Chefs

The Aviary To Debut First Brew; Homaro Cantu Gets Big Truffle, Denies Chris Jones Rumor

Chris Jones.
Chris Jones. Photo: courtesy Bravo

News roundup from half a block of one side of Fulton St.: Beer Street Journal announces that The Aviary and Mikkeller, the itinerant Copenhagen brewery whose founder Mikkel Bjergsø will be at The Aviary next week, are working on a stout containing— what else— black truffles. Mushroom-based beers are rare if not unknown (we had one by Bell’s Larry Bell many years ago) but the use of black Perigord Truffle (retail price around $800/lb.) will make this a pricey, much-in-demand bottle of spuds. No word yet on when it will be released, but there’s a picture of the label here. [via 312DiningDiva]

• In other truffle news, former Sixteen chef Frank Brunacci’s Chef’s Diamond Company found a nearly two-pound truffle in Western Australia, which will go to Moto, where it will power the ultimate weapon and help chef Homaro Cantu rule the universe be served to diners. [Eater]

• In a long and contentious commentary thread on the Eater post announcing Craig Schoettler’s departure from The Aviary, at one point an anonymous rumor is dropped that Chris Jones, chef de cuisine at Moto and recent Top Chef contestant, had also been fired. We asked Homaro Cantu and he replied “No, he was not fired. One of my best employees in 8 plus years at Moto,” and referred us to Jones for further info (he has not responded). Which is phrased to make it sound as if Jones may indeed have some post-Moto news in the near future… but not in the negative way the rumormonger spun it.

The Aviary To Debut First Brew; Homaro Cantu Gets Big Truffle, Denies Chris