Missing Joules

The long-awaited Joule Urban Resort, that 125-room $40 million-ish downtown boutique hotel and as yet unnamed restaurant to be operated by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer (Aureole in New York and Las Vegas), is now nameless. The hotel, bankrolled by Tim Headington of Headington Oil Co. LP, has dissolved its management agreement with Kimpton Hotels and is exploring options and a new name with another hotel management firm. Meanwhile, the Charlie Palmer restaurant has secured executive chef Scott Romano, who carved up his reputation at Wolfgang Puck's Cut in Beverly Hills. That's in addition to former Pappas Bros. Steakhouse wine director Drew Hendricks, who will serve as wine director for the hotel. Hendricks says he's gearing up an aggressive wine list with competitive prices. "Everywhere we turn we read, 'The huge markups have got to go. The huge markups have got to go,'" he says.