Chef Johnny Leach OUT at Clyde Common

Photo of Clyde Common courtesy Avila/EPDX

A big shake-up to report at Clyde Common: After a six-month tenure, chef Johnny Leach, an alum of David Chang's Momofuku empire in New York City, is out of the Clyde kitchen. Portland Monthly was first to report the news over the weekend, and Clyde owner Nate Tilden says via email: "We have parted ways with executive chef Johnny Leach. While his food was great and we wish him the best, his management style didn't mesh with Clyde."

In his place, per Tilden, comes Carlo Lamagna, a Michigan native who most recently cooked at chef Paul Virant's Chicago restaurants, Perennial Virant and Vie. According to Tilden, Lamagna also served as the executive chef of Chicago's Benny's Chop House, where he "took a baseball bat to the chandelier of the steak house concept." (In late 2013, Lamagna announced his move to Portland, writing that he was "working toward the goal of opening a restaurant.")

Last month, Leach's menu received a two-star review from the Oregonian's Michael Russell, who largely praised Leach's "flair for the dramatic, though he still seems to be figuring out how hard he wants to rock the boat." No word yet on Leach's plans.
· Clyde Common Chef Shake-Up [Eat Beat]
· All Previous Clyde Coverage [Eater PDX]