Thursday, February 4, 2010

Jacksina joins Andrew Blair's

Marc Jacksina, formerly co-owner and chef at Lulu, is now sous chef at Andrew Blair's, working with Blake Hartwick on the eclectic menu at 1600 Montford Drive.

"Any time you have the opportunity to add someone of Marc’s talent level, it’s exciting," said owner Andy Henson. Jacksina, who cooked his last shift at Lulu on Sunday, says he's excited about a larger kitchen with more equipment and range, and the challenge of up-and-coming Montford Drive and its vicinity. "My (food) is always kind of off-center, with a little sense of humor; I'm probably going to try to unsquare Blake and he's probably going to try to square me up; that's where the best food comes from."

Former partner Fabrice DiNonno bought out Jacksina, says chef David Clarke, who had served as sous chef at Lulu about 2 1/2 years, and has taken over the kitchen. Clarke anticipates keeping the menu steady through the winter, then increasing the rustic, homey French influence in the spring and summer. "We want to do very simple, very straightforward, from-the-heart food."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is quite a coup for Andrew Blairs great news for my husband and me, Lulu and Las Ramblas always topped our favorite places to eat and now we can stay in our neighborhood to enjoy the food from two of our favorite chefs!

Anonymous said...

I hope the food at Lulu stays as great as I've come to expect and look forward to eating at Andrew Blairs. Do you know if Chef marc will be involved in the menu, and if so, when? I've always looked forward to his seasonal menu changes. Also, will Chef Hartwick be bringing any of his tasty dishes from Las Ramblas now that they are closing?

Thanks,
Paul