In what feels like a record day for the unemployment rolls, no less than five chefs got or gave notice over the weekend, according to various sources: Jody Williams at Morandi, Alex Raij at Tía Pol and El Quinto Pino, Jean Adamson at Freemans, Ed Cotton at Veritas, and Sam Hazen at Tao. That must have been some weekend! Though the sheer deluge of professional divorces is striking, the shocking part was Raij’s ejection from her own tapas restaurants. Williams had been rumored to be on shaky ground during Morandi’s review process, Cotton was a short timer (eight months) at Veritas, and the chef job at Tao is a corporate functionary. Freemans is still best known for its drinks, and a talented cook like Adamson was bound to move on sooner or later. The real question is what happened to Raij, whose touch had been a golden one at her restaurants, both critically and commercially.

Double Breaking BLOCKBUSTER: Jody Williams Out at Morandi [Eater]
After a Decade, Sam Hazen Departs Tao [Strong Buzz]
EaterWire: Ed Cotton Out at Veritas [Eater]
Report: Alex Raij Out at Tía Pol and El Quinto Pino
EaterWire: Jean Adamson Gives Notice at Freemans [Eater]