Executive Chef Rob Weland Leaves Poste After Seven Years

Executive chef Rob Weland has left his position at Poste Moderne Brasserie after seven years in the Penn Quarter restaurant's kitchen — and, notably, its organic garden that earned him and the restaurant a reputation for sustainability. Washingtonian critic Todd Kliman tweeted the surprising news last night, adding mysteriously that "he'll turn up somewhere very soon in DC." And, indeed, a rep for the restaurant confirms, noting that the departure is "effective immediately" and that among the reasons Weland is leaving would be the book he's writing about sustainable gardening and cooking.

Under Weland's watch, Poste implemented programs like market-to-market dinners in which the chef took dinner guests to the farmers market to buy ingredients together, as well as hosted lots and lots of pig roasts on Poste's expansive patio. Poste's statement says the search is underway for a new executive chef and has nothing but nice things to say about Weland. The questions that remain are where he'll turn up and why the seemingly abrupt departure? We'll fill you in as we learn the answers.

Poste's statement:

Effective immediately, Chef Rob Weland is no longer the executive chef at Poste Moderne Brasserie. Chef Weland has decided to leave Poste to pursue other opportunities, including authoring a book around preserving seasonal flavors and sustainable gardening and cooking. Poste would like to thank Chef Weland for his seven years of service to the restaurant, which under his leadership, has grown to be one of the most critically acclaimed restaurants in Washington, DC. Chef Weland has helped expand the restaurant's garden and implement many sustainable and environmentally conscious operating procedures at Poste. At this time, the restaurant is searching for a new executive chef, and will make an announcement as soon as a replacement is hired. Poste and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants would like to thank Chef Weland for his efforts and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

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