re: New Chef at Mr. John's

quote:

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I worry this may be abandoning ship at Lil Gems.

This is not the first defection from there.

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My gf went for lunch today and in addition to eating got to tour the kitchen with the new chef. He's a former chef at Rio Mar who left to take over the kitchen at Lil Gems. She was told by several people afterward that the former chef was let go, leading to his position at Mr. John's. Owners of Lil Gems are more interested in a more unique approach to their menu, fresh ingredients and a chef who is hands on. The former chef was known as someone who wasn't very present in the kitchen, leaving his cooks to execute his menu. He was quoted as saying about his new position at Mr. John's, and I'm paraphrasing here, "This is the first time I've worked at a restaurant that's closed two days a week, so I know my wife will like that." Sounds like Mr. John's is just a better fit for him where there's a set menu, the staff is in place and knows how to run the kitchen, and he can spend some more time with his family.