Chef Michael Sichel Leaves Iconic New Orleans Restaurant for Charleston Hotel

Chef Michael Sichel has been the executive chef at the ”grand dame” of New Orleans food Galatoire’s since 2011, but it broke yesterday that he’s headed to Charleston to serve as the executive chef of the forthcoming signature restaurant at Hotel Bennett.

Galatoire’s is all about tradition — it’s an institution that’s been open since 1905. Sichel spoke to Eater New Orleans about this in 2015:

Everybody has their own opinion, but you know, every day at Galatoire’s is a celebration - we’re celebrating traditions. We’re proud to hang our hat on the traditional cuisine, we embrace it, we embrace this New Orleans cuisine. People come here just to be a part of it. I’m really proud to be a part of Galatoire’s and a part of New Orleans. That’s what I’m here for.

Should Charleston expect something traditionally Southern from Sichel at Hotel Bennett? All we know so far is that the signature restaurant’s “... effortlessly elegant ambiance is reminiscent of Europe, and unlike any dining experience in Charleston.”

• Former Galatoire’s Chef Hired to Oversee Hotel Bennett’s Signature Restaurant [P&C]
• Michael Sichel to Take Over as Galatoire’s New Executive Chef [ENOLA]
• Galatoire’s Michael Sichel on the Enduring Nature of Shrimp Remoulade [ENOLA]