Chef Shuffle

Compose Loses Its Composer, Chef Nick Curtin

Poached diver scallops, lemon-fennel puree, dill.
Poached diver scallops, lemon-fennel puree, dill. Photo: Photo: Roxanne Behr/New York Magazine

A rep for Nick Curtin tells us the former Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar sous is resigning as executive chef at Tribeca tasting-menu newcomer Compose, effective at the end of the month. Reviews for the restaurant, which opened a handful of months ago, were mixed: Julia Moskin of the Times wrote that the 23-year-old Curtin’s cooking belonged “in the haute-foam family, but with the attention to balance that reflects his time in the empire of Jean-Georges Vongerichten.” Jay Cheshes of Time Out found the food “too precious, derivative and short on thrills to merit its exorbitant price tag.” Curtin says in a statement, “I’m looking forward to pursuing other culinary endeavors where I can continue to push the boundaries of cuisine, and explore new combinations of taste, texture, and presentation.”

Compose Loses Its Composer, Chef Nick Curtin