CRACKDOWN

Restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow’s flagship restaurant, China Grill (60 W. 53rd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-333-7788), was closed by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene yesterday. A statement released by Mr. Chodorow’s company, China Grill Management, said the restaurant was cited for elevated temperatures and condensation in its walk-in refrigerators, water on the dishwashing room floor, and insects “principally in non-food production areas.”

Noting that the inspection occurred during the height of lunch service on a hot and humid day, the company said it was the first failed inspection in 20 years of operation, and that the failure was due to a “zero tolerance regulatory environment,” not unhygienic conditions in the restaurant.

“Rather than trying to make excuses or split hairs, we are going to take this opportunity to get ahead of the curve,” the statement read, noting that the restaurant was installing new compressors in the refrigerator.

The company said it expected to reopen in a couple of days.

JOSIE’S SPEAKEASY

“Top Chef — Season 2” contestant Josie Smith-Malave has left Island Restaurant and Lounge (35-15 36th St., between 35th and 36th avenues, Long Island City, 718-433-0690) to open a restaurant of her own in Fort Green, Brooklyn.

That restaurant, The Speakeasy, is set to open this fall.

Meanwhile, at Island, sous chef Dan Morales has been promoted to chef. He has shifted the focus of the menu from tapas to regular-size dishes, including goat cheese gnocchi with smoked pulled pork and black truffles, and New Zealand rack of lamb with Merguez sausage, rosemary potato cakes, mint chutney and lamb jus.

LA VACA

A 45-seat Argentine restaurant, Caminito (1664 Park Ave., between 117th and 118th streets, 212-289-1343), opened yesterday in a space that once was a barbershop used in the Al Pacino movie “Carlito’s Way.”

Chef-owner Fabian Manca is dishing up meat products ranging from rib eye to blood sausage, and Argentine wine priced between $22 and $44 a bottle.

NAME CHANGE

The space that once was Shelly’s Prime Steak is now Shelly’s Trattoria La Tradizionale (41 W. 57th St., 212-245-2422), and features a wide array of the food you would expect in a New York Italian restaurant, including Caprese salad, prosciutto and melon, pappardelle Bolognese, and bistecca Fiorentina. That last item is for a minimum of two people, using the nontraditional cut of 28-day dry-aged porterhouse.

SUMMER VACATION

Dani (333 Hudson St. at Charlton Street, 212-633-9333) is closing to the public for dinner until Labor Day. A spokeswoman for chefowner Don Pintabona said the restaurant would be catering private parties and special events in the evenings until August 27, when the restaurant will close for renovations, reopening September 4.

Dani is still serving lunch on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the bar is open until 6 p.m.

TAKING A BREAK

Gilt (455 Madison Ave., between 50th and 51st streets, 212-891-8100) is closing for the remainder of the summer, though its bar will remain open. The last night for dinner service is August 17. It is scheduled to reopen with chef Christopher Lee’s new menu on September 15.

CASUAL MAKEOVER

Ureña (37 E. 28th St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-213-2328) is closing, too, on August 18, to be reworked into a more casual restaurant called Pamplona, set to open on September 4.

The new dining room will seat 70 people, including 20 at the bar, and feature Basque Country food and other comparatively low-key fare. Chef-owner Alex Ureña says he expects the average check to drop from $65 to between $50 and $55.

Mr. Thorn is food editor of Nation’s Restaurant News. He maintains nrnfoodwriter.blogspot.com.