Sorry, we’re open

The wiliest chef in town has to be the Big Homme. We passed his newest place the other night after the underwhelming “Before the Devil,” and I was laughing that it could not possibly start serving New Year’s Eve, given that the front was completely covered in brown paper and work permits. Bob, being a real reporter, noticed a few strategic holes torn in the paper, so he bent over to peek in and said, “It’s full of people eating.” And it was. The inside was completely finished, down to art on the walls, and the tables were all occupied (not by anyone I recognized, interestingly). It was almost as surreal as the party scene in “The Shining.” Even for a guy with many unlikely skills when it comes to self-promotion, the striptease is impressive. When the camouflage comes down, he’ll be beating the throngs off.