Painters are busy covering the atrocious pink facade at Soho's Chateau France outpost; the number for the N. Dale Mabry location is disconnected; both locations have vanished from Chateau France's website. Looks like impressario Antoine Louro is in complete retreat to his base in St. Pete.
According to former Chateau France (SoHo) chef Tony Savage, the partnership between Louro and the owners of the SoHo property (Barry Smith and MaryAnn Stiles) was dissolved last week. There won't be much interruption of service, though, since the spot will immediately re-open as Chateau SoHo, with Savage as executive chef and a more appetizing exterior.
"I was in New Orleans for 23 years before Katrina," says Savage, who will be sliding some French-inspired Creole and Cajun favorites onto the menu, along with more medium- and lower-priced French dishes to temper the previously ultra-expensive fare.
A call to Louro's Chateau France St. Pete to confirm returned this helpful advice – "I can't help you. Goodbye." That may be because of this. Or this. Or this.
UPDATE: I just received a return call from the ever-gregarious Antoine Louro. He confirmed that the North Tampa location was closed — he sold it about six weeks ago — and that his partnership with Smith and Stiles was over. "Partnership doesn't work if you're not in the business," he said, explaining that Stiles' is a lawyer and doesn't understand restaurants.
After the aborted expansion of the past two years, he has no plans on opening any more outposts. "Every person wants to open a Chateau France," he said, "but I'm done with it. I'm happy here in my house in St. Pete."
This article appears in Oct 10-16, 2007.