Former City Provisions Chef Cleetus Friedman Has A New Gig

By Anthony Todd in Food on Mar 21, 2013 5:00PM

We just happened to be talking to Cleetus Friedman yesterday about his Check, Please! host nomination, and he hinted to us that something big was about to break. Since we were (somewhat obsessive) fans of City Provisions, his former deli and catering company, we immediately put it on our alert list. Well, that didn't take long — Friedman has a new job.

The Fountainhead, the Ravenswood whiskey haven with a beautiful rooftop bar, has hired Friedman to be their executive chef. We've got to admit, this doesn't feel like sour grapes. It feels like a perfect pairing. Friedman knows more about beer than most chefs, and the Fountainhead is known for beer. It's about four blocks from the former City Provisions, so all of Friedman's old customers will be able to find him.

Best of all, The Fountainhead has run a decent (if undistinguished) brunch operation for a while now. Since City Provisions had our favorite brunch in the city, we suspect Fountainhead just moved up about 100 spots on our list. All of Fountainhead's various menus will be revamped in the coming months and will include more local and sustainable items.

The Fountainhead is located at 1970 W. Montrose Avenue.