Philippe Bertineau is on the market. (Photo: Mimi Giboin)

When Payard closed its doors a week ago, many regulars were outraged. The shuttering was the unfortunate finale to a joust that started last December, when landlord Stephen Kirschenbaum decided to hike the rent from $28,000 per month to $62,000. François Payard is not talking, but executive chef Philippe Bertineau agreed to sit down with the Feed.

The Feed: What happened in the last days?
Philippe Bertineau: Payard lost his flagship. On [June 27], I was just coming back from the Greenmarket and walked into the kitchen to find a letter telling me that Payard would close the next day. So on Saturday night, we had a full house with everybody—clients and staff—hoping for the best. Some people were literally crying……regulars who came for their café croissant every morning, kids who had, in their words, “grown up on Payard pastries.” On Sunday we served brunch and then the pastry shop stayed open until 5pm; we were still hopeful, but in fact, we left the restaurant, pulled the gate down, and that was it. After 12 years, it was very emotional. The next day, I sent all the food we had stored elsewhere to City Harvest.

Was there really a surveillance camera in front of the restaurant?
For the last ten days, the landlord had installed a surveillance camera to make sure that we would not walk out with anything, so we left our wines, our pots, our kitchen tools and equipment, the china, the lamps and the whole bakery operation in the basement. Someone could just lift that gate, turn the gas back on and reopen the restaurant.

What’s going to happen now?
There’s no plan B. Seventy-five employees are out of work and I’ve just spent the last week on the phone trying to find spots for my team. I called Daniel, Andrew Carmellini, Wylie Dufresne, La Goulue. Francois Payard paid everyone and added a week’s vacation pay. Our vendors are paid off too, but there’s no plan to open again. The only part that remains in operation is the catering arm, Tastings, led by Alexandra Payard and chef Ken Tagima.

What are your plans?
I’m 42 and I went from Park Bistro to Daniel, where I was sous chef for four years, to 12 years at Payard, so I’ve been working very hard. I am taking the summer off and going to France and Italy to see my family and my in-laws. [Bertineau is married to Odette Fada, former executive chef at San Domenico—the victim of another rent hike—who is currently in Italy preparing for the September opening of SD 26, the new San Domenico on 26th Street.] I’d like to possibly open my own place or perhaps find a new partner, but that’s not easy; it’s like a marriage and it needs to be a good match.—Sylvie Bigar