It’s not entirely surprising given all the ups and downs, but his reps have confirmed to Grub Street exclusively that Chef Sam Talbot has resigned at Imperial No. Nine after eight months, and that his spot has already been filled: “Effective immediately Sam Talbot is no longer the executive chef of Imperial No. Nine. Yousef Ghalaini has been appointed as interim executive chef.” Eater says that Talbot gave notice today, citing “irreconcilable differences,” and sources tell Grub Street that he’d been planning to leave the restaurant for several months, but was “waiting for the right moment to quit.” As of now, Chef Talbot is a free agent; his replacement, Ghalaini, was the chef de cuisine at Imperial No. Nine and he’s also worked at Redd in Napa.
