••• A restaurant called Kortako is coming to Nassau between John and Fulton: “It’s being opened by the Bon Chon on John people and it appears they will sell both tacos and sandwiches. I’ll be curious what they offer for the latter, but really it’s just nice to have something that isn’t a chain opening downtown.” This is why I think FiDi should be called FaFoo; it’s fast food central. (Midtown Lunch)

••• The first chunk of the East River Waterfront is “officially” opening today. (The New York Times)

••• “508, a restaurant in SoHo [or Hudson Square, if you swing that way] has converted itself into a “gastrobrewery.” (Whaa???) That’s apparently what you call a restaurant that brews its own beer. The new menu consists of labels like 508 Coffee Porter and 508 Belgian Strong Ale, which are made on-premises by a staff brewmaster.” (Zagat)

••• “Mercy Corps’ Action Center to End World Hunger at 6 River Terrace closed on June 30. Through the end of the year, the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy will use the 4,000-square-foot space for programming while the Battery Park City Authority determines what else to do with it. […] The Center had a staff of four full-time people and cost $500,000 a year to run, according to Mercy Corps’ Chief Development Officer Jeremy Barnicle. Mercy Corps ‘had a hard time generating the resources to keep it open,’ he said. The Center had been hoping for ‘significant support from the financial services industry,’ which was not forthcoming.” You and me both, babe. (Downtown Express)

••• “Expanding its survey of the fishes and invertebrates of New York Harbor, the River Project is getting ready to deploy a Fish Aggregating Device near Pier 42 [north of Houston] on the Hudson River. Basically an underwater lamp aimed upward toward the surface of the river, timed to go on a few hours after dusk, the FAD will draw plankton and fish close to the surface and into its light. Pedestrians walking by will see a pool of light illuminating marine life.” (Broadsheet Daily)

••• Get an artist-designed piano for a song. (DNAinfo)

••• “Looks like the Smoke Monster living in its lair atop 26 Broadway is baaa-ack. A tipster writes in from his office while shaking a fist at the sky: ‘Why is 26 Broadway permitted to spew black smoke at will? This is the third day straight this has been happening, about every 15 minutes.'” The pic is disconcerting. (Curbed)

••• “Survivors who fled the flaming World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 will not be allowed to attend the city’s annual commemoration ceremony at Ground Zero this year, DNAinfo has learned.” There won’t be enough room, what with Rudy Giuliani’s massive head.