Bar Normandy Duo Breaks Up

Several weeks after an Eater feature applauding the team at Restaurant of the Year Bar Normandy, the dynamic duo of barman Philip Michael Cohen and chef Alex Lira parted ways. The scrappy restaurant in a bakery will still go on, but without Cohen behind the counter.

Tips came in last Friday that Cohen was out of the project, so Eater reached out to both parties for a statement.

Cohen said:

Creating Bar Normandy was a great experience, and I learned some very valuable lessons. I learned that you need to get things in writing, and you need to think very carefully about who you choose as your partner. It was heartbreaking to leave so abruptly, something I had given a year and a half of my life to, but sometimes you are faced with no other option but to move on. With a 10 month old at home, I’ve had to really jump into action, and I’m currently working on a new project that I am super excited about. Stay tuned folks, more fun things coming from Philip Michael Cohen.

He also hinted that there will be more information on his shared podcast EffinBRadio.

Lira wrote to Eater:

I have always described bar Normandy as it own entity and we (the team) work to make it what it is. I use the octopus analogy, “we” (the employees) are the arms that make bar Normandy (the head) efficient and fun. And also like an octopus losing an arm, and growing a new one, as will we. Phil will be greatly missed and we wish him the best hangin’ with the fam’ and future endeavors.

Bar Normandy will go on with normal dinner hours at 15 Broad St.

• Bar Normandy Makes It Work ‘Doing Something Weird’ [ECHS]
• EffinBRadio [Official]