NORTH OF FLATBUSH AVENUE.

Brooklyn landmark Junior’s is opening its first restaurant outside of New York City this May, at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn. A 250-seat, 8,100-square-foot restaurant will open off the main lobby of the new MGM Grand, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It also will have a full bar.

A 600-square-foot Junior’s Coffee Bar will also operate on the main casino floor.

TRAINING CAMP

Restaurateur Ed Brown has cherry-picked from a number of restaurants to assemble the team for his new venture, Eighty One (45 W. 81st St. at Columbus Avenue 212-873-8181), which is scheduled to open later this year, probably in December.

A former chef de cuisine at Blue Hill, Juan Cuevas, will take up the same position at Eighty One. Replacing him at Blue Hill (75 Washington Pl., between Sixth Avenue and MacDougal Street, 212-539-1776) is Trevor Kunk, who has been promoted from sous chef.

Joining Mr. Cuevas as executive sous chef will be Yuhi Fujinaga, who was the same at Mr. Brown’s Sea Grill.

The pastry chef will be John Miele, who until very recently was at Amalia (204 W. 55th St., between Seventh Avenue and Broadway, 212-245-1234). Prior to that, he was the pastry chef at Aureole. Amalia’s new pastry chef is Roberto Ikuma, who worked under Mr. Miele. This restaurant has a new general manger, too. Shahed Choudhury has replaced Thomas Vaucouleur de Ville d’Avray, who moved to Los Angeles to work for the Dolce Group.

WATER TO WINE

Speaking of Aureole (34 E. 61st St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-319-1680), that restaurant has been closed since a pipe broke over Labor Day weekend. The flood damage is being repaired, however, and management expects the restaurant to reopen this Friday. To celebrate, they are giving free glasses of sparkling wine to guests on Friday and Saturday.

NEW ADVENTURE

Scott Quis, a veteran of the kitchen at Café Boulud, is now chef de cuisine of Picholine (35 W. 64th St., between Broadway and Central Park West, 212-724-8585). His new executive sous chef, Jason Hua, has been with Jean-Georges for the past four years.

FRIENDLY DUMPLINGS

Rickshaw Dumpling Bar’s second location (50 E. 8th St., between Greene and Mercer streets, 212-461-1750) is slated to open this Friday. It will be much like the W. 23rd Street location, serving Anita Lo’s signature dumplings. The new location is larger, however, and it will stay open a half-hour later. It also will have a photo booth in the back “to take fun pics with your friends, or if you don’t have any friends, with your favorite dumpling,” a restaurant spokeswoman said.

CHANGING TUNES

Chef Alex Ureña has revamped his formerly eponymous restaurant and reopened it as a more casual eatery, Pamplona (37 E. 28th St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-213-2328). Artichoke and razor clam tapas, suckling pig, and paella are among the new offerings.

DAYTIME DALLIANCE

Centro Vinoteca (74 Seventh Ave. South at Bleecker Street, 212-367-7470) is now serving lunch between noon and 5 p.m., and providing free wireless Internet connectivity. The midday menu includes salads, panini, pasta, and a daily frittata.

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