Ambitious Chef Splits With Fledgling Alexandria Restaurant | Eater DC

"At 1400 Duke Street in Old Town, Alexandria, VA, I learned that the Executive Diner and Cafe has parted ways with chef Dadisi Olutosin; he announced on social media that he is no longer with the restaurant after the owners and he couldn't agree on the restaurant's direction, and a spokeswoman says he was fired after the first day of service. Olutosin, a Sequoia alum who had been developing upscale comfort-food plans for the all-day menu—ranging from blackened pork chops to Japanese-style pancakes—is now moving on to pursue his own project with his Plated Food Groupe partners as they seek investors to open a new DMV restaurant later this year. Executive Diner co-founder Jerry Pnevmatikatos downplayed the departure, calling Olutosin "only a minor link in the chain." - Warren Rojas