More chef goings-on from Rustic Canyon
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This morning at the Santa Monica farmers market, I bumped into newly appointed Rustic Canyon chef Evan Funke (pictured) at Windrose Farm’s stall -- along with the restaurant’s entire crew (owner Josh Loeb, pastry chef Zoe Nathan, departing chef Samir Mohajer), who seemed to be having an ad hoc meeting next to the tomato plants and baskets of lettuces. Funke, a local boy from Pacific Palisades, rolls out his new menu tomorrow night. He says he’ll be emphasizing pasta (zucchini agnolotti with basil sauce, black olive pappardelle with rabbit ragu) since he just got back from Italy, where he spent three months cooking pasta with pasta maker Alessandra Spisni in Bologna. Prior to that, Funke spent 6 1/2 years with the Wolfgang Puck organization, starting out in catering and moving up to sous chef at Spago, followed by a stint as chef de cuisine at the Avalon Hotel.
As Funke moved off to talk to Windrose Farm’s Barbara Spenser about lamb, Mohajer confirmed that he and Paul Shoemaker (formerly chef de cuisine at Providence) have a restaurant in the works: ‘That’s the plan.’ It turns out that Mojaher and Shoemaker went to culinary school together -- Pasadena’s CSCA -- from which Funke also graduated. Maybe it was a secret alumni meeting....
Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen, 1119 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. (310) 393-7050. Lunch, 11:30-2:30 p.m. Tues.- Fri.; dinner, 5:30-10:00 p.m. daily (closing hours may vary).
-- Amy Scattergood
