The owners of Jovia, Bar Americain, Cookshop, and Maremma are feeling good this morning. Together they've been awarded four of the five slots on NY Mag's New and Bestworthy of '06 list (Blaue Gans is the fifth). Each of the five Resto heavyweights at NYM got to weigh in: Platt went with Jovia, Greene with with Bar Americain, Rubenstein with Cookshop, Patronite with Blaue Gans, and Raisfeld with Maremma.
Something about this is curious. Platt went with Jovia, which he gave two stars, despite his awarding other new comers Del Posto and Gilt with three stars each. Maremma made the cut but Upstairs at Bouley did not, yet in this NYM combined review of the two restaurants, Bouley gets high praise and Maremma barely escapes at flat-out pan. Bar Americain is an understandable pick, given how much Rubenstein liked it, but Maremma? Really? Sure Cesare Cassella is a talented chef, but he had to overhaul the Maremma menu when the restaurant became a ghost town a couple of months back. And are Upstairs, Fatty Crab and Gusto (in descending order of absurdity), really not on the list at all?
Now let's just see something here. Jovia is represented by -- what's her name again? oh yes, -- Jennifer Baum. Bar Americain, ditto. Cookshop too? Affirimave. Maremma, of course. Now it makes sense.
Jennifer Baum, congratulations on another job well done--in either picking clients or delivering them the goods. Or both. Next year, better luck on the 5th slot.
· What Restaurant PR Brings to the Table [Restaurant Insider]
· New and Best Worthy Restaurants [NYM]
