476 replies to this topic

[Suzanne F]

What is the minimal number of matches you need to move to turn SHO Shaun Hergatt into a name you own?

I notice the article stops short from saying he has backers for his new restaurant.

According to the piece in Diner's Journal, Hergatt does own the name:

In a telephone interview on Thursday morning, Mr. Hergatt said that the restaurant’s name belonged to him and that he would use it on a future project, yet to be determined.

[Orik]

Yes, that's what I said. The restaurant owners need to change the name into something they own. Maybe they'll opt for a mysterious tablecloth fire instead.

[Suzanne F]

Ah, I misunderstood you. Never mind.

[oakapple]

It will be interesting to see what they come up with. Hergatt spent 2 years designing the place to his specifications. Like it or not, they've got a space that is rather strongly influenced by one man's tastes. All kidding aside, if they want to purge the space of Hergatt, they'd need to do a whole lot more than just burn the tablecloths.

[Sneakeater]

While we're speaking (in the Isa thread) of useless Eater comments, let's give a shout-out to one Oakapple has already responded to: that in order to succeed, Sean Hergatt will have to "chill out" and start "cooking the food he REALLY wants".

Moron.

[Lex]

Hard to see how you could call it "SHO Shaun Hergatt" without Shaun Hergatt involved in some way or other.

[Suzanne F]

It will be interesting to see what they come up with. Hergatt spent 2 years designing the place to his specifications. Like it or not, they've got a space that is rather strongly influenced by one man's tastes. All kidding aside, if they want to purge the space of Hergatt, they'd need to do a whole lot more than just burn the tablecloths.

Other than maybe replacing (or removing or just ignoring) any highly specialized equipment that's there now, there's probably not much the owners might want to do as an overhaul. The visible kitchen is actually pretty generic. I don't know what the prep kitchen is like, but prep kitchens are pretty much prep kitchens, right?

Of course, if they want to turn the place into a steakhouse, they'll need to install a grill. But even Le Bernardin used to get along without a grill (guess how we made the "grilled salmon").

[StephanieL]

Closed for good.

[Suzanne F]

Well, I doubt it was much like SHO in its more recent incarnation. But I'll bet that something else will open in the space; it's a hotel and some guests need a place to eat.

[Sneakeater]

And also a condo development sold as having a restaurant in it.

Speaking of which: how are the people (including Thomas Keller) who bought units in that condo on Pine St. tolerating the unsightly charade Chase is engaging in to keep its plaza (which the condo overlooks) closed? I'd be pretty fucking furious if I were them. (I'm furious enough as someone whose access to a direct root between my office and my subway stop has been cut off.)

[Suzanne F]

Gee, if I'd know about that I'd have asked Keller when I saw him on Tuesday evening. (No, really, I did: he was involved as a speaker and awards presenter, and when I saw him standing by himself at the reception after the awards ceremony I went over to chat.)

[Sneakeater]

We've GOT to get him angry about this.

The City is just letting it happen. It's a crime.

(The real crime here was committed by the City in the '60s, when they took a block of Cedar Street off the map and gave it to Chase. At the time, I suppose nobody would have imagined that Chase would ever close it off. But the Occupy Movement made Chase think twice about maintaining a public plaza. Urban planners are idiots if they trust private parties to act for the public good.)