Kara Snyder Departs Lodge for Tender Greens

After nine years at The Lodge at Torrey Pines, Chef Kara Snyder is leaving the nest to become the Executive Chef at Tender Greens' Liberty Station location in Point Loma. Snyder, a Johnson & Wales grad, started as a chef in The Lodge's staff commissary and worked her way up to A.R. Valentien's Chef de Cuisine, taking over the post when Tim "T.K." Kolanko moved on to manage The Fishery in Pacific Beach last June.

Jeff Jackson, The Lodge's Executive Chef and mentor to countless local cooks, will likely promote Kelli Crosson, A.R. Valentien's current sous chef, into Snyder's spot.

Chef Snyder will take over Liberty Station's day-to-day duties from Pete Balistreri, freeing him up to continue to oversee all Tender Greens' San Diego locations, including their new downtown restaurant. Balistreri started his eponymous P. Balisteri Salumi line out of the Liberty Station kitchen and tells Eater that he's looking forward to sharing his craft with Snyder. For her part, Snyder says that she's excited to join the Tender Greens team and manage a staff of 30; she'll putting her own spin on the menu there — continuing her passion for the seasonal, hand-crafted food that is the foundation of The Lodge by introducing handmade pasta and doing more canning and pickling of fruits and vegetables.

For fans of Snyder's cooking at A.R. Valentien, the hotel's signature fine dining, farm-to-table restaurant, you still have a little time to enjoy her food there; the chef won't officially take her leave until February.
· The Lodge at Torrey Pines [Official Site]
· Tender Greens [Official Site]