Reminder: Rooftop Pary on October 1 at 6PM

Grub Street reports the not incredibly surprising news that Union Square restaurant Irving Mill will close on January 1. The restaurant, known for its chef turnover, a major lawsuit, and its one-time super porky menu, has been, how shall we say, underpopulated of late (or, the last year of its life really). Regardless, the owners—two brothers and one’s wife—meant well and it’s a beautiful, large space. And that Ryan Skeen burger had some serious potential back in the day. Life goes on, and this space will go on, reopening as a Brother Jimmy’s BBQ, the fratty barbecue chain, in March. Just think: a new TGI Friday’s and a Brother Jimmy’s? Union Square is looking like the place to be in 2010.

Next week (October 29 to November 2), Material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors. Curtain wall installation on the lower floors will proceed along 14th st. inside the construction site. The crane that is on site will remain for the duration of curtain wall installation and will not affect pedestrian or automotive traffic.

The following week (November 5 to November 9) Material and equipment deliveries and installation work will continue on all floors. Curtain wall installation on the lower floors will proceed along 14th st. inside the construction site.

This weekend the site will be open on Saturday, October 27th for superstructure related activities and curtain wall installation between the work hours of 7AM and 5PM as permitted by the City. Con Ed will be working in the street.

All businesses in the Bowlmor building with the exception of the pita place have now closed. Demolition (plus two years of construction) now seems imminent.

Comfort food joint Chat ‘n Chew shut its doors this week after 22 years in the neighborhood, but the owner plans to reopen it as an Italian restaurant.

The diner-style eatery at 10 E. 16th St. near Fifth Avenue will relaunch in two weeks as Little Sal’s, said Ethan Silverman, son of owner Andrew Silverman.

“[Chat ‘n Chew] lost some of it’s energy, and now we’re getting it back,” Ethan Silverman said. “It’s going to be a Chat ‘n Chew on steroids. It’ll have traditional Italian food like chicken parm, eggplant parm and pastas.”

Silverman compared the concept of Little Sal’s to New York City restaurants like Sauce and Parm, where it’s “casual and family oriented — selling wine by the glass and not the bottle,” he said.

Andrew Silverman also co-owns Flatiron’s City Crab and Barbounia restaurants.

Little Sal’s will open as a pop-up in two weeks for a test run, and may remain open permanently depending on how well it does, Silverman said.

As for Chat ‘n Chew’s abrupt closure, Silverman said the team had known that they would be closing for a while, but hadn’t made it public.

“If people took a look at the place recently, they’d see that the staff was slowly kind of diminishing,” Silverman said.

“We’ve been in Union Square for a while, and we’re going to come back with energy,” he continued. “But [the concept] will be [in] keeping with the people who work and live in the neighborhood.”

They’ve been under construction for ages, but it looks like the condos at 82 University Place, where the beloved Cedar Tavern used to be, are finally ready to be sold. Starting around 1.5 million.

Signs announcing “#SaltBae coming soon” have been plastered on a space at 220 Park Avenue South, near Union Square, where a location of Japanese chain Haru Sushi once stood. Salt-sprinkling, internet sensation Nusret Gökçe first brought his famed Turkish steakhouse Nusr-Et to NYC in January, opening a 150-seat restaurant in Midtown.

But if Gökçe is indeed responsible for this signage, it could be slated for something other than a steakhouse. In February, he announced plans for a new burger chain, to be aptly named Salt Bae, telling the New York Post he’s plotting multiple locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The signage on the space says just “saltbae,” accompanied by an illustrated version of the butcher.

Critics fell harshly on Nusr-Et, finding the theatrical dinner served overpriced, mediocre steaks. Eater’s own Robert Sietsema described the beef as “a little rubbery” and “low on flavor,” although Pete Wells from the Times seems to have enjoyed his dining experience, going as far as calling the steak “terrific.”

The chain has over a dozen locations around the world, but only one other U.S. location exists in Miami, according to its website.