Family Plan

But Colorado has seen the last of chef Ian Kleinman, late of the Hilltop, Indigo, Nine75and Emogene -- those last two both Jim Sullivan operations. He's now executive chef at Aqua -- no, not the Aqua that has yet to open on Lincoln, but the one in Beverly Hills, which is looking to be one of the hottest new joints in one of the hottest neighborhoods in the world, in a space that had been Larry Flynt's old Hustler Club. Kleinman was flown out on a Tuesday, had the job by Wednesday morning, flew back to Denver, gave notice to Troy Guard at Nine75, and was gone just a few days later. His new bosses even sprang for a Beverly Hills apartment -- for a guy who's never even worked outside of Colorado, unless you count the half-dozen times he was called out to cook at the James Beard House.

I got Kleinman on the phone on his last day in Denver, and he was so excited he'd pretty much lost the ability to speak coherently. He jabbered on about tasting menus and sous-vide cooking and Michael Jordan being at the opening set for January 14, but the only really articulate thing he said was this: "I've been called up to the big leagues, bro!" Ain't that the truth.