We’re told by several sources close to Lever House that a leading candidate has emerged for the chef job in Bradford Thompson, of Mary Elaine’s at the Phoenician resort in Arizona. Thompson, a Daniel alumni, won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in 2006, and was one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs two years earlier. Besides being a major force in the kitchen, Thompson also loves New York — he creates elaborate gourmet tailgates as he follows the Giants from as far away as Scottsdale. Ownership tells us that there are other candidates still being interviewed, but if Thompson is announced as the restaurant’s new chef, don’t be too surprised.
Bradford Thompson Bio [Culinary Vegetable Institute]
Earlier: Scott Bryan Leaves Lever House at the Altar
