• It may not be as great as Chicago’s Wiener’s Circle, but Shake Shack serves up the best hot dog in these parts. [WSJ]

• Michael Psilakis estimates that the new Kefi on Columbus Avenue will open in August and focus more on healthy eating. [Mouthing Off/Food & Wine]

• Jeffrey Chodorow might be opening a restaurant in the Dominican Republic. Maybe the critics will be kinder to him there. [NYP]

• Burger King will get into the haute-burger craze by opening new restaurants called Whopper Bars, with more varieties of their signature sandwich in a hipper setting. [WSJ]

• Could Gristede’s owner John Catsimidis one day be our mayor? [NYer]

• Next stop for Daniel Boulud: Vancouver. [Zagat Buzz]

• The debate rages on regarding the fate of restaurants in recession times, with one study showing that restaurant traffic can actually increase when the economy’s doing poorly. [NYT]

• There’s something to appreciate about fast-food chains with hundreds of thousands of franchises rather than tens of thousands. [NYT]

• Florida crab mecca Joe's Stone Crabs may be coming to New York. [Gluttoness]