Scott Foster has been named chef of record at Bennigan’s Franchising Company. Currently he is the managing partner and executive chef for Nova Restaurant Group, which operates four restaurants in Minnesota, and partner and executive chef for Pier 500 restaurant in Hudson, Wis. Foster previously was on the opening team of Maggiano’s Little Italy and was the first executive chef of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprise’s concept Big Bowl.
Chad Hudson, who was the kitchen corporate trainer for Fox Restaurant Concepts’ five-unit True Food Kitchen, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., is the new executive chef of Breeze Bar & Café at the Nantucket Hotel & Resort on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts.
Hudson also had a stint as the personal chef of actor Kevin Costner.
Jeffrey Lunak is the new vice president for culinary at the six-unit Blue C Sushi and three-unit Boom, both in Seattle. Most recently the corporate chef for the Morimoto restaurants, Lunak has been charged with lending “cutting edge and thoughtful flavors” to the Japanese-inspired menus of both concepts, according to a company spokeswoman. He also is responsible for training and continuing education of all of the restaurants’ chefs.
Chuck Courtney is the executive chef at the Menlo Grill Bistro & Bar in Menlo Park, Calif. Most recently executive chef of The Bistro at the Park in Lafayette, Calif., the Los Angeles native is now dishing up items such as his signature Cheddar chive biscuits with jalapeño honey butter, as well as kale lasagna, and Berkshire pork chops with applejack barbecue sauce and Brentwood corn mashed potatoes.
Australian chef Michael Wilson, who most recently was the chef at Cutler and Co. in Melbourne, which Australia’s Gourmet Traveller magazine’s Restaurant Guide named that city’s best restaurant in 2010, has moved to Shanghai, China, where he is executive chef of Jing’An Restaurant at The PuLi Hotel & Spa.
Sue Drabkin, the former executive pastry chef at the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michael’s, Md., is the new executive pastry chef at Ris in Washington, D.C. A native of New Haven, Conn., Drabin, who also designs jewelry, is baking such desserts as apricot Bing cherry galette with toasted almonds, vanilla ice cream and red wine sauce; and Basque cake with strawberry rhubarb compote, walnuts and brown sugar ice cream.
Richard Mills is the new chef de cuisine at the English Grill at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Ky., where he is working with executive chef Laurent Geroli to develop a new menu that will be introduced later this summer. Most recently the sous chef at Ravello at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn., Mills specializes in butchering and curing meat. “My cooking philosophy is that less is more,” he said. “I let the ingredients speak for themselves without crowding the plate.”
Contact Bret Thorn at bret.thorn@penton.com.
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