Hints & Allegations: Eismann's comeback & Bernstein's next move(s)?

By Lesley Abravanel | Lank@aol.com5/29/2012

The Brickell restaurant scene isn't the only one abuzz with activity and gossip. Forget an unconfirmed, not yet committed Thomas Keller for the moment. We've got a few tidbits on already established Miami chefs, some still in biz, others not so much. The first one has to do with Michelle Bernstein's mini Miami empire; a Design District insider tells us that Sra. Martinez is moving out and into the same space as Michy's which will move, too. A Bernstein spokesperson says it's not so, but that both Bernstein and her husband/partner David Martinez are indeed "looking at several locations, including that new building on Biscayne, for potential spaces for potential new concepts." How cryptic, but we can only hope for a Michy-fied Mexican concept as one of them. In the meantime in other intriguing developments, the Sra. space has been rented out to party promoter Gary James, who is doing a Monday night party there called Postal Kaffe, which will have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the restaurant, which is closed on Mondays.

The other rumor involves the culinary comeback of Jonathan Eismann, who, after having a rough go at it in the Design District, fled the biz completely to sell real estate. We contacted Eismann for some dirt, but he hasn't responded. A source close to Eismann tells us, however, "He should have something inked by week's end. He's been working with several partners since December and has gone through at least 5 locations none of which panned out. " No word on where Eismann's ending up, but we'll keep you posted.