Disturbing Food Developments

Eater is replete with upsetting news today about some of the City's most classic and simple eateries.

Worst of the bulletins is the report that Di Fara has temporarily closed because "Dom DeMarco's daughter...and Mr. DeMarco were in a car accident on Monday evening—black ice on the road. Maggie's OK, but Dom broke his knee cap, she said... 'Post-surgery requires about 4 to 6 weeks rehabilitation...'" An injury in a man as old as Dom is never good news.

Then they inform us that "Just last month a Gray's Papaya imitator Clinton Papaya shuttered, now Papaya King on 7th and 14th is on the market. Meanwhile, back down at the authentic Gray's on 8th and 6th, a Qdoba is opening next store (possibly even with a DJ) to try to snatch up the late night drunken market. Not a good time to be a Papaya?"

I thought those places were economy-proof. Can you imagine a New York without the weirdness that is the hot-dog-and-papaya-juice phenom? I can't.

Finally, Chinatown is feeling the brunt of the downturn, losing longstanding businesses.

What next? Will the various Original Ray's Pizzas in town begin to resemble a production of "Ten Little Indians"?