This hasn't been confirmed by our sources yet, but we like to think we're good at putting two and two together. So we'll pose a question: Is Walter Manzke the new Bastide chef? A few weeks ago, it was suggested that Bastide owner Joe Pytka had a new chef in mind for whenever Bastide reopened, and that someone was from Northern California. Today, we read about Walter Manzke, who helmed three top restaurants on the Monterey peninsula---Bouchee, L'Auberge Carmel, and Cantinetta Luca---but just moved on. (The writer laments: "This void is the sports equivalent of Joe Montana leaving the San Francisco 49ers for the Kansas City Chiefs.") Manzke's resume is impressive, having worked with top chefs like Alain Ducasse, Octavio Becerra, Ferran Adria, and Joachim Splichal. Take note of two of those names---Splichal and Becerra; these are LA names. Manzke worked with the Patina group before heading to Carmel with his pastry chef wife. Stay with us here...
What's this got to do with Bastide? When we heard whispers about a new chef, we heard a name similar to Manzke's dropped a few times. Manzke tells the Monterey County Herald that he will take a couple months off, and then "promises to return to restaurant life, possibly in Los Angeles or San Francisco." So, he has LA connections, and the timing is perfect for a Bastide resurgence. Two + two = Bastide finally reopening?
· Manzke's departure leaves culinary void [Monterey County Herald]
· Churning the Rumor Mill: The Bastide Mystique [Eater LA]
