So long, Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The internationally acclaimed chef/restaurateur and Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group have ended their five-year contract with the W Hotel and plan to close J&G Steakhouse as of June 23. The restaurant temporarily closed last year for a remodel.
A spokeswoman for the hotel declined to comment on what the new concept will be, but she shared details on the new chef, Richard Wiggins. He replaces Philippe Reininger and will oversee all aspects of dining, from the P.O.V. Lounge to in-room dining (maybe he’ll keep that famous club sandwich). Wiggins has worked with Starwood Hotels for the past eight years, most recently coming from the Westin St. John Resort & Villas in the US Virgin Islands. Plans for the new eatery will be announced in the coming weeks, with a slated late-summer debut.
Vongerichten isn’t the only celebrity restaurateur to pull out of a Washington hotel space. Eric Ripert ended his relationship with the Westend Bistro in the Ritz-Carlton, and Alain Ducasse closed Adour in the St. Regis, which transitioned to Decanter.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
