Eater caught the news that chef Casey Thompson has left AVELINE in the Warwick Hotel in Union Square. According to a follow-up with Scoop, the split is actually between Thompson and the hotel—she’ll take the name Aveline with her, though perhaps not the concept. It sounds like the split was mutual, since she says, “We decided to go separate ways…It just wasn’t the right fit. For them, for me.” She may decide to open Aveline somewhere else—and we hope that’s the case, because those crab macarons are gonna be missed something fierce, damn it. Of course we’ll keep you updated on her next move and whatever moves in to the Warwick. 490 Geary St. at Taylor, 415-345-2303.
In the Marina, LE MARAIS BISTRO AND BAKERY has a new chef, Max Snyder, after the departure of Nicolette Manescalchi. Snyder has previously worked at Quince, Saison, and Coi in San Francisco, as well as Eleven Madison Park and Marea in New York and Qui in Austin. His bistro menu is a bit more classic, with a cheeseburger, black cod en papillote, and Caesar salad appearing alongside more contemporary dishes like beets with pomegranate, black olive, and burrata, or a chicken dish with smoked confit, chickpea, radicchio, and citrus. 2066 Chestnut St. at Steiner, 415-359-9801.
Beets with burrata at Le Marais. Photo courtesy Le Marais.