both of Rocco’s restaurants close.

both of Rocco’s restaurants close.
The restaurant featured in The Restaurant closed forever last week, long after chef/owner/drama queen Rocco DiSpirito was escorted from the premises and told never to show his swollen face there again. Next week, he will no longer be the chef at his first restaurant, Union Pacific, which will close in late December. While he left Rocco’s on 22nd after a court order, Union Pacific’s owners say the decision to remove Rocco from the kitchen and close the restaurant was made mutually. Right. Rocco says in a predictable “perusing other opportunities” statement, “I found my culinary soul at Union Pacific, and my collaboration with Main Street Restaurant Partners has been a great experience for me. I have made a decision to take a break from the day-to-day operations of a restaurant to focus on other opportunities outside the restaurant world. Chef Laurent Tourondel is an excellent chef, and I wish him much success.” Next up for Rocco, according to an e.mail message he sent to Superchefblog and others: Rocco appears on QVC to hawk “Rocco’s Cooking In A Vacuum system that will show you a whole new, easy way to cook healthy, flavorful food.”