The executive chef at Brackets has left, and the restaurant's management team has decided against filling the position.
Pedro Castrejon, late of Aventino and Ferre Ristorante e Bar, was at the helm when the table tennis-themed sports bar opened late last year in the former Trader Vic's location. The restaurant has inspired a few dozen positive customer reviews on Yelp, but -- if the traffic there on my recent review visits was typical -- seems to have had trouble building a weeknight customer base. (My review's here, but I'll give you the Cliff Notes version: The pub grub's decent. The ambitious entrees are abysmal.)
"At this time, Brackets will not be replacing the executive chef position," spokesperson Mallory Jensen emailed in response to my questions about Castrejon's departure.
Brackets briefly engaged Cane Rosso's Jay Jerrier to serve as the restaurant's pizza consultant, but decided to end the partnership so the kitchen could focus on serving the thicker-crusted pies its patrons indicated they preferred. A statement from Jensen suggests the restaurant's planning to continue de-gourmeting its menu.
"Preferred Restaurant Management Group is working to reconstruct the menu of Brackets to better suit the sports bar theme, creating a more approachable menu," Jensen writes. "While working to create such a menu, PRMG no longer sees the need for an executive chef."
Brackets' website is currently down, but Jensen says a new site is under construction.
