Michael Conti, hailing from Chicago has joined the team that Steve Redzikowski and Bryan Dayton have built at Acorn, OAK at Fourteenth, and the upcoming concept Brider, as pastry chef. This is the first designated pastry chef for the small restaurant group that has recently scored the coveted number one position on 5280's 25 Best Restaurants list. Conti brings years of pastry experience with him that he is now channeling into creating a great breakfast pastry case for Brider.
Second Home Kitchen + Bar has announced the promotion of Brandon Wilson to general manager. Wilson perviously was one of the restaurant's senior managers. Before coming to Second Home Kitchen + Bar, Wilson served as a general manager at Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian's the National Bar & Dining Rooms in Manhattan. While in New York City, he also obtained his VITI1 certificate from the American Sommelier Association. Prior, the Windy City native opened a multiunit food and beverage operation in downtown Chicago for a Destination Hotel & Resorts property in 2013.
Meanwhile at Old Major the kitchen is undergoing some serious changes. Kona Bobek, who has been in the kitchen at the LoHi eatery since day one, has recently packed up his knives and moved on to Bar Dough, scheduled to open later this year. Bobbed is still up on the restaurant's website as chef de cuisine. Another Old Major veteran, Johnny Formento, also recently left to work at Uncle. The word on the street is that owner and chef Justin Brunson is manning the stoves now, but an official release has not been received on that.
Chef Lance Barto has left Milk & Honey in September. The restaurant had opened in June. Barto will join the Bar Dough team to expedite, rather than run the stoves, when the anticipated LoHi spot opens. The chef shuffle is not new for Barto, who was let go from his position at Brazen in February shortly after it opened and was also asked to leave his post at Central soon after its opening.
Disclosure: the editor is married to one of the developers behind The Source.