Chef Charlie Keller, formerly the head chef at Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille and Hotel Eleo, opened a new restaurant earlier this month at Bo Diddley Plaza. The venture, Kushi & Co., offers a pared-down take on yakitori, the Japanese street food tradition of skewered, charcoal-grilled chicken commonly found near city train stations, perfect for an after-work bite.
Opening a Japanese restaurant was new territory for Keller but as a classically trained chef who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, he was up for the challenge. “I’m not one to shy away,” he said. “I love all different types of cuisine. I thought this would be a good opportunity to try something new and try and make something successful.”
Before opening Kushi & Co., Keller was the executive chef at Covey Kitchen & Cocktails inside the University of Florida’s Hotel Eleo during the Covid-19 pandemic, which landed at No. 69 on Yelp’s annual list of the top 100 restaurants in the United States in 2022. He was also executive chef at Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille…