Socialite, Designer Tinsley Mortimer Dines at Cipriani, Has a Soft Spot forThink it’s odd that party fixture Tinsley Mortimer was recently flown to China to attend Fendi’s runway presentation on the Great Wall? Actually, the socialite (and ambassador for Dior Beauty) is big in Asia — she’s hard at work designing the fall 2008 collection for Samantha Thavasa (clothes sold only in Japan; handbags sold on Madison Avenue) and is preparing for the spring launch of a new line called Riccimie by Tinsley Mortimer. That doesn’t mean she goes out of her way to eat exotic. “I have a really poor palate,” she confesses. “So I tend to eat a lot of crap.” So is it crap, or merely guilty pleasures?
The In-box
Why Won’t Someone Tell Me About Brunch at Robuchon?Dear Grub Street,I am e-mailing you in a last, desperate attempt to find information about brunch at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. The Web boasts scores of reviews on the dinner menu, but I find not one mention of the merit of brunch, a menu, nothing.Cara Gouldey
Back of the House
Food Portal Launches, Sea Palace Folds, the Falls Gets a MakeoverIn possibly the most nutso opening profile ever, Michael Daly visits Midnight Cafe and ponders its former incarnation as the Falls: “The mirrors behind the long-bar-turned-diner-counter were also the same, the very mirrors that had shimmered with Imette St. Guillen’s reflection as she lingered alone at closing time, sipping her last drink before final moments that would end in terror.” [NYDN]
So much for the Calorie Restriction Diet: A study indicates wine and fat are the way to health. [NYDN]
They’re just like us: Lydia Hearst gets bounced from Scores. [NYP]
Danny’s Grand Sea Palace (home of the Skylight Room) to close after 31 years. [NYP]
Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray fans, meet Yahoo Food. [Yahoo]
A butcher shop becomes a café; Japanese fundamentals with French-Thai flair at Mantra. [Gayot]
Despite initial reports, the Grayz-Aquavit space may not be on the market. [Snack]
