Jeff Jarrett will be the new executive chef of Cleveland Airport Marriott and AMP 150 (4277 W. 150 St., 216-252-5333), replacing outgoing chef Ellis Cooley. His first day is Saturday June 18.
Palate (12214 Pearl Rd., 440-238-8500), the Strongsville restaurant Jarrett opened this past winter, may or may not continue in his absence.
“This opportunity presented itself at a time when I wasn’t getting the support I needed from my partners at Palate,” Jarrett said in a phone call.
Jarrett’s hiring creates as close to a seamless transition as a restaurant could hope for. Jarrett and Ellis share similar cooking styles and farm-to-table passions. The two use most of the same food purveyors. And second-in-command Melissa Khoury will be on hand to provide consistency throughout the transition.
“Having Melissa around will be a huge asset,” says Jarrett.
Following his appearance at Chef Jam on Sunday night, Ellis Cooley took his talents to West Palm Beach. But he promises to return on a regular basis.
This article appears in Jun 8-14, 2011.
