When Chumley’s 2.0 opened in late 2016, it seemed like a long shot to become a hit. It was hard enough to try to re-create the magic of the original, and the controversial owner, Alessandro Borgognone, had decided to go into business with Donald Trump. A large part of the restaurant’s appeal, and success, was chef Victoria Blamey. Today, she announced, over Instagram, that she no longer works there.
Blamey’s bold, meat-heavy cooking was a hit among critics. For the Times, Pete Wells wrote, “New York may not need another burger, but any place called Chumley’s definitely does. The one Ms. Blamey has provided is like an erotic poem on the theme of fat.” She landed Chumley’s on Esquire’s list of best restaurants in 2017. And so on. Hopefully, it won’t be long until she opens a spot of her own.
