We’re surprised it took this long to happen, but “celebrity chef” Robert Irvine, known of late for his lies about his background, has announced that he will not proceed with the opening of two planned restaurants in St. Petersburg. [This Just In/St. Petersburg Times]
Related: Surprise, Surprise: Robert Irvine Gets the Boot From the Food Network
The best way to taste the dishes on Top Chef is to head to the toques’ post-Bravo places of employment in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and San Francisco. [Zagat Buzz]
Frank Bruni muses on the tourist-tipping problem, noting that he’s not a fan of automatic gratuity charges since they prevent diners from communicating their pleasure or irritation with the service. [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
It looks like Jeffrey Chodorow will give the Upper West Side the exclusive rooftop lounge it needs to make the neighborhood’s transformation complete. China Grill Management has leased the roof of the Empire Hotel, which overlooks Lincoln Center, and plans to open to the public in May. [Zagat Buzz]
Michael Psilakis’s perennially packed Kefi will move just a few blocks away from its current location on 79th Street, and version 2.0 will take reservations and credit cards. [Diner’s Journal/NYT]
Another day, another sleepy top ten burger list: Playboy thinks Shake Shack has some of the best patties in the country. [Playboy]
