We're in the middle of that awkward seasonal shift, and so many restaurants are taking to the sidewalks, permits in hand, and setting up their tables and chairs for spring and summer dining. Alas, the weather just isn't there yet. Our brethren over at Daily Intel have thus endured their first cold-weather outdoor brunch of the season and are pondering what it all means for New York life. The pros and cons of alfresco dining are debated, along with its onanistic equivalents, and you'll learn a lot about both parties and where they stand on the issue. It's a good existential issue to carry you into the weekend.

Eating Brunch Outside Before It's Time: A Debate [Daily Intel]

The $2.1 billion acquisition of Applebee’s by IHOP probably didn’t set too many New York foodie hearts aflutter. The two restaurants are largely interchangeable to the eyes of Manhattan feinschmeckers, and even their most loyal customers in Rego Park and elsewhere think of them mostly as feeding stations, or, in the case of Applebee’s, places to pick up used-carpet salesmen. But there’s more to both companies than meets the eye, with two different business models and even two different corporate cultures. Our crack staff analyzes the deal at Daily Intel.

IHOP Bids for Applebee’s: The End of an American Institution? [Daily Intel]