Congrats – and goodbye

On May 18, customers of Parks & Rec Diner, 1942 W. Grand River Avenue, in downtown Detroit, found out that Executive Chef Allie Lyttle would no longer be at the restaurant via a statement on their Facebook page. “The Diner had been doing very well, in terms of covers and total sales and media coverage. So I was completely taken aback,” said Lyttle, who had been there for almost three years. She found out right before leaving for her honeymoon she had lost her job – via text message. When she called the general manager, she was told her position had been eliminated and they were restructuring the culinary management team. Lyttle is the third executive chef to leave the Grand Army of Republic in the last few years. But Lyttle has no intention to stay home and nest. She currently has plans to open her own restaurant that incorporates a cooking school element, possibly in Hamtramck.

Metro Intelligencer is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening on the restaurant scene in the metro Detroit area. Metro intelligencer is reported/created each month by Dana Casadei who can be reached at DanaCasadei@DowntownPublications.com with news items or tips, on or off the record.