• Tables at clubs in the Hamptons are now going for $2,000 each. [Down by the Hipster]
• Food writer Andrea Strong may not like some of the restaurants in her new neighborhood, but she sure does like her new apartment. [NYT]
Related: Andrea Strong Hates Her Neighborhood Bistro
• Kenny Shopsin’s cookbook, which will contain recipes for Blisters on My Sisters and Ho Cakes, will be published in September. [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
• The New York State Restaurant Association wants to make it easier for hotels, restaurants, and sports arenas to hire ex-cons so that they can replenish their shrinking labor pool. [Crain’s NY via Grinder/CHOW]
• The Next Food Network Star, the most-watched show on the channel, features two local finalists this season. [NYDN]
• Has dining in Manhattan — with its ironic dish names and $55 macaroni and cheese — become too witty and annoying? [NYO]