Closing bells: Meil's, Zen-Nor, Sonata

Sunday, Aug. 12 was the last day after 22 years for Meil's, the casual restaurant-bakery in Stockton, N.J. Lilly Salvatore, owner of Lambertville's Lilly's on the Canal and Doylestown's Lilly's Gourmet, and Lilly's Café America, is taking over the spot.

Zen-Nor, a French-Japanese BYO that took over the ill-starred former home of Azafran, Gayle, and Hoof + Fin on Third Street between South and Bainbridge, did a quickie shutdown last week after less than 90 days. Some former employees claim that rookie restaurateur Eleanor Aukett stiffed them out of pay, and Fox29 got her on camera being all nasty.

After three years on Northern Liberties' Liberties Walk, Mark Tropea said he sold his BYO Sonata to a first-timer planning a Thai BYO called Baan Thai. In the anyone-coulda-seen-this-coming department, Tropea said the area just wasn't the best fit for his menu, whose critical praise just wasn't enough. He is working in the front of the house for the next couple of weeks at El Camino Real, also on Liberties Walk, as he puts out feelers for an exec chef's job. (Hiring? I'll hook you up.)