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George Sabatino to leave Aldine amid breakup

Jennifer will continue to run Aldine, their second-floor restaurant at 1901 Chestnut St.

George and Jennifer Sabatino in the window of their restaurant, Aldine in October 2014.
George and Jennifer Sabatino in the window of their restaurant, Aldine in October 2014.Read moreMICHAEL KLEIN / Staff

George and Jennifer Sabatino, who split as a couple last March after seven years, will split professionally at the end of January from their high-rated restaurant.

Jennifer will continue to run Aldine, the elegant second-floor restaurant they opened at 1901 Chestnut St. in late 2014, winning three bells from Inquirer critic Craig LaBan in 2015. George, the chef, will leave for a new job, which would not disclose.

"We'd been running our business but neither of us are happy," Jennifer Sabatino said today. "It's hard to move on with your life when you're working with your ex every day. We did a really great job but neither of us were at our best. It's hard to work together every day. It came to a point that it was not the best decision to continue working together."

"It's not like an ugly thing that is happening with him leaving Aldine," she said, dispelling rumors to the contrary. "The truth is we sat down and figured it out. There's nothing dramatic. We're just two people who did great stuff together. Our relationship didn't work out."

"We tried," George Sabatino said, confirming her account and saying he was leaving for personal reasons.

Meanwhile, she is shopping for a new chef. "This is incredibly terrifying and exciting at the same time," she said. "There are no hard feelings. This makes it new again and gives us an opportunity to try different things. He's incredibly talented."