Radar Range: Keep your eye on Kitchen LTO’s new chef, Nick Amoriello

There’s a new countdown timer that ticks off the seconds, minutes, days until Kitchen LTO swaps out chefs and interior designers. If I were Casie Caldwell, the owner of Kitchen LTO, I’d make the timer count up instead.

The reason is Nick Amoriello, the restaurant’s new chef. Together with interior designer Sarah Reiss, Amoriello has transformed the permanent pop-up into a restaurant worth repeat visits. I love Reiss’ bold chevron art and high key styling. And I love Amoriello’s deft hand in the kitchen, refined most recently at Rapscallion, where Amoriello was sous chef, and at Nobu, Driftwood, Central 214, So & So’s before that.

Now in charge, he’s turning out bold flavor combos and interesting dishes that are equally alluring and interesting: hot and spicy “buffalo” fried quail, gossamer brandade fritters with cipollini onions and safron-infused white beans, and roasted rabbit with chestnuts and root vegetables. A dayboat fresh filet of halibut one evening might be replaced the next with equally appealing cod or monkfish, whatever the chef’s fishmonger says is fresh and that strikes his fancy.

Caldwell and Amoriello asked me to come in and give the new KLTO a try on their dime; I’m really glad I did.

If you’re looking to get behind new chef talent, Amoriello is one to back. Get there now.