Tom Colicchio
Head Games! Tom Colicchio's Pate Now a Sex Symbol
This morning, Top Chef host-judges Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio treated the food press to a conference call to discuss the upcoming fifth season of the show, which was mostly filmed in Brooklyn. Besides learning that guest judges will include Eric Ripert, Dave Grohl, Martha Stewart, Lidia Bastianich, Wylie Dufresne, and Marcus Samuelsson, we found out that Ms. Lakshmi usually "gains about 10 to 15 pounds over the course of [filming] … I always go up one dress size, without fail." Mr. Colicchio was also adamant that people know his, uh, collection of seven restaurants is not "a chain."
Also, did you know Mr. read more »
Tom Colicchio is Glad the Recession is Happening During Meat Season
There's certainly anxiety in the air these days about the fate of high-end restaurants in New York City, but at City Harvest's Big Against Hunger on Tuesday, Oct. 21, everyone at the Metropolitan Pavilion had their bravest faces on. Over 50 top restaurants rolled out spreads featuring their signature dishes, including confit of pork, foie gras, and country bread from Benoit; American Kobe beef cheek ravioli and truffle broth from Kobe Club; and Taylor bay scallops and apricot chutney from Oceana.
"I'm trying to taste as much as I can!" said chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin. Mr. Ripert was making his way from table to table, saying hello to fellow chefs like Blue Hill's Dan Barber and occasionally checking back on his restaurant's table, which was serving poached shrimp over cellophane noodles in spiced bamboo broth. "I have tasted some gnocchi from Spigolo over there that are delicious. And the ham from Telepan, also delicious!"
The Daily Transom wondered if Mr. Ripert was feeling shown up by any of competitors' dishes. read more »
Restaurateurs Biting the Recession Bullet, But David Bouley Soldiers On
Forge, a restaurant in Tribeca owned by 29-year-old chef Marc Forgione, had a party of 15 booked last Friday, and a party of eight last Monday. The Friday party canceled after six of the 15 Wall Street-employed guests got laid off; a few days later, the Monday party also canceled when four of the eight guests were laid off, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Amidst the grim state of downtown restaurant scene that is only likely to worsen as more and more Wall Street employees face lay-offs, chef David Bouley isn't worried.
Mr. Bouley has long been planning an expansion of his restaurant empire, which by spring will include six Tribeca restaurants, two gourmet markets, a test kitchen and a production kitchen, according tothe WSJ. Bouley, his flagship restaurant will move into a new space. Across the street, he will open Secession—rhymes with recession!—a restaurant serving French, Italian, and Meditarrenian cousine. Then there are plans for 10 Hudson Square, a restaurant, market and production kitchen slated for next year, and Brush Stroke, a three-story Japanese restaurant that will open in May. read more »
Morning Memo: Arden Wohl's American Graffiti; Ashley Dupre's Waverly Debut; Ed Westwick Gets a Fashion Line
Police in the Hamptons tell Page Six that headband-wearing socialite Arden Wohl was arrested on Saturday night in East Hampton for writing "Ralphy Lip-Shits" (and here we are filling in a few letters the Post rendered tastefully in dashes!) in red lipstick on the facade of Ralph Lauren's store there. But she showed American spirit for taking several miniature American flags that were part of the store's holiday decoration scheme. For which the police added a charge of petit larceny. [P6]
Ashley Dupré—when will we be done with her?—has made a very awkward social move, presenting herself at the Waverly Inn. It seemed to work! [P6]
Gossip Girl's Ed Westwick is reportedly in talks to design a clothing line! Expect to see many many shorts...[Fashionista]
Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook may soon reach a settlement, which means the crazy and mostly uninteresting details of their sordid marriage will presumably stop leaking to the press. [NY Daily News] read more »
Eat This, New York
The Starbucks of Sandwich Shops Returns to Flatiron District
In 2003, 'wichcraft opened its first outlet on 19th Street between Park Avenue and Broadway just around the corner from Craft, but had to move when the building was sold. "We have been looking to come back to this area since we left," said Sisha Ortuzar, 'wichcraft's vice president of Concept and Development.
The chain has leased the whole building at 11 East 20th Street and plans on moving its corporate offices into the upper floors next week. This is not the end of 'wichcraft's expansion. In the coming months, look for stores in Rockefeller Center and at 47th Street and Lexington. The home to the $9.50 chicken salad sandwich also has locations in Las Vegas and San Francisco.
Are we witnessing the beginnings of the biggest takeover in an industry since Starbucks? Stay tuned.
- Mark WellbornA High Rollers’ Meat Market Only Does It Medium Well
Go Suck an Egg, Design Within Reach!
Design Within Retch.
Trading petit-bourgeois for bourgeois, in fact, seems to be the real-estate maxim of middle-Broadway these days, as delis give way to places with names like "Tisserie" and Tom Colicchio perpetually threatens to turn the strip into his own personal Wylie Dufresne's Clinton Street.
Here's a pic of what happened to the admittedly annoying Portico, as the transformation of Broadway between Union and Madison squares into the Middlebrow Immeubles center of Manhattan continues apace.
Can someone sic Paul Fussell on these people?Anyway, soon enough Kirstie Allie will be swanning around in soft focus among cleverly concealing palm fronds on DWR television commercials, and then we'll have our quiet revenge without these full-Diesel-ensemble-wearing jerks even knowing it's happening. read more »
- Tom McGeveranPaint the Town Rouge: Mix and Match At Colorful Tribeca Bistro
