Bill Brasile OUT as Executive Chef at Minetta Tavern

Bill Brasile has left the position of executive chef of Minetta Tavern to "pursue new projects and do some traveling," he tells Eater. Daniel Parilla, current co-executive chef at Cherche Midi and former head sous chef at Minetta Tavern, will temporarily run the kitchen until a replacement is announced, which is expected to be next week, according to representatives for the restaurant.

Brasile was on the opening team of Minetta Tavern as head sous chef under executive chefs Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr. He succeeded them when they decamped three years ago. While Brasile was able to apply his creativity to nightly specials, the essential menu has remained largely unchanged since the restaurant;s inception back in 2009.

This seeming permanence is something the next chef will have to accept, unless Keith McNally decides to make some radical changes. Drastic change seems highly unlikely since Minetta Tavern has become a modern classic, and the restaurateur has at least two major projects on his hands — Augustine and the return of Pastis.