Chef Ken Aponte, the executive chef behind now-closed concept Alchemy, has taken the executive chef position at Lake Wylie restaurant Drift. Aponte worked to build an inclusive menu at Alchemy, one that those who followed special diets, such as vegan and gluten-free, could enjoy. Alchemy suddenly announced its closure last month. Aponte calls the restaurant’s closure “bittersweet.”

‘It’s disappointing that the property was sold and they’re going to put up some form of apartment or brewery or something there; it’s frustrating because I put a lot of work into curating that menu and really making it a place for people with dietary restrictions to come and feel comfortable,” Apone says. “I don’t feel like there’s a place like that in Charlotte, at least that did it well, as far as having the ability to sell vegan, vegetarian, and non-vegan/vegetarian food to people and have each dish thought about. But the sweet part about it is that, it’s not like you’re going to be able to go to it and be like, ‘Oh, I remember when this place was great.’ It closed being as good as it was going to be, if not on the way to being better.”

After Alchemy, Aponte decided he wanted to look for a position that was totally different — one outside of the city of Charlotte that would exercise his creativity in a new way. His new employer, lakefront restaurant Drift, is a steakhouse with a much larger dining room, seating around 200 guests. It’s also about a 40-minute drive from Uptown, in the town of Belmont. His first week was restaurant week; since then, he’s been working to slowly infuse his cooking style onto the menu.

Though he won’t have as much creative freedom as he did at Alchemy and the restaurant is a meat-focused concept, Aponte says he does hope to add menu items that vegetarians, vegans, or gluten-free individuals can enjoy, broadening the number of people who feel comfortable dining there. 

“I don’t really like substitutes because substitutes mean that you weren’t really thought about,” he says. “It’s just like, ‘We’re going to make an audible for you.’ But I plan on putting an item or two that can accommodate each individual.”

There are several existing menu items he hopes to improve, too, by bringing them closer to the classic, such as the lobster bisque. 

“I just can’t wait to blow people away with some of the flavors that I’m going to bring to the area,” Aponte says. “I don’t feel like there is an area close by there that’s going to do what we’re about to do.”

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