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Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Starr takes over Rat's in N.J.
Kevin Sbraga, caught in March before he auditioned for Bravo's "Top Chef." (Photo: Clem Murray)

Stephen Starr strikes again.

He's taken over the très posh Rat's Restaurant in Hamilton Township, N.J. -- it's a management deal, much like his Steak 954 in Fort Lauderdale -- and he's installed Kevin Sbraga as chef.

The Willingboro-bred Sbraga, who won multibells at the Ritz-Carlton a few years back and was culinary director of Jose Garces' empire until earlier this year, represented the United States in the Bocuse d'Or culinary competition last year. He spent five minutes consulting at Union Trust a few months ago.

Sbraga is focusing on contemporary French cuisine.

The 10-year-old Rat's, named after a character in Grahame's The Wind in the Willows and not the health hazard, sits on Grounds for Sculpture, a lovely retreat near I-295 between Trenton and Princeton.

It's the Impressionist-inspired sculpture garden founded by sculptor J. Seward Johnson, and it resembles a French village right out of a Monet.

Monet? Figure on entrees at $20 to $30.

Posted by Michael Klein @ 10:45 AM  Permalink | File Under: TableTalk | 3 comments
Comments   
Comment removed.
Posted 02:02 PM, 07/22/2009
phila1
Whatever. Philadelphia has become Garces and Vetri's town anyway.
Posted 05:33 PM, 07/24/2009
carlson1105
Kevin is an excellent chef
3 comments
About Michael Klein
Michael Klein chronicles local people, places and things (in easy-to-digest portions) three days a week in his Inquirer column "INQlings." He also covers the restaurant scene in his Thursday Food column, "Table Talk." See his work at http://is.gd/5Ozz7
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