Posts Tagged ‘restaurant openings’
Just In: 2941 Opens Monday, January 30th
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
After passing all of its inspections, 2941 will start serving its new upper-scale Mediterranean menu in the renovated space this coming Monday.
Look for more details later today (menu items!) and check out NVM’s interview with Chef Bertrand Chemel about the economy’s impact on losing its French fine dining label.
Photo by Sally Traynham
First Look at Renovated 2941: Battered Economy Led to Dismissal of Fancy French Restaurant
Posted by Stefanie Gans / Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
“The French isn’t going to die. It’s still me cooking,” Chef Bertrand Chemel says, defending his menu change at 2941. The Falls Church restaurant closed last year to renovate the kitchen and to rework the entire menu, turning from fancy French to upper-scale Mediterranean. Chemel expects 2941 to reopen next week.
“For about four years we tried to change the perception,” the French chef admits about his struggling high-end restaurant. “People come here for celebrations and at the end of it, their check was high and that was the only thing they remembered.”
The economy played a role in Chemel’s decision to temporarily shutter the restaurant, acknowledging that selling a tasting menu in this climate–and in Falls Church–wasn’t working any longer. But the dramatic act of closing also let him finally shift attitudes. “We tried to do so many different types of menus and different types of advertisements, but it never changed,” Chemel says, adding, “We do run a business and it shows over the years that the percentage of tasting menu we used to sell, to now, declined a lot.”
With his kitchen equipment starting to break about two years ago, and the battered economy impacting sales about a year ago, Chemel used the opportunity to campaign for his updated restaurant.
Although, the menu won’t reveal a complete change as Chemel has been showcasing pasta dishes for years. The new 2941 will unveil different types of pasta, including buckwheat and chickpea. Another shift stems from ingredients. Before the renovation, only 20 percent of 2941′s ingredients came from local sources. That number will now jump to 50-60 percent.
Local sourcing, however, doesn’t translate to local drinking. Chemel hasn’t warmed to Virginia wines. “It’s very hard to sell to a guest a Virginia wine that we [buy at] $40 a bottle, and after we do the mark-up, they can have another one that comes from California and the quality will be much better,” says Chemel.
Creativity still reigns in 2941′s blended Italian-Spanish-South of France-American restaurant. ”If they like the dishes I used to make on the tasting menu, I think they will enjoy it as a la carte size or appetizer size,” says Chemel, noting he’ll transfer some of his tasting menu dishes to the standing menu. “What I think those people are looking [for] is to come to a beautiful place, but still to have the same quality food.”
But that doesn’t mean white tablecloths and what New Times food critic Melissa McCart terms, “dinner prison.” “People don’t want to stay two or three hours at the table,” Chemel observes, “and that’s the thing that changed from a long time ago.” Of course though, it will all circle back. “I think food is like cosmetics and clothing,” Chemel opines, ” it’s always going to come back.”
Chemel’s not too saddened about the change though,”I try to make myself happy to make my guests happy. I will still do fine dining, but in a more casual way [with] more friendly service, not surly service…” The native French-speaking chef then quickly chimes in, “I’m not sure about the exact wording.”
View the photos here.
Photos by Sally Traynham
[tips for the food desk / follow @gansie]
Posted by The Editorial Desk / Tuesday, March 24th, 2009
Despite the spate of recession-related restaurant closings, a few brave chefs have been flirting with the idea of expanding their brands. What plans for new openings are actually in the works?
Photo Credit: Seth Freeman/Northern Virginia Magazine
Eponymous Chef Geoff Eying Tysons
Fans of Chef Geoff Tracy of Chef Geoff’s and Chef Geoff’s Downtown will be pleased to know that he’s opening a new location in Tysons Corner called (what else?) Chef Geoff’s Tysons. Located in ritzy Fairfax Circle (home of Tiffany & Co., Hermes and Kinkead’s Colvin Run Tavern), Cheff Geoff’s Tysons will serve his signature Modern American cuisine.
New District Digs for Donna
Chef Roberto Donna of Arlington’s Bebo Trattoria plans to open a new restaurant in D.C. this May. The new upscale Italian restaurant will resemble the former Galileo, including an attached Laboratoria, but with one kitchen to serve both “so there will be more control,” says Donna.
While Donna mans the new place in D.C., Claudio Sandria will be in change of Bebo Trattoria. Sandria, who attended a cooking school with 14-year-old Donna in Italy, used to work with him at the former Galileo and Laboratoria.
As for Bebo, Donna says it will stay pretty much the same, remaining the more casual counterpart to the more upscale dining rooms in downtown.
Morou: More Mulling, More Shopping
Plans for a new D.C. restaurant by Chef Morou of Farrah Olivia in Alexandria have been put on hold for now. Having worked in the District for much of his career, Morou seriously considered the former Butterfield 9 on 14th Street, but that plan “didn’t work out.” He’s still shopping around for locations, but he doesn’t “want to think too far ahead.”
If a new place does pan out, Morou knows exactly what kind of restaurant he wants to open: a casual, “recession-friendly” bistro-like place offering “different small dishes from all over the world.”
In the meantime, the West African chef is working on “reintroduce[ing] Farrah Olivia to the public as not as expensive as people think we are.” According to Morou, Farrah Olivia has “the cheapest menus in D.C” and is “not as stuffy.”
– Christina Lee
