Before announcing concrete plans for his forthcoming restaurant, Walter Manzke is lending a hand to Culver City’s Le Saint Amour. It appears that the gig is a little bit like Rick “For Hire” Bayless at Red O, in that the chef’s touch will mostly be felt on the menu, backed by monthly, five-day visits to the restaurant. The former Bastide chef and Church & State treasure tells Feast, “They hired me to do some consulting work. I’m just making some changes to their menu….I’m not the chef and will never be the chef there.” Manzke is reportedly also adding a local’s approach to Santa Monica’s version of La Grande Orange and is also developing a new concept for Chicago’s Brasserie Jo. Manzke says he’ll add a lighter touch to Saint Amour, but we’ll hold out hope for the appearance of his bone marrow and escargots nonetheless.
