New chef at Red Owl Tavern

Kimpton Hotels has tapped Jorge Chicas as its new executive chef at Red Owl Tavern in the Hotel Monaco on Independence Mall.

Chicas - El Salvadoran-born, D.C.-bred and Culinary Institute of America-trained - replaces Guillermo Tellez, who has returned to Chicago, where he works for Mercadito Hospitality. Square 1682 at Kimpton's Hotel Palomar, also Tellez's previous stop, has localite Caitlin Mateo in the kitchen.)

Chicas' background includes time with José Andrés' ThinkFoodGroup (including the Bazaar at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills and opening chef at Zaytinya, in D.C.).