The European Union says that by 2013 they will get rid of the ban on carry-on liquids, thanks to some new explosive-liquid screening machines. The new restrictions are part of an initiative to make the post-9/11 security requirements more streamlined, and EU Transport Commission spokesman Helen Kearns said there “should be a significant improvement in terms of convenience and ease of travel." The liquid ban was put in place in 2007, after a London airplane bomb plot was found to involve liquid explosives. So bring on as much soda and water as you want!—just make sure you have enough change to pay for the toilets when it gets through your system. more ›

Chef Justin Smillie, who took over the helm at E.U. after Akhtar Nawab's departure, was recently fired by owner Jason Hennings. According to Grub Street, Hennings blamed Smillie's unwillingness to cut costs by forgoing Greenmarket shopping: “After six months of 45 percent food costs in a recession, Justin paid more respect to the Greenmarket than to the restaurant.” Smillie reportedly took his entire crew with him. In the meantime, Hennings has put a replacement team in place and hasn't yet named a new chef. As for Smillie, you'll likely find him shopping at a Greenmarket near you. more ›

Bruni hits Jean Georges' "fringe players," Mercer Kitchen and Vong. Between the two, Vong emerges victorious with one star: "you keep wondering if the food they deliver is really as it should be and all that it could be, if the restaurant is receiving Mr. Vongerichten’s most considered judgments . . ." while Mercer Kitchen rates a mere "satisfactory": Bruni calls their menu an "ethnically indistinct assortment of dishes with enough pro forma salads and... more ›