Week in Reviews: Meadowood Gets a Lofty 3.5
Baueriffic makes a return visit to Meadowood, where one Michelin two-star chef (Joseph Humphrey) has been replaced by another in Christopher Kostow, late of Chez TJ. And as Bauer discovers, Kostow is thriving up in Napa:
He's doing even better. Kostow has worked out all the quirks and superficial embellishments from Chez TJ and settled into the role of a seasoned, mature chef, cooking in a casually elegant environment ... White geraniums dress up the window boxes that can be seen from the dining room and the dining terrace, where tables are set with crisp linens, sparkling crystal and gleaming flatware. It's a much more refined, sophisticated stage for his immense talents.
Not only is the result of Kostow's "elegant, newly found restraint" an upgrade from three to
3.5 stars, but the way the review reads, it seems like only a dessert misstep prevents Bauer from doling out those hallowed four stars in full, at least for the time being. [Chron]
More From the Review Circuit: Anchor & Hope, Spork, Waterbar and ELSEWHERE! >>
Rising Stars '08: The Full List, and The Snubs
The Chronicle's annual list of Rising Star Chefs was released today, and it being the closest thing San Francisco has to an official coronation of the next big things, it's worth some discussion. Plus, as talent scout Bauer is quick to point out, the Rising Star Chefs series has a pretty good track record in diagnosing hotness. So without further ado, here is this year's list, along with the chefs' age, restaurant, and (as is always somehow mentioned in lists like these) the place where they learned to love to cook:
· Ian Begg, 26, Cafe Majestic: "The Contra Costa native knew he wanted to be a chef after he started working in the pantry at Casa Orinda at age 14, prepping salads and desserts."
· Jonnatan Leiva, 29, Jack Falstaff: "High school Home Ec class is where Jonnatan Leiva first thought that he might have a future as a cook. A fellow student noticed that he always got the best grades for cooking."
The Rest of the Rising Stars, Plus: Did Anyone Get Snubbed? >>
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Chef Shuffle
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Michelin two-star Chez TJ has found a replacement for Christopher Kostow, who will be leaving to take over Meadowood, as reported earlier: "The new chef ... will be French-born Bruno Chemel, who will start on Feb. 15. Chemel began his career working with the same mentor, Jean Pierre Billox of Digoin, France, as Chez TJ's late co-founder, Thomas Jacob McCombie. In addition to working extensively in France at such Michelin three-star establishments as Guy Savoy, Chemel also has worked in Japan and New York, and in San Francisco at La Suite." [SJMN]
Chef Shuffle: Chez TJ's Kostow Heading to Meadowood
It's not often that a chef has the opportunity to hop from one Michelin two-star to another, but that's exactly what Christopher Kostow will be doing in a little over a month when he will move from Mountain View's Chez TJ (pictured) to St. Helena's Meadowood. You'll recall that chef duties at the restaurant at Meadowood were put up for grabs last month when Joseph Humphrey announced he was leaving. As for the timing, you've got about a month to catch the pair of rising stars in their current digs:
Kostow will stay on at Chez TJ through Valentine's Day, and then will cook with Humphrey at Meadowood for a few weeks. Cavallo Point resort, at Fort Baker near Sausalito, where Humphrey will be executive chef overseeing the restaurant, lounge and cooking school, is expected to open in the summer.
There's no word yet on a possible replacement at Chez TJ, but according to the restaurant's
website, a "complete cosmetic overhaul" of the dining room—from dishware to paint—will begin in the January "
to better showcase Chef Christopher Kostow's inspired cuisine." Ouch.
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Chez TJ chef heading north to Meadowood [Inside Scoop]
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EaterWire: Chefs Out at Meadowood, Myth [~ESF~]
[Photo courtesy]
The Napa hometown paper is the latest to sing the praises of Meadowood's 31-year-old star Christopher Kostow. There's a 
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