Chef Patrick Kriss leaves Acadia

Only a year after Momofuku Daisho wooed Matt Blondin away from Acadia, Patrick Kriss, the former Splendido chef de cuisine who replaced Blondin in the kitchen, is leaving the inventive College Street restaurant. Under Blondin, Acadia landed the number two spot on our list of best new restaurants in 2011 for its ambitious take on Lowcountry cooking. With Kriss in the kitchen, the restaurant received even more glowing praise. The owners Scott and Lindsey Selland are bringing in former Top Chef contestant Dustin Gallagher to take over until they find a new full-time chef. He started on Friday with his own menu, which is a marked departure from Blondin and Kriss’s elevated cuisine.