Bruce Gerleman, owner of Splash Seafood Bar and Grill, has announced that Ryan Baber has been promoted to the role of executive chef at Splash. Baber has served as the sous chef at Splash for the last 16 years, managing the day-to-day operations of the restaurant. During his tenure, Splash has been honored with the Distinguished Restaurants of North America Award 16 consecutive years and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 22 consecutive years. “I am honored to take the reins of this Iowa institution. I have paid my dues. I plan no major changes to the menu, but promise to continue to serve the freshest seafood available, along with our creative island recipes to our loyal and long time guests,” Baber said in a prepared statement.