Chef Lynn McNeely has been handed a pink slip after mixed reviews at the new Provence; no word on who the next chef might be. [Eater]
Related: Provence Redux [NYM]

Pichet Ong is opening a cupcake store next to P*ONG. “Vanilla, chocolate, yuzu and cinnamon will be my staples,” he says. “I want to add a little salt & spice to my take on them.” [Restaurant Girl]

A tale of two bakeries under Health Department scrutiny: one, Magnolia, plays nice; the other, Delices de Paris in Park Slope, kicks back. Guess which one ends up closing. [NYO]

An out-of-control car slams into the outdoor seating at midtown’s Lasagna restaurant, but no one is hurt. [NYP]

Jennifer Malone-Seixas of Fleur de Sel is a relative rarity, a woman sommelier and wine director. “They think: I'm a female, there's no way I know anything about wine.” [NYS]

Restaurants with celebrity owners can be surprisingly good, like Jay-Z’s 40/40 Club or Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse, or they can be disasters, like Britney Spears’s Nyla. Which will Justin Timberlake’s new place be? [NYP]

Anita Lo of Annisa will be opening up an Asian-barbecue place on West Bleecker Street in the next six months, with the chef’s usual eclectic take on Asian food and composed, plated dishes. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]

Jag, a finalist on The Next Food Network Star, finally was forced to quit the show after it came out that he had lied about his cooking training and his military service. And he was so close! [Courier Post]