Eastlack Leaves Otis Zark at Terra
by July 27, 1998 12:00 am 105 views
Tuesday Eastlack has left her job as executive chef at Otis Zark at Terra.
Rita Ward, who owns the restaurant at Terra Studios, a pottery and glass studio in Durham, says Eastlack didn’t fit with the restaurant’s theme.
“Tuesday works best in a chef-driven restaurant,” Ward says. “She’s a very creative person, and I like her a lot. She couldn’t be comfortable with our theme.”
The theme at Otis Zark is “peasant nouveau cuisine,” which Eastlack had described as “comfort food” like grandmothers make.
Ward says Eastlack is more suited for a restaurant that serves “haute cuisine,” that is, a tad fancier than the fare prepared by most grandmothers.
“It was a business choice,” says Ward. “In order to go with the theme we chose years ago, it would be best to have many cooks contributing many things.”
Ward says she bought out Eastlack’s contract and the two parted amicably.
Ward says she won’t hire an executive chef to replace Eastlack. Several cooks will be used to prepare the food instead.
Otis Zark, a 5,000-SF restaurant designed and crafted by artisans at Terra Studios, opened June 1. Eastlack left July 6. Eastlack, who had gone on an extensive camping trip after leaving her job, couldn’t be reached for comment.
Eastlack was formerly chef/owner of Tuesday’s restaurant in Fayetteville.