The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Not sure if this the right area to post this.  But I heard that it will closing for good today.  I will miss there Lobster Bisque this winter.

Interesting, I had heard an ad for them just the other day.  Hope KRMG got pre-paid.

I hope not. That would be tragic....where's Kavisto these days? I guess Mabrey pulled the cord...

Avoiding former SEM employees and SEC investigators would be my guess.

I think Kivisto was replaced last year as one of the financial backers.  I believe some new investors were brought in around the time the restaurant was remodeled last fall.  That remodel was an indication things might not have been going as planned.  A real shame if it closes.

Fuscos out south on the River?  I would be sad for it to go as well.  I thought it was great and had a wonderful wine selection.  Too bad.

Fusco has been cooking in Tulsa for 20+ years.  I'm sure he'll land somewhere or open up a new concept.

Any updates on this front?

I believe they are still trying to figure out the next step.  Last I heard they where looking for new investors.  But I haven't had an update in a couple of weeks.  Last time I went Michael Fusco was running the front desk and seating people. 

He lost his front of the house manager due to an ABLE kerfluffle which is why he is manning the front. I had heard he had an offer to move to a country club, not sure how accurate that is.

Ah, so Fusco's is closed for repairs too, then?

You'd be shocked at the number of restaurants teetering on going out of business. Did Rik's reopen?

What else?

If it did, he's not getting an early crowd for dinner.  I never see anyone down at that end of the parking lot when I go on a booze run.

Parents went a week ago or so and my dad commented on how much more expensive the restaurant was as they had gone to an a la carte style menu where they had basicaly broken apart several dishes and charged in individual pieces (I mention this not to explain a la carte, but to stress that the menu had the same food, but presented and priced much differently).  There usual $75 for 2 with some wine and such was nearly $130 this time around.  $35 for 3 scallops was my dad's strongest complaint (keeping in mind, its 3 scallops + sauce, nothing else now).

As for the country club mention, I have heard from several people that a very prestigious local country club may be reorganizing their chef and food management, and assume Fusco would be a good fit, assuming he would want to surrender a ton of control and subject himself to the membership.

Tulsa Country Club has just hired a new chef, but I'm not sure that is who you are discussing.  They hired a chef from an up and coming local restaurant and he backed out from what I was told in a very unprofessional way.  The new hire is from the DC area but don't know any other details.

That's very disappointing and smells of desperation.  I though Fusco's Riverside Grill was already pushing the boundary of quality v. price, especially when compared to Flavor's.  Raising prices, especially in the current economics, is not going to help.  Tulsans will support high end restaurants, but only if there is a reasonable connection between the quality/quantity of the food and the dinning experience to the cost.

Article in today's Tulsa World says Michael Fusco has left Fusco's Riverside Grill.

     

Chef Fusco leaves Fusco's restaurant
 
Chef Michael Fusco is no longer working at Fusco's in Kings Landing. MIKE SIMONS / Tulsa World file

By SCOTT CHERRY World Scene Writer
Published: 2/3/2012  2:29 AM
Last Modified: 2/3/2012  6:45 AM


Michael Fusco, one of the city's most celebrated chefs over the past 25 years, has left the restaurant that bears his name.

"When we reorganized last November (2010) we gave ourselves a year to get things worked out," Fusco said when contacted by phone. "We made money, and everything was fine, but with the new group of investors, things just weren't going where I wanted them to go.

"I also have a 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son, and I was working all of the time and not spending enough time with them."

He said it is his understanding the restaurant, located at 9912 Riverside Parkway in Kings Landing, soon will change its name from Fusco's to Riverside Grill.

He said attorney Phil Adamson is managing partner, and "there are three other more silent partners." He said his longtime sous chef, John Oje, has assumed executive chef duties.

"John was with me for 14 years, and this is a good deal for him, possibly some future part ownership," Fusco said.

"I know you hear rumors, but I'm leaving on good terms. Those guys really helped me keep the place running at a tough time, and I've had no better ally than Sharon King Davis (King Investments), who is the greatest landlord in the world. She went to bat for me at every opportunity."

Fusco said he plans to remain in Tulsa and pursue other job opportunities.

"My long-term goal is to teach culinary arts and both long- and short-term is to be a chef," he said. "I have one big deal I'm looking into, but I don't know if it is going to happen."

Fusco came to Tulsa from the East Coast to take the chef's job at Bodean Seafood in 1986. He worked at Bodean from 1986 to 1995 before opening Flavors with partner Henry Primeaux.

When his lease was up in 2007, Fusco moved to Kings Landing to open Michael Fusco's Riverside Grill with an additional partner, Tom Kivisto.

After the partnership melted in the wake of Kivisto's well-documented legal issues, the restaurant reorganized under the new ownership, and the name eventually was shortened to just Fusco's.


Original Print Headline: Fusco leaves Fusco's restaurant

Probably time for him to do something different anyhow.  I've heard a lot of "meh's" about this concept.  I loved Flavors and I loved Bodean's when he was the chef there.