All the News That’s Fit to Eat

Keeping track of Boston’s dining scene can feel almost as daunting as figuring out what to do with all the apples you picked at the orchard. Chowder scours the Internet for the latest good news, nearly-bad news, and proof that evolution continues.

Good News
Skipjack’s at Patriot Place will open next week. Former Oishi and Ginza chef Tsui “Otto” Hiu Tou (on left, with the New England Revolution’s Taylor Twellman) will direct the location’s sushi bar, and will presumably instruct any soccer players who are eager to learn on the art of sushi-rolling.

The Mandarin Oriental Sel de la Terre and L’Espalier are now open, says Chowhound.

If Chowhounding your favorite (or most loathed) neighborhood restaurant isn’t enough for you, Zagat is surveying diners for its 2009/10 Boston Restaurant Guide. If you complete the survey before October 26, you’ll get a complimentary copy of the book when it’s published.

Zagat Buzz reports that two former Formaggio Kitchen employees will open Mike and Patty’s, a lunch spot that features “affordable gourmet sandwiches,” in Post Office Square.

Nearly Bad News
The East Coast Grill is reportedly back in business after a fire in its basement on Sunday morning. That must have been one red-hot Hell Night dish chef Chris Schlesinger was working on.

WTF? (What the fruit?)
A woman in England discovered a strawmato—a strawberry growing inside a tomato. There’s something disturbing about such a sweet fruit growing inside another one with so many savory applications.