Jim Gerhardt to return to Oakroom (edit)

Understand everyones point... so are we to assume that if AAA does not send out their 65 inspectors to the hotels/resorts each time, (those are the restaurants that receive the 5 diamond status) that they could have slipped away from that status , and need to be brought back!

Stephen,
could you show a little respect and address the man as Chef Gerhardt?.... I think he has earned it.

I happily worked for the man, blood, sweat and tears and consider him one of my mentors. I believe I have earned the right to call him Jim.

Heather

I just had flashbacks of Bobby Knight...

I just had flashbacks of Bobby Knight...

Haha.

Actually, The Oakroom has been inspected and evaluated each year for 11 consecutive years.
I have found some individuals on this forum have very strong opinions for not setting foot in the restaurant in quite some time. Perhaps if you chose to dine in The Oakroom, you might be pleasantly surprised that both the food and the service is not only world class, it's constantly evolving into something better.

It's okay! Limestone has always been 5-diamond in my book already!

I just had flashbacks of Bobby Knight...

FOOD FIGHHHHHHHHHT !!!!!!!!

EDIT
Stephen, did you work at the Oakroom? Wow. I didn't know that!
See ya learn something new everyday!

When in Louisville, my wife and I always made it a point to dine at the Oak Room when Chef Gerhardt was the chef. We're looking forward to his influences.

With all due respect to this thread I can no long sit by and not let me voice be heard on this topic. As someone who currently works in the kitchen of The Oakroom I feel I can provide a different perspective to this matter. I would like to start off by saying we already have a Chef and her name is Nicole Walker and she has been doing a brilliant job since taking the reigns of this restaurant. We have a kitchen staff who is behind her 100% and devotes not only their time at work but their time away working on new ideas and challenging ourselves to maintain and exceed the reputation of The Oakroom. This being said it has been a complete slap in the face to the entire staff in the way this matter has been handled. No disrespect to Jim Gerhardt but we have a leader and to bring in not only a different chef but a chef/owner of another restaurant in town is ridiculous. My main issue with this matter lies with people who do not need to be addressed on this forum but I assure you I hide behind noone and they will hear what I have to say. My point is we have a talented Chef who is truly getting screwed in this matter as well as a staff who wants to continue doing the food we do and not becoming Limestone 2.

Josh, I think you need to relax. Chef Gerhardt, i believe, is coming in as an administrator. He won't be replacing anyone. Give it a chance and you will enjoy and learn from the new arrangement.

Wes,
Let me start by saying don't tell me to relax. Since you are going off what "you believe" it gives you no right whatsoever to instruct me on what to think and or feel. I have already learned alot from this new arrangement and I look forward to continue learning more about how NOT to handle a situation like this. What a great opportunity I have ahead of me to see what mistakes NOT to make in my career.

EDIT
Stephen, did you work at the Oakroom? Wow. I didn't know that!
See ya learn something new everyday!

I was a bartender and captain on Jim's first 4- star team at Limestone. I remember Mike and Jim bought the staff Prime Rib and served Chianti out of a Jeroboam. That was a good day.

my two cents, no more chemical progressive cooking! i have found that it masks the true flavor using agar, lecithin and all that jazz. the reason food tends to be great is not messing with it. Let the true flavors be the true flavors, who cares if you can bend the stuff or not, or froth it to the high heavens. it might all look cool but really, c'mon its not what its cracked up to be. I sense that that is not the whole focus of the menu but it's strewn in that direction, if I'm wrong I'm wrong. Jim is a great chef I wish him the best and hope that the staff will retain and want to progress with him, not against him.

the reason food tends to be great is not messing with it. Let the true flavors be the true flavors, who cares if you can bend the stuff or not, or froth it to the high heavens.

I hear you Chef Howie....You have always stuck to this even when I was working for you way back in the Zephyr Cove days.
One of my favorite quotes from you was when we were trying out some frou-frou presentation on a dish that escapes me now, but you said "Just let the food be the food guys".

If you have great ingredients to begin with, why clutter up the flavors with "edible chemicals"?

many moons ago taught me right eh? hell i remember when i fried a lobster tentacle for garnish and some lady ate it! I was done with funky garnish