One opening, two closings for chef Zack Sklar

Chef Zack Sklar’s Peas & Carrots Hospitality group will open a second location of south-of-the-border comfort food restaurant Mex at Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills shortly after closing two Birmingham restaurants.

An opening date hasn’t been announced, but the new location will open soon in District 6, near the Legoland Discovery Center. The original Mex opened in 2013 at 6675 Telegraph in Bloomfield Hills.

Sklar, who studied at the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, N.Y., and his Peas & Carrots Hospitality Group also own and operate Beau’s Grillery in Bloomfield Hills and Social Kitchen & Bar in Birmingham.

His two other Birmingham restaurants – French concept Au Cochon and Italian restaurant Arthur Avenue, both at 260 N. Old Woodward – quietly closed this fall. Both businesses opened this time last year to favorable reviews.

Detroit News restaurant critic Molly Abraham gave Arthur Avenue a “very good” rating of 2 ¹/₂ stars. Au Cochon was considered “excellent” with three stars.

This summer Sklar’s other company, Schmaltz Hospitality LLC, opened the first Detroit location of Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken in Cass Corridor.

mbaetens@detroitnews.com

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Twitter: @melodybaetens