Tag Archives: Tom Valenti

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When an upscale chef embarks on a downscale restaurant, does the place get elevated or the chef get knocked down a notch? Tom Valenti is the latest of a number of respected New York chefs to go the casual route, opening the West Branch, a gastro pub to complement his successful Upper West Side restaurant Ouest a few blocks away.

The interior feels like a sophisticated sports bar, with a flat screen TV in the bar room and two separate dining rooms paneled in antiqued mirrors. The owners didn’t take too many risks on the décor, which is homey but sleek, with standard wooden chairs and simple drop lighting overhead. And the crowd that filled the bar that night was decidedly un-fratty, a big relief on the Upper West Side.

Unfortunately, the front of the house did not make as good an impression as the atmosphere. (more…)