Marla Bakery Loses New Chef, Drops Dinner Service

Only a few weeks after the announcement that chef Duncan Holmes (Sons & Daughters) had taken the role of chef de cuisine at Marla Bakery, he's already saying goodbye. Holmes cited personal reasons that will cause him to leave the city entirely; in a statement, the restaurant said "[we've] greatly enjoyed his contribution, and understand his decision." Holmes' last night at the restaurant will be February 14, which will also be the restaurant's last night of dinner service for the time being—adorable married owners Joe Wolf and Amy Brown are expecting their first child in June, and have decided to take some time to rethink operations. Breakfast, brunch and lunch will go on as usual. [EaterWire]

Meanwhile, Saison has lost its executive sous chef, Mitch Lienhard, after less than a year. Lienhard, an Eater Young Gun who'd previously been Curtis Duffy's right-hand man at Chicago's Grace, saw both of his employers hit the three-Michelin-star mark this year, and is now cooking up something new in the Windy City. "I would prefer not to comment on the exact reasons for my leave, but instead look forward to my next, more positive venture," he says, adding that he'll be back in Chicago within the next month or two. [EaterWire]

Chef Colin Dewey is taking over as executive chef of Mediterranean-inspired bistro Florio. Formerly the executive chef of Zero Zero, Dewey is back in the Bay Area after a three-month sabbatical spent traveling through Italy. Though he got his start in Italian cooking under SF's Bruce Hill (Zero Zero, Fog City, Bix), Dewey has also logged time in the famed New York kitchens of Lidia Bastianich, Mario Batali, and Mark Ladner. Dewey will debut his first menu February 16, featuring a mix of Florio's classics, like steak frites, and his own takes on Italian favorites like bollito misto. [EaterWire]

Sophina Uong, formerly of Picán, is back in the kitchen after a brief hiatus. She left the Southern-inspired Oakland restaurant last September with plans to spend time traveling and plan her next move. Now, she's back as a "pop-up co-chef" at Berkeley's Revival Bar and Kitchen, taking the reigns for a few months while chef-owner Amy Murray returns to her other restaurant, Venus, for a menu revamp. [EBX]