Flo Fab reports this AM that plans for a Charlie Trotter restaurant at the Time Warner Center have been cancelled. Following a skyrocketing budget for Trotter's and the uneven performance of high-concept places like V Steakhouse, TWC restaurant czar Kenneth A. Himmel has called the project off. (He's also looking for a replacement for V, although it's more likely that JGV and Phil Suarez will rethink the concept before they call it quits.)
Trotter said of the turn of events, "I didn't want to remove some of the exciting design elements to make it work. And then the concept changed to something a little more casual than we originally planned."
Of his strategy to round out the Restaurant Collection now that a major chuck of square feet are going unused, Himmel said that he'd only consider NY chefs. Adding, "I'm going to have a firm hand in the design and a firm hand in the selection." Since 'a firm hand' is necessarily something that comes with NY chef.
· Chef and Developers Cancel Columbus Circle Restaurant [NYT]
