Star Chef James Kent, Dies Unexpectedly Aged 45

(DailyDig.com) – A brilliant and accomplished chef in some award-winning restaurants in New York, James Kent, died at 45 on June 15 in Brooklyn.

Kent, a successful and distinguished chef, oversaw several restaurants: Saga, a Michelin two-starred eatery; Crown Shy; and Overstory. He also managed kitchens in Nomad as the executive chef and was the chef de cuisine at Eleven Madison Park, a Michelin three-star restaurant.

Kent’s death was announced on Saga Hospitality Group’s social media page, which stated that they are heartbroken. They shared that his death was unexpected and said they would be supporting Saga’s staff, Kent’s wife Kelly, and their children. They will all mourn his death. The post’s final message was for the employees of his eateries and their followers to stay home with loved ones to celebrate Father’s Day.

Kelly released a statement on June 17, saying that the cause of his death was a heart attack. He was creating graffiti art for a Brooklyn restaurant at the time of his death. Kent has enjoyed the graffiti art hobby since his youth.

When Kent was 14 in Greenwich Village, he spent that summer working at David Bouley, a celebrity chef’s restaurant. He soon worked at several NYC restaurants, such as Jean-Georges, Babbo, and Eleven Madison Park. He was appointed executive chef at NoMad.

In 2019, he opened his first restaurant, Crown Shy. A restaurant critic, Pete Wells, described the quality of the food at Crown Shy as being higher than expected on a regular basis. Another restaurant critic for the Times, Florence Fabricant, also agreed by saying that the menu was creative and eclectic.

Crown Shy was on the first floor of a skyscraper. Kent eventually expanded his footprint to four additional stories, which he transformed into his two other restaurants, Overstory and Saga, plus an exclusive dining room. The four stories contain 12 terraces that overlook the city in all four directions.

Kent once stated that he often didn’t feel comfortable in fancy restaurants. His aim for Crown Shy was to become his generation’s eatery.