Statement from Flyte, released Monday afternoon:

Flyte World Dining & Wine is thrilled to annouce the return of Executive Chef Jake Stearns. Chef Stearns rejoins us after a stint running the prepared foods team at the Whole Foods within the Hill Center at Green Hills. Chef Stearns was an integral part of Flyte’s opening and initial success. Prior to his time at Flyte, Jake worked under Chef Todd Richards and Chef Duane Nutter at The Oakroom in Louisville’s historic Four Diamond-rated Seelbach Hilton, and alongside Chef Sean Brock and Chef Tyler Brown at The Capitol Grille in Nashville’s historic Five Star/Five Diamond-rated Hermitage Hotel.

Chef Stearns will be supported by Sous Chef Jen Franzen (who has been with us since our opening), Pastry Chef Erica Waksmunski (who recently joined us after working for Jean Joho at the 4-star Everestt in Chicago), Chef Amie Havens (who just returned from a six-week stage at August in New Orleans with Chef Besh), and chefs Micheal Martinez, Jeffery Rhodes, Thad Hagwood, and Benjamin Kaminski.

Chef Stearns is a believer in Chef Alice Waters’ school of thought and will focus on bringing out the very best of each and every ingrediant that he and his staff use. Flyte will continue to offer a seasonal menu and will still focus on using all humanely raised proteins as well as organic/local produce.

We wish Chef Bobby Benjamin well in his new employment at the Governor's Club.

I've never been to the governors club but I know a couple of people who live in its housing project and they don't want no caramelized ornage skin or parsnip ice cream.

He's a trained chef, He'll adapt his kitchen to the audience. And a double negative means they do.

I am a chef at one of the area's top new restaurants and I can tell you this,
Bobby is a great Chef. He should have won the Iron Fork competition but they gave it to that Zola Chef who had some part in organizing the event. Just goes to show that Nashville's food scene has it's head up it's ass. The same way it has had for the past 2o years.
Has everyone not had enough of the Debra Paquettes, Tom Allens, Gary Rawsons, etc...
These people are old! their technique is old and outdated.
Give em hell Bobby!!!

Bobby is a great Chef. He should have won the Iron Fork competition but they gave it to that Zola Chef who had some part in organizing the event.

Um, no. Envious much?

Would you like some cheese with that whine? Bobby is a great chef, and so is Deb. And the Iron Fork was for CHARITY. Be a real chef and compete against your own last plate.

i think THE CHEF has said it all - if only in his name...

signed
THE FOOD BLOGGER

I can't help thinking about how Bobby could deconstruct, reconstruct, aerate, flash-freeze and otherwise embellish a club sandwich with his kitchen wizardry. Hold on to your Ben Hogan cap, Governor's Club. It's gonna be fun.

Oh my. Can we get THE DETECTIVE to figure out which top new restaurant in the area THE CHEF hangs his apparently BIG HUGE EGO STUFFED HAT so we can be sure to bypass it until he gets THE PINK SLIP?

Love,

A MOM/A WRITER

THE CHEF said it's not his ego that is BIG and HUGE!

I don't know what else it would be.

I know both Chef Benjamin and Chef Stearns very well. I have cooked Deb Paquette's recipes while at Boundry. I believe I ate at "THE CHEF's" restaurant the other night(if it's the one I'm thinking of)and it was great too. The important thing for our Nashville food community is that we should boost and support one another. Let's not knock each other, but rather strive to put Nashville on the map as maybe one day, ehh umm, a Food Town?!?! The silly saying around town is that Nashville is the new LA...hardly. But with great chefs continuing to do great things and us trying to educate the common Nashville diner, who knows how far we can stretch their palate and openness to cuisine...