Stateside Names Its New Chef


We know that everyone has been wondering who would come along to fill the post left (very) recently vacant by chef George Sabatino at Stateside (whose last day is, well, today). And now we know. Elijah Milligan will be the new chef, and he’s certainly a bold choice.

Here’s what the Stateside ownership had to say.

The end of our time with George Sabatino left many questions to be answered, most importantly, who was going to be the next Executive Chef and what was the future of Stateside? We’ve found that future in our new Executive Chef, Elijah Milligan. We promised the Philadelphia food scene that we would continue our concept of contemporary American created by “young, aspiring chefs.” We believe that Elijah, at 24 years of age, is the absolute perfect fit for this restaurant and he has what it takes to continue to make Stateside the best restaurant in the city.

So who is this kid? Believe it or not, he’s already a 10-year vet of some of the best kitchens in the city, having started working in his family’s restaurants at 13 and then moving on to work in the kitchens of Le Bec Fin, Vernick Food & Drink and, most recently, under David Ansill as sous chef at Bar Ferdinand. He counts both Ansill and Georges Perrier as mentors and, at just 24, has the kind of resume that a lot of cooks in this town would kill for. Still, it isn’t going to be easy stepping into Sabatino’s shoes after the year he’s had.

“Elijah understands the fact that he is entering a restaurant with a bit of history and critical acclaim,” says the Stateside team. “He simply wants to continue that legacy but he also wants to continue with the belief that there is always room to improve.”

Here’s hoping Milligan can accomplish both those things.

All Stateside coverage [Foobooz]

50 Best Restaurants In Philadelphia [Philly mag]