Chef Ceaira Jackson has left Bait

Almost one year after Bait’s opening, chef Ceaira Jackson has parted ways with the restaurant, which we named one of 2019’s Best New Restaurants. Before Bait, Jackson cooked at Soho and Fleur de Lilies. 

“I put in my resignation because things weren’t aligned,” she said. “[There were] just some mishandlings by the management. My resignation wasn’t honored. It was kind of ignored, so I left sooner than I would have liked to.”

“Bait feels like visiting your fancy friend’s house – the excellent cook and immaculate host who always leaves you feeling cared for,” we wrote in our year-end restaurant roundup.

“Every night, it’s an ongoing, upscale dinner party,” Jackson added to the piece. Bait’s menu was known for Jackson’s creative takes on seafood boils, her fried Caribbean red snapper, her Thai chili wings and her unique sauces and sides. 

“I’m looking into some things right now,” Jackson added. She said she will be involved in some pop-ups in the near future, and she’s also investigating options for opening her own restaurant. 

Adam Rothbarth is a staff writer at Sauce Magazine.