Chef Shuffle: Here are some high-profile Wichita cooks leaving old jobs, taking new ones
A few of high-profile chefs have left or taken new jobs in Wichita of late, which calls for another installment of what I like to call “Chef Shuffle.”
One of them is Josh Rathbun, who in September announced he was leaving his job of five years as the executive chef at Siena Tuscan Steakhouse inside The Ambassador Hotel to take a position as executive chef at Elderslie Farm, the popular Kechi destination where owners Katharine and George Elder also run a fine-dining restaurant.
Rathbun, who left Elderslie at the start of February, said he was laid off after the Elders decided to pause their weeknight dinner service. The restaurant is now serving dinner on Friday and Saturday nights only and will likely keep it that way until blackberry season starts this summer, Katharine Elder told customers in a newsletter sent last week, which also announced Rathbun’s departure.
“...We are sorry to see Chef Rathbun leave Elderslie,” Katharine wrote in the newsletter. “We have learned a lot in the last few years and on this side of the pandemic we have chosen to return to the essence of how dinner service began here, which was Friday and Saturday farm dinners to showcase the veggies that George’s sister, Alexis, was growing right next to where we now pick blackberries on warm summer days.”
Rathbun said he’s had a few job offers already and said he’d let me know when he settled on something.
Meanwhile, the job Rathbun left vacant at Siena Tuscan Steakhouse in September has been filled from within. The restaurant promoted former sous chef Steven Leitzel to executive chef. Leitzel, who is from Augusta, had been working at the restaurant for two years and has experience working in Kansas City restaurants like La Bodega and Extra Virgin.
Another chef on the move is Kris Anderson, who started leading the kitchen at Vora Restaurant European, 3252 E. Douglas, over the summer.
But Anderson, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, left Vora in early January and has since landed at Napoli Italian Eatery, the restaurant Jeremy Wade opened in October 2020 at 7718 E. 37th St. North
Anderson took over the executive chef job left vacant when Jordan Rickard, who had been with Napoli since its opening day, left in the fall to open his own restaurant with his brother, Jason Rickard.
The Rickard brothers are now working on their FioRito Ristorante, which they plan to open by May in the space at 3134 E. Douglas that Two Brothers BBQ and Burger Grill recently vacated.
That left an opening for head chef at Vora, which was filled from within as well. Sous chef Dustin Berner, whose resume includes stints at Granite City and Scotch & Sirloin, was promoted to fill the job, said owner Brad Steven.
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 2:04 PM.
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