New head chef at the Cliff House

We don’t have a lot of four star restaurants in the Richmond, so when a chef of George Morrone’s caliber comes onto the scene as he did last December at the Cliff House, we take notice. Prior to the Cliff House, Morrone led the kitchens at downtown eateries Aqua and Fifth Floor.

But it turns out his stint at the Sutro’s of the Cliff House was short-lived. The Chronicle’s Scoop column reports today that Morrone has moved on. His original consulting contract was only for a few months, so the Cliff House was lucky to have him on board until Labor Day.

Taking the helm as co-chef will be 32-year-old Patrick Prager, who last cooked at Michael Mina’s restaurant in Los Angeles, XIV. Prager arrived at the Cliff House a little over a month ago to work with Morrone.

“George brought some exciting new ideas. We hope to keep it going,” Kevin Weber says, executive chef and director of food operations. “Patrick is young and energetic and has some of his own ideas,” which will show up on the menu over the next several weeks.

Sarah B.