Spuds on Sixth Avenue

Just as adjacent West 8th Street is filling up with restaurants instead of shoe stores, many of them quite pricey, Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village latitudes is becoming a cheap, franchise-eats haven. Ninety-nine Cent Pizza led the way, and soon there was a Chipotle just across the street, joining stalwart Gray's Papaya in the immediate vicinity. Now, a baked potato outfit called Potatopia has muscled its way onto the strip.

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One of the two storefronts of Sarita's, formerly known as S'Mac, with its gate pulled partway down.

Now known as Sarita's Mac and Cheese, the restaurant formerly known as S'mac - which has two non-adjacent storefronts on East 12th between First and Second avenues -
has been closed by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene because it failed its health inspection, a passerby noted to FiTR early this afternoon. But when we arrived to take a look, the gate on the premises has been coyly pulled down to conceal the familiar yellow notice, and another white notice posted, saying "We are closed to make some emergency repairs." Nice evasion, fellas!

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Clinton Street Baking Co. & Restaurant

Here in America, we like to celebrate everything -- especially when there's food involved. The proof is in the pudding . . . and cookies and pie and so on; every single day of the year is designated as a food holiday. Other foods are so delicious -- or have enough crazed fans -- to deserve an entire month. February marks National Hot Breakfast Month, Grapefruit Month, Fondue Month, Potato Lover's Month, and even Fiber Focus Month (we couldn't make that up). But if you ask us, the most important food of February is pancakes.

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Don't expect to see him at your door.

Great news for pig-hungry Park Slopers. Dale Talde's roadhouse-inspired tavern, Pork Slope, is now allowing its neighbors to feast at home. As of last Friday, the restaurant is offering delivery service from Flatbush Avenue to 9th Street between 4th Street and Prospect Park. If you're in range and not in the mood for taxidermy with your chili con carne, you can order Pork Slope's full menu from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. And while delivery is available daily, it might be best enjoyed while keeping up with some of Talde's former Top Chef pals.

Follow Fork in the Road on Twitter and Facebook and check out the rest of our food blog.

Flickr/Mikey loves Barcelona

Workers at Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles have filed a class-action lawsuit against the restaurant, and claim that managers took tips and wages from servers and busboys. The news comes from the New York Post, who reported that Les Halles supposedly forced service employees to pool their tips for divvying but then doled out 26 percent of them to floor managers.

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The Times reports that Robert Treboux, owner of the Upper East Side restaurant, Le Veau d'Or, died on Wednesday at the age of 87.

The French restaurateur waited tables in the 1950s at Le Pavillon, the classic French institution run by the legendary Henri Soulé. Then, like many others who worked under Soulé, he went on to open his own restaurants that shaped New York's fine dining culture for many years.

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John Zhong

Cobia at EMP

We knew the $74 per person lunch at Eleven Madison Park was too good to be true. It was great while it lasted, but EMP has shifted gears, hiked up the price, and changed to a tasting menu-only format. The price tag: $195.

According to the NYTimes, "The grid menu will remain, but it will now be blended with a tasting menu of about a dozen dishes. The $195 price will be the same as for the restaurant's current tasting menu, but a $125 option will no longer be available."

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Mother and son Brenda and Aaron Beener are raising some funds over on Kickstarter for Seasoned Vegan. The "vegan gourmet soul food" restaurant will be coming to Harlem if the duo can meet their $20,000 goal in the next 17 days.

More on what to expect below, in their own words:

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The orange blossom nougat ($7) from Gastro Bar at 35th was one of the most unique desserts I've ever had. Served in a martini glass, the bottom is fresh orange juice made into a syrup. It's filled with chocolate mousse and brown sugar, finished with butter on top. Add on a dollop of whipped cream and then the final touch: pop rocks.

"My goal is to make people think and to make it a little bit whimsical," chef John Walsh says. "It's a little part of me that wants to have fun with the guest."

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Chorizo-stuffed calamri

Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto was recently appointed "culinary adviser" for Rosa Mexicano and will be rolling out a temporary menu in New York inspired by the time he spent in Baja. Look for a mezcal-tequila cocktail, Miel de Toronja ($13), calamari stuffed with chorizo ($9), and roasted pork-shoulder tacos ($18) along with crab tostadas ($10.50), and fideo with rabbit, chicken thigh, and habanero chile-roasted tomato salsa ($22).

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