Sean Malek has taken over as the executive chef at Emilia’s, the all-day dining establishment located within The Crescent Fort Worth hotel. The appointment places a familiar local culinary figure in charge of the kitchen at the property situated at 3300 Camp Bowie Blvd. in the Cultural District.
Malek previously served as the executive sous chef under founding chef Preston Paine at the hotel. His background includes leadership roles at several other Fort Worth and regional establishments. He was formerly the head chef at Eazy Monkey, a fusion restaurant on West Magnolia Avenue founded by chef Andrew Dilda.
Prior to that position, Malek worked as an executive sous chef for celebrity chef Tim Love at Gemelle in west Fort Worth and at the Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Emilia’s is positioned across from the Kimbell Art Museum and serves Italian and coastal Mediterranean cuisine. The restaurant has received online praise for its housemade pastas, pizzas, and weekend brunch offerings that include smoked-salmon eggs Benedict and lemon-ricotta pancakes. The Crescent itself was ranked as the top hotel in Texas by multiple publications upon its opening in 2024.
The leadership change follows Preston Paine’s departure from the hotel in April. Paine remains the chef at Shug’s Bagels, a Dallas-based shop with upcoming locations in Austin and at 5101 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth.
