Chris Curren Out at Fifty/50 Group

After less than nine months running the culinary side of the growing stable of Fifty/50 Group restaurants (Homestead on the Roof, The Berkshire Room, West Town Bakery and Diner), executive chef Chris Curren is out. Aside from a statement, little is known about the move, which was finalized on Wednesday.

Reps say Curren, who also worked at Stout Barrel House and Blue 13, will be taking a little time to recharge. Homestead chef de cuisine Chris "Chip" Davies will take over for Curren at Homestead and The Berkshire Room, and will run West Town Bakery and Diner with pastry chef Chris Teixeira. Davies was a sous chef at Acadia and Henri, and was chef de cuisine under Curren at Blue 13.

Reps say that Davies had been running Homestead for the past few months already and will be rolling out a completely new menu at Berkshire Room next week. That menu focuses on "upscale bar snacks" and a "dealer's choice" option similar to their cocktail option where you basically construct your own drink.

Look for that sometime next week, and be on the lookout for Curren's next move soon. Read the quotes from the statement below.

"Chris Curren is a fantastic, thoughtful and talented person and we really appreciate all of the positive things he has done for us," The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group co-owner Greg Mohr said. "Collectively we decided that it was time for Curren to move on, and we all see it as the best thing for both our restaurants and for Curren himself.

"We've been very excited to see Chip blossom as an executive chef and he'll continue on his path of doing really great things in the Homestead kitchen while expanding his role at and West Town Bakery & Diner and particularly at The Berkshire Room. Chip is one of the most under-the-radar chefs in Chicago and we are ecstatic to have Chip be in the forefront now."

"There are times in life when you need to stop and reevaluate where you are," Curren said. "I had been feeling that way since just before Christmas, and we decided it was time to take a step back and truely think about how I want to continue my career journey.

"With the goals I have for both my career and my family, I felt like this was a good time to mutually part ways with The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group knowing that Homestead, West Town Bakery & Diner, and The Berkshire Room are in good hands with talented people who will continue on what we all started. I wish everyone there nothing but the best, and working with all the people in the company was a very positive and invigorating career move for myself."