The chef is still Joshua Skenes, though I’m not sure how involved he’s ever been with day-to-day operations.
Seems likely any inconsistency is the result of staffing issues, given how many positions they’re looking to fill: chef, sous chef, chef de partie, pastry chef de partie, cook, commis, front of house manager, host, food runner, sommelier.
Skenes hasn’t cooked there (if ever?) - he’s just the creator of the restaurants. But the group still owns the restaurant.
I have no clue how they are still open, it’s never full unlike the SF location.
Before they first opened Skenes was on Dave Chang’s pod and without outright saying it they both made it seem like the rent deal was so insane he couldn’t not take it. With the prices they charge I can see how they’re still afloat though you are right that it is never full these days.
I surmise that they probably get a pretty sweet deal on the rent, since it’s in such a lower visibility location on the ground floor of a mall. Just speculation on my part, though…
My impression from Dave Chang’s podcast is that the company that spent half a billion dollars giving that mall a makeover wanted a destination restaurant so they basically bribed Skenes into opening there.
they are basically paying no rent, that much I know. But everything else still costs money. They gotta have a bunch of food waste and staff costs - insurance etc. Just wonder how long that runway is for them.
yikes! temporary closure… regardless of what the PR says, this can’t be good.
or maybe it can be. the menu is stale – you’re essentially forced to eat the same things on return visits. as far as quality goes, i find some dishes fantastic (e.g., the simple salad is the best salad i’ve ever had) and other dishes forgettable (e.g., the white fish crudo is totally uninspired). peony and i ate there and rustic canyon in the past month. we both felt that angler’s highs are better than rustic canyon’s highs but rustic canyon is more consistent and better overall. angler has lost its luster with us, so i’m intrigued to see how they change things up. it’s also not a good sign with the bartender is doubling as the sommelier.
There’s no need to close a restaurant to change its menu.
starting the death clock now…
Too bad. When she was good she was very, very good
And as I said on my review of it a 2nd time, I found everything (same dishes basically) MUCh more lackluster than the last time I went 8-9 months ago. My last reaction was, “I don’t think I’ll be returning”.
It’s over for Angler .
RIP, we went for a final visit and talking to some folks there it is supposed to come back as Angler, but it will be at a lower price point (and obviously different ingredient and service levels). Lots of staff are being let go with an open offer to return after re-opening. Josh Skenes has not been involved for a while and seemingly will not be in any new incarnation. Kitchen team was switching the dishes up a bit. There was an octopus dish that wasn’t there before, a new crab toast, and a different sauce on the spot prawn.
Skenes is still on the liquor license. I didn’t get the impression that he was ever very involved in day-to-day operations.
https://www.abc.ca.gov/licensing/license-lookup/single-license/?RPTTYPE=12&LICENSE=592819
If they’re going to change suppliers, they should really change the name, especially if the SF original is going to continue with its unique sourcing.
does anyone know if these changes are also taking place at the SF location?
Kinda not surprised about Angler’s closure. I don’t think it had wide enough appeal. I have a friend who loves to go to all the hot spot openings (Bicyclette, Manzke, Mes Amis, Horses, Mother Wolf). But I recently mentioned that I was surprised he hadn’t been to Angler, as he works on La Cienega & Melrose. He’d never heard of it. 
I haven’t heard anything about major changes at the SF location. Menu’s pretty much the same except they added a prix-fixe chef’s-choice option.
He’ll definitely hear about it if he joins FTC! lol
If your friend heard of all those he probably heard of Angler too but forgot. Unless he didn’t get into it until after Angler opened three years ago.
I’m working on him. Lol. Come down the rabbit hole!