When it was first announced that Laurent Gras was leaving L20, you could hear a deep breath coming from the fine dining community. But the collective sigh you are now hearing is on account of Matthew Kirkley, who after having quietly toiling in an assortment of kitchens, has made the L20 kitchen his own. A fan of mixing the earth and sea, Kirkley’s menu features dishes like “Cod ala Mode de Caen” and ocean trout wrapped around cabbage and carrots and topped with slivers of pigeon. No wonder the restaurant is now attracting comments like, “I went post-Gras, and had a really top meal” and “I ate there pre and post Gras’s reign and actually preferred the meal that Kirkeley served me.” "