This weekend saw two high-profile closings:
It's the end of an era: the Times reports that the 92-year-old Upper West Side classic Café des Artistes has closed its doors for good. Owners George and Jenifer Lang had shut down the restaurant for vacation earlier this month and decided it was better to not reopen. The future of the atmospheric space (and its historic murals) is up in the air, as is the restaurant's name – the building's owners hold the rights to it. For further reading, check out the 212/Blog, which has a personal piece from Jenifer Lang detailing reasons behind the decision.
Meanwhile, Eater broke the story on Saturday that John Dory, the Chelsea fin house from Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield, shut down after less than nine months. The duo expects to reopen, however, in a more accessible location. In the meantime, Dory employees are being shipped off to the Ace hotel, where Friedman and Bloomfield are opening the Breslin next month.