Dec. 6--Emile Mooser, whose eponymous restaurant has defined fine dining in downtown San Jose since it opened in 1973, is selling the business and finally taking a breather.
"I'm 73," he said last week. "I've never had a vacation."
Fans of Emile's Swiss-French cuisine -- and his incredible Grand Marnier souffle -- shouldn't worry. The new owner, San Jose real estate developer Alexandra Dorian, says the name and staff are staying and the Emile's experience
won't change -- at least not for the worse. One change she is planning is to open the restaurant for lunch and holidays.
Dorian was raised in New Jersey by a family in the hospitality business, and she cut her teeth as a bartender, hostess and dining room manager in their establishments. In the Bay Area, she's been involved in real estate
design and development with Michel, her husband of 21 years.
Mooser will prepare his final menu New Year's Eve, and the South Second Street restaurant will close New Year's Day and re-open Jan. 9 under Dorian's management. Mooser will stay on for three weeks during the transition and
then take a vacation. He still plans on teaching his popular cooking classes and hosting team-building programs used by companies like eBay, Google and Apple.
In addition to creating fine food, Mooser raised about $3 million over his career for non-profit groups by donating his services as a private chef as an auction item. I imagine those bids will be going up this year. |
