NYC Restaurants: Summery Food News To Chew Over

NEW YORK CITY — An adored Astoria pizza chef died, a "vegetable-centric" restaurant in Brooklyn Botanic Garden got plaudits and an Italian import is coming Uptown.

All these morsels — and more — were among New York City's food news during the first unofficial week of summer.

Yet again, Patch's tiny local newsroom was there to help digest at least a healthy portion of the city's culinary news.

Check out Patch's weekly roundup, and come back next week for more.

For the second week in a row, New York City's culinary scene was shattered by the news that a beloved restaurateur died.

Andrew Bellucci, the beloved chef who rose to fame at the iconic SoHo pizza joint Lombardi's in the 1990s and opened his own pizzeria in Astoria, passed away at age 59.

He collapsed while working in his pizza joint.

New Yorkers and restaurant accounts shared their love for the acclaimed chef on social media, posting Instagram stories with their pictures along Bellucci.

"He was a kind and humble man with a passion for his work that was inspiring," reads a comment from Beebe's restaurant. "We are going to miss you Andrew!"

Last week, New Yorkers learned that Nicholas Gray, the founder of Gray's Papaya, died at age 86.

• Beloved Pizza Chef In Astoria Dies At Age 59

A world-famous Italian sandwich maker is coming to the Upper East Side.

All’Antico Vinaio soon will open their third New York City location on East 60th Street between Park and Madison avenues inside a former art gallery.

The shop is famous for its focaccia (although purists will not that technically, it's the thinner variety, schiacciata).

It's not the only new eatery coming to the Upper East Side.

Glace by Noglu, a new gluten-free French ice cream shop, started serving ice cream last week. The shop is run by Eli Zabar's son Sahsha.

• All'Antico Vinaio To Open UES Location
• Gluten-Free Zabar Ice Cream Spot Opens In Carnegie Hill

But it wasn't all good news for Italian eateries in New York.

Regional, an Upper West Side wine bar, sliced its last salumi and poured its last chianti.

The popular eatery's closure attracted hundreds of patrons.

• Popular Italian Eatery Closes After Nearly 2 Decades On UWS

In happier news, a spate of restaurants got plaudits this past week, including one spot deemed a hot summer pick as the season unofficially kicked off.

Yellow Magnolia inside Brooklyn Botanic Garden is an "exceedingly pleasant" way to spend a hungry afternoon in the park, declared Eater NY.

The "vegetable-centric" restaurant is a hidden gem that's "worth the price of admission," Eater crowed.

Eater also last week bestowed its seal of approval to 23 restaurants in Harlem.

The best-of list is accompanied with a map for folks looking to taste the neighborhood's diverse offerings.

And 20-plus Park Slope eateries planned to participate in the "Tastes of Park Slope" food crawl Saturday.

• Vegetable-Forward Botanic Garden Eatery A Hot Summer Pick: Report
• Here Are 23 Of The Best Restaurants In Harlem: Do You Agree?
• 'Tastes Of Park Slope' Is Almost Here: See Final Restaurant Lineup