Chef Shuffles at Chotto, El Paseo and Range

Chef Rachel Silcocks finds a new home at Range

By Meesha Halm

Kitchen crews ebb and flow all the time and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but as a customer, it is nice to know when the top toque takes off.

El Paseo: Tyler Florence gets all the limelight but the man manning the stoves at El Paseo since opening day has been ex New Yorker Preston Clark. In a heartfelt note, Florence announced that Clark is leaving the Mill Valley chophouse to return to the East Coast. No word on a replacement yet.

Chotto: Armanda Justo might not be as well known, but he too has been the talent behind the edgy izakaya fare since this Marina Japanese opened in 2010. The Inside Scoop reports that he's moving to Google HQ where he'll be the chef at the company's Japanese restaurant. Chotto's current kitchen crew will step in until a replacement is named.

Range: This is actually good new for diners. Rachel Silcocks, the talented chef behind the Dogpatch's Piccino Cafe, has signed on to be the executive chef of Range, stepping in to replace chef/owner Phil West, who still owns the neighborhood gem with his wife Cameron, but wants to spend more time with his family.