The timing for Antonia Lofaso couldn't have been better: She was named exec chef for SBE's new Art Deco-esque, French-inspired bistro Foxtail around the same time Top Chef: Chicago started filming, and when the season finally aired, it just about coincided with the resto-lounge's West Hollywood debut in April. Brilliant for everyone involved. But now that that wave is gone, there's word from SBE that there will be some changes for Foxtail and Antonia come October:
"Due to the overwhelming popularity of Foxtail’s upstairs nightclub, we have decided to morph the overall Foxtail concept into an upscale lounge and dance club on both floors. We will continue to take dinner reservations through October 4, and, after a brief transformation, Foxtail will reopen as a uniquely late-night destination on October 9, offering a more casual lounge menu as well as its popular cocktails and tableside mixology."
So the "overwhelming popularity" of the nightclub outshone the lackluster dinner business. As for Lofaso, she is now relegated to creating a new lounge menu, and official word is that she'll stay with SBE to explore "a new dining concept" and work on "other special projects," and now she'll have "greater flexibility to pursue additional opportunities which have arisen from her recent involvement as a contestant in Top Chef." We hope they mean opportunities like consulting or opening her own place, and not just live cooking showdowns. Story developing.
· Eater Inside: Foxtail [~ELA~]
· Stalking Antonia Lofaso [~ELA~]
