[Photo courtesy of Silk Cut/flickr]

Today we have one death to report and one rumored death that turned out to be just that–a rumor.

1) Beso, the Fifth Avenue Latino spot, has gone to the big Tortilla De Huevos in the sky. It closed yesterday, reported because the landlord jacked up the rent significantly. (We hear it was by many, many thousands of dollars a month.) Speculation has already begun on which bank will open a branch in the space. (Just kidding. Or not.) The early rumor is that the Associated market next door will take over the space as well as the coffee shop next door and open an organic food department. The owner of the coffee shop–which we think has the best old school sign on Fifth Avenue–is said to be retiring.

2) Red Hot on Seventh Avenue is alive and well. A rumor had been making the rounds that it was closed as it had been closed for a couple of nights. Turns out the restaurant was only redoing its floors as part of a slight upscaling of the space. Red Hot is very much open, with the usual big sign with the usual specials taped to the front door.