Acme Will Become a French-Italian Bistro Under New Chef Brian Loiacono

Chef Brian Loiacono, formerly executive chef at db Bistro Moderne, is taking over the kitchen at Noho hot spot Acme.  Owners Jean-Marc Houmard, Jon Neidich, and Huy Chi-Le are working with Loiacono to turn Acme into a "contemporary bistro" with Italian and French influences. It's a new direction for the restaurant, whose Danish chef Mads Refslund announced earlier this year that he was leaving Acme to pursue other projects. Loiacono has worked under Daniel Boulud for six years, including a stint as the sous chef at Daniel. He has also worked with the team from The Smile at Ruschmeyer's, a restaurant in Mountak, and as a personal chef for NBA player Tyson Chandler. His new version of the Acme menu will launch in January.