••• “Jehangir Mehta [right], owner of Graffiti and almost winner of The Next Iron Chef, is opening a new ‘bigger and more intense sister restaurant to Graffiti’ in the Duane Street Hotel.” (Eater) I had never heard of Graffiti—it’s on E. 10th—I looked up its website. Here’s what it says: “Arguably one of the country’s most celebrated pastry provocateurs, Jehagnir Mehta has pushed palates—with his deliriously avant-garde creations at Jean Georges and Aix. Now, he branches out with this sweet-and-savory spot in the East Village, an eclectic shoebox-size boite which he designed himself. Mehta will be serving up equally eclectic, international small plates that will feature his trademark affinity for bold flavors and spices such as chilies, sambhar, tumeric and star anise.” Oh, for an editor! Anyway, that explains all the construction.

••• Wow. “The new Museum of Tolerance New York opened in the heart of Manhattan this week, citing an ambitious mission to help enlighten city residents and tourists on issues of discrimination, prejudice and social inequality. But the museum’s financial backer, the Wiesenthal Center of Los Angeles, says it cannot tolerate the planned location near Ground Zero for a mosque and Islamic community center. Rabbi Meyer May, the Wiesenthal Center’s executive director, on Thursday called the mosque’s proposed location ‘insensitive’ to the people who experienced the 9/11 attack that killed nearly 3,000 in 2001 and are still dealing with “extraordinarily painful wounds.’ ‘Religious freedom does not mean being insensitive…or an idiot,’ said Mr. May, who led the push for the museum’s New York location.” (Crain’s)

••• “What happens when you bring together virtual sea creatures, time-lapse photography and cutting-edge electronic DJs for an interactive art show? You get Geekdown, a new exhibition featuring the technology-inspired artwork of graduates from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program. The show, which takes place on Friday evening at 92YTribeca, features pieces and performances that run the gamut in terms of subject and content, but contain one crucial common theme—technology.” (DNAinfo)

••• Hook & Ladder II, a bikini bar in FiDi, has closed. EV Grieve has a nice awkward story about visiting there. (via Eater)

••• Ward III‘s Michael Neff whips up a whiskey-chartreuse-and-cucumber cocktail, The Hound of the Baskervilles, for Gothamist. Thanks, but I’ll stick with a Tanqueray and tonic. I love the color of the bottle….

••• Frank Bruni rips Ninja again to promote the paperback of his memoir about growing up husky. (NBC New York)