Having seen two chefs come and go in one year’s time, Le Garage has been a revolving door for culinary talent.
This month, the door has spun around yet again.
The Hampden hotspot recently welcomed former Maggie’s Farm chef Andrew Weinzirl to its tables, marking its third executive chef appointment since opening its doors a year ago.
Coincidentally, although Weinzirl is new to the Le Garage family, this isn’t the first time he’s stepped into the kitchen at the W. 36th St. spot. In addition to acting as the co-owner and executive chef at Maggie’s, Weinzirl’s resume includes stints at Wine Market Bistro and The Dogwood Restaurant—Le Garage’s former inhabitant.
Also, fittingly, Weinzirl will be working under his former boss Christopher Spann, COO of Le Garage and Wine Market.
“I have a lot of fond memories in that kitchen,” Weinzirl says. “My first real opportunity to write menus was when I was sous-chef at The Dogwood in that exact spot.”
The recent buzz about Weinzirl was that he had signed on as executive chef at Encantada, the yet-to-open spot in the American Visionary Art Museum from Birroteca owner Robbin Haas.
“When the opportunity at Le Garage came up, it just felt like a much better fit,” Weinzirl says.
The chef has big plans to put his own spin on the restaurant’s current menu by experimenting with all types of French cuisine, including influences from French-Canadian and Creole dishes.
“The menu was stuck in traditional versions of French dishes and we want it to be fun,” he says. “People have a lot of preconceived notions about French cuisine and we don’t want them to see it as pretentious.”
Weinzirl’s first official menu will debut for dinner service tonight, starting at 5 p.m. The menu will highlight new additions like Chartreuse–chilled salmon and duck ragù with house-made gnocchi.
“I was restricted at Maggie’s Farm because of the size of the space and the kitchen” he says. “Having those restrictions pulled away is really exciting.”