513 replies to this topic

[BryanZ]

So I had a dinner reso at Gilt early next week. I received an unfortunate call today that Chef Liebrandt has moved on and they're in the works of training a new chef. They will not open until the beginning of September because of this.

Anyone have any more details as to why the sudden change? I was supposed to go with the g/f for her birthday before we went back to school; now we're kind of S.O.L.

[docsconz]

So I had a dinner reso at Gilt early next week.  I received an unfortunate call today that Chef Liebrandt has moved on and they're in the works of training a new chef.  They will not open until the beginning of September because of this.

Anyone have any more details as to why the sudden change?  I was supposed to go with the g/f for her birthday before we went back to school; now we're kind of S.O.L.

Wow, that is big news. I am sorry to say that I missed the chance to try Gilt under his lead. "he who hesitates is lost". I missed it, not because I had any lack of interest, but I just didn't have the right opportunity. I hope that he resurfaces soon and wish him the best.

[Sneakeater]

"he who hesitates is lost".

It's funny you should say that, cuz I was just thinking about it.

On the one hand, we're always cautioned against rushing to try places when they're new, because even the best places take a while to find their bearings and "a good restaurant will be better after a year than right after opening."

On the other hand, in today's tumultuous market, you often find chefs leaving, menu concepts being adjusted, or owners just losing interest, and you can miss out.

It's hard to know the right thing to do.

Edited by Sneakeater, 19 August 2006 - 01:25 PM.

[Sneakeater]

Open Note To Paul Liebrandt

Stop trying to open restaurants in uptown hotels.

There's a place for you in New York, but it's not where you've been trying.

Edited by Sneakeater, 19 August 2006 - 01:26 PM.

[ASM NY]

That blows... was also planning on taking my parents there soon... very curious to find out what happened, as it has only been open for 9 months or so.

[BryanZ]

I got a reconfirmation today that they'll be re-opening on the the fifth of September. Unfortunately, I'll be gone, but I wonder what kind of vibe they'll be getting in to.

[ASM NY]

Interestingly, there is an article in September's W Magazine on Liebrandt and Gilt. I can't seem to find the article online, but it basically says that in spite of a very taltented chef, the restaurant is struggling, questioning if people are really ready to embrace this kind of food. Liebrandt blames their PR, no pre-opening, and an unfair review by NY Times' Grimes.

I imagine given their lack of success and with Liebrandt gone, the restaurant will be drastically changing its direction.

[docsconz]

Shame. I wonder if Liebrandt will resurface in NY or go somewhere else and pull a "Keller."

[tan319]

Crap news.
Thanks, Frank...

Edited by tan319, 21 August 2006 - 06:24 AM.

[Vadouvan]

Anyone have any more details as to why the sudden change?

I am not sure it was a sudden change, it appears since Gilt opened the hotel management wanted the food to still be creative but "more accessible".
I had 3 dinners at Gilt that ranged from great to excellent but I got it, not everyone "gets it", ostensibly most e gulleteer would since the community tends to be more food savvy.
Unfortunately, the typical folks who went to Le cirque 2000 which was like an Appleby's for the super wealthy dont eat Liebrandts kind of food.
Certainly the Bruni review was like the significant nail in the coffin. It probably opens the discussion about if NYC has enough interest to support anything above the very good but essentially "Safe" cooking that you get at places like Per Se, Jean Georges and ADNY......(removing WD-50 from the equation just for the sake of argument). As I see it, outside of what Wylie does,no one else seems to push the envelope...?

Interestingly, there is an article in September's W Magazine on Liebrandt and Gilt. I can't seem to find the article online, but it basically says that in spite of a very taltented chef, the restaurant is struggling, questioning if people are really ready to embrace this kind of food. Liebrandt blames their PR, no pre-opening, and an unfair review by NY Times' Grimes.

I would have to say I agree with Liebrandt, bad PR, reviewed too soon and questionable perception by the reviewer.

Open Note To Paul Liebrandt

Stop trying to open restaurants in uptown hotels.

There's a place for you in New York, but it's not where you've been trying.

Definitely true,If he had a wylie-esque setup without hotel honchos to answer to, he would do better, Imagine WD 50 in some silly uptown hotel ?
Let the art flow......that is without listening to the food and beverage manager's BS.
Sketch works in London, Gilt should work in NYC for christs sake...

I imagine given their lack of success and with Liebrandt gone, the restaurant will be drastically changing its direction.

Probably not a drastic change, I think they just want slightly simpler food but still really creative.
Certainly wont be Liebrandt / gagnaire-ish but probably still pretty modern.
The answer lies in who the new chef is.......there is always a solid forensic trail of recent cookery.
The new chef is actually coming from Philadelphia of all places......
Christopher Lee / Striped Bass formerly of Oceana, this years Food and Wine best new chefs, James Beard winner.
You want any clue to what Gilt will be serving come september, check out the Bass's menus
http://www.stripedbassrestaurant.com/

[robert40]

A few weeks ago I watched chef Liebrandt in one of those cook off challenges on Food Network. So smooth and confident in his execution that it jumped out the screen. Really wish I had tried Gilt because no doubt he is talented.

[flinflon28]

A few weeks ago I watched chef Liebrandt in one of those cook off challenges on Food Network. So smooth and confident in his execution that it jumped out the screen. Really wish I had tried Gilt because no doubt he is talented.

Do you remember which show. I'd really like to see it. I worked with Paul at a Starchefs event was and he was kind, generous and had a killer sense of humor. I wish him the best.

[robert40]

A few weeks ago I watched chef Liebrandt in one of those cook off challenges on Food Network. So smooth and confident in his execution that it jumped out the screen. Really wish I had tried Gilt because no doubt he is talented.

Do you remember which show. I'd really like to see it. I worked with Paul at a Starchefs event was and he was kind, generous and had a killer sense of humor. I wish him the best.

Found it.
http://www.foodnetwo...7_44579,00.html

[tan319]

A few weeks ago I watched chef Liebrandt in one of those cook off challenges on Food Network. So smooth and confident in his execution that it jumped out the screen. Really wish I had tried Gilt because no doubt he is talented.

Do you remember which show. I'd really like to see it. I worked with Paul at a Starchefs event was and he was kind, generous and had a killer sense of humor. I wish him the best.

Found it.
http://www.foodnetwo...7_44579,00.html

What did he cook on the show?
Thanks!

[Sneakeater]

A Parable For Paul Liebrandt

I subscribed to the New York Philharmonic for a long time. But finally, six or seven years ago, I just got fed up and let my subscription lapse. What fed me up was all the heavily perfumed blue-haired ladies who would loudly complain about "modern music" every time the orchestra would play goddamn Prokofiev.

[bunny]

I imagine given their lack of success and with Liebrandt gone, the restaurant will be drastically changing its direction.

Probably not a drastic change, I think they just want slightly simpler food but still really creative.
Certainly wont be Liebrandt / gagnaire-ish but probably still pretty modern.
The answer lies in who the new chef is.......there is always a solid forensic trail of recent cookery.
The new chef is actually coming from Philadelphia of all places......
Christopher Lee / Striped Bass formerly of Oceana, this years Food and Wine best new chefs, James Beard winner.
You want any clue to what Gilt will be serving come september, check out the Bass's menus
http://www.stripedbassrestaurant.com/

that menu is more then 2.5 years old

[tan319]

A Parable For Paul Liebrandt

I subscribed to the New York Philharmonic for a long time.  But finally, six or seven years ago, I just got fed up and let my subscription lapse.  What fed me up was all the heavily perfumed blue-haired ladies who would loudly complain about "modern music" every time the orchestra would play goddamn Prokofiev.

Can you break that down for us?

Edited by tan319, 21 August 2006 - 06:21 AM.

[Vadouvan]

that menu is more then 2.5 years old

Perhaps, but Its just to illustrate the general style of cooking.
Of course it would be ostensibly different in NY but the meal I had there 3 weeks ago while good wasnt much more creative than that menu save for the chocolate covered foie gras.

The catch 22 is if they want more accessible food, new chef cant do anything much more creative without venturing into the Liebrandt/gagnaire/dufresne world.

[Sneakeater]

A Parable For Paul Liebrandt

I subscribed to the New York Philharmonic for a long time.  But finally, six or seven years ago, I just got fed up and let my subscription lapse.  What fed me up was all the heavily perfumed blue-haired ladies who would loudly complain about "modern music" every time the orchestra would play goddamn Prokofiev.

Can you break that down for us?

Uptown types tend to have very conservative tastes. (So do uptown travelers.)

Prokofiev is one of the friendliest-sounding post-WW I composers you can think of. But even his conservatively modern stuff was too way-out for that crowd.

Every New York restaurant Paul Liebrandt has done has been located in the oldline district. Daniel Boulud can succeed there. David Burke can succeed there. Paul Liebrandt can't.

I dunno. Does London not have an uptown/downtown split the way New York does?

Edited by Sneakeater, 21 August 2006 - 07:16 AM.

[tan319]

Re: London split.
It's been awhile since I've been there but I suppose Soho and Camden are kind of hipper places.

I read the W magazine story today.
It's been suggested that the Hotel didn't like the tone of the article perhaps and blew Liebrandt out but I can hardly imagine that a chef who's been cooking for all of this time didn't see the writing on the wall and got some stuff off his chest?
Maybe it's because I've been in this business for awhile now but I didn't find anything in the article rude or offensive.
According to it, Liebrandt felt they opened too quickly, it appears he didn't think too much of the Full page ads in the papers announcing GILT's opening, that it was setting it up for slapping around and of course, it would go w/o saying that he didn't feel too good about the NYTimes review.
It seems like his investors are intact, that it was a hotel decision to change things, but I could be wrong.

RE: You do make a good point about location but do you think that downtown can support the 145.00 + tasting menu concept?

It all reminds me of what people did to Will Goldfarb when he was at CRU.

[Nathan]

"RE: You do make a good point about location but do you think that downtown can support the 145.00 + tasting menu concept?"

certainly. I can think of at least 6 restaurants below 14th street that have tasting menus in the 100-150 range. you're talking about some of the most expensive real estate in the city in some cases.

[tan319]

"RE: You do make a good point about location but do you think that downtown can support the 145.00 + tasting menu concept?"

certainly.  I can think of at least 6 restaurants below 14th street that have tasting menus in the 100-150 range.  you're talking about some of the most expensive real estate in the city in some cases.

That's good news...

[BryanZ]

Does anyone have a link to the article in W? I can't seem to find one.

[tan319]

I read it at the bookstore.
If you're still in NYC maybe Virgin megastore or B&N?
I normally collect these things but ...

[BigboyDan]

Maybe it was the food.

[tan319]

Anyone have any more details as to why the sudden change?

I am not sure it was a sudden change, it appears since Gilt opened the hotel management wanted the food to still be creative but "more accessible".
I had 3 dinners at Gilt that ranged from great to excellent but I got it, not everyone "gets it", ostensibly most e gulleteer would since the community tends to be more food savvy.
Unfortunately, the typical folks who went to Le cirque 2000 which was like an Appleby's for the super wealthy dont eat Liebrandts kind of food.
Certainly the Bruni review was like the significant nail in the coffin. It probably opens the discussion about if NYC has enough interest to support anything above the very good but essentially "Safe" cooking that you get at places like Per Se, Jean Georges and ADNY......(removing WD-50 from the equation just for the sake of argument). As I see it, outside of what Wylie does,no one else seems to push the envelope...?

Interestingly, there is an article in September's W Magazine on Liebrandt and Gilt. I can't seem to find the article online, but it basically says that in spite of a very taltented chef, the restaurant is struggling, questioning if people are really ready to embrace this kind of food. Liebrandt blames their PR, no pre-opening, and an unfair review by NY Times' Grimes.

I would have to say I agree with Liebrandt, bad PR, reviewed too soon and questionable perception by the reviewer.

Open Note To Paul Liebrandt

Stop trying to open restaurants in uptown hotels.

There's a place for you in New York, but it's not where you've been trying.

Definitely true,If he had a wylie-esque setup without hotel honchos to answer to, he would do better, Imagine WD 50 in some silly uptown hotel ?
Let the art flow......that is without listening to the food and beverage manager's BS.
Sketch works in London, Gilt should work in NYC for christs sake...

I imagine given their lack of success and with Liebrandt gone, the restaurant will be drastically changing its direction.

Probably not a drastic change, I think they just want slightly simpler food but still really creative.
Certainly wont be Liebrandt / gagnaire-ish but probably still pretty modern.
The answer lies in who the new chef is.......there is always a solid forensic trail of recent cookery.
The new chef is actually coming from Philadelphia of all places......
Christopher Lee / Striped Bass formerly of Oceana, this years Food and Wine best new chefs, James Beard winner.
You want any clue to what Gilt will be serving come september, check out the Bass's menus
http://www.stripedbassrestaurant.com/

I would say that the Striped Bass menu is what one would call pretty accessible.
Like there isn't a zillion of those around.
Don't you think that's what The Helmsly wants?
It would be sort of ironic (?) if the new guy started getting hassled to "be more like Paul", no?

[oakapple]

I don't know the economics of it, but I tend to think they should re-open under a new name — call it a new restaurant, so that they can draw the reviewers back again. Otherwise, they'll still be laboring under the two-star shadow.

[rich]

I don't know the economics of it, but I tend to think they should re-open under a new name — call it a new restaurant, so that they can draw the reviewers back again. Otherwise, they'll still be laboring under the two-star shadow.

I'm in total agreement with that, Marc. His new place should not have to carry the albatross of Gilt around. It would be similar to going up to the plate with an 0-2 count with the guy on the mound firing 99 mph fastballs - little hope of success.

[docsconz]

Are you inferring "Gilt by association?"

I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist.

[rich]

Are you inferring "Gilt by association?"

I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist.

You should be ashamed...