Chef Timothy Wastell Out at Old Salt, Ben Schade In

A chef shake-up to report at Old Salt Marketplace: Opening chef Timothy Wastell officially left the open-hearth kitchen earlier this week, and has been replaced by longtime sous chef Ben Schade. Schade, an alum of Lincoln, happens to be the namesake of Old Salt's "Ben's Biscuits," which co-owner Ben Meyer identified one of the restaurant's most enduringly popular dishes. But moving forward, "the food is going to move away from Tim's Italian influence," Meyer said in a statement. "We are an American restaurant, and I think that will be more obvious over the next weeks and months. It's a big country with such a broad, rich tapestry of food to borrow from."

According to a press release, the biscuits will stay on the menu, as will Old Salt's Gentlemen's Cut steaks and ham hocks. But expect "more concise" vegetable dishes, rotating butcher's cut steaks, and more "snack" options like ham biscuits, meat pies, and rillettes. Schade's menu is available now. More about Wastell's next move as it becomes available.
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Photo of Old Salt Marketplace courtesy Avila/EPDX