On the same day that his restaurant received an extremely positive review in NOW, chef Eric Wood walked away from the stoves at the six month-old Hawthorne Food & Drink.
“I will no longer be affiliated with the property or the ownership,” writes Wood in a statement released a week later. “My good friend and sous-chef Binh An Nguyen will be taking the wheel and I couldn’t be more proud.
Why the unexpected departure?
“This is, of course, bittersweet as I love the concept and what we were able to create there. It was deeply personal, even though (the restaurant) really wasn’t mine. However, circumstances came together with the right opportunity.”
The ex-Fabarnak toque isn’t saying exactly what this “opportunity” might be but he leaves a few clues.
“I will say I am thrilled to be attached to an exciting new boutique hotel in the downtown core and I think it’s going to be epic.”
We wouldn’t call the Royal York where Epic is located a boutique hotel but the Drake certainly fits that bill. And aren’t they about to announce the opening of a new restaurant called Drake 150 at York and Adelaide next Tuesday?
