arrival of Red Mango hasn't impacted business. [NYT]
• The Food Network is launching a magazine. [Gawker]
• A few pointers on cooking seafood at home, courtesy of Eric Ripert. [WSJ]
• Cocktails at The Eldridge will be the highest in the city—$26. [GS]
• Delta will begin selling Junior's individual-sized cheesecakes for $5 a piece on transcontinental flights. [The Lede]

• Top Chef runner-up Marcel Vigneron was arrested in Laguna Beach this past weekend for driving drunk. [OC Register via Eater]
• Ryan Skeen, formerly of Resto, is the new chef at Irving Mill. [Diner's Journal]
• Chef Michael Psilakis explains the ins and outs of Greek cuisine to Josh Ozersky. [Grub Street]
• Diners in Philadelphia are the most generous tippers in the country. [Zagat]
• The case of the mystery man who picks up women at Beatrice Inn and lures them back to his apartment with the promise of coke. [Gawker]
• More on upcoming venue The Eldridge, in proprietor Matt Levine's own words. [Eater] 

• The Times' Diner's Journal weighs in on the Wine Spectator scandal. [Diner's Journal]
• The owners of the clubs Mansion and Pink Elephant have filed for bankruptcy. [DBTH]
• The median price of drinks at the Eldridge (which is 90% complete, says owner Matt Levine): $25. [Radar]
• Daniel Boulud on his new Maison Boulud in Beijing. [Haute Living via Observer]
• Richie Notar on his early years at Studio 54 and the challenges of opening a Nobu in Russia. [BlackBook]
• Wass Stevens celebrated his birthday with a big party at Marquee last night. [GoaG]

• New York talks to the owner of the Eldridge (left), the Lower East Side "hidden lounge/restaurant" with "chaperones, butlers, table attendants, and a hospitality consultant." [NYM]
• Geoffrey Zakarian's Country was closed yesterday after failing yet another inspection, but it's up and running again. [Eater]
• The Cooper Square Hotel's website is up; the property will be open in time for Fashion Week. [DBTH]
• TONY takes a look at the industrial technologies used in haute cuisine. [TONY]
• An interview with John DeLucie, the chef at Eric Goode, Sean MacPherson and Graydon Carter's Waverly Inn. [BlackBook]