Keith McNally on the Departure of Nasr and Hanson

Yesterday, when news broke that chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson were leaving Keith McNally's restaurant group after a 16-year partnership, there was a joint statement from the chefs but no word from McNally. Today, McNally issues the following statement on the matter:

I'm very sorry to see Riad and Lee go. Their modesty, dedication and vastly underrated talents are impossible to describe. They're lovely to work with and we've had some wonderful times together. I'll miss them terribly. However, restaurants are driven by good teams and at Balthazar, Pastis and Minetta I have an exceptional team of highly skilled (and unsung) chefs and managers who have been doing a brilliant job for me for many, many years

McNally is currently living in London, where he recently opened a second outpost of Balthazar. More details on Nasr and Hanson's next moves, as well as McNally's plans for his New York restaurants, as they become available.
· Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson to Leave McNally Empire [~ENY~]
· All Keith McNally Coverage on Eater [-E-]

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