June 25, 2008
Chef Barton Seaver Off the Hook
Washingtonian reports today that chef Barton Seaver has left his post at Hook.
Seaver, formerly of Jaleo and Café Saint-Ex/Bar Pilar, has been with Hook since it opened in March 2007. Seaver has become a golden boy of sorts in the D.C.-area for his dedicated advocacy of sustainable seafood, and has been honored by the Blue Ocean Institute for his commitment to oceanic sustainability. It’s not surprising then that Seaver’s post-Hook plans include ambitions to work as a speaker and advocate for sustainability issues. Undoubtedly, we will be seeing his screen-worthy smile again in the near future, as well as his upcoming cookbook.
Controlling owner Jonathan Umbel says that Seaver will remain on board as a consultant to Hook and that Josh Whigham, chef de cuisine, will take over the kitchen. Umbel indicates that Whigham was already active in running the kitchen, so hopefully the transition will be smooth. This is the second major shake-up within the Pure Hospitality restaurant group recently, with chef Robert Bechtold having left sister restaurant Tackle Box just a few weeks ago in a very public cloud of dust.
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Saint-Ex used to have good food, but man, I still don't trust a skinny chef.
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whoa....
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http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/restaurants/bestbites/8431.html
i think the closure of colorado kitchen is sadder.
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I hear you about Saint-Ex. And WTF is up with the Chilean sea bass cooked 98 ways, when they can't even get "baked" right? That organic, cruelty-free, low-carbon-footprint s**t has got to GO.
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I thought Hook was good, but too loud. I really liked Tackle. Their lobster rolls are clutch. As is their lobster pail. Pricey, yes. But quite good.
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The lobster roll at Hanks kicks ass. It actually tastes like lobster instead of 9 inches of Admiration Mayonnaise.
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the title is very punny!
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I went to Hook last year (or should that be Yee-argh?) and I wasn't that impressed. In Washington, there are just so few restaurants for people who wish they were in LA to act like people who do live in LA. So when one opens, they tend to flock to them.
Anyway, the service sucked (it took them about 40 minutes to take our order), it was incredibly loud, and the food was just ok.
Tackle Box, on the other hand, is really good. I hope the tumult that Citypaper reported does not mean that it won't last.
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and that Josh Whigham, older brother of Ralph, will take over the kitchen...
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I await the opening of their next restaurant concept, Chum.
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I await the opening of their next restaurant concept, Chum.
I'm with my turkey brother. With commercial real estate and taxes what they are, I envision an inflatable kiddie wading pool on the M Street sidewalk full of Star Kist tuna. You won't regret it. Think of the tourist trade.
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It's just food.
Give the economy some time, and chefs will return to the status of "cooks" and not the subject of blogs and gossip mills.
At the end of the day, it's all poop anyway, but only Mario Batali admits that.