Patina gets new executive chef

Los Angeles chef and restaurateur Joachim Splichal has named Tony Esnault as executive chef of his flagship downtown restaurant, Patina.

Splichel said he took almost a year to find a chef for Patina.

"Tony is a phenomenal chef who has worked at some of the world’s best restaurants, including Auberge de L’Ill in Alsace, Louis XV in Monaco and Essex House in New York," he said.

Splichel said he and Esnault will begin work later this month to develop a new Patina menu that "marries our individual styles and techniques."

-- Jerry Hirsch