When Executive Chef Spencer Coplan took over the kitchen at Restaurant Kinsley in Kingston in June 2025, he brought with him more than two decades of experience and a conviction that food is as much about community as it is about technique. Coplan’s resume spans restaurants from Michael Mina’s RN74 in Seattle to leadership roles in Memphis and the Adirondacks, and stages at famed kitchens like Alinea in Chicago and Attica in Melbourne. His Southern roots and refined French technique have already reshaped Kinsley’s menu, adding dishes like Nashville hot chicken and shrimp and grits to the restaurant’s seasonal lineup.
Now, Coplan is channeling that ethos into a new chef collaboration dinner series at the Uptown Kingston restaurant—a project designed to amplify local talent, celebrate diverse culinary voices, and give diners something truly memorable. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, and one thing I really enjoy is collaboration,” Coplan told me. “Working with other chefs, and other farmers, and exploring who we have in our community is really important. It’s fun for the guests… and it’s always a learning experience for everyone.”
The inaugural dinner is set for Monday, February 23, when Coplan and Hudson Valley duo Jesseca Naldo and Harrison Cohen, co-owners of Sira Ulō, will present a family-style roasted suckling pig from Northwind Farms, accompanied by sides, accoutrements, and desserts across two intimate seatings of 15 guests each. For Coplan, kicking off with this Filipino-inspired meal isn’t just about flavor; it’s personal. “Filipino food reminds me of home a lot,” he says. “I had a lot of friends who would make lumpia for parties.”
Practical details vary by event, Coplan explains. The first dinner will be served upstairs at Kinsley—not the main dining room—because the whole pig format creates a convivial, close-knit vibe that suits an intimate setting. But future collaborations might unfold across the restaurant, in cocktail takeovers, or even reimagined versions of Kinsley classics. “It really just depends on what the chef and I want to do for each collaboration,” he says. “It’s an open book of possibilities.”
Subsequent dinners will spotlight other regional talents, including Alex Lempka of Hamlet & Ghost in Saratoga Springs and Chris Weathered of Mill & Main in Kerhonkson—chefs whose creative approaches align with Coplan’s commitment to local sourcing and expressive cuisine. Coplan’s connection to Weathered, for instance, grew from a chance encounter at a Chef Einat Admony’s Nine Chefs, One Table event last summer in Kerhonkson, where the two hit it off and laid the groundwork for this collaboration.
At its heart, Coplan says the series is about connection: between chefs, between guests and food traditions, and between Kingston and the broader Hudson Valley culinary scene. “I want people to walk away with a little knowledge of what Filipino food means and a sense of more community,” he says. “We are all here to learn and eat good food and celebrate that together.”
In an era when pop-ups and guest chef dinners have proliferated, Coplan sees this series as a natural evolution—an opportunity for creative risk-taking rooted in local pride. And for diners, it’s a chance to taste that spirit in every dish.
Reserve your place at the Sira Ulo pop-up at Restaurant Kinsley on Monday, February 23 via this link.
