Kris Wessel is this town’s most daring and enigmatic chef. The lanky, easygoing Big Easy native was in 1995 the original pioneering partner of Paninoteca, on then just-awakening Lincoln Road. After selling his share of the biz, he dropped out for a bit and later resurfaced in 1999 with Liaison, on then-construction-marred Española Way. Liaison was ahead of two notable curves to come: small, personal, chef-driven neighborhood restaurants and an emphasis on integrity of ingredients. Jackhammers finally succeeded in drilling nails in Liaison’s coffin in 2002, but not before Wessel established a reputation as an up-and-coming culinary star. The up-and-coming didn’t come with his next stint as hired gun to help save the ill-fated Elia in the Bal Harbour Shops — in the blink of an eye Mr. Wessel was gone from Elia and, again, from our radar — but he has arrived with Red Light, the new “regional dining lounge” that marks the comeback kid’s latest... More >>>