KO Prime

[Ortolan 77]

I hear the Jamie Bisonnette is leaving KO. Any word?

[gini]

I had to stop into KO on Friday for Jamie's last night there. Even though I was about to gorge myself into a truffle-induced coma at Grotto, I still split an order of tuna tartare and ricotta salata & rosemary frites - these were so incredibly good I practically licked the pan they came in. No worries about Jaime's move to Toro though - our overly excited bartender told us that sous chef who is taking over is more than up to snuff. Hurrah!

[almansa]

At least he won't have to defend Prime in the name and Choice on the menu. My guess is that the Kimpton group will insert the new chef.

[almansa]

It's not really any of our business.

[gini]

Interesting retort - care to elaborate?

[ScubaSteve]

why do you say that?
i think that the departure of a Chef at a place such as KO is definitely within the ChowHound realm of discussion.

[MC Slim JB]

I've got to disagree, at least where a prominent talent like Bissonnette is involved. We all know of dozens of restaurants that plummeted in value after the departure of a key exec or sous chef. Moves, adds, and changes of key back-of-house staff are very much germane to this board, in my opinion.

Now, the personal reasons behind a move aren't relevant, but the fact that Bissonnette (according to one other post here) is moving from KO Prime back to Toro is significant for both places.

[beetlebug]

Seems to me that there are only two questions here:

1) Is Bissonnette leaving KO? Answers appears to be yes and that he's going to Toro.

2) What's the significance? In my mind, that answer is that KO Prime is losing a chef that loves offal. So, KO Prime's loss is Toro's gain. Ultimately, even though they are part of the same Oringer restaurant empire, it may hurt KO Prime if they don't have someone who does offals and meats as well as Bissonnette. The same concern, for me, was when Bissonnette left ESK. All the other details, to me, is part of the personal reasons as to why Bissonnette left KO.

[maxpowers303]

Why do people keep saying "back to" Toro?? he was never there. He was at Tremont 647, and ES before KO. Are people confusing him with John Critchley, the original chef at Toro? Maybe he is coming back...

[MC Slim JB]

Slip o' the keyboard on my part; I do in fact know JB's history.

[betta]

Was he ever at Toro? I thought he went from Eastern Standard right to KO Prime. Went there last week -- food was fabulous. $15.50 for a martini was not.

[ScubaSteve]

what kind of martini?

[gini]

Bumping this up - any word?