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 StraussCheck 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 SolaceSuite & Tender and many more.  The venue is the hip Sushi Performance and Visual Art downtown at Eleventh and Island.

Richard Sweeney, who recently was executive sous chef at Confidential before his short stint as a contestant on seaon 5 of  Top Chef, became the executive chef upon his return.

The Gaslamp’s Quarter Kitchen in the Ivy Hotel elevated one of their own, Nathan Coulon, to the executive chef position vacated by Damon Gordon. Gordon takes his toque (and his attitude) to the fairly conservative Mayflower Hotel in Washington.

San Diego foodies may wonder what happened to Michael Stebner after he closed Region, his popular Slow Food inspired eatery in Hillcrest.  Well, he returned to Phoenix.  Working with Dr. Andrew Weil and his recipes for the anti-inflammatory diet, Stebner is the executive chef at Weil’s new restaurant,  True Food Kitchen.  While in Phoenix for the day last week, Buzz tried the cold buckwheat soba noodles with wasabi dipping sauce ($9) and wild ahi sliders with wasabi, slivered radishes and cucumber on pumpernickel bread ($13).  Both were good as was the service, though as generous as the ahi was, the bread turned out to be a mushy Hawaiian flax white bread (they forgot to change it on the menu).  If I lived in the area, it could easily be a favorite place.

Should you find yourself in Windsor near Ft. Collins, Colorado, drop into Chimney Park Restaurant & Bar and savor the food of chef/owner Jason Shaeffer.  For those with short memories, Shaeffer had a stellar career in San Diego as executive chef at the orginal Laurel and opening chef at the Del’s 1500 Ocean.

Closer to home in Point Loma, Pomodoro, opened a week ago in the spot that was Luna Notte. The tiny restaurant’s menu is similar to its sister Arrivederci in Hillcrest with most notably all of the mains priced in the mid-teens.