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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2008 > April > 23 > Entry
Emeril heads to exit as Catherall enters
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Even as Atlantans were getting word Tuesday that Emeril’s Atlanta would close in Buckhead April 30, Atlanta restaurateur Tom Catherall was preparing to sign a lease agreement to move into the space at 3300 Lenox Road.
This October, Catherall will debut Aja (named for the classic 1977 Steely Dan album) in the current Emeril’s space after a million dollar interior overhaul.
Catherall is the chef and entrepreneur behind the city’s successful concepts like Twist, Shout, Prime, Goldfish and Strip (this week, his latest, Home, with Atlanta kitchen wizard and “Top Chef” contestant Richard Blais behind the stove, moves into the former Posh space at 111 W. Paces Ferry Road).
Catherall dished exclusively to Buzz Tuesday about his detailed plans for Aja.
“People love Chinese food but hate Chinese restaurants,” he explained. “They always seem to have lousy music and bad wine. We’re focusing on great food, fine wine and a nice atmosphere.”
Catherall says the concept will incorporate elements of Chinese, Indian and Thai cooking.
But not together.
“Fusion always leads to confusion,” Catherall explained. “I hate fusion.”
For the Thai portion of the menu, Catherall says he is seeking to enlist Charlie and Nan Niyomkul, the successful chef/owners behind Nan and Tamarind eateries in Midtown as consultants. Catherall is also planning treats like spring rolls and dumplings to be offered via Dim sum carts “for snacking.”
An unidentified Asian chef currently working in New York has been approached to helm the Aja kitchen.
“I’m very excited,” Catherall said. “Right now, there are no Asian restaurants in Buckhead. We’re hoping to change that.”
As for why Emeril’s failed at the prime One Alliance Center Buckhead address, Catherall points to the absence of owner/chef and Food Network icon Emeril Lagasse in his Atlanta kitchen.
“I guarantee if Emeril were in that kitchen, it would not be closing,” Catherall said. “I’m in my restaurants every day. It’s a relationship you develop with the diner. You’ve got to physically be in your store for it to succeed.”
GREAT EXPECTATIONS, SLOWING SALES
So what’s the story behind the end of Emeril’s Atlanta? In a statement to Buzz Central, the superstar chef didn’t mince words.
“Emeril’s Atlanta is the only restaurant we have ever closed and we are very sad about having to do so,” Lagasse said in the statement. “We tried very hard for four years to achieve the results we had hoped for. We will miss having a presence here. We have made a lot of friends in the Atlanta community but unfortunately were never able to generate the volume we expected when we entered the market.”
Reps for Emeril’s Homebase on Monday said the closure “was a difficult business decision based on the restaurant’s not having consistently met sales expectations. The Emeril’s restaurant company remains strong and will continue to expand into new locations.”
Lagasse currently operates 10 other restaurants in five cities, including his newest, Table 10, which opened in February in Las Vegas.
The Atlanta Emeril’s 53 full-time and part-time staffers, however, are being looked after. The company announced it would offer a severance package to all employees and work to place staffers at its other locations across the country.
COUPLING/UNCOUPLING
A village clerk in Scarsdale, N.Y., says a marriage license for Beyonce Knowles and Jay-Z, dated April 4 and signed by the person who officiated at the wedding, has indeed been filed with the state.
The license was received by mail last Friday, says Scarsdale clerk Donna Conkling. She would not say who officiated.
The celebrities and their representatives had refused to confirm widespread rumors about the marriage.
Meanwhile, performer Kanye West and his fiancée, fashion designer Alexis Phifer, have reportedly broken off their engagement, according to a report posted on People.com. West and Phifer have been dating on and off since 2002.
According to the report, Phifer was spotted last week in New York on the red carpet without her engagement ring at an “Evening in Vogue” event where her clothing line was featured.
HIGH FIVE
Television
The Top Five OnDemand programs for the week of April 7-13 as determined by Comcast customers in metro Atlanta:
1. Lil Wayne, “Lollipop,” music video, Music Choice
2. Lil Wil, “My Dougie,” music video, Music Choice
3. “Family Guy,” “The King is Dead” episode, TBS
4. Ashanti, “The Way That I Love You,” music video, Music Choice
5. Jordan Sparks, “No Air,” music video, Music Choice
Courtesy: Rentrak’s OnDemand Essentials
OVERSCENE
Sevendust singer Lajon Witherspoon at Tap Gastropub in Midtown. We’re told the alternative metal band frontman enjoyed a Number’s Ale.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Director Michael Moore is 54. Actress Judy Davis is 53. Comedian George Lopez is 47. Actress Melina Kanakaredes (“Providence”) is 41. Actor Kal Penn (“Harold and Kumar”) is 31.
Contributing: News services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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