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Batali Won’t Judge Vendys; Donatella Arpaia Pinches Pennies

• Mario Batali has backed out of judging this year’s Vendy Awards. [Midtown Lunch]

• Like many consumers, restaurateur Donatella Arpaia has been looking for ways to cut her spending while dining out, including tipping less for subpar service and visiting high-end restaurants for lunch only. [WSJ]

• Classy: PETA has erected a billboard reading “Meat Kills” outside of the Scotland hospital where a pregnant woman recently died of swine flu. [Copyranter]

• Sakura Sushi & Thai Cuisine was evicted from its Nolita building after officials feared a crack in the structure could lead to collapse. [EV Grieve]

• All Starbucks iced coffee comes sweetened unless otherwise specified. [Newsday]

• A new crop of city ice creams, including those at Harbour and Golosi, are lighter than the usual cold treats. [NYDN]

• Wolfgang Puck is lobbying ICANN to add .food to the list of top-level domains. [Eat Me Daily]

La Bonne Soupe, which closed after a fire several months ago, will be up and running again soon. [Food Writer’s Diary/NRN]

• PepsiCo has purchased 20 percent of Japan’s largest snack company. [Crain’s]

Batali Won’t Judge Vendys; Donatella Arpaia Pinches Pennies