[oakapple]

I stopped by Tailor after work to see what's up. The status quo prevails: the dining room is closed, the bar is open. Although Eben Freeman is gone, they are still serving his cocktails. The barista told me that there is a new mixologist who will be introducing new drinks, though they will still continue to serve many of Freeman's classics—as well they should. She said that they are still reasonably busy on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.

She also sounded confident that Mason will indeed be returning to Tailor and re-opening the dining room later this fall, after he finishes the TV show he had been working on.

The upstairs is eerily quiet. There is nobody upstairs, and when you open the door it feels like you're walking into someone's house with nobody home. There's a small sign, which you could easily miss, advising that the bar downstairs is open. Which it is, from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. (later on weekends).

[taion]

oakapple, on 29 September 2009 - 09:13 PM, said:

I stopped by Tailor after work to see what's up. The status quo prevails: the dining room is closed, the bar is open. Although Eben Freeman is gone, they are still serving his cocktails. The barista told me that there is a new mixologist who will be introducing new drinks, though they will still continue to serve many of Freeman's classics—as well they should. She said that they are still reasonably busy on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.

She also sounded confident that Mason will indeed be returning to Tailor and re-opening the dining room later this fall, after he finishes the TV show he had been working on.

The upstairs is eerily quiet. There is nobody upstairs, and when you open the door it feels like you're walking into someone's house with nobody home. There's a small sign, which you could easily miss, advising that the bar downstairs is open. Which it is, from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. (later on weekends).

Interesting. Do you know if it is still the case that they're serving food at the bar?

[oakapple]

taion, on 30 September 2009 - 07:22 AM, said:

Do you know if it is still the case that they're serving food at the bar?

It appears not. There is only a drinks menu posted outside, and that is the menu I was given. Places that serve food generally try to sell you some.

[LPShanet]

There is no food of any kind being served at the bar. I was there a couple of times in the last two weeks for drinks, and the kitchen is completely closed. In fact, the entire upstairs is sort of blocked off and you walk directly downstairs. Seems the bartenders have been told to just say that they will reopen the restaurant once Sam is done with his show, but I'm not sure how relevant that info is. I hope it's true. As far as the cocktail menu goes, they have been serving a variety of things from Eben's old cocktail menus, and there do seem to be some minor changes from week to week, though it's not clear if any of the added drinks were created by others, or if they're just rotating the old recipes in and out. Nonetheless, I had a few very nice drinks there last week.

[WillieLee]

I would like to take this chance to thank everyone for their support and kind words, but it's no surprise for me to say that I (sam mason) am no longer a part of Tailor restaurant. I left about 3 months ago, and tried to let them get a game plan together before I announced my departure. I really loved my restaurant and pour my everything into it, but sadly it was not meant to be. It was great to have a venue to show how I was trying to bridge the gap of sweet and savory dishes, and I think with the help of a great staff we succeeded. I am currently working hard on my T.V. series , and by no means plan on it being my only creative outlet. I do plan to start a new venture soon. I hope to see you under another topic then as well.


Thankfully,
sam mason

[tan319]

Can't say how sorry I am about this for you and your crew but happy that a lot more will be coming down the pike.
Great luck with IFC and the new series!

[WillieLee]

Thanks Ted.. hope all is well on your end.

[mkayahara]

Really sorry to hear this, Chef. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal at Tailor back in April (and meeting you!) and had hoped to return before too long. Best of luck on whatever your next project is. And be sure to keep us posted!

[Sethro]

That's sad news man, I loved Tailor. Good luck and I hope bigger, better things are ahead.

[tan319]

Question...
Why isn't any media covering this?
Like Eater/Grub Street/NYTimes food blog?
No mention on Tailors Facebook page/ website/any of their blogs.
As to the above, a legal issue?
Please, no snark from the haters
Thanks....

This post has been edited by tan319: 10 November 2009 - 12:02 PM

[basquecook]

I think the media has covered Tailor long enough. I don't really see this as breaking news or anything. I think the closing of Zoe is a bigger deal than this place.

[vivin]

I am extremely sorry to hear about this, chef. I live in Tribeca and Tailor was one of my favorites. My frequency of visits was kept down only by the fact that everytime I went, I would end up consuming vast quantities of sweets (I ate four desserts on a single visit once). I loved the concept. best to you.

[daisy17]

basquecook, on 10 November 2009 - 02:19 PM, said:

I think the media has covered Tailor long enough. I don't really see this as breaking news or anything. I think the closing of Zoe is a bigger deal than this place.

huh?

[oakapple]

tan319, on 10 November 2009 - 12:01 PM, said:

Question...
Why isn't any media covering this?
Like Eater/Grub Street/NYTimes food blog?
No mention on Tailors Facebook page/ website/any of their blogs.
As to the above, a legal issue?

The only actual announcement is Sam Mason's post above, which has not been noticed more broady. I suspect that the owners still do not know what they will do with the space, so from their point of view there is nothing to announce. It is well known that Tailor is in bankruptcy, so yes, there could very well be legal issues.

[Tri2Cook]

Sorry things didn't work out Chef. On the bright side (for me anyway), maybe you'll find time now to think about that book you hinted at a while back. I'm still keeping a space open on my shelf (the working shelf with the books I actually use) for it.

[oakapple]

It took a while, but Eater.com has now picked up the story from this thread. The whole industry reades Eater, so at this point it will be pretty widely disseminated.

[LPShanet]

Very sad (if not unexpected) news. Even for those people who may not have loved the place, New York has lost a restaurant for which there is no equivalent, and is the worse for it. For those of us who were big fans, it's an even bigger loss. Please keep us posted on any upcoming ventures, chef, as we'll be eager to be first in the door...

Cheers!

[tan319]

Nice article about "Dinner with the Band" and "Tailor".

http://www.nytimes.c...oking.html?_r=1

[stetson99]

This is a shame. An incredibly talented chef was involved with a potentially groundbreaking project that combined a new food dynamic with great cocktails. Unfortunately, it did not work.

What went wrong? Was it the constant blog hype? Did it raise expectations to an unreasonable level? Did the modern public not 'get it?' Were the landlord and investors quick to throw in the towel?

I do not know what happened. Everything I mentioned was for the purposes of discussion only. What do you think happened?

--W

[Sneakeater]

New York has yet to embrace "molecular" or "progressive" or whatever-you-want-to-call-it gastronomy. In some ways, this City is pretty conservative. Think about it this: this is the opposite of comfort food (the big general trend).

The location didn't help.

[docsconz]

I don't think that is the answer, Sneak. Mason's food at Tailor was pretty accessible and delicious. I really think the early hype and pr followed by months & months of delays really took the wind out of their sails once they finally did open and they never really got the "buzz" that they deserved. Even the location wasn't really that bad, even if it wasn't the absolute best location.

[tan319]

The recession had nothing to do with it...?

[LPShanet]

I think a combination of all three of the last three posts in the thread is probably the most accurate way to look at it. Certainly the economy and the ridiculous delays in opening were major factors, but Sneak is totally correct that NY has been much less receptive to modern/molecular cooking than many other major US cities. WD-50 is the only place to make a long go of it here to date. And quite a few have failed. While it's easy to say that the flavors were accessible, that doesn't change the fact that the techniques were "science-y" and many flavor combinations very unexpected to traditional palates. Molecular cuisine done well is just as delicious as any other type of cuisine, but that doesn't mean everyone accepts it. As for the location, while it' wasn't the middle of nowhere, it was a block with essentially no foot traffic/walk-in potential, and that part of Soho is certainly not a neighborhood on the rise in terms of dining. Lethal for a place that depended on a strong bar business as well as regular visitors to the dining room.

[oakapple]

LPShanet, on 28 November 2009 - 01:11 AM, said:

As for the location, while it' wasn't the middle of nowhere, it was a block with essentially no foot traffic/walk-in potential, and that part of Soho is certainly not a neighborhood on the rise in terms of dining. Lethal for a place that depended on a strong bar business as well as regular visitors to the dining room.

That is probably the one explanation we can discount: the bar was the only successful thing at Tailor, and the only part of it that is still open.

When a restaurant becomes known as a dining destination, the block it is on is of relatively little importance. Not just the block, but actually the entire neighborhood where WD~50 is located, was unknown as a dining destination not that long ago. If your restaurant is important enough, people will find it. This was never the type of restaurant, regardless of its location, that was going to do much walk-in business.

In its early days, the dining room at Tailor was reliably full. Restaurants survive when a sufficient quantity of the early visitors are motivated to become regulars, and to recommend it to their friends. Tailor failed because not enough people felt the urge to do so. It didn't help that practically all of the reviews were middling to negative.

The original menu at Tailor was a mistake. It didn't have enough savory courses, and some of the dishes were awfully expensive in relation to the portion sizes. Mason eventually adjusted, but the reviews were in by then. I do agree with an earlier poster that the much-delayed opening and the early hype (fueled by Mason himself) were unhelpful.

[LPShanet]

oakapple, on 30 November 2009 - 08:12 AM, said:

LPShanet, on 28 November 2009 - 01:11 AM, said:

As for the location, while it' wasn't the middle of nowhere, it was a block with essentially no foot traffic/walk-in potential, and that part of Soho is certainly not a neighborhood on the rise in terms of dining. Lethal for a place that depended on a strong bar business as well as regular visitors to the dining room.

That is probably the one explanation we can discount: the bar was the only successful thing at Tailor, and the only part of it that is still open.

When a restaurant becomes known as a dining destination, the block it is on is of relatively little importance. Not just the block, but actually the entire neighborhood where WD~50 is located, was unknown as a dining destination not that long ago. If your restaurant is important enough, people will find it. This was never the type of restaurant, regardless of its location, that was going to do much walk-in business.

In its early days, the dining room at Tailor was reliably full. Restaurants survive when a sufficient quantity of the early visitors are motivated to become regulars, and to recommend it to their friends. Tailor failed because not enough people felt the urge to do so. It didn't help that practically all of the reviews were middling to negative.

The original menu at Tailor was a mistake. It didn't have enough savory courses, and some of the dishes were awfully expensive in relation to the portion sizes. Mason eventually adjusted, but the reviews were in by then. I do agree with an earlier poster that the much-delayed opening and the early hype (fueled by Mason himself) were unhelpful.

My reference to "bar business" was probably a bit unclear, but I was referring to the old restaurant theory that when you open a new dining venue, you want to fill the restaurant's bar with regulars who also dine there. A full bar then gives the restaurant additional food business under that model and makes it feel like it's bustling. Tailor didn't do that. The thing with Tailor's bar is that it was very separate from the restaurant, both physically and in terms of clientele. They were essentially two separate venues. Sure, there was a certain number of "cocktailians" who went to the bar for the drinks, but at its peak, the bar's crowd was totally separate from the restaurant's in terms of makeup, and was driven mainly by hipness rather than epicurean interest. In fact, many of the foodie types who came just for drinks still had them in the dining room and not the bar. Like any new nightlife venue, once the bar downstairs lost its status as the new place, it also lost some of its energy and business. And since it never really connected much with the restaurant, it didn't help that side. Sure, they kept it open, but that's because they could still get some revenue coming in, while laying out less in terms of costs (and without a chef, host, and numerous support staff). Even a successful restaurant makes a large percentage of its money via alcohol, and it's a lot easier to keep the bar open with one or two less-skilled employees stirring up the existing formulas than it is to keep a whole dining room running. After the dining room closed, they typically only had one or two people running the bar max. And it certainly hadn't been profitable for a long time...it was just a way to stem the losses and get a trickle of money coming in.

What you say about dining destinations is mostly true, but in the current economy maybe a bit less so. While WD-50 is a good example, they're doing less well now than they had been, too. Another thing to keep in mind is that Soho at the time of Tailor's opening was essentially a neighborhood on the way down, while the part of the LES surrounding Clinton Street when WD-50 opened was a neighborhood on the way up. Though it wasn't rife with food options for too long before the opening, it had already been home to several restaurants even on that one block. If the block where a restaurant is located really didn't matter, then I don't think we would have seen The John Dory close. It got mostly good/great reviews and was very busy to start with, yet its eventual closing was also blamed on neighborhood traffic. While a high end restaurant may lure people from further away, something at Tailor's price point and level of ambition is less likely to, unless it's one of a few screaming hot places in town. And as we all have said, they lost the chance to be that when all the delays hit.

You make excellent points about the early mixed reviews and the time it took to make necessary adjustments to the menu structure. Let's hope things work out better for Sam next time. And let's also hope that NY makes more room in its heart for "modern" cooking.

This post has been edited by LPShanet: 01 December 2009 - 02:12 AM

[oakapple]

LPShanet, on 01 December 2009 - 02:11 AM, said:

If the block where a restaurant is located really didn't matter, then I don't think we would have seen The John Dory close. It got mostly good/great reviews and was very busy to start with, yet its eventual closing was also blamed on neighborhood traffic. While a high end restaurant may lure people from further away, something at Tailor's price point and level of ambition is less likely to, unless it's one of a few screaming hot places in town.

I am not saying that the block never matters, only that it didn't matter for this type of place.

The John Dory's problem was not the block, but the neighborhood, and neighborhoods definitely matter. The Dory's economics required a lunch trade, and that area doesn't get much traffic at lunch, because it's too far away from anything else. Any block in that area would have had the same problem.

The avant-garde cuisine served at Tailor, regardless of price point and level of ambition, was never going to be "neighborhood food." It was never going to be a place where people just dropped in on a whim. That's why the block, in this case, did not matter. The people who dine at that kind of restaurant are those who've planned to go there, and once you've made a plan, a block here or there doesn't influence the decision very much.

The neighborhood, of course, does matter: Tailor on the Upper East Side would have been ludicrous.

This post has been edited by oakapple: 01 December 2009 - 07:11 AM

[LPShanet]

oakapple, on 01 December 2009 - 07:09 AM, said:

The neighborhood, of course, does matter: Tailor on the Upper East Side would have been ludicrous.

Sadly, Soho is pretty ludicrous, too, these days. There hasn't been an important new dining destination in that 'hood, other than Boqueria.

[oakapple]

LPShanet, on 02 December 2009 - 01:13 AM, said:

oakapple, on 01 December 2009 - 07:09 AM, said:

The neighborhood, of course, does matter: Tailor on the Upper East Side would have been ludicrous.

Sadly, Soho is pretty ludicrous, too, these days. There hasn't been an important new dining destination in that 'hood, other than Boqueria.

That may very well be no more than coincidence. Tailor's bad reviews weren't because it was in Soho; they were because of Mason's mistakes. Given that the bar was consistently busy, there was clearly no inherent obstacle to attracting patronage to that area.

[tan319]

oakapple, on 02 December 2009 - 07:46 AM, said:

LPShanet, on 02 December 2009 - 01:13 AM, said:

oakapple, on 01 December 2009 - 07:09 AM, said:

The neighborhood, of course, does matter: Tailor on the Upper East Side would have been ludicrous.

Sadly, Soho is pretty ludicrous, too, these days. There hasn't been an important new dining destination in that 'hood, other than Boqueria.

That may very well be no more than coincidence. Tailor's bad reviews weren't because it was in Soho; they were because of Mason's mistakes. Given that the bar was consistently busy, there was clearly no inherent obstacle to attracting patronage to that area.

What were Masons mistakes???
Have you ever opened a restaurant , with partners?
It's fucking hard, they promise you everything and then you're lucky to get a crumb.
I'm talking about the concept as originally conceived.
If he hadn't served too small a portion and served a big one he would have been screwed.
Wasn't the idea to be more like tapas?

All of this criticism, etc..
Wish him better luck next time or hire out as a consultant ( maybe you are?).

[Sneakeater]

His big mistake was blogging the opening process. Too much hype. It simultaneously raised expectations exactly when he should have wanted to keep them down, and turned people off as overpublicizing.

This post has been edited by Sneakeater: 02 December 2009 - 09:40 AM