Foodie News
Departing Icon: Michael Kramer out as the restaurant Voice
You'd think being named one of the top 50 new restaurants in the country by Travel + Leisure magazine would keep the reservations book full and portend success and longevity.
But between an economic crash and a hurricane, such is not the case for Michael Kramer's Voice. Alison Cook is reporting that Kramer is soon to depart Hotel Icon as Voice is restructured into more of an open lounge concept.
According to Cook,
The hotel won't need a high-profile chef to execute the new Voice concept once he has redeveloped the menu, Kramer notes. "When we opened in 2008 it was a different time," says the chef. Not only did the economy go south soon after, over time the hotel realized many of its guests were gravitating to the bar rather than the dining room. The new concept is a response to that stronger bar business.
Kramer says he is hoping to stay in Houston, and looking for a financial backer to open his own space or a restaurant in need of an executive chef of his considerable talents.