Kevin, sand some of the scrap Ebony wood to get a 1/2 tsp. or so of fine powder. Mix that with a little wood glue, and rub into the crack. Sand smooth once dry, and that crack will hardly be noticeable.
Actually I do have some Ebony large enough to make a few knobs.
Crinkle cut fries don't necessarily mean frozen. The idea behind the crinkles is that it gives more area to crisp. I've had delicious fresh crinkle fries.
That burger looks outstanding too!
That hairline crack is not problematic. It will not enlarge or separate in time. If it's just an aesthetic issue, then by all means let me fix it. A burn in will make it near undetectable under a magnifying glass.
On the other hand...if the Emotiva is a known quantity that you like, and it's just $250, what's the issue? Surely you could sell it if you decide to try something else.
Rule #1 - Don't be in a hurry.
Just give the paint twice the drying time it recommends on the paint can, and you should be OK. Humidity, temperature, angle of the sun etc... all come into play, so just error on the side of reason.
If you sand the entire top, then no need to worry about feathering the edges. A random orbit sander would speed things up considerably. What kind of paint did you use?
Colin's idea would be easiest, if it's not epoxy.
You're going to have to sand the area smooth with a series of various grit sandpaper, then repaint. Depending on the debris, I'd probably start around 120 grit, then go to 220, then finish up with 320. Feather the edges as you go.