Dallas chef Kent Rathbun, best known for his involvement with local restaurants Abacus and Jasper's, is recovering at Parkland Hospital after an accident. SideDish reports he was thrown from an ATV.
He suffered significant injuries including 22 broken ribs, a lacerated kidney and fractured vertebrae, according to his CaringBridge page. Rathbun is scheduled for spinal surgery on Tuesday, Nov. 8, he tells his friends via a Facebook Live video.
Rathbun is one of Dallas' best-known chefs. He's a jovial, pleasant guy who stocks his calendar with cooking demonstrations and charity events. He recently served on the judging panel to pick the State Fair of Texas' best new foods and also cooked at a recent Dallas food and wine fest called Park & Palate. Two weeks ago, at an auction at Dallas' famed Cattle Baron's Ball, Rathbun and his chef buddies (who go by the name the Barbecue Boys) raised $150,000 for their star-studded dinners benefitting charity.
Rathbun recently stepped away from the executive chef job at Abacus. He has other concepts in the works in Dallas.
Rathbun seemed in good spirits when he gave the Facebook Live update: "Hey everybody, just wanted to let you guys know that I'm OK. Sort of," he says.
"I wanted to make sure you all knew that I wasn't in a coma."
The family asks that friends check for updates on this site.
UPDATE: Rathbun is posting updates and Facebook Live videos. He seems to be getting regular deliveries of food from his restaurateur buddies. Follow along here.
