Restaurant News: RIA To Close, New Chef At Bonsoiree
By Anthony Todd in Food on Jul 10, 2012 4:20PM
- In the biggest restaurant shocker of the week, Chef Danny Grant has announced that he's leaving RIA. Just weeks after being celebrated as one of Food and Wine's Best New Chefs, Grant is out and the restaurant is being closed for "reconcepting," reports Grub Street. The Elysian Hotel, after a bit of a troubled opening, was taken over by Hilton, and it seemed unlikely that they'd keep all the old restaurants the same. Looks like RIA, at least, is out. If any of you are big fans of Balsan, the other restaurant in the hotel, we'd suggest you go now. No word yet on what Grant's next plans will be.
- In other (happier) chef shuffle news, 312 Dining Diva reports that Chef Jeff Pikus is no longer running the kitchen at Maude's Liquor Bar. Instead, he will be helping to open two new Sodikoff properties: Bavette (on Randolph Street) and the second outpost of Au Cheval in London. We've always loved the food at Maude's, and he will be missed - though his long-time colleague Dustin Tripp is now overseeing things at Maude's, so we have high hopes that nothing will change for the worst.
- This chef shuffle happened last week, but it's still a bit of a shocker. Eater Chicago reported that Top Chef Contestant Beverly Kim is leaving her long-time post at Aria to join up with Shin Thompson at Bonsoiree. Kim will be taking charge of the kitchen at Bonsoiree, the popular Michelin-starred BYOB restaurant, and it will no longer be BYOB. Thompson will be stepping back (though he's still the owner) to work on other projects and spend time with his family.