Journal Entries

I'm one of those journalists who actually keeps a journal, though I don't write in it every day, despite my best intentions. Sometimes I write in it about restaurants, but not if I can help it. It's really a running commentary about my diet (going badly), my exercise plan (ditto) and the often hilarious observations of friends who call or e-mail me each day.

Or the sad ones, as was the case when Carol Ann called to tell me that the Ten Cupcoffeehouse (651 East 59th Street) had closed, even though its cups ran over with good intentions: The java joint offered 10 percent of its profits to 10 local charities each quarter. The pretty little parlorlike space lasted only about a year, so I don't know how much profit big-hearted owners Edward Neer and Timothy Wikstrom gave away before unplugging the coffeepot.

I feel guilty confessing that even though the Ten Cup was less than three blocks from my house, I didn't go there often. The place was cozy, and the staff was exceptionally friendly, but frankly, I prefer drinking my own coffee in the morning, after rolling out of bed unshaven, grumpy and feeling generally uncharitable.

The next day, I was dashing through a department store when I ran into Terry Barkley, who was, I thought, still the chef at Nara (1617 Main). He told me that the chic sushi shack's owner, Casey Adams, had recently told him sayonara. The good news is that Barkley has developed a proposal for his own little bistro in an intriguing downtown location.

And my friend Ned told me the rumor that Bluestem owners Colbyand Megan Garrelts had looked at Zin (which is still open but on the market) as a possible location for a new trattoria. They're still looking, Megan says, but not as aggressively — the first baby Garrelts is due in June. "Because of the baby, the timing's kind of off for us," she says. "But we've got a couple of restaurant concepts we'd like to do."

Meanwhile, the couple will focus on Bluestem (900 Westport Road) and on finding a pastry chef to fill in while Megan is on maternity leave. Random observations and confirmed rumors on the KC restaurant scene.