Zak Pelaccio leaves 5 Ninth to pursue projects with Jeffrey Chodorow; his replacement, Dan Perilla, a.k.a. Chino, is a Pelaccio protégé who will oversee the restaurant’s move away from Asian flavors. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]

The competition is brutal for Hamptons restaurants, and only the strong survive more than a season or two. [Newsday]

The current lobster-roll craze started at the Pearl Oyster Bar, and its shameless imitators really ought to admit who influenced them. [Serious Eats]

A Mississippi barbecue chef, having vowed never to drive to New York, found himself towing a sixteen-foot barbecue for this weekend’s Big Apple Barbecue Block Party: “I tell you what, you talk about country come to town — man! It scared the puddin' outta me.” [Clarion Ledger]

The Lindenwood Diner in Brooklyn cements its status as the true crime diner par excellence — John Gotti was bugged there, it was where police were tipped off to bouncer killer Daryl Littlejohn’s victim’s remains, and now the JFK terror suspects were apprehended after dinner at the place. [NYDN]

The de-ethnicizing of the East Village continues: A day after Kurowycky pork store closes, so does Theresa’s, the Polish fixture on First Avenue. [Gothamist]

The partner you never hear about in the Waverly Inn has a major thing for turtles. [NYP]