Plasencia Leaves The Gastropub at Jake's, Heads Down the Block for Chef de Cuisine-ship at Town Kitchen & Bar

Town

Going to town

​You could smell it like the Burger Beast smells searing chuck from a mile away.  After last week's story on the ownership change at The Gastropub at Jake's, plans also changed for its chef, Richard Plasencia, who was to stay on board with new owner Baruch Pletner.  There was talk of him helping to start up the kitchen at The Cherry on Top in Coconut Grove.

"Baruch offered me the position but there is absolutely no hot food at The Cherry on Top," explains Plasencia, with some other details off the record in between.  "I am very excited to be on-board with Town, they're a company going in the right direction with an ambitious future ahead."

Prior to his time at Jake's, Plasencia had many restaurant stops along the way, including such kitchens as the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne and Norman's.

"Richard is a good chef, and we wish him luck at Town, but I am quite certain that our executive chef, Yolanda Honeycutt and our classically trained Sous Chef, Prashanth Ravi are more than capable of taking Jake's to a whole new culinary level," writes Pletner, in an email to Short Order yesterday.  "Yolanda will be the Executive Chef at The Cherry on Top as well and we are now looking for a full time Garde Manger chef for that position."

Plasencia will be able to settle in as Executive Chef Michael Altman turns his attention to Town's BBQ concept planned for the old JJ's American Diner site at 1450 South Dixie Highway in Coral Gables.