Formerly executive chef at the decadent GILT restaurant, chef Christopher Lee recently re-opened Charlie Palmer's legendary at its new location in the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park (that's him in the photo above at right, Palmer smiling paternally at left). The Top Chef Masters competitor talks about manning the kitchen as executive chef at Aureole, his modest perspectives, and having a green thumb. Aureole will beoffering a 15% discount on all menus until the grand opening benefit gala for Citymeals-on-Wheels on September 15.

"This isn’t a facelift," Charlie Palmer tells me of his new Aureole. "I cut things off and start fresh. That's just the way I do things. I don't even go to class reunions." The chef and owner of the Upper East Side eatery is set to open a very different Aureole, expanding the dimensions to include a bar area, cozy dining room, large dining room, and a outdoor patio facing the Conde Nast building at its new home at One Bryant Park. Chef Christopher Lee of GILT maintains that the food will be progressive American, but the menu will essentially be completely different. Experimenting with seafood and staple comfort dishes, options will include small plates, plus lunch portions to appeal to different "economic backgrounds and lifestyles." Palmer promises, "The only way we've kept Aureole the same is we've decided to keep it comfortable."

Kerry Simon, owner of Simon (Palms Place at the Palms Hotel and Casino), Cat House (Luxor), and Simon LA (Sofitel Hotel in LA). He dishes on rock star aspirations, rock star labels, and the food in between.

Charlie Palmer, celeb chef extraordinaire, is about to move his Upper East Side flagship Aureole to fancy new digs on Bryant Park. Here's Charlie on being a Giuliani guy, trading blue collar for haute cuisine, and getting shaken down by shifty garbage men.

David Burke builds a foodie empire, parties in Vegas, drinks up a new name, and pours some out for Jerz.