“It is with a heavy heart that we announce that chef Jes will be leaving Redlight as she prepares to relocate to North Carolina,” read yesterday’s Instagram post by Redlight Redlight.
In my case, it’s with a heavy stomach too. Jes Tantalo fed Orlando with her cosmopolitan takes on Southern comfort while propping up local growers and vendors, first at Emmabean (a prepared-foods business she ran with Emily Bose), then as chef-in-residence of East End Market and recently as chef at Redlight Redlight, where she crafted dishes that were comforting and restorative to the core, as gastropub fare should be.
“This decision comes with mixed emotions,” said Tantalo in a statement. “Orlando is home to some of the most meaningful years of my life and some of my absolute favorite people. I’m lucky to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. Immense gratitude goes out to Brent, Erica, and the whole team, past and present at Redlight for years of support.”
Tantalo is heading to North Carolina, but as far as specifics of this next chapter of her life, she wasn’t at liberty to discuss it saying only that she’s “just being sad for now.”
This marks the second time in three years that North Carolina has lured a beloved chef away from Orlando. In March 2022, Josh Oakley (Smiling Bison, 1921 Mount Dora, The Monroe) left to be the executive chef of a rural hospital, overseeing patient meals and the hospital’s cafe. He’s now in charge of Culture, an aperitivo bar serving small plates and sourdough pizza in Franklin, N.C. (And BTW, he will be back in Central Florida early next year staging a special dinner at Everoak Farm on Feb. 25.)
Meanwhile, Redlight Redlight owners Brent Hernandez and Erica Abalos-Hernandez will focus on the “continued evolution” of the kitchen. “With [Tantalo’s] guidance and expertise, we were able to grow Redlight into a food destination,” says Erica. “She always understood our vision and pushed for us to grow.”
An encouraging statement from the brewpub states that they remain “committed to delivering the same quality, creativity and hospitality that guests have come to enjoy during chef Jes’s tenure” and are actively seeking to fill her position. Those interested can send a résumé or inquiries to redlight.redlight@gmail.com.
Tantalo will stay on at Redlight Redlight through the end of January.
