Galen Sampson has left Farmstead Grill, the chef and former Dogwood Restaurant owner has confirmed.
The opening of Farmstead Grill in 2014 marked the return to Baltimore for Sampson, who with his wife Bridget Sampson owned and operated the memorable Dogwood Restaurant in Hampden from 2007 to 2013.
Galen said in an email that his contract with the Canton restaurant ended just as he was dealing with personal family matters, including the unexpected death of his mother on Feb. 2 and another illness in his family.
"Bridget and I discussed what we wanted to do moving forward, and [we] decided ... that it was best for me to focus on our family right now and also to pursue some other interesting opportunities that have come along that put me closer to the land."
Sampson spent much of the year between the closing of Dogwood and the opening of Farmstead Grill in Virginia, where he took part in an apprenticeship program at a historic farm outside Charlottesville.
The chef's departure from Farmstead Grill was confirmed by Cynthia Glover, a spokeswoman for the restaurant's owners.
"The search is on for a new executive chef, but we don't have anything more to report on that at the moment," Glover said in an email.