By Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo News Editor
LOWER EAST SIDE — The head chef at Pulino's, superstar restaurateur Keith McNally's Bowery pizzeria, has reportedly decided to leave.
Nate Appleman, an award-winning San Francisco import who was brought in to lead the kitchen at the much-hyped restaurant, departed the post after less than a year, Eater reported.
He told the blog that it was a "mutual split" and that "I loved my time there," offering only kind words about his time at the helm.
McNally — whose other downtown ventures include Minetta Tavern, Balthazar, Pastis and Schiller's — did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Appleman won the James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef award in 2009 for his work at restaurants in San Francisco and also competed on "The Next Iron Chef."
"There's so much hype surrounding this restaurant, and I think it will fall short of the expectations," Appleman told DNAinfo back in March when Pulino's opened.
He also acknowledged that much of the excitement among foodies surrounding the restaurant's debut stemmed from his manning the kitchen.
In April, Appleman was reportedly arrested for carrying a pocketknife in the East Village.
A chef from one of McNally's other successful downtown restaurants, Morandi, has assumed Appleman's role at Pulino's, Eater added.
