Former Cochon Chef Takes the Lead at French Quarter Gastropub Sylvain

The enduringly popular French Quarter restaurant and bar Sylvain has a new head chef after just a year with its kitchen’s most recent leader, Ben McCauley. Kyle Coppinger is now at the helm, moving over from the Warehouse’s District’s Cochon, where he was serving as the restaurant’s executive sous chef.

McCauley started as Sylvain’s chef last February when Martha Wiggins left the gastropub after seven years, eventually landing back alongside Alex Harrell, who she worked with for at Sylvain. Wiggins moved into the executive chef position at Sylvain in 2014 after opening chef Harrell left to open his own restaurant, Angeline. Following Angeline’s closure last year, Harrell became the opening head chef at hotspot The Elysian Bar and Wiggins joined him.

Sylvain is part of LeBlanc + Smith, a restaurant group that also includes Cavan, Meauxbar, Barrel Proof, and the newest of the bunch, Longway Tavern, which recently experienced its own kitchen shakeup after owners cited new details about its chefs 2018 domestic abuse arrest being brought to their attention.

Prior to his gig at Sylvain, McCauley was executive chef at Phillip Lopez’s Monkey Board and Petit Lion before becoming sous chef at Shaya and Domenica.

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• After More Than Seven Years, Chef Martha Wiggins Departs Sylvain [ENOLA]
• Longway Tavern Fires Chef Arrested in 2018, Citing New Abuse Details [ENOLA]