Chefs Shuffle

October 15, 2003 Lots of neighborhood buzz in the increasingly useful Off the Menu blurbature today in the Times dining section. Fer instance, we learn that chef Sara Jenkins, ex-I Coppi (which we secretly hate) and ex-Patio Dining (which we secretly love) is now in the kitchen at 50 Carmine in the West Village, serving up rustic Italian goodness. Worth a shot, we'd wager... Meantime, down the Bowery at three star food/six star prices boondoggle Capitale, chef Jonathan Becker is gonzo. We wish him well—far, far from this sinkhole... About a year after opening, the chef has turned over at Eldridge Street's own Apizz, sister restaurant to perennial Nolita hotspot Peasant. The gimmick at this place—besides the unpronounceable name that's supposed to be said as "ah-BEETS" but we choose to render as "a piss"—is that all the food is cooked in a wood-fired oven. We took a piss last fall and found it well neigh inedible. Yet an Eldridge Street friend reports standing room only on a recent Saturday night. Anyone who's eaten here recently care to let us know if we should try again?... In case you missed it: far Above 14th, French Laundry chef Thomas Keller has announced that his new restaurant in the AOL Time Warner building will be called Per Se [via tfs]. "Whenever anyone asked me what the restaurant would be like, I always said, 'not the French Laundry per se,'" he told the Times. Well, it's no Apizz, per se, but it'll have to do.

Went to Apizz two weeks ago and thought it was great.  Oven gave the pizza a great smoky flavor.  Maybe we got lucky, but I would recommend giving it another shot.

Posted by: David at October 20, 2003 06:34 PM

why do you secretly hate i coppi?

Posted by: lulularue at October 22, 2003 11:44 AM

Well, I could reveal it, but then it wouldn't be a secret.

Posted by: Lock at October 22, 2003 12:52 PM

we tried apizz after hearing all the pros and cons and since we both are in the industry we feel we are a good gage of a place, mabey to critical at times but what the heck, anyway APIZZ was fantastic, thats right, fantastic, we dont know what to say bad about it except its on a weird block, a little scarry says my wife,the food is great, lobster risotto, gnocchi with braised short ribs and my favorite meatballs stuffed with riccota cheese, just go,....

Posted by: william and gloria at October 30, 2003 12:56 AM