Chef Tom Gray leaves Bistro Aix, plans new restaurant at St. Johns Town Center

[MusicMan]

Bistro Aix makes good money in a very average location. The "over the top" negative commentary that passes for restaurant review in this thread is plain ridiculous. Their French onion soup is best I've had, calamari is crispy and hot. Very popular and established eatery. Haters go elsewhere, Aix will do just fine without you.

[CityLife]

A foodie wouldn't order the filet; the ribeye being the true steak lover's choice.

There's a difference between a foodie and a steak lover. There's also the fact that Bistro doesn't serve Ribeye....

[PeeJayEss]

Bistro Aix makes good money in a very average location. The "over the top" negative commentary that passes for restaurant review in this thread is plain ridiculous. Their French onion soup is best I've had, calamari is crispy and hot. Very popular and established eatery. Haters go elsewhere, Aix will do just fine without you.

But will it do just fine without Gray?

[Captain Zissou]

Their French onion soup is best I've had, calamari is crispy and hot.

Your standards for calamari are staggering.  Please, do tell what other places around town serve this 5 star "crispy and hot" delicacy? 

[RockStar]

The French onion soup really is that good.

[MusicMan]

Captain, You tell me where it's better and I'll go give it a try.

[ChriswUfGator]

The "over the top" negative commentary that passes for restaurant review in this thread is plain ridiculous. Their French onion soup is best I've had, calamari is crispy and hot. Very popular and established eatery. Haters go elsewhere, Aix will do just fine without you.

As I recall, that's the same thing you said about my take on Pele's, wasn't it?

You're like the canary in the culinary coalmine. Aspiring restaurant owners ought to hire you as a consultant, just to see whether or not you like it, if it garners your positive review, they know they can pack it in right there, save the half-million dollars, and go home.

What's next, your stalwart defense of the Kapok Tree? The French Quarter? I hear the filet's awesome at Burt & Jack's.

[GoldenEst82]

Interpretations will vary- please gentlemen, be civil!!
LOL

What we should be arguing about is why a chef that has been in the proximity, as he has, would choose a venue in the TC over DT- when he has previously been a part of a community that "came up"around him. (not in a heliocentric way, but a growing forest kind of way)

That is what needs to be answered- What was appealing/incentivized about the choice to leave the urban environment?
Why choose to "change" that aspect of his buisness? Especially when it is no secret that DT needs more...anything?

[Adam W]

Although submarket boundary lines can some times be discreet (which this one is not), there's a huge difference between eating DT and eating in San Marco; not to mention the population disparity between the two submarkets.

There isn't much of a draw to DT currently at night, other than for events.  Chew was rarely open at night, and that's not because ownership was lazy.  There wasn't the demand for it.  So it was closed, and Insetta more than "doubled-down" on a submarket with a considerably larger population base.  Put Bistro DT and see how long it lasts.

Not sure I completely agree. Obviously, San Marco isn't downtown. That being said, when AIX moved into that location, that area was hardly considered San Marco by San Marco residents (I know, I grew up there and lived there for 20+ years). That area was considered grunge, if hardly "up and coming."

True, Ben. I remember that area being in the badlands on the edge of San Marco. Kind of scary. Wasn't there a strip bar over there at one time, or am I remembering that wrong? Anyway, the area certainly has come a long way in the last 10 years or so.

[ben says]

True, Ben. I remember that area being in the badlands on the edge of San Marco. Kind of scary. Wasn't there a strip bar over there at one time, or am I remembering that wrong? Anyway, the area certainly has come a long way in the last 10 years or so.

I have the same memories. Don't remember the name of it though.

I think there was a strip club over there around the same time that Wormans was where European St is now

[Tacachale]

True, Ben. I remember that area being in the badlands on the edge of San Marco. Kind of scary. Wasn't there a strip bar over there at one time, or am I remembering that wrong? Anyway, the area certainly has come a long way in the last 10 years or so.

I have the same memories. Don't remember the name of it though.

I think there was a strip club over there around the same time that Wormans was where European St is now

There used to be a strip club called the "Golden Nugget" over there in a warehouse-style building. It was replaced by a food-court style building that that had a cheeky name referring to the previous use of the site ("Oral Explosion" or something like that). It has since closed, but clearly the area has come a long way since back in the day, and it will continue when the streetscaping is complete.

I've always had phenomenal food at Bistro Aix, not that I've been there as much as some of our more monied and sophisticated posters.

[MusicMan]

Chris, I thought you were an attorney. If that is true, surely you can draw a relatively accurate conclusion based on the overwhelming amount of evidence in this case:

Aix has been a consistent moneymaker for years in a questionable location.

It has a large following of enthusiastic customers and is busy all week long.

It has won praise and awards from folks in the industry.

Therefore it sucks? Once again, thank you for your profound and well thought out commentary.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Chris, I thought you were an attorney. If that is true, surely you can draw a relatively accurate conclusion based on the overwhelming amount of evidence in this case:

Aix has been a consistent moneymaker for years in a questionable location.

It has a large following of enthusiastic customers and is busy all week long.

It has won praise and awards from folks in the industry.

Therefore it sucks? Once again, thank you for your profound and well thought out commentary.

Wow.  I read it as - Started off really great, has been in decline since, gets by mostly from reputation alone.  Now it sucks.

[MusicMan]

N-RNWestsider:

So if someone told you the Jaguars are a great team does that mean you believe them, or would you look at their record and recent playoff history to draw your own conclusions?

[funwithteeth]

MusicMan, let's say you paid your first visit to a generally well-acclaimed restaurant. Now let's say you received lousy service, and the food you were served was undercooked and overpriced. But hey, you've still heard so many good things about this place, so you decide to give it another chance. So you go again, order something different, and are served by a different person. Still, your experience was the same as the last: the food was dry and the server treated you with barely concealed apathy. Now, do you draw your own conclusions, or do you believe the hype and decide it's still a good place, even if your visits there have been terrible?