Sparkling-Pink Sake Might Tickle Your V-Day Fancy in Hell’s Kitchen; CommerceChelsea: RUB and Swich are just two under-$10 lunch options in this list devoted to the nabe. [Gridskipper]
East Village: A Spanish wine bar called Pata Negra opens Friday at 345 East 12th Street. [NYT]
Flatiron: A Voce pastry chef Josh Gripper classifies himself as single and dangerous. [Restaurant Girl]
Fort Greene: Don’t hold your breath waiting for lamb sliders from the French-Moroccan restaurant that was supposed to open on DeKalb Avenue; the space wasn’t completed, and the sign and menu have already been taken down. [Eat for Victory/VV]
Hell’s Kitchen: If you want to explore dining options outside our comprehensive Valentine’s Day Guide, you could look to Kyotofu, which is serving a three-course dessert prix fixe promising a raspberry Valrhona-dark-chocolate fondue and Hou Hou Shu pink-sparkling sake. [Kyotofu]
West Village: Commerce opens tomorrow in the former Blue Mill Tavern space and there will be a 20 percent discount on food through Monday. [NYT]; the last outlet of Flor’s Kitchen will shut itself down this Sunday citing problems with the landlord. [Eater]
Neighborhood Watch
Just 9,680 More Signatures Needed to Preserve Coney IslandChinatown: Tow-happy deputy inspector Gin Yee instills fear in government officials: no more double-parking for dumplings. [downtown express]
Clinton Hill: The Pan Y Mas grand opening, and the 49-cent coffee it promised, has come and gone. [Clinton Hill Blog]
Coney Island: Online petition to battle Thor Equities needs 9,680 more e-signatures. [Kinetic Carnival]
East Village: Birdies chicken restaurant takes over Flor’s space on First Avenue, panders to the stereotype that old ladies and chicken naturally go together. [Gothamist]
Flatiron: Shake Shack open early! [Eater]
Midtown East: Hip new Pod Hotel soon to have “bitchin’ roof deck” and bar. [Gridskipper] Upper West Side: Saigon Grill’s delivery workers continue strike; “Fat Guy” implicates all of us. [egullet]
West Village: A campaign backed by Virgin Atlantic, Tea and Sympathy, and celebs like Mischa Barton looks to rename part of Greenwich Avenue “Little Britain.” [Englishman in New York]
Williamsburg: Almost all the ice-cream trucks involved in last Tuesday’s Koolman garage fire were indeed damaged. [i’m not saying, i’m just saying]