Bites: Graydon goes bananas for Monkey

Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair and owner of a ridiculous haircut, seems intent on furthering his reach as a Manhattan restaurateur. Having relaunched Greenwich Village's battered Ye Olde Waverly Inn as The Waverly Inn & Garden, where A-listers can't get enough of the $55 macaroni cheese, Carter has just bought Monkey Bar.

Originally opened in 1932, the once-popular Midtown watering hole features a famous monkey mural-covered interior. More interesting still is the involvement of Jeremy King, one half of the British restaurateur team behind London's The Wolseley and St Alban. Currently closed for renovation, Monkey Bar will reopen next summer.

Meanwhile, back in London and over in Clerkenwell, The Modern Pantry has opened in a Georgian listed building. The work of chef Anna Hansen, formerly a partner in Marylebone's The Providores, it's open all day, from breakfast through to dinner, with an eclectic, Asian-inspired menu.