Both of Maruya's Sushi Chefs Have Jumped Ship

Maruya, the high-end Mission sushi spot that's been racking up acclaim since opening a year ago, is on the rocks: both of its sushi chefs (and partners), Masaki Sasaki and Hide Sueyoshi, have split with owner Ray Feliciano. Feliciano now has a new chef, Shinichi Kawaguchi, on board, and the omakase menu has maintained its $85 price point, but it's unclear how the departure of the two talented chefs, who adhere to time-consuming traditional Japanese techniques like lightly curing their fish, will affect the restaurant, where even the omakase menus were named for them. [Inside Scoop]

Over at the Ne Timeas Restaurant Group, Central Kitchen chef Ryan Pollnow has been bumped up the ranks to Partner. Along with Thomas McNaughton, he'll now oversee the entire operation, including Flour + Water, both Salumeria locations, and the forthcoming Cafe Du Nord. Rumors are also circulating that the group will be opening yet another restaurant as a showcase for Pollnow. In the meantime, Mark Bolton, previously of Chicago's Tru, will take the role of Central Kitchen's chef de cuisine. [EaterWire]

20 Spot, the charming Mission wine bar that manages to put out a full menu without a full kitchen, also has a new chef in the mix: Todd Corboy, who spent the past couple of years working with Delfina and its sister restaurants. His new menu is already in place, with dishes like salmon caviar, tuna poke, and burrata with tomatoes. Former chef Caleb Jones has signed on to do the food at Whitechapel, the forthcoming gin-centric bar from Smuggler's Cove's Martin Cate. [EaterWire]

Zero Zero now has a bright young chef running the kitchen: 24-year-old Joyce Conway, who's been at the restaurant since its opening four years ago (and previously worked at owner Bruce Hill's Bix). She's working on a menu of fall-inspired dishes like squash-stuffed pasta and grilled salad with pears and gorgonzola. [Inside Scoop]

Finally, the Four Seasons' restaurant, MKT, has a familiar face back in the kitchen: Alexander La Motte, who ran the show at the hotel's previous restaurant incarnation, Seasons, from 2010-2012. No word on where his predecessor, MKT opening chef Mark Richardson, is headed. [EaterWire]