Chef Jeff Moschetti no longer at Landmark at the Melrose Hotel in Dallas

by Teresa Gubbins

DALLAS — Chef Jeff Moschetti has departed from the Landmark Restaurant at the Melrose Hotel in Dallas. Sad for the Landmark. Moschetti, whose illustrious background includes Crescent Court, Hotel ZaZa, and Stephan Pyles, confirms that he left earlier this week.

"I'm surprised I lasted this long, to have a high-end chef in a place that has no business makes no sense," Moschetti says. "I left Stephan Pyles with the expectation that they would pump life into the place. But it's an old outdated restaurant, I think nobody wants to be in there, and I'm not sure the owner wants to commit to putting money into it."

Moschetti said he'd heard discussion about shutting down the dining room entirely and renting it out as a facility for special events. No one was answering the phone at the restaurant on Friday, although the hotel operator said the restaurant was open.

Room rates at The Melrose seem to have dipped, going as low as $100 per night depending on time of year. As an aside, the last time I visited the hotel, it looked like they were slacking on maintenance. A gorgeous marble sink in the ladies room was showing the kind of long-term damage you see when the place isn't regularly maintained.

The Melrose's Library Bar, which was recently remodeled, is doing well, but Moschetti said he wasn't interested in doing bar food.