Eric Ziebold

For fans of CityZen at the Mandarin Oriental, and those who can’t quite afford to splurge for their tasting menu, there is good news. James Beard Award Winner Eric Ziebold is working on South by Southwest, a less expensive restaurant with a “new look, lower prices and flavors reminiscent of Maryland’s Eastern Shore.”

The Mandarin Oriental will convert the existing Cafe MoZu into the new restaurant in early summer. South by Southwest will feature dinner entrees that average $22 with desserts that are $5 each. Ziebold will lead the concept with current CityZen sous chef Rachael Harriman as chef de cuisine.

I checked in with Chef Ziebold for some more details about the concept. From our Chewing the Fat interview with him, it was apparent that what separates his restaurant is his dedication to ingredients, many of which he works very closely with local producers to get. Those ingredients tend to be pricier, so I asked what he planned to do with procurement for South by Southwest. He responded, “It may be some of the same purveyors for some items. It could be the type of scenario where CityZen has Rabbit Loin on the menu and South by Southwest has Braised Rabbit Leg [a less expensive cut] on the menu. Produce will be the same farmers that we currently deal with, and we’re looking at options for some of the things we don’t use at CityZen like chicken for example. The big challenge is balancing everything out so that we CAN use the best products available.”