Rittenhouse Tavern after Nicholas Elmi?

[Tom]

Can anyone report about the food at Rittenhouse Tavern since Nicholas Elmi left earlier this summer? Staff there said that his replacement was to be a woman. Do you know anything about her?

Thanks,

Tom

[phillygrub]

Nicholas Elmi is doing great post Top Chef win. His East Passyunk Avenue restaurant Laurel gets high marks and he recently consulted at Morgan's Pier. It wouldn't surprise me if he opens another restaurant in the future. Though he may want to learn some lessons from fellow Top Chef winner Kevin Sbraga who recently had to close his 3rd Philadelphia restaurant, Juniper Commons.

[gfweb]

Juniper Commons was a crazy concept. Food of the 80s? How could that succeed?

 

The menu looked more or less like classy renditions of diner food. https://www.zagat.com/b/philadelphia/10-totally-80s-dishes-at-kevin-sbragas-juniper-commons

 

Sbraga should've called me first.

[phillygrub]

Sbraga is being sued over it, too. But I think he'll bounce back from it.

[gfweb]

Just a little business issue. Common stuff

[phillygrub]

Just a little business issue. Common stuff

 

Yeah. He'll be alright.

[huiray]

Nicholas Elmi is doing great post Top Chef win. His East Passyunk Avenue restaurant Laurel gets high marks and he recently consulted at Morgan's Pier. It wouldn't surprise me if he opens another restaurant in the future. Though he may want to learn some lessons from fellow Top Chef winner Kevin Sbraga who recently had to close his 3rd Philadelphia restaurant, Juniper Commons.

 

Yes, Nick Elmi is doing well.  Hope to hear more concrete things about his new venture.

 

As for Sbraga - IMO his Top Chef win had a lot to do with his getting Michael Voltaggio as his sous-chef, and Angelo Sosa being sick didn't hurt (his chances, that is).

[gfweb]

Elmi is enlarging his place and may be getting a liquor license IIRC. That's a bigger deal in PA than one might think. Very expensive and as a result lots of good places are BYOs.

 

Philadelphians have gotten so used to the BYO situation that many say it is a strength. Clearly a case of the Stockholm Syndrome.  Only thing that makes it workable is the proximity to NJ and DE which have decent wine shops. The "State Stores" in PA have a crappy selection and, in general, crappy prices.

[huiray]

Thanks, gfweb.

 

Oops, I suppose some comment should be made about Rittenhouse Tavern...for those reading this thread.

My understanding is (as it would be for those in Philly, of course) is that Rittenhouse Tavern closed shortly after Elmi left, and Pierre Calmels took over the space and opened Le Chéri instead.

 

gfweb or others, how is this place?

[gfweb]

I've heard good things but haven't been.

 

Yet

[Buckethead]

Le Cheri is OK but I only went once, my dining companion had better luck with their dishes than I did with mine. I do recall the wine list being well thought-out and not terribly expensive. In any case, after spending some months in the kitchen there after it opened, Pierre Calmels is now back in the kitchen at Bibou, which has switched over to an all prix-fixe, all the time menu which I have yet to try.