Grub Street

Though its culinary lineup is certainly nothing to scoff at, newly opened Revel won’t necessarily have the market cornered on celeb chefs this summer in Atlantic City. Caesars Entertainment sent word this morning that they’ve tapped Top Chef head honcho and restaurateur Tom Colicchio to headline its annual Atlantic City Food and Wine Festival, which kicks off Thursday, July 26. Joining Colicchio is Aaron Sanchez, who we mentioned recently just popped his casino cherry with his Crossroads at Showboat’s House of Blues. (Other stars from the Food Network stall joining the fest include Anne Burrell and Robert Irvine.)

City Bakery's precious, produce-driven little sister Birdbath will open its sixth location "and first ever in the northern territories otherwise known as north of 23rd Street" over at Greenacre Park (East 51st Street between Second and Third Avenues). "This is a most Birdbathian location," writes the eternally green Maury Rubin in his blog. "It's is one of the smallest, sweetest parks in New York, often referred to as a 'pocket park' [by people who deal in slang for parks]." Look for the 'bath to open at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And ... make sure to offset all that kale with one of their killer cookies. [City Bakery Blog]

A point of major annoyance to many (and not just mayo-haters of Jimmy Fallon proportions), Empire Mayonnaise — the place where obsessive mayo eating and experimenting happens in Prospect Heights — opened on Easter Sunday, with deviled eggs and various assortments of Sam Mason and Elizabeth Valleau's creamy goods. [The Brooklyn Ink]

No one quite understood his unparalleled love for Lincoln, and many were interested to see that he's a smitten little schoolboy over the San Fransisco scene, but Alan Richman's love of Brooklyn Fare, ranking it No. 1 in his list of Best New York Restaurants today, is no big surprise (remember this fan letter?). Read the rest of his choices here.

Well, here's some Passover irony: It seems that Kosher eatery Olga's on Smith, at 407 Smith Street, will be replaced by HBH, a shop selling "smoked meats and gourmet sandwiches." A tipster sent the photo you see here, which clearly depicts an oh-so-traif pig on the sign. Carrol Gardens residents had better find somewhere else to shop for Shabbat.

Here's something you might not know: McDonald's employs a "director of sensory science." (We wonder what her senses would tell her about the bathroom at the McD's on First Avenue in the East Village.) You see, now that chains like Five Guys and Smashburger are making people realize that fast-food burgers don't necessarily have to taste like burnt tar, McDonald's is, according to Bloomberg, "being forced to open up about the provenance of its beef, potatoes and more." Which isn't necessarily a great thing when you're a giant company focused on making and selling your food as cheaply as possible.

Just a few months ago, Mark Pastore told Grub Street that he thought Wendy's Black Label burger was "funny" and "flattering" and "a totally different animal" from their famed Minetta Burger masterpiece. Yet, today, "Page Six" says the LaFrieda company is feeling litigious like the old days, sending Wendy's a cease-and-desist letter. Bipolar ... or building up the MeatMen buzz? [NYP]