Eater jumped the gun last week (and duped us in the process) when it posted a comment from John Tesar in response to their report on his departure from David Burke's Fishtail. The commenter was not actually Tesar, but an impostor. The chef got in touch with us to clarify:

"I am appalled that someone used my name and made any negative statements about my time at Fishtail. I would never say anything so ridiculous or use profanity on a blog or in the press. The simple truth is that I left Fishtail to pursue my own restaurant and enjoyed my time at Fishtail.

"I worked at Fishtail for approximately eight weeks. Upon my arrival the chef had left and took the kitchen staff with him. I had to replace the entire staff while cooking 150 to 200 covers daily. A random offer to start my own company came after a group of businessmen dined at Fishtail. They had heard of me from my time at the Mansion and offered me this amazing opportunity to open my own restaurant in the Houston area."

Well, that clears that up then. And what of the allusion to Bruni's review having influenced Tesar's leaving?

"The New York Times review of Fishtail was mostly written prior to my arrival as Mr. Bruni dined there two or three times with the old staff. I began working at Fishtail on March 15th and cooked for Mr. Bruni one time. When the review came out I had worked at Fishtail for approximately six weeks. The review had no bearing whatsoever on my decision to leave. I was not fired.

"David and I were both disappointed that my departure was so soon but the opportunity was too good to pass up. I have the utmost respect for David and wish him the best moving forward. In the meantime, I am looking forward to returning to Texas and especially the Woodlands to start my new concept and company."

So, maybe the fake Tesar had one thing right: good riddance to New York food blogs! Do we hear an amen, John?