Leslie Brenner is gone from the Dallas Morning News, will join local restaurant development company

After nearly eight years as the lead restaurant critic of the Dallas Morning News, the newspaper announced today that Leslie Brenner has resigned effective September 8. The paper says she will join a Rebees, a Dallas-based restaurant development company owned by Tristan Simon.

“Simon said that ‘adding her conceptual ability and imagination to the mix will make Rebees richer. We also want Leslie to continue to be a critic — of Rebees’ own work. Perfectionism is a part of our DNA, so she’ll fit right in,'” the paper reported.

Rebees is currently redeveloping the restaurant mix at Victory Park near downtown Dallas. In Simon’s glory days, the restaurateur launched Fireside Pies, Hibiscus and Cuba Libra, among others.

Can’t imagine what Brenner brings to Simon’s table, but he must be up to something other than his statement in the News that “her high food and beverage IQ will be relevant to most of what we do, but we’re just as excited about enlisting her abilities as a writer and storyteller, given how narrative figures into the creation of meaningful places.”

Brenner garnered much controversy among chefs and restauratuers during her tenure, including a well-publicized fight with chef John Tesar. Tesar commented on Brenner’s resignation this morning, taking to Facebook with “Ding dong the witch is dead .. let’s clean the slate The Dallas Morning News hire a real critic and let’s get the real scoop on what’s real and what’s not not the evil empire you have made us endure for the last 8 or 9 years … #goldenopportunity“

photo: Dallasnews.com