"Two very rich moms bragged to me on two separate occasions recently that Lee Hanson is taking over the kitchen at El Quijote. Evidently, this is the guy behind the devastation at the Minetta and was the former head chef at Balthazar. Of course we knew it was coming, but still. I went to El Quijote for a meal and ate food that wasn't 'amazing'; instead, it was simply perfect."
[*Update: Rumor confirmed]
Back in May, I first broke the news that El Quijote--the beloved, rough around the edges restaurant in the Chelsea Hotel since 1930--would be changing management. I was told that the restaurant would be upscaled and sanitized in a fashion similar to what happened to Minetta Tavern.
My intel was soon confirmed. Ed Scheetz, the man who took over the hotel, took over El Quijote, too. His rep said they would "retain the signature look and feel of El Quijote" while "maintaining its authenticity."
Last month, another reader informed me of a "very intimate party celebrating the last night under Manny Ramirez," the long-time manager of the restaurant.
NY Times: Hanson, Nasr, McNally at Minetta's
And now we hear about Lee Hanson, who did the cooking for the Keith McNally empire for several years, along with Riad Nasr. "It's time for us to brave new challenges," the duo said when they left McNally last year.
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