Top Austin Restaurant Loses One of Its Original Chefs

Emmer & Rye, one of Austin’s and Texas’ best restaurants obsessed with grains, is losing part of its original team. Chef de cuisine and co-partner Page Pressley is leaving the downtown restaurant, as confirmed by a rep.

Jessica Fradono Photography

Pressley’s departure is an “amicable” one, according to a rep for the restaurant. Pressley “decided he wanted to focus more on consulting, which would allow more time with his son.”

Before joining executive chef and co-partner Kevin Fink in opening Emmer, Pressley had been the executive chef of Uchi restaurant group’s Sunset Valley pizzeria St. Philip, which closed in 2015. The Uchi vet had also been the chef de cuisine of Uchiko.

Fink, Pressley, and co-partner and executive pastry chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph opened Emmer & Rye, with a focus on seasonal produce, grains, and fermentation, in 2015. They followed that with fast-casual food hall stand Henbit in early 2018.

Now Fink and Bristol-Joseph are working on their next restaurant, the live-fire-centric Hestia, opening in downtown Austin in the spring.

• Chef-partner Page Pressley leaves top-rated Emmer & Rye [Austin 360]
• All Coverage of Emmer & Rye [EATX]