I am SO bummed by this! Are you sure that it's closed, closed? I've been about every couple of months and have been pleased with the results. It was a very friendly and un-pretentious place. I would have expected an email to their list if Phil was really throwing in the towel, though.

I tried to get there to buy a gift certificate as a holiday gift and everytime I went they were closed (even during their regular business hours). I only ate there a few times but it was really good and I was hoping to turn some new people onto it with the g.c.

I tried to go the other night and they were closed. I am so upset. I really loved it there! I will miss the food and wonderful staff. We went as often as we could. What will Phil's next move be?

He wants to stay in restaurants as chef or consultant. Can anyone offer him a job? The kid has talent.

Phil Proulx is not only a wonderfully talented chef, but also one of the most generous businessmen around. His support of any and all local causes through donations of both gift certificates and time speaks volumes about his character.

I hope he lands on his feet and finds great success in his next venture. And for the benefit of the community, I hope he stays local.

Thank you Phil, for your generosity, and good luck!

Oh no, that's terrible! I've been meaning to go check it out for months and never got around to it. A hard lesson in procrastination. What a shame for Phil.

Yes, I am bummed. I had never been, but was planning to try it with a group after the new year (at my suggestion) . I was looking forward to it. Please keep us posted about where Phil ends up.

Closings like this should remind us how important our dining decisions can be during this tough economy. I suggest that people continue to patronize the places they would like to survive. Otherwise, we'll be left with less unique offerings and more chains.

I got a restaurant gift certificate to a Portsmouth restaurant for Christmas. I'm planning to use that asap, because you never know...

"Time speaks volume about Philips character"
What does selling worthless gift certficates to unsuspecting customers right up to and including the night you know you are closing say about your character? Does he plan on refunding the money or is he just stealing his customers hard earned dining dollars for his upcoming trip to Puerto Rico next week?

Frequent Diner needs to switch to decaf! If you knew anything about the law, you would realize that unless Mr. Proulx files for bankruptcy, he is still responsible for the value of any gift certificates. Why must you insist on kicking a man while he's down?

I am very disappointed, I loved this restaurant. We went twice and they catered my good friends wedding, the meal was by far the best of any wedding I have ever attended.

I agree with Frequent Diner. If Proulx took money for gift certificates knowing that he was closing his business, I would consider this fraud. I hope that he is reporting that that money to Attorney General 's office, as abandoned property.

MGG, is he as responsible for the full value of those gift certificates as Bob Pare photography is? How much would you like to wager he doesn't make good on those gift certificates?

Because from where I sit, if he was such an honorable man, he wouldn't have sold them in the first place.

Definitely bummed. We had reservations for the 5:30 New Years' Eve dinner, and showed up at 5:20 to find a dark storefront and an empty parking lot, with no note on the door. Now that I'm home I see that they closed a few days back, but like another commenter above, I'm surprised no notice went out to the e-mail list and there was no note on the door.

Phil, Monet, your restaurant will be missed. Hope to see you at another dining establishment, if not your own.

I've written Chef Phil as well as sent him an email. I'm hoping that he has one last good bye dinner, and somehow makes good on the Gift Certificates. What he may do though is allow people to redeem the gift certificates, up to a certain point, and then he will file Chapter 11. Wow, I never thought that Phil would do something like that. He always treated my like a close friend and part of the family. I just don't understand what happened.

I think people are missing that this happens very quickly. I seriously doubt that Phill knew for weeks or even days that he was going to have to close. December is the months that is supposed to pay the bills through the lean winter that follows. When it all imploded thanks to weather and the economy, I'm sure he did everything he could to keep things going until there was no alternative.

This isn't some huge corporate venture. It was a single chef / entrepeneur. And knowing Phil, I have NO DOUBT he would have declined to sell GC's if he knew he were closing.

But let's stop speculating. If someone comes forward with a GC, then we have something to talk about. In the meantime, let's just wish Phil the best, and do our part to support the other local businesses so they don't suffer the same fate.

Does anyone complaining about gift certificates on this forum actually hold one? How do you know what he plans to do or not do unless you have one and have contacted them? The poster Susie said she "tried" to buy one, but the place was closed. No one posted about actually buying one and not being able to use it.

I don't see why Frequent Diner makes such an accusation unless he or she personally is out money due to a late gift certificate sale. Is that the case, FD? It's a shame to see a talented chef hit a setback without people jumping to the negative about "character." I'm sure there are a few outstanding certs floating around, as when any business closes (some people sit on them for months and years), and they will have to be dealt with to the extent of the law if Phil wants to stay in this business.

Me, I'm sorry I dragged my feet and did not get a chance to eat there before it closed! Lesson learned. All this stuff downtown and close by doesn't pay for itself.

I'm guessing frequent diner is a an employee or close to an employee who witnessed this going on. Very likely wasn't told about losing the job till the last possible second. If Phil wasn't straight with his customers purchasing certificates about his plans, he probably didn't open up to his employees, either.

Let's not be naive here MGG. He didn't just decide that last night to close up shop. He also didn't book that trip at the last second either, if that information is accurate. To me, that's the damning part about selling the GC's up till the last minute. It shows a certain premeditation.

If you KNOW Phil the way you do so well, perhaps you might want to encourage him to post something here and let people konw what to do with his worthless gift certificates. Maybe even call up Gourmet Gal and have her use her newspaper forum to get the information out.

Of course you might have to wait till he returns from the islands before getting in touch with him.

Look, I liked Infusions and am not holding a GC but this does not cloud my thinking. This gives a black eye to all small restaurant owners, whose patrons will question the solidity of their business and whether it would be wise to purchase a Gift Certificate for family or friends.

I agree with JJF, businesses do not fail overnight and decisions to close are not usually made in haste.

Proulx will reimburse each and every GC sold, just send it back to him in the mail at the restaurant. Im working on a story on this for the paper.

GG

What choice does the man have but to offer reimbursement, after the fact, as his character is publicly called into question? Imo, if true, a vacation only days after shutdown would surely confirm a planned closing. Beware the wolf in sheeps clothing gal.

Good work GG.

Let's hope he's a man of his word and not another Pare photographer. Just in case, those of you holding GC's might want to make a copy of it before sending the original in.

hey jumping jack, why is this even your business? What's your problem? "make sure you make copies of the GC's" Mind your own business. All you ever do is come one here and try to make trouble for local business owners. I remember you starting trouble with scott plath, now you 're always dropping names like pare and this guy. You think you're such a big shot but you're really just on here being a punk. It's bad enough the guy lost his place, now you wanna give him a hard time??

Really bummed that this restaurant closed! It was very good!

Anyone want to buy a gift certificate for One Mill Street that I'm saving for the reopening they told me would happen in 2007?

I worked for Phil at Cobblestones in Lowell a few years back. great guy, great chef. and to anyone who accuses him of trying to rip people off. have any evidence? can you prove anything? if not then leave the guy alone

Hey: I am bummed the place closed, and in fact, I AM holding a gift certificate. Or rather, my secretary is--I gave it to her for Christmas. She and I are both foodies, and I LOVED Infusions, and she hadn't tried it, so I thought it was a brilliant present. How wrong I was. How do you break the news: "Hey--the Christmas present I gave you? Worthless. I'll just give you a check and you can use it wherever you want. Isn't it great working for me?"

So....sending the check back to the restaurant's address sounds risky, especially since the suggestion was made 2 months ago. Are they actually going to refund these? I'd appreciate any genuine help more than I would appreciate speculation and ranting.

BTW, I bought the GC the night before Thanksgiving and can't help feeling duped. In retrospect, my husband and I should have been more suspicious that evening when the restaurant seemed curiously out of the first few beer and wine selections we tried to order.