Is Da Domenico’s Down for Good?We were saddened to see that signs on the door of sandwich mecca da Domenico’s say it’s “TEMPORARILY CLOSED due to family problems.” Let’s hope the closure isn’t permanent, since Dom’s (as da Domenico’s was called back when it was on Lafayette Street) is one of Little Italy’s beloved institutions. Don’t believe it? Just look at some of the well wishes that about a dozen passersby have scrawled on owner Frank Migliori’s closing note: “I hope everything resolves itself for the good,” “We miss you!,” “Come back soon,” and the like. If only Ivan Kane could get that love from Little Italy residents.
Earlier: Chinatown/Little Italy Deli Dearth Comes to an End
Openings
Chinatown/Little Italy Deli Dearth Comes to an EndNYMag.com’s original review of Dom’s at 202 Lafayette Street states: “This beloved Italian grocery is what you might have expected from Soho before the rents went up.” Not only are the rents up, but there’s a whole new building going up on the site of the former sandwich temple. Dom’s vacated the place back in June and is planning to re-open at 199 Grand Street by Thanksgiving. In the meantime, find Dom’s signature made-to-order Italian sandwiches, salads, and soups at 181 Grand Street, where a smaller takeout outpost, Da Domenico’s, is making its own focaccia and roast beef. There’s no longer space to prepare homemade salami, but Chinatown/Little Italy dwellers will find that the cheese selections are a significant step up from the tired American/Swiss debate at the nearby luncheonette: Brie! Fontina! Asiago!
Da Domenico’s, 181 Grand St. nr. Baxter; 212-219-9640
Mediavore
New York is Now Fat City; Korean KFC Comes to New YorkFat is where it’s at in New York today, thanks to the efforts of what Adam Platt would call the “refined meathead” school of chefs like David Chang and Zak Pelaccio. [NYT]
Related: You Know You’re a Meathead When… [NYM]
Kyochon Chicken, the Korean chain behind the current wave of Korean fried-chicken restaurants, has opened in Flushing. Two more locations are planned for Bayside. [NYT]
Ilan Hall defeated Sam Talbot in their outdoor Top Chef rematch yesterday, Hall’s soft-shell crab salad triumphing over Talbot’s grilled quail and potatoes. [NYDN]
The New York Diet
Director Morgan Spurlock Splurges at Per Se, Loves Peanut-Butter Doughnuts
What do diners do when Morgan Spurlock, director of Super Size Me, is sitting at the next table? “They’ll either watch what I’m eating,” says Spurlock, “or they’ll start to make excuses for what they’re eating.” No need for apologies, it turns out; though he hasn’t eaten a Big Mac since the film (he’s currently finishing shooting a second documentary), Spurlock enjoys a burger as much as the next guy. This week he and his wife, who just “spawned and swam across the river” to Park Slope, were especially indulgent. “You’re supposed to gain sympathy weight when your wife is pregnant, but I’ve put on more weight since we’ve had the kid.” So where did he pack on the pounds this week?
