There’s been a changing of the toque at Prime 1000. This past Sunday, Ray Carpenter left his post as executive chef at the downtown restaurant. According to GM Tom Sutliffe, Carpenter decided to “pursue other options” in what was described as an “amicable departure.”
Two sous chefs at Prime 1000 – Rachel Obermeyer and Josh Charles – are stepping in to fill the top slot, sharing duties until a hiring decision is made regarding the position. Sutliffe called Obermeyer and Charles “capable and talented,” noting that “they have both been with us since we opened” in 2010. (Charles left briefly to lead the culinary team at nearby Blondie’s Coffee and Wine Bar.) Sutliffe also stated that plans for Prime 1000 to expand beyond the steak house concept, news that The Scoop reported on in late June, are still moving forward and that the new menu will be launched very soon.
Restaurateurs Mike Johnson and Carolyn Downs have also given diners meat to chew on with news that they are opening Sugarfire Smokehouse. As reported by George Mahe of St. Louis Magazine, the restaurant will be located in Olivette at 9200 Olive Blvd. Johnson and Downs hope to open in late September. With other barbecue joints like Capitalist Pig and Vernon’s BBQ & Catering slated to unlock doors in the coming weeks, barbecue-lovers should have no problem getting their fill of smoky meats.
This article appears in July 2012.