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It all started with a phone call yesterday: “Did you hear that Brian Cantrell from A Fish Called Avalon (AFCA) has been replaced by some guy named Kal, formerly of The Forge?” Nope, we hadn’t heard. But then we checked in with Joe Monteiro, the chef who helmed AFCA on South Beach for six years prior to Cantrell’s entry, and he replied via text, “U heard that already? I knew was coming, people told me weeks ago. The new guy is from that rest on 41st street [sic].”
“Forge?” was our reply.
“Yes, couldn’t remember the name.” It’s excusable; Monteiro has been away from South Florida for years.
Then we saw a posting for an upcoming Kangarilla Road Wine Dinner stating, “A Fish Called Avalon recently welcomed Chef Kal Abdalla into the kitchen. Chef Kal comes with an extraordinary amount of talent, as he trained under top toque Chef Allen Susser and was responsible for putting The Forge on the culinary map. For this event, you will be one of the first to experience Chef Kal’s expertise at his new home — A Fish Called Avalon.”
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AFCA’s PR folks wouldn’t confirm the rumor, but did state, “There have been some staff changes at the restaurant and we are actually putting all of this information together,” so we’ll keep you posted.
