Rocco DiSpirito is staging a comeback — and this time it’s happening inside a kitchen instead of on TV.
The Queens-born culinary prodigy — who faded into relative obscurity after his NBC reality series “The Restaurant” practically jump-started the food-TV genre 15 years ago — has quietly signed on to revamp two swanky restaurants at The Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District, Side Dish has learned.
The 51-year-old celebrity chef “has been working on some incredible plant-based dishes,” as well as health-focused and classic American bistro fare for the chic hotel’s Standard Grill, according to a source. He’s also busy rejiggering the menu at the hotel’s Grill Cafe with classic fare like burgers, lobster rolls and a raw bar.
It’s a major turn for DiSpirito who, despite his rare talent, has since 2004 stayed outside of a restaurant kitchen, instead writing cookbooks, doing TV stints that have included “Dancing With the Stars,” and selling stuff on QVC.
“Chefs love him and the women still swoon,” a source says. “But he’s been out of the game for 14 years. It will be interesting to see what he does. Kudos to the Standard for taking a chance on him. It’s a big gamble for them both.”
The news from The Standard comes even as another legendary restaurateur, Keith McNally, is slated to reopen Pastis, the classic French bistro that anchored the Meatpacking District for 15 years until its 2014 closure.
This time, McNally is partnering with Le Coucou and Upland restaurateur Stephen Starr. The new Pastis is slated to open in late March at 52 Gansevoort St., a spokesman told Side Dish.
As for DiSpirito, insiders say his re-entry into the restaurant world happened almost accidentally, thanks to a fortuitous meeting between the talented chef and folks involved with the hotel.
“Now he’s there every day, doing everything from food shopping to menu design,” a spy said.
Insiders at The Standard insist DiSpirito hasn’t lost his creative, magic touch when it comes to flavor, and that he knows how to turn an ordinary dish into something extraordinary.
“Rocco is one of the most talented chefs I have ever come across,” said Amar Lalvani, chief executive of The Standard. “I’m excited to be working closely with him to take The Standard Grill to the next level.”
Nevertheless, sources note that DiSpirito famously flamed out when he got distracted by the spotlight, spending more time doing guest TV appearances and out-of-state book signings than keeping the kitchen in order.
“I think he’s really cute. But he was on the rise in such a completely different era,” says one restaurant insider. “It’s so competitive these days. Being successful requires complete focus and dedication. I wish him well.”
The buzz started last week when DiSpirito hosted an after-party for top chefs who attended the New York City Food & Wine Festival at the Top of the Standard, unofficially known as the Boom Boom Room.
DiSpirito — who most recently made the news last year, when he landed in a legal dispute with his siblings over his late mother’s estate — declined to comment.
However, a friend says DiSpirito would not agree that he has been completely out of the game, noting that a few of his dozen cookbooks since 2004, when “The Restaurant” went off the air, have been best-sellers.
Credit: NY Post</>
via USAHint.com
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