Casey Wilcox IN at Second Bar + Kitchen

Casey Wilcox, the recently former executive chef of Justine’s Brasserie, is joining the staff of Second Bar + Kitchen. He’ll work in the downtown location on Congress Avenue. Previous executive chef Ethan R. Holmes is now back at Snap Kitchen.

Eventually, Wilcox will take over culinary operations within East Austin Hotel (full name), which is taking over the former site of East Side Fillin’ Station and Wonderland on East 6th Street. This is run by Second Bar’s parent organization La Corsha Hospitality Group. Second Bar’s expansion into the vacant space, the former home of fine dining destination Congress, will happen over the summer. Until those renovations are finished, Bar Congress is closed.

Wilcox worked at Justine’s for six years. Before that, he had stints in Uchi, Erling Jensen (Memphis), Commander's Palace and Fiamma (Las Vegas), and Mirbeau Inn (New York). In honor of his time with Justine’s, he even had French expression "C'est la Vie" tattooed in the Justine’s signature font right above his knuckles. Taylor Chambers took over his position at the French restaurant.

Second Bar’s chef de cuisine Jason Stude will become forthcoming Boiler Nine Bar + Grill’s executive chef, while La Corsha partner David Bull is overseeing Second Bar’s second location in the Archer Hotel in the Domain Northside.

La Corsha is also renovating Green Pastures with a slated hotel, and two other hotel projects in Texas: Hotel Saint George in Marfa and the restoration of Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells. There is also a third Second Bar set for the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.