Chefs

New Chefs at The Bluebird, Cafe 28; Pig Roast Involved

Dave Ford at The Bluebird.
Dave Ford at The Bluebird. Photo: Sky Full of Bacon

At last, news about chefs getting new jobs that doesn’t come with a lot of sturm und drang. At The Bluebird, the little craft beer bar (or gastropub; this is the kind of pub-like place that actually deserves that name) a couple of doors north of Hot Chocolate, Dave Ford has taken over the kitchen. Most recently sous chef for Johnny Anderes at Telegraph (which has the same owners), with experience at Avec, The Violet Hour and Blackbird, he brings a similar dedication to farm to table cooking and a high level of executional skill which should significantly raise the culinary level at this bar. We can say this with authority because, coincidentally, we shot a Key Ingredient with him a couple of weeks ago, which just went up on the Reader site. (The video is below.)

Also citing his farm to table inclinations is the new chef of Cafe 28, the St. Ben’s-area Latin-Cuban restaurant. Gregory Thomas, whose experience includes Chicago Cut Steakhouse and Big Bowl, joined the restaurant in April as executive chef. Although you wouldn’t necessary guess it from his name, Thomas has genuine Caribbean roots, having been born in Trinidad and Tobago and growing up in Florida with a Panamanian-Colombian mother who taught him various Latin styles of cooking. His arrival will be celebrated this Monday, June 18 with a celebratory Cuban-style pig roast and live music by the Angel d’Cuba trio; dinner is $30, with a portion of the proceeds going to Common Pantry. For reservations, go here.

Dave Ford in Key Ingredient:

New Chefs at The Bluebird, Cafe 28; Pig Roast Involved