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If you’ve lived anywhere in the vicinity of Prospect Heights for the past decade, it is likely that you’ve come across the name Greg Baxtrom. Studying under the guise of Per Se and Alinea in Chicago and Dan Barber’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Westchester, the chef brought his culinary know-how to Brooklyn in 2016, but in an accessible package, with the opening of Olmsted. His ambitions paid off as the restaurant easily became one of New York’s finest, riding the wave of farm-to-table restaurants across the city. Over the years, Baxtrom expanded his footprint on Vanderbilt Street, starting with the self-billed French yakitori restaurant, Maison Yaki, and the Midwestern eatery that paid homage to his mother, Patti Ann’s.
Yet in the years since, it seems as though Baxtrom’s hold on Prospect Heights has come loose. In 2023, Maison Yaki converted to a reimagined French bistro, Petite Patate, before shuttering at just eight months old. And earlier this spring, Patti Ann’s quietly closed to little fanfare or announcement. Now, Baxtrom’s last holdout on the street is also coming to a close, after a nine-year run.
This week, Baxtrom announced that Olmsted is closing. Baxtrom posted about the closure on Instagram, stating that the last day for the restaurant would be Sunday, August 17.
“As we settle into nearly ten years on Vanderbilt Avenue with these small restaurants, I realize they no longer have the capacity to meet the standards that mean so much to me,” Baxtrom said via Instagram. He continued: “Therefore, I am announcing that I will be closing Olmsted, closing this chapter and starting a new one with fresh restaurant opportunities that can meet our high standards here in NYC and across the country.”
Reasoning for the closure included many factors, according to Baxtrom, including a focus on his sobriety and mental health. Yet, funding was a large attribute, as Baxtrom told Eater that their pre-COVID expansion had become "dead weight" and that it required investment "beyond his means." In the same Instagram post, Baxtrom asked the community that if anyone was interested in saving Olmstead, to “please reach out.”
In its nine-year tenure, the ambitious eatery topped many lists in the city, including our own, as our previous Food & Drink Editor remarked how the restaurant “took Brooklyn and beyond by storm.” The eatery received recognition on a national stage, including a 2017 nomination for “Best New Restaurant, New York” from the James Beard Foundation as well as a Bib Gourmand status from the Michelin Guide. Things seemed like business was as usual from the outside, as earlier this spring, Baxtrom reunited with the three Michelin-starred Alinea, hosting them at Olmsted for a “multi-sensory experience” which quickly sold out.
Of course, this isn’t the last we’ll see of Baxtrom. Beyond his teasing of opening a new chapter, the chef is releasing his first cookbook, Nothing Matters But Delicious, expected April of 2026. Baxtrom will continue to operate at his first Manhattan restaurant, Five Acres in Rockefeller Center, and will soon announce a Black Entrepreneur Series.