UPDATED: Solomonov and Cook Out At Citron & Rose?
Yes, they are. And they’re taking their chef, Yehuda Sichel, with them.
Official word has just come down from the Cook/Solo camp, saying that they “have concluded [their] consulting arrangement with Citron and Rose,” and that Sichel–who has been chef de cuisine since before the place even opened to the public–will be headed back to Zahav (where he came from) “temporarily.”
So what does all this mean? We’re not sure yet. We know that Citron & Rose is staying open (despite losing its exec chef, chef de cuisine and partners), and that owner David Magerman is still in control. But really, that’s pretty much ALL we know at the moment. You can read the statement from Cook and Solomonov yourself after the jump.
“As of this past Monday, we have concluded our consulting arrangement with Citron and Rose. Chef de Cuisine Yehuda Sichel will return temporarily to Zahav as we work on our next restaurant project. Mike and I are extremely proud of what our amazing staff accomplished at Citron and Rose in such a short period of time. It was gratifying to see a full restaurant every night that served kosher cuisine to a diverse clientele. We are grateful to David Magerman for allowing us to put kosher dining in the spotlight. We would also like to thank our Mashgiach Rob Kandler as well as Community Kashrus of Philadelphia for their wisdom, guidance and patience throughout our involvement. We wish Citron and Rose continued success.”
Steve Cook and Michael Solomonov
UPDATE: Hot on the heels of the Cook/Solo statement comes another from Dave Magerman and the restaurant itself. It reads:
“Citron and Rose, and owner David Magerman, thank Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook for their tremendous help and culinary guidance though our opening. Their vision and expertise have fostered a successful beginning for the restaurant. Now it is time for Citron and Rose to continue expanding and building off of the solid brand they have helped us cultivate. Citron and Rose will continue to fulfill the mission of providing unique kosher cuisine and explore innovative avenues to reach more people across the Philadelphia region.”
Is it just me, or shouldn’t it have been a sign of potential trouble down the road when the chefs and “consultants” had one PR firm representing them (Profile PR), and the ownership had another (Cashman and Associates)?
UPDATE 2: Liz Spikol over at Property has more to add from David Magerman.
Citron & Rose [Official]
