First-Ever 'Top Chef' Harold Dieterle To Close Remaining New York City Restaurants, Perilla And Kin Shop

Harold Dieterle, the chef who won the very first season of Bravo's Top Chef, and went on to open three well-received restaurants in New York City, has announced that he will close his businesses by the end of the year and depart from the hospitality industry, at least for a short while.

Dieterle, who at one point presided over three restaurants in New York — Perilla, Kin Shop, and the Marrow — cited the rising cost of running a business in New York City as the reason behind the closures. His newest restaurant, the Marrow, closed last fall despite positive reviews.

In particular, Dieterle will be remembered for his menu at Kin Shop, where he, despite being "as Thai as John Boehner," managed to provide "intense and specific" adaptations of Thai cuisine.

Although the chef has no concrete plans, Dieterle's next steps will be to focus on the birth of his first child, due in February, and to consider the possibilities of fast casual.