In M. Wells’ yearlong run, they’ve received mostly rave reviews, but only days after the announcement of their close, a damning, bitter review from Alan Richman was published on GQ’s website. Richman found the food almost without fault; his attacks were instead on the service and owners, which others cite as a source of M. Wells’ charm. Most surprisingly, allegations that Richman giving a ‘hardy pat on the ass” to one of the waitresses has ignited a new wave of controversy and interest in the restaurant’s final week.

The close is a shame for a multitude of reasons, and Deven DeMarco can tell you pretty much all of them. DeMarco first visited M. Wells in their first month of business, and after three bites of a hangover-curing sandwich, he asked owners Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis if they were hiring. DeMarco, a veteran of the foodservice industry and a leader of grub crawls through New York City, quickly retooled his resume over another M. Wells brunch, and within a few days he became their general manager, a job that he has loved every inch of. 

As Famed Queens Restaurant M. Wells Closes, Its General Manager Looks Back