OPEN LOUNGE Silverleaf Tavern (43 E. 38th St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-973-2550), which lost its chef, Kevin Reilly, last September, is changing its main dining room into a lounge. The dining room closed last week, and will reopen in its new incarnation next month, serving a buffet breakfast for guests at the adjacent Park Avenue Hotel – which, like Silverleaf Tavern, is managed by the San Francisco-based Kimpton Group – as well as cocktails and a “lounge menu.” Although the dining room is closed, the restaurant’s lounge is still open, serving signature cocktails and bar food, from to 11 p.m. nightly.

BEYOND BLT Laurent Tourondel, chef-owner of BLT Steak, BLT Fish, and BLT Prime, is now also chef of Brasserie Ruhlman (45 Rockefeller Plaza a t 50th Street, between Fifth and Sixth a venues, 212-974-2020). A personal friend of co-owner Jean Denoyer, who also designed the restaurant, Mr. Tourondel is developing French brasserie food “with a twist.” “Most of the dishes are classic, but not totally classic,” he said. For example, his beef bourguignonne is made with atypical short ribs.

DOWN THE BLOCK Shelly’s New York has moved a block, to 41 W. 57th St. (between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-245-2422) from 104 W. 57th St., and changed its name to Shelly’s Prime Steaks, Stone Crab, and Oyster Bar.

CIAO, ‘CESCA The chef de cuisine of Mario Batali’s Del Posto is moving uptown to be the chief chef of ‘Cesca (164 W. 75th St., between Amsterdam and Columbus a venues, 212-787-6300), where he will be running the kitchen as of May 1, although his own menu will not be completely in place until July.

An Upper West Side native, Mr. Garcia is replacing chef Tom Valenti, who stepped back from ‘Cesca to focus on its sister restaurant, 985 2176 1058 2187Ouest, which he is negotiating to buy from the Off the Menu Restaurant Group, which owns both of those restaurants, as well as Mainland and others.

BEER DINNER Heartland Brewery (127 W. 43rd St. at Broadway, 646-366-0235; 93 South St. at Fulton Street, 646-572-2337; 35 Union Square West a t 17th Street, 212-645-3400, and 1285 Sixth Ave. at 51st Street) has launched a beer dinner series that will change each month. Each menu offers three courses paired with a specific beer.

In April, a sashimi tuna appetizer with mustard seed crust and lemon shallot vinaigrette is paired with Harvest Wheat served with a lemon wedge and a taster of Indian River Light. The main course, country-style beef rib with warm potato salad and sweet corn salsa, goes with Grateful Red Lager. Dessert, a molten lava chocolate cake, goes with Belgian Cherry Chocolate Stout and a taster of Farmer Jon’s Oatmeal Stout. It costs $34.50.

Mr. Thorn is food editor of Nation’s Restaurant News. He can be reached atbthorn@nrn.com.