• In an effort to lure back customers, Starbucks will start offering “smoothie-like drinks made with fresh fruit and whey powder,” though this raises the question of who prefers a “smoothie-like” drink to an actual smoothie. [WSJ]
• Casey and Dale from Top Chef Miami still keep in touch, meaning she knows why Dale isn’t dating Jack from Project Runway anymore. [Slashfood]
• Diners think restaurant inspections protect them much more than they actually do. [Science Daily]
• Can any of these sandwiches stack up to New York classics like the meatball parm or the BLT? [NYT]
• Dining at celebrity-chef-owned restaurants doesn’t always have to break the bank. [Debonair]
• The Market Diner, one of Frank Sinatra’s hangouts in his heyday, will reopen in June. [Urbanite/amNY]
• Tom Valenti may rule the Upper West Side with Ouest, but he’s really an expert on Washington Heights. [TONY]
• Aww, chef love! wd~50’s pastry chef Alex Stupak is married to the pastry sous-chef at Babbo. [Restaurant Girl]
