Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published March 19, 2008 Grill Room Chef Position "Eliminated" Greg Sonnier Gone From Windsor Court Yesterday, the Windsor Court Hotel laid off Greg Sonnier, the chef of its vaunted Grill Room restaurant, saying his position has been eliminated. Sonnier, whose Gabrielle restaurant was regarded as one of the city's best Creole bistros, joined the Windsor Court last summer. He took the position after it became clear that he would probably have to fight a Pyrrhic battle to reopen Gabrielle in a building he bought for the purpose Uptown. Gabrielle's original building was heavily damaged by the hurricane. In the Grill Room, Sonnier created an upscale version of the menu he wowed customers with for over a decade at Gabrielle. It was the first time the Grill Room had a mostly-Creole menu in its twenty-three-year history. It looked like a good match for the restaurant, whose reputation has been tarnished since the hurricane by lackluster menus. Past chefs of the Grill Room have also been the executive chefs of the entire hotel. In this Sonnier's position was also a change, since his only lookout was the Grill Room. The hotel's executive chef continued to orchestrate banquets, room service, and other hotel food operations. The news came from Sonnier's wife and restaurant partner Mary. Greg was to have been one of the chefs in the St. Michael's Chef's Charity for Children this Monday. She said that after Greg's unexpected release, they were scrambling for food resources to carry on at the event. The new general manager of the Windsor Court, Bruno Brunner, says that the decision had nothing to do with Sonnier's performance. " This was purely a budgetary decision," he said. What about the Grill Room's mission as the leading high-end restaurant in New Orleans? "Well, what is the best restaurant in town?" he said. "It's so subjective. You and I both know the problems we face in returning to what the restaurant has been in the past." He noted that the Orient Express Company, which owns the Windsor Court, has committed to a complete makeover of the hotel in the immediate future. But, under the hotel's executive chef since the storm, the Grill Room has declined to an ordinary hotel restaurant with high pretensions and prices. Why go back to that? Finally, this leaves Greg Sonnier in a box--although he certainly could come up with a major chef position or open another restaurant reasonably quickly. He's solid gold as far as most New Orleans diners are concerned. He tells me that he and Mary are doing some catering at the Uptowner, the reception hall they bought on Henry Clay Street, intending to make it into the new Gabrielle. But they're not certain what direction to take yet. Windsor Court Grill Room. 300 Gravier. 522-1994. © 2008 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com