Jody Adams: Rialto Remake

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Jody Adams is going Italian. She has announced that she is closing Harvard Square destination restaurant, Rialto, for a make-over from January 1, 2007, to early February, when she will re-open with a new menu and a new Italian look. For more than a decade, Rialto’s menu has been based on the cuisines of France, Italy, and Spain, with bits from North Africa and the Middle East tossed: what will the new cuisine be? A press release says: Look for new Italian-inspired dishes like spaghetti and lobster, slow-braised rabbit with chestnuts, olives and figs, and pizza shots at the bar. Jody will still serve several signature dishes from what she calls “the classic Rialto menu.” These include the fisherman’s soup with Gruyère and rouille, roasted marinated Long Island duck with escarole and green olives, and Tuscan-style sirloin with salad, truffle oil and parmesan cheese. Architect Maryann Thompson is the new architect, who will include "warm, earthy Italian tones and textures." Now, many chefs change direction in a restaurant once it has been open for some years in order to compete with newcomers. That's especially true when the chef de cuisine or executive chef changes in a super chef-owned restaurant, like Charlie Palmer's New York Aureole which saw menu changes under chefs Gerry Hayden and Dante Boccuzzi (see Super Chef pp. 82-84). Sometimes they are forced to move a restaurant, giving them the oportunity to redesign and remake the original, as with Joachim Splichal and his flagship Patina. What is interesting in Rialto's case is that Jody Adams has chosen Italian cuisine, which is already so well represented in Boston's best restaurants. Think of Todd English's Olives and Michael Schlow's Via Matta. Is "Italian" the new code word for simple, fresh American food? Is Italian the new French cuisine? Is Italian cuisine the rejection of Asian and world-influenced fusion food? According to Jody: In Italy "fresh, seasonal and local" means the best ingredients — treated with respect. I think as Americans we sometimes forget that second part. Italians keep things clean and simple so people taste what makes great ingredients so fabulous in the first place. Also, food is about having a good time. If it’s not fun, it’s not Italian. The way your food is made and served, your surroundings and the people you’re with, that’s all part of a great meal — and that’s the new Rialto. So, "Italian" may be about appealing to younger and more relaxed diners. Previous articles: David Pasternack Customshops Charlotte Le Cirque: Third Time Charmed? Wolfgang Puck: Newseum Museum Catering Wolfgang Puck: 'Vegas' TV Restaurant Jose Andres: Zaytinya, with Ladies in Lavender Wolf Want Meat: Wolfgang Puck Steakhouse Columbus Day Special: Chubby's BBQ of Emmitsburg Rocco DiSpirito: Be Warned by Me! Blue Hill: Everybody Must Get Stoned Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to superchefblog