Taste: By Any Other Name

What happens when a restaurant loses its namesake chef?

Lacroix
The original: Jean-Marie Lacroix, the Fountain's founding father, opened his Rittenhouse restaurant in 2002.
What he's up to now: Lacroix can still be found giving sage advice on the hotel's food operations, but don't expect him to lift a spoon.
The replacement: The Pluckemin Inn's Matthew Levin took over as executive chef in June.

By Any Other Name

What happens when a restaurant loses its namesake chef?

Lacroix
The original: Jean-Marie Lacroix, the Fountain's founding father, opened his Rittenhouse restaurant in 2002.
What he's up to now: Lacroix can still be found giving sage advice on the hotel's food operations, but don't expect him to lift a spoon.
The replacement: The Pluckemin Inn's Matthew Levin took over as executive chef in June.
What's changed: Levin added an à la carte menu to Lacroix's prix-fixe-only creative French dinners.

Morimoto
The original: Masaharu Morimoto opened the first of his namesake restaurants in 2002.
What he's up to now: Morimoto still pops in, but he spends more time in his Manhattan outpost and tending to his jet-setting life.
The replacement: Edwyn Ferrari, who helped Mario Batali open Del Posto in New York, has held the title of chef de cuisine since June.
What's changed: Not much. Expensive, exotic Asian dishes are still the standard.

Jack's Firehouse
The original: Jack McDavid opened the Fairmount restaurant in 1989.
What he's up to now: McDavid sold the restaurant and now calls himself “head cook.” He spends his time inspiring recipes.
The replacement: Christian Decker, of Twenty Manning.
What's changed: Executive chef Decker sticks pretty tightly to McDavid's original concept of locally sourced, Southern-influenced cuisine.

Taquet
The original: Jean-François Taquet, who brought French elegance to the Main Line 20 years ago.
What he's up to now: Taquet lives in New Zealand, but is in daily phone and e-mail contact.
The replacement: Clark Gilbert, a former Taquet sous-chef, returned from his tour of the kitchens at Saloon and La Terrasse to become chef de cuisine last year.
What's changed: The cuisine hasn't strayed much from Taquet's French-Continental style.