Gabe Balenzuela, Ambria's new chef, struts his stuff

Ambria got off to a fast start at the end of last year. Just two weeks after Ling & Louie's closed on the 16th Street Mall, the Mediterranean-New American restaurant opened its doors in the same spot, with Ambria's kitchen manned by exec chef Jeremy Kittelson, who was a part-owner...

By Patrick Langlois

May 7, 2012

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Ambria got off to a fast start at the end of last year. Just two weeks after Ling & Louie's closed on the 16th Street Mall, the Mediterranean-New American restaurant opened its doors in the same spot, with Ambria's kitchen manned by exec chef Jeremy Kittelson, who was a part-owner in the operation.

But just three months later, Kittelson was out (he's now at Root Down), and managing partner Steve Halliday was introducing Ambria's new chef: Gabe Balenzuela, the former sous chef of Oceanaire. Balenzuela displayed some of the changes he's made to the menu at a recent dinner; here's a visual taste:

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