Aldine Loses Its Chef After the Married Owners Split Up

Aldine, the Rittenhouse Square restaurant that’s been a regular on Eater Philly’s Essential 38, is losing its chef. George and Jennifer Sabatino opened Aldine in 2014. They split up as a couple last year, and George, the chef, is now moving on, according to Philly.com. Jennifer will stay on at the restaurant.

“It’s hard to move on with your life when you’re working with your ex every day,” Jennifer told Philly.com, adding that, despite rumors, “there’s nothing dramatic” or “ugly” about the situation. She’s in the process of looking for a new chef to take over at the new American restaurant, set on the second floor of 1901 Chestnut Street.

Before they opened Aldine, George worked at several highly regarded Philly eateries, including Fork and Ansill. Under Marcie Turney, he spent time in the kitchen at Lolita and opened Bindi and Barbuzzo. He was at Stateside on East Passyunk Avenue before Aldine. Jennifer’s background is on the bar side.

The chef has a new job in the works, Philly.com reports, but he’s not revealing it just yet.