As we had reported earlier, Downtown’s mythical Myth has been sold and with the sale comes the February departure of founding chef Sean O’Brien and sommelier Alex Fox. Now, word on the street (and in the San Francisco Chronicle) is that Carl Pascarella, former CEO of Visa USA, is the new owner and he will be pairing up with chef Ron Siegel and sommelier Stephane Lacroix, both currently of the Ritz-Carlton Dining Room.
A spokesperson for the Ritz confirmed only that the two of them had been approached but that they were still a part of the hotel team. She went on to tell us that although the duo is investigating the deal, it’s just one of many proposals that they’ve gotten over the years.
Meanwhile, departing Myth chef O’Brien points out that although the new owners promised to keep the existing staff, two of the three top positions were eliminated (his and Fox’s) and that the only top person keeping her job is the general manager who just happens to be married to Stephane Lacroix. Stayed tuned.