When the axe fell on Stefan Friedman’s restaurants, their sudden closures left staff and patrons surprised. Ace Biscuit & Barbecue, Omakase Obscura, The Wine Guild of Charlottesville, Vitae Spirits Distillery, and Old Metropolitan Hall—the entire once-bountiful table of Friedman’s company, A Moveable Feast—folded or changed hands without any apparent warning. But the signs were there for anyone who looked hard enough.
Friedman is, as one former colleague said, “an extremely private person.” But since Ace shut its doors February 6, we have investigated Friedman’s professional life. As C-VILLE followed the trail of crumbs he left behind, we uncovered a story that grew weirder and more fascinating at every turn.
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