To boost sluggish sales, many of the higher-end restaurants in town are offering fixed price “value” menus at several price points…3 courses for $30, 4 for $35…but only one owner/chef has the uh, guts to offer a 4 courser for $25 and do so every night of the week at all 3 of his restaurants. The madman (and genius) in question is Jim Fiala, owner of Acero, Liluma and The Crossing. (At the latter, a higher-tiered 4 for $45 version is offered as well.)
Fiala recently bid a fond farewell to his chef at The Crossing, having recommended him for a job as a personal chef to a local family. The upshot of all this is that Fiala has not yet hired a replacement and is now there “pretty much all the time.”
Anytime one can be assured that the body and soul of the executive chef is in fact in the kitchen, it’s a good thing. Indeed, all seven items tasted at The Crossing last evening were near-perfect. The only issue of note was that, even on a Wednesday night in a down economy, reservations were necessary. It was a comfort, though, to again be sitting in a full restaurant. – George Mahe
