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Jay-Z’s People Said to Play Hardball; John Krasinki Plays Bartender at the Spotted Pig

• Another day, another lawsuit. Staffers at Jay-Z’s 40/40 are lobbing a class-action suit at the club, but general manager Desiree Gonzalez allegedly told one employee she would “[bleep] up his tax life” and told another she would “lock him up” if they joined the suit. [NYP]

• Nello Balan wasn’t too happy yesterday when a fog machine set off the fire alarm at his Nello Summertimes in Southampton. Fire officials responding to the alarm evacuated the restaurant, which cost Balan about $10,000 in business. [NYP]

• John Krasinki of The Office guested as a bartender at the Spotted Pig on a recent Monday night. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]

• Rumors have been floated that Café des Artistes, the nearly 90-year-old tourist magnet, may soon be closing. [Eater]

• We already know that family dinners benefit children in a variety of ways, but new evidence suggests that the nightly ritual can be just as beneficial for parents. [Slate]

• It’s a question Frank Bruni has tackled in the past, but really, why do New Yorkers love dining alfresco so much? [Gawker]

• Florence P. Hanford, who started her televised cooking show years before anyone had heard of Julia Child, died earlier this month at the age of 99. [WSJ]

• Despite having the highest number of African immigrants of any metropolitan area in the country, New York has only a smattering of options for sub-Saharan cuisine. [NYT]

Jay-Z’s People Said to Play Hardball; John Krasinki Plays Bartender at the