The sous chef at Cafe Pacific was just promoted to the executive position after two years at the Highland Park Village restaurant. Kleifgen has a fantastic background and attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York before moving to Boston, and worked with James Beard Award winning Frank McClelland at L’Espalier. But Kleifgen eventually made it back to Texas where he was raised.
“When I was in Boston it was all about French cuisine. That cuisine is learning to cook with what is available and follow the seasons. Working with McClelland I was able to go out and pick the vegetables on a farm each day that we would be using. Heirloom tomatoes off the vine, and squash blossoms that hours after being picked would become this fabulous ratatouille with fried squash blossoms,” said Kleifgen.
There will be new version of the menu soon, but do not expect too many changes. The new sous chef is Megan Babineau Potts who was hired from Oso. She was also sous at Kitchen LTO and Jon Bonnell’s Waters Coastal Cuisine in Fort Worth.