You Heard It Here First      01/09/2009  

Ago to Close by End of January; DeNiro Walks; Vongo Talking to Italian Chefs

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Ago wasn’t expected to long survive its zero-star review bomb from Frank Bruni, and in fact it hasn’t. But, the way we hear it, its fate was sealed when Robert DeNiro had a major blowout with partner Richard Born, the owner of the Greenwich Hotel, telling the hotelier, who had needled the star on the restaurant’s poor performance, to go to hell. Ago will, accordingly, close at the end of the month, when Jean Georges Vongerichten will take it over, changing the name and chef, while keeping it as an Italian restaurant. “We haven’t signed the papers yet,” the chef tells us. “It should be a few more days.” Vongerichten says that Jim Lahey will be involved somehow (why not?) and that he is looking at several chefs for the job, including Shea Gallante of Cru (presumably putting to bed rumors of an East Village undertaking for that chef.)

Vongerichten says that he is enjoying this stage of his career, in which he’s concentrating on creating restaurants with serious chefs and restaurateurs who will be there to run the place. “What’s the point of putting your name on the door and then walking away? To feed your ego by seeing your name everywhere? There’s a lot of talented people out there. And I only have so much time.” Vongerichten also says that when he opens his Italian concept, it will likely be a little more modern than Ago. But that goes without saying; it should surprise nobody that Vongo’s first foray into Italy wouldn’t be a red sauce restaurant.

Comments

3 Responses to “Ago to Close by End of January; DeNiro Walks; Vongo Talking to Italian Chefs”

  1. New York Journal on January 9th, 2009 9:52 am

    This is a subtle point, but I don’t think Ago closed because Frank Bruni awarded no stars. (Plenty of no-star joints are still open, e.g., Ninja) It failed because it was bad, a fact noted not just by Bruni but also most other critics.

  2. yawn on January 9th, 2009 10:30 am

    yep

  3. DocChuck on January 10th, 2009 5:00 pm

    Personally, I don’t think that ‘Frank Bruni’ with all of his personal problems aboard the sinking ship, ‘Grey Lady’, could close a fricking McDonalds in Harlem.

    But, what the hell, if there are still a few New Yawkas, post NYC meltdown, who need Frank to tell them where, and when, and how to stuff their little NYC gullets — then he(?) deserves ONE MORE 15-minute of fame, so to speak.

    DeNiro walks (and VERY tall, in my opinion)

    Bruni sucks (and, well, what else can be said?)

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