New Best New Chef at 10 Downing

In late August, my excellent colleague Ratha Tep conducted a quiz on what former F&W Best New Chef was going to preside over the kitchen at the upcoming 10 Downing, the new restaurant from the 5 Ninth team Joel Michel and Vincent Seufert. The answer, which Grub Street spoiled, was Scott Bryan, who was in the process of leaving the Manhattan wine mecca Veritas. Six weeks later, it's time to pose that question again—as Eater reported, Bryan (whose fans include me and Anthony Bourdain) is now doing a three-month stint at 2491 in Falls Church, Virginia; now you probably won't see him at 10 Downing. But there is a new BNC who will be overseeing the menu at 10 Downing. Because I'm too lazy to do a quiz, I'll just tell you who it is: Katy Sparks, who won her BNC award at Soho's Quilty's in 1998. Sparks, whose wonderful market-driven food is featured in her recent cookbook Sparks in the Kitchen, is consulting at 10 Downing. She's so obsessed with her ingredients that she's going to show them off at a "salad bar" right behind the bar so diners can see their dinners come together.

Another chef, who can't be named yet, will be working with Sparks. This isn't a quiz, but I'll drop some hints: The chef in question got good reviews but left his/her restaurant somewhat unexpectedly. Also: The Eater boys will be excited about his/her return.