LES Bites: Mission Chinese For Rent, Big Names at wd~50, Azul Closes, Jungle Birds Abound

A roundup of midweek restaurant headlines:

• The small space at 154 Orchard St. formerly known as Mission Chinese, which was shuttered in November by vermin trouble, can be yours for just $7,500/month and $50,000 in “key money.”

• Twenty-seven A-list chefs from around the globe surprised wd~50’s Wylie Dufresne with a tribute dinner at his Clinton Street restaurant last night. It involved caviar, Kraft singles, beer cans with Dufresne’s face on them and lots of celeb-chef riffing and revelry.

• Azul Bistro, the Argentinian spot at 152 Stanton St., has closed after 13 years. A new restaurant called Abasto LES has been approved for a beer and wine license there.

• The NYT adores a “hitherto obscure tiki drink” known as a Jungle Bird, a popular cocktail at the now-defunct Painkiller. It’s having a spring resurgence, and is available these days at Eldridge Street speakeasy Attaboy.

• From The Lo-Down inbox: If you’re missing Pushcart Coffee on East Broadway, its next-door neighbor Malt and Mold can help. Starting this week, the gourmet grocer is now serving coffee beginning at 7 a.m.

• The new Red Hook Lobster Pound at Extra Place is hiring.