In what may be a harbinger of hard times to come, high-profile über-chef/restaurateur Joachim Splichal (Patina Restaurant Group) closed his Westside seafooder, Paperfish, today, slightly less than one year after its much-heralded November 2007 opening. The restaurant's adjacent casual Market Café will be closing on November 14th. This shuttering is notable both because of its celebrity pedigree and its location in the midst of moneyed Beverly Hills. In a statement worthy of a campaign concession speech, Splichal issued a press release stating: "Much time, effort and creativity went into the foundation of the restaurant, but we had an option in our lease to return the space to our landlord, and with the current economic climate, it did not make sense to continue to foster this new concept." To which a local restaurateur (who asked to be unnamed) added, "I am afeared that this is just the beginning."
– Merrill Shindler