Chef Jonathan Moore will start as executive chef at Uptown restaurant Halcyon Flavors From the Earth next week. Moore was most recently at Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen, where he oversaw catering operations. Former executive chef at Halcyon Jim Stouffer has taken over the executive chef position at La Belle Helene.

Diners won’t see much change in the menu at Halcyon immediately, but a longterm shift is in the works to transition the menu from its current French bistro-style cuisine to modern Southern. The menu will also grow in its shared plates offerings while lowering the price in that section to make the restaurant more of an after-work destination.

“People enjoy the small-plate style food,” Moore says. “We won’t use the word tapas, but shareable appetizers.”

Halcyon will continue to serve lunch and dinner.

Before working at Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen, Moore, 28, worked at Sea Level NC. He was sous chef at Passion8 in Elizabeth before it closed. A Charlotte native, Moore expects to start showing his cooking style of elevated Southern using local ingredients in the next couple of months.

“With every new chef, they allow them to bring their own style to the table,” he says. Before Stouffer, Marc Jacksina was executive chef at Halcyon after the restaurant opened in 2010. We’re interested to see how Halcyon’s new menu plays out; we were big fans of Stouffer’s simple, refined dishes.

La Belle Helene chose not to comment on Stouffer’s hire. —Kristen Wile

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