Diner’s Journal reported yesterday that acclaimed chef Andrew Carmellini has signed on to culinarily rehabilitate Tribeca’s beleaguered and critic-battered Ago. The restaurant was conceived originally as a high profile project for the Greenwich Hotel, and counts Robert De Niro among its investors. Carmellini was previously the chef at Café Boulud and A Voce, and told us last October he was looking for his own restaurant space. “I’m taking my time with it,” he said, “just trying to make good decisions about the location.” In the meantime, Carmellini and wife Gwen Hyman penned a cookbook, Urban Italian, that features intuitive cooking instructions—including a directive to slice garlic “Goodfellas thin,” as per the prison dinner scene in the movie. Now we can eat! more ›

Today the Times’s Frank Bruni destroys Ago (pictured), the new Italian restaurant in Tribeca’s Greenwich Hotel owned by Robert De Niro. It’s a savage burn, and way more entertaining than any movie De Niro’s been involved with during the last decade. Things go sideways immediately when the bartender unleashes “the Poseidon Adventure of wine spills” on Bruni’s lady friend and his party of four has to wait almost an hour for their table, which is “little bigger than a bike wheel… The table was pressed so close to a column that I couldn’t lower my right arm all the way, and if my wine-drenched friend leaned back in her chair, the column obstructed her view of me and mine of her.” With a couple exceptions, the overpriced food sucks too. Zero stars, fun read. more ›

Totally Baked: Not for Atkins adherents, this sleek new Chelsea eatery is determined to put the baked potato back on top. Here the Yukon Golds are partially scooped out and piled sky high with a smorgasbord of inspired toppings, 18 in all, including wild mushrooms with shallots, creamed spinach with leeks, and pulled pork. Each potato comes with a side salad; what you see here is the “Sweet Spa Potato.” Those feeling flush will want the “Famous Truffle,” a baked potato soaked in truffle butter, truffle oil, and truffle salt with truffle shavings on the top, for $55. 8 West 18th St., (646) 336-6118. more ›