“I will cherish the relationships that I have made at Venteux and I will continue to leave my door open for anything that they need in the future,” he said in the post. “In the meantime, I will be taking time to myself, focus on my passion for cooking and work on new things to come down the road.”
Replacing Young as executive chef will be Joseph Mosconi, who has worked in Las Vegas at Honey Salt, Tao Asian Bistro and sushi and sake restaurant Sake Rok, among others. Venteux’s operator, Clique Hospitality, issued a statement saying it is “pleased to have him taking the reins in the kitchen.”
Venteux opened in the Carbide & Carbon Building in early 2021, occupying the ground floor of the Pendry Hotel in the historic building at 230 N. Michigan Ave. Venteux means “windy” in French, and the space was designed to feel like a contemporary Parisienne restaurant.
Young helped open the restaurant and crafted the menu. He created cafe items to draw customers in for breakfast and lunch, as well as champagne and oyster offerings to grab happy hour attendees and dinner options for evening crowds. Clique Hospitality said in its statement it was “honored” to have had Young as part of Venteux’s opening team.
“We are extremely grateful to have worked with a chef of his caliber and wish him nothing but the best in his future career endeavors,” the statement said.
Young has not always left restaurants on such good terms. In 2019, he left Noble Square’s Temporis restaurant citing “managerial and creative differences.”
While at Temporis, then-28-year-old Young became one of the youngest American chefs to earn a Michelin star, one of the highest honors in the culinary world. Young launched his culinary career at age 17 and was a reluctant cook at first. He later studied in France, a time he said inspired his menu creation at Venteux.
Young did not immediately return requests for comment today.