Brian Lea IN as New Le Sel Executive Chef

There's a new face at the helm of Le Sel, Strategic Hospitality's French brasserie, as Brian Lea has been named executive chef of the Midtown restaurant.

Lea, who has flown under the radar in his new position for the past month, isn't a stranger to town, having worked at Husk Nashville previously. Prior experience also includes stints at the original Husk in Charleston, Jose Andres' The Bazaar in Beverly Hills, L.A.'s now-shuttered Red Medicine and most recently as chef de cuisine at Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo's tasting menu spot Trois Mec.

The Strategic Hospitality team had been on the hunt for a new executive chef since January, when chef Rene De Leon parted ways less than four months after opening Le Sel. The group's director of culinary operations Jason Brumm had been running the kitchen in the interim.