Francesco at Mix

[slkinsey]

Admin: The discussion thread archive for Mix under chef Doug Psaltis may be found here. The discussion thread archive for Mix under chef Damon Gordon may be found here.

The Ducasse/Chodorow collaboration formerly known as Mix and quite good in its original configuration has now been reconfigured once again as Francesco at Mix under Francesco Berardinelli, a chef from Tuscany.

Adam Platt has some things to say in New York Magazine:

Next to beefsteak, Italian cooking is the closest thing there is in New York to a rock-solid dining formula, and Chodorow and Ducasse seem so desperate for their new chef to succeed that they’ve officially renamed the restaurant “Francesco at Mix.” To his credit, Berardinelli resists the temptation to give New Yorkers what he thinks they want, and presents instead a carefully edited menu filled with the kind of straightforward specialties he’s known for at home. There are asparagus spears with scoops of Parmesan ice cream and bowls of puréed Tuscan white-bean soup hiding lumps of creamy ricotta. The steak tartare is roughly cut and sprinkled with couscous, and a series of pasta dishes are notable not for overbearing sauces but for a kind of gratifying simplicity.

I'm not sure I agree with Platt's premise that Mix "began life as a muddled fusing of French and American comfort cuisines" and that "after a series of harsh reviews . . . the original chef was dispatched." I think it's an oversimplification of the situation that happened there, and I think most participants here feel that Mix took a big step down when Psaltis left the kitchen. The relative size of the discussion threads (265 posts under Psaltis, 20 under Gordon) says something.

I'll be interested to see if Berardinelli can infuse new life and interest into Mix's new incarnation as Francesco at Mix.

[Fat Guy]

I received a note today from the Ducasse organization saying, "Alain Ducasse of Groupe Alain Ducasse and Jeffrey Chodorow of China Grill Management announce that on Saturday, August 13, 2005 they will be closing Francesco at MIX in New York, which opened in early September 2003." The reason cited is that "the restaurant has not been performing financially at a level they find acceptable."

[tan319]

Well, at least they finally got the message.

FG, I have that original thread with Psaltis bookmarked, still find the food descriptions and reviews from everyone really inspiring.

[slkinsey]

. . . on Saturday, August 13, 2005 they will be closing Francesco at MIX in New York . . .

Hmm. Three days before your book is released. Coincidence?

[tan319]

. . . on Saturday, August 13, 2005 they will be closing Francesco at MIX in New York . . .

Hmm. Three days before your book is released. Coincidence?

←

Messed Up!!!

[Fat Guy]

Cute.

I don't think there's anything about Mix in my book. There's plenty about it in Doug Psaltis's book, Seasoning of a Chef, which comes out in September.

My understanding is that Ducasse was in town at the beginning of the week, met with the relevant people and made the decision, allowing two weeks for Mix to wind down its affairs.

[Dave the Cook]

. . . Ducasse was in town at the beginning of the week . . .

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Again, given the imminent release of Turning the Tables, one must ask: coincidence?

[sammy]

Why does anyone think the closing has anything to do with the book?

[slkinsey]

Sammy, it's a joke.