Editor’s Note: This article was updated at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 12 with comments from Element co-owner Carol Hastie. Executive chef Brian Hardesty has left the kitchens of Element, as of today, Nov. 12. Hardesty said the choice came down to a “difference in vision” and that the decision was a mutual one. “I wish them the best,” he said. “I hope to watch Element evolve and succeed, and they have a great crew over there.”
Element co-owner Carol Hastie said chef Brian Coltrain will step into the role of executive chef. “He has lots of really cool ideas, and he’s a great chef,” Hastie said. “He’s good at teaching, and he’s a good leader.”
Hastie said Element will soon see a new lunch menu and changes to the dinner offerings under Coltrain’s leadership. “We’re not going to change what we do as far as the local, seasonal items on the menu,” she said. “But we want to put a little more approachable items on the menu, as well.”
As for Hardesty, he will continue to focus on the growth of Guerrilla Street Food. He is co-owner of the popular food truck, which serves Filipino fare.
Element, which opened in September 2013, is known for innovative new American cuisine created under a team of several chefs. Sauce reviewed the downtown establishment in January.
-photo by Michelle Volansky
This article appears in November 2014.