Changes are afoot downtown.
Nathan Crouser, chef de cuisine at District American Kitchen & Wine Bar since its debut, will be pursuing a career opportunity in California. Although the restaurant's name isn't currently available, I'm told that Crouser will stay with Starwood, the company that also owns the downtown Sheraton that houses District.
Before District opened, Crouser was the sous chef at Il Terrazzo at The Phoenician, another Starwood hotel. Another former Phoenician chef, Frank Belosic, oversaw the Mary Elaine's kitchen during its final months, and continues to be District's executive chef.
The search is underway for Crouser's successor at District, according to the restaurant's PR rep today. "During the interim, Chef Belosic will oversee the kitchen and continue fulfilling the mission of the restaurant, serving American comfort foods with a contemporary twist using the restaurant's urban rooftop garden and sustainably farmed produce from local growers."
Meanwhile, Crouser's brother Brandon is still in town (yes, they're both chefs -- sounds like a reality show in the making), creating sophisticated seafood dishes at Crudo, which he co-owns with chef Cullen Campbell.
