One door closes and another opens. In this case, pretty quickly.
Two days after The Florence closed its doors for the final time in Savannah, Executive Chef Kyle Jacovino has landed a new gig. Jacovino will become Executive Chef at the 1540 Room inside the newly renovated DeSoto Hotel on Liberty street in the heart of downtown Savannah.
“I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my culinary journey,” said Jacovino in a prepared statement released Wednesday morning. “My food focuses on hyper-fresh ingredients from a community of local farmers, and I pride myself on having personal relationships with all of them. I am excited to get started.”
“We are incredibly excited to bring Chef Jacovino aboard and keep his culinary skills in Savannah,” said Jeff Kmiec, managing director of The DeSoto. “He possesses an incredible mixture of experience, education, and foresight. Our guests are going to love him and what he creates for them.”
This is great news for Savannah’s culinary scene. Kyle is, without question, one of the best talents in the area.
Jacovino got his start in kitchens during his high school years in Pennsylvania, and a week after graduating, took a position as garde manger at the Nemacolin resort outside Pittsburgh. By age 20, he was living in the Finger Lakes region of New York, working as sous chef at Mirbeau Inn & Spa. By chance, a waiter there put him in touch with Ryan Smith, formerly of Atlanta’s Empire State South, who would become both Jacovino’s mentor and the driving force behind his move to Georgia.
Eventually, Jacovino began working as executive sous chef at Empire State South, where he absorbed his mentor’s intense focus and knowledge about food. He also studied in Italy for four months to learn about pizza and pasta-making techniques. Upon his return to the States, he became head of the kitchen at Hugh Acheson’s flagship restaurant, Five & Ten in Athens, and later as executive chef of The Florence in Savannah.
The 1540 Room will offer southern-infused, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine and decadent desserts made from locally-sourced ingredients.
The newly renovated space in The DeSoto is expected to open in early August.
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