Michael Chiarello’s Upscale Burger Joint in Yountville Is Almost Open

Celebrity chef Michael Chiarello is on the brink of opening a new restaurant, Platform 8 in Yountville. According to the restaurant’s Facebook page, it’s “putting a spin on the ‘American Classics’ of burgers, fries and ice cream!”

The restaurant (6525 Washington St.) held a preview in the V Marketplace in the former Pacific Blues Café on December 8, though its official opening date is TBD according to the reservationist at Bottega. It’s embedded near Chiarello’s cluster of businesses that include his flagship restaurant Bottega and Ottimo, his “Eataly-style” market and cafe, in what was once the Yountville train depot. The 100-seat restaurant will include a nitrogen tank for freezing ice cream to order.

This is the second restaurant opened by Chiarello and his restaurant group, Gruppo Chiarello, after they were hit with two lawsuits by former employees in 2015: one alleging sexual harassment and one alleging labor violations. Ottima opened quietly in early 2017 without fanfare, featuring a retail space, cafe, and mozzeria.

Though details are scarce, Chiarello has offered a little vignette into “what he’s been up to,” including some thoughts on “burgers like you’ve never seen” and how sensitive chefs can be.

UPDATE: The post has been deleted, 12/11/17 4:10 p.m.

Stay tuned for more details on Chiarello’s new burger exploit.

• Craft beer, burgers, ice cream coming to historic Yountville buildings [Napa Register]
• Celebrity Chef Michael Chiarello Hit With Sexual Harassment Lawsuit [ESF]
• Michael Chiarello Responds to DUI and Drug Possession Arrest [ESF]