Vandaag is Out a Chef

Diner’s Journal reports that Philip Kirschen-Clark, previously of Jimmy’s No. 43, has left his latest post as chef of Vandaag, the Dutch-inspired restaurant that received two stars from The Times in September but hasn’t managed to become a hot spot: “They wanted a more neighborhood approach but I prefer doing more elaborate food,” explained the chef. In a review of Vandaag posted on At the Sign of the Pink Pig last month, Kim Davis, who is also Associate Editor of The Local East Village, observed (astutely, it turns out) that “the food gave off a ‘not really trying’ vibe”: “I felt I ought to eat there more often, just to show some support. Unfortunately, when I did so, I wondered whether I had left it too late. Chef Philip Kirschen-Clark was present; he didn’t seem in the best mood when he visited a nearby table.”