Former J. Buck’s executive chef Patrick Viehmann took his experience at the now-shuttered Clayton restaurant to Dogtown in January when he joined Seamus McDaniel’s as general manager. Viehmann said he plans to keep Seamus’ family traditions alive and said he hasn’t changed the Dogtown institution since his arrival.
“One thing I don’t want to do is make an abundance of changes to a restaurant that has already succeeded,” Viehmann said, adding that some patrons may have feared he would shake things up. Viehmann said he will keep the integrity of the food, staff and overall feel of Seamus, but he is working on additions to the menu.
Owner Susan Venincasa said Viehmann will balance his abilities and customer expectations. “He made a commitment to me to enhance Seamus with his skills and experience, but to keep the menu and integrity the same,” Venincasa said. “I’m very excited for him to be here.”
This article appears in February 2016.