EaterWire: Chef Desires, Zagat Struggles, Essencia Down

RUSSIAN HILL—In a Q&A session, La Folie's Roland Passot—who already has a shiny quartet of stars—shares the rest of his goals: "I would like to publish my own cookbook, receive 2 Michelin stars and a James Beard award before I die." [Examiner]

HAYES VALLEY—According to Lady Hopstress, Hayes Valley's Essencia has called it quits. Coupled with the closings of Breezy's and Hayes & Kebab earlier this year, that corner might be the corner of death. [TH]

MEDIA—Per the Post, the Zagat Empire isn't looking so rosy these days. Due in part to rivals like Yelp and Chowhound, Tim and Nina might be having some money problems: "Sales are down dramatically, said another source inside the company. And Zagat has moved slowly -- and perhaps misguidedly -- online, allowing Yelp and others to dominate the market." [NYP]

FERRAN'S UNIVERSE—Fresh off his beer brand, Spanish superchef Ferran Adria is now launching a series of artisanal oils that mirror the infused oils from El Bulli. Also, here's some food for thought: is Adria's work the most important thing in the history of cooking? [BH]