Frank Bruni Will Squish You Like a Little Bug

Restaurant kingpin Alain Ducasse has fired his chef, apparently because of a tepid New York Times review:

Alain Ducasse has removed Christian Delouvrier as executive chef at his restaurant at the Essex House, citing a recent review in The New York Times that downgraded its rating to three stars from four.

“I am at the top in Paris, in Monte Carlo and in Tokyo, and I cannot remain with three stars in New York,” said Mr. Ducasse, an internationally celebrated chef who owns or is a consultant at nearly 30 restaurants throughout the world. “I knew we could not regain four stars with Christian Delouvrier at the helm, and I had to make important changes in the dynamic of the kitchen. I needed someone who has worked longer with me. And once I make up my mind I move fast. The life of this enterprise depends on it.”

He said that the loss of a star had not affected business, but that it was a blow to his pride.

Mr. Delouvrier said in a phone interview yesterday that he had no hard feelings, and both men said they might open a bistro together in New York. “Working with Alain Ducasse was a big opportunity for me, but I knew it would not last forever,” Mr. Delouvrier said. “There were bumps in the road, with the New York Times review. Maybe because we had two different philosophies. Right now, for me, anything goes.”