After thirteen years at the helm of the Sea Grill, Ed Brown appears to have found his own restaurant. The chef is close to a deal on a space in the Excelsior Hotel, across the street from the Planetarium. “I'm not denying it, but I haven't gotten the papers back,” says Brown, who hopes to open a 130-seat American restaurant there this fall. (He will not handle the hotel's room service.) “It will be upscale, but not precious,” he promises. “I am so ready to go and do my own thing and be a free man.” — Beth Landman