Primebar snaps up prime chef Max Mackissock

Yesterday, I reported that Primebar is taking up residence in early May in the former Palomino space at 1515 Arapahoe Street. I told you, too, that a Denver chef was having dinner last night with the top brass from Primebar about a possible exec chef position. And I promised I'd let you know how it all turned out.

Very well, as a matter of fact, especially for Max Mackissock, former exec at Vita, the restaurant at 1575 Boulder Street with the spectacular cityscape rooftop views (which is ditching brunch and adding lunch). Mackissock, who left Vita last September and did a short stint at Chicago's Alinea -- which Mackissock described as "interesting, but totally not my thing" -- said the negotiations went down easy at Osteria Marco, Frank Bonanno's Larimer Square shrine to burrata, swine and salumi.

"Yeah, I met with the guys from Primebar, we hung out at Osteria and they pretty much alleviated any concerns I had," he told me, "which made it really easy to accept their offer."

Mackissock isn't wasting any time building up his line. "I've hired five people already, some from Houston, a guy from L.A. and a guy in Denver," he said. What Denver guy? Turns out that Mackissock reined in Carl Klein, who'd worked for a short time at Corridor 44. "I'm just trying to amass as many quality people as possible before we open," he added.

Which should be right around May Day.