Christophe Bellanca has been named executive chef of Charlie Palmer’s New York flagship restaurant, Aureole.
Bellanca, who briefly served as chef at Le Cirque in New York before joining BLT restaurants, replaces Christopher Lee, whose departure from the top-rated Aureole also was announced today.
Lee was the opening chef when Aureole moved to its new location in the Bank of America Tower near Times Square last year. Prior to that he had been the executive chef at Gilt in the New York Palace Hotel .
As executive chef of Striped Bass in Philadelphia, Lee won the coveted “Rising Star” chef award from the James Beard Foundation and also was one of Food & Wine magazine’s 10 “best new chefs” in 2006.
Lee did not make his plans immediately known, but he has been involved in consulting on a number of restaurants, including Eden in Miami Beach, Fla., where he holds the title of chef.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected].