Richard Gras OUT, Brian Zenner IN at Oak

Chef shakeup at the Design District's Oak: Per a press release from Apheleia Restaurant Group, chef Richard Gras "tendered his resignation on Thursday" and will be replaced by Brian Zenner. Zenner is of course executive chef at Apheleia's Uptown restaurant Belly & Trumpet, and previously served as chef de cuisine at Oak under former chef Jason Maddy. According to the release, he'll also continue to oversee the kitchen at Belly & Trumpet, a dual role that he seemed to handle quite capably in the past.

Gras was hired last summer but his food never quite seemed to catch on with the critics: In a re-review of Oak published several months after Gras took the reins, Dallas Morning News critic Leslie Brenner said Oak had "lost its thrills." A more recent review from D proclaimed Gras' menu "erratic" and waxed nostalgic for the glory days under former chef Maddy.

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