The affair between chef Jeffrey Brana and The Raleigh Hotel was short and quiet, if not particularly sweet. Mr. Brana, admired for his work for many years as head chef at Norman’s and then for a quick but spectacular stint at his own Restaurant Brana, was brought in to upgrade the Raleighs’ restaurant just a few months ago. But, as Brana tells me, “It was not the right fit.” Being a classy guy he says nothing more, but “not the right fit” is generally a code word for “they were impossible to work for.” This, of course, is just conjecture on my part.
Brana, ready to move on, says he is “looking at doing a project that will allow me to try to do something special and push the envelope a little, without having to sustain a full-scale restaurant operation.” Sounds intriguing -- will keep you posted as we find out more. --Lee Klein
