With the Hyatt management now in control at Andaz (formerly Ivy Hotel), there were bound to be changes in the kitchen. Executive chef Nathan Coulon will move on May 6. Next stop, Fashion Island in Newport Beach where he’ll oversee the new True Food Kitchen (a Phoenix import) due to open mid-July. Buzz has eaten at the Phoenix restaurant–its good-for-you menu is based on Dr. Andrew Weil’s principles of an anti-inflammatory pyramid of foods–and the food flavorful and interesting. When Coulon leaves Quarter Kitchen he’ll be in Phoenix for six weeks working with executive chef, Michael Stebner. Yes, that Michael Stebner who owned the well-received-ahead-of-its-time-Region restaurant that focused on locally sourced ingredients with a menu based on Slow Food principles. When Stebner left San Diego he went to Phoenix and ended up working for Fox Restaurant Concepts who created True Food Kitchen. Now San Diego loses another talented chef
Don’t despair, however, San Diego does have chefs who can cook and many of them give their time to do special dinners to support student chefs. Chef Celebration dinners are in full swing and they are worth checking out. At $65 per person, $35 of which goes to the scholarship fund, these dinners are worth every cent to experience a dinner featuring four chefs. Tuesday April 27, Nine-Ten‘s Jason Knibb hosts Brian Sinnott, Trey Foshee, Jack Fisher and Jeff Jackson and for the month of May the venues include Kitchen 1540, Cowboy Star, Urban Solace and Karl Strauss. Check here to see who’s cooking where and to make reservations call the individual venue.
Eat, Drink, Read, takes place Wednesday, April 28 will benefit the San Diego Council on Literacy. For just $60, you’ll taste, mix and match wines and beers with food from noted restaurants including The Marine Room, Urban Solace, Suite & Tender and many more. The venue is the hip Sushi Performance and Visual Art downtown at Eleventh and Island.