Dunsmoor, Tominaga Depart The Hart & The Hunter

Photo by Elizabeth Daniels

More big chef shake-up news today, following word that Jason Neroni is officially headed back to Venice, this time under the direction of Bill Chait. It now looks like both Brian Dunsmoor and Kris Tominaga are officially parting ways with The Hart + The Hunter, the noisy Southern-leaning spot they opened inside the Palihotel on Melrose.

Apparently the contracts for both chefs came up for renewal, and Tominaga and Dunsmoor each thought it best to focus on their other projects. Dunsmoor, of course, is still cooking up Southern specialties at the Ladies' Gunboat Society at Flores, while Tominaga has already partnered with Jeff Weinstein of The Counter and Freddy Smalls fame to open a new eatery in Santa Monica. No word on official concept for Tominaga and Weinstein, whose new restaurant inside the old The Shack space on Wilshire Boulevard is still coming together, and is said to go by the moniker Cadet.

For now, Patrick Costa is in as the new chef at Hart + The Hunter, while Tominaga and Dunsmoor remain friends, and happily support each other's projects. What this means for the future of that Nashville hot chicken and those biscuits on the menu at Hart + The Hunter, though, is anyone's guess.
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