Trinity Groves Chef Gone
Pilgrim Chef Najat Kaanache out at Trinity Groves restaurant Souk
So-called "Pilgrim Chef" Najat Kaanache truly is a pilgrim, with another move on her plate: Kaanache has left the employ of Souk, the Moroccan restaurant at Trinity Groves owned by Yaser Khalaf.
"She left at the beginning of this week, but I cannot comment further on this topic," Khalaf said.
Khalaf may remain silent, but staffers at other restaurants in the Trinity Groves complex spoke off the record of a negative attitude in the Souk kitchen that pervaded the restaurant. Kaanache did not respond to an email inquiry.
She first came to Dallas to consult on the menu at Stephan Pyles' Stampede 66. In 2012, she took over the kitchen at Private Social after the departure of original chef Tiffany Derry. (Private Social shut down and reopened as Barter.)
Khalaf said that Kaanache's departure would not affect operations at Souk and promised a new menu coming soon.
"For now, it's myself and my chef from Baboush picking up the slack," he said. "Right now, we don't want to shock the menu. But in the next few weeks, we'll have new menu items and a lot of improvements."