"Part of the secret to success is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." Voltaire didn't utter that one (Mark Twain did), but the quote might apply to events at Voltaire that climaxed with the departure of lauded chef George Papadopoulos. Running rumors say that Papadopoulos--who also juggled the titles of executive vice president and general manager--and owner Scott Ginsburg had it out, or maybe had it in. Ginsburg won't say. "I don't really have any comment on it," he says. "I don't have any issues that I want to air publicly at this point." What he will say is that he's on the hunt for a new chef, who most likely will change the timbre of the menu somewhat. Papadopoulos could not be reached for comment, but sources say he has packed up and headed out for his hometown of New York--but not necessarily to cook. "His expression was 'wherever the wind takes me,'" says a source. In the meantime, former Voltaire wine steward Brian Hardin has taken over the title of general manager.
Les Saisons, that nearly two-decades-old French restaurant that moved from Turtle Creek Village to a corner of the Centrum building in 1997, shut down earlier this month. Steel Restaurant & Lounge owner Khanh Dao says she plans to take over the space and expand her restaurant by installing a private dining room and catering operation. No word on the fate of Les Saisons...Rockfish Seafood Grill, one of the few places in Dallas that lets you throw peanut shells on the floor, is gearing up to open its ninth location October 8 in Cedar Hill with restaurant management veteran David Wilson as the chef/partner. Rockfish, which entered into a partnership with restaurant goliath Brinker International last July, will then quickly open its 10th location in College Station in November. The company plans to splatter seven more Rockfish Grills across the landscape in 2002...For the first time since it was inaugurated in 1984, the Lone Star Wine Competition has gone international, which hasn't stemmed the medal flow any. This year's scattered some 15 gold, 25 silver and 74 bronze medals among 197 wines from 32 wineries in five states (Texas, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin) and three countries (United States, Canada and Austria). Top honors went to Homestead Winery in Ivanhoe, Texas, for its La Bodega De Mitchell Texas Cream Sherry and Llano Estacado Winery for its 1997 Viviano, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and sangiovese.
