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Ron Eyester is a longtime fixture of the Atlanta restaurant scene.  The one time chef of Food 101 in Morningside/Virginia Highlands now serves as the owner of the restaurant.  Renamed and rebranded as Rosebud, Eyester continues to pump the city full of love from his headquarters of worldwide domination.

A huge deadhead in his own right, the musically inclined chef loves to take his polished neighborhood restaurant and open it up to fun times.  Case in point, Eyester is turning Rosebud into a sea of white on March 3rd.  That night, he’s hosting “The White Dinner,” a tribute the the cult classic Beatles album of a similar name (aka The White Album).  Full details are are up on the Rosebud website, so go have a look-see.  Meanwhile, I’ve included a copy of the menu after the jump.

So back on point, Eyester is a social dude, so you should definitely check him out on twitter via @TheAngryChef.  Meanwhile, keep reading to see what he things of my take on Proust.  And with that, welcome to ITCK!

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Chef Todd Annis has definitely earned his knives.  As the current head of Bold American Catering, Annis is in charge of the catering arm of Fifth Group Restaurants.  Prior to that, he spent time slinging pans at places like Carbo’s Café, Araxi, and the much discussed but now defunct Rainwater.  If you’ve ever snacked on some grub while at the King Plow Art Center or Studio 887, chances are … you tasted some of Annis’ food.

You can see some of the blurb on Annis over at Creative Loafing.  It’s a piece from ‘01 when he was at Rainwater.  Meanwhile, you can also show your appreciation by giving his Facebook fan page some love.  But before you move on, kick back on this rainy Atlanta day and enjoy some musings.  And with that, welcome to ITCK!

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For the past 5-plus years, chef Robert Gerstenecker has helmed the kitchen at Park 75, the flagship restaurant of the Four Seasons in Midtown.  In addition to being an acclaimed fine dining spot, the restaurant has also garnered a good bit of attention for their tea service.

A Canuck by trade, the well traveled Gerstenecker has been with the Four Season chain since the early nineties.  He has spent time working everywhere from his native land to the Chinese port conglomerate known as Hong Kong.  It should be no surprise that Asian influences will sneak their way into the menu at Park 75.  If you do decide to visit Gerstenecker, there is a chef’s table in the kitchen.  It’s a friendly twist to a relatively upscale environment. 

So while the seasons of our food lives continue to fluctuate, Gerstenecker keeps his nose to the ground and his food up to date.  Though I have yet to weigh in on P-75, it’s a place revered by many.  Time to get to know the man behind the stove.  And with that, welcome to ITCK!

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Seeing as I’m actually in town, I figured … what the heck … I might as well post something.  As luck would have it, today is Friday! And that means, it’s Inside The Chef’s Kitchen Day.  Today’s participant is the longstanding executive chef/partner of JCT Kitchen & Bar.

Ford Fry has been a fixture on Atlanta’s culinary scene for some time and comes backed by several noteworthy awards and accomplishments.  While JCT Kitchen and I haven’t always mixed well, it’s a restaurant with a solid reputation.  Besides, you don’t end up on the Food Network for being a slouch.

In another one of life’s strange coincidences, I ended up at JCT for dinner last night.  It was a strong meal highlighted by some impeccably fresh Otter Cove oysters and killer pork sliders (yes … those same sliders that I was so cold shoulder about).

There is no doubt that Fry is a skilled chef, a hard worker, and someone who focuses on making his restaurant and food a success.  Three things this community should not overlook.  So welcome Ford and welcome to ITCK!

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What better way to start off the new year than with a visit to Inside The Chef’s Kitchen.  Today’s chef du jour is Alex Brounstein of Grindhouse Killer Burgers.  Brounstein and his team, serving up round mounds of ground since September of last year, and have already garnered a good bit of praise.

With a come as you are attitude and an über cool location (inside the Sweet Auburn Curb Market), Grindhouse has already put itself closer to the top of the burger heap than to the bottom.  Meanwhile, Brounstein makes it a point to be a constant fixture in front of his wall projected movie screen.

Brounstein’s answers are in depth and full of good tidbits, so this should be an enjoyable read for y’all.  I’ll second his JBA suggestion for Kenny Shopsin.  If you make it up to New York City, a visit to Shopsin’s General Store should definitely be on your itinerary.  Anyone who makes Mac-and-Cheese pancakes is a hero in my book.  But we digress, as Brounstein is the star of the show.  So kick back, relax … and with that, welcome to ITCK!

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I know … I know … many of you were up in arms … angry, confused, and disappointed.  This past Friday, you woke up, grabbed your morning coffee, and opened your browser intent on seeing yet the latest installment of Inside The Chef’s Kitchen.  But alas, nothing was there and so hearts were broken, children were fire bombing, and the world was not at peace.  Well, something else was going on, so I took a few days off.

And so on this particular Monday, we have a special edition of ITCK to compensate for my indiscretion.  As the series concludes its second month, we have yet another stellar participant.  Enter Jay Swift of the quasi-eponymous 4th And Swift.

Previously, the longtime Atlanta chef (but Baltimore native) served up culinary delights at South City Kitchen and the now defunct Rainwater.  These days, he finds himself doing his thang down in the Old 4th Ward.  His continental cuisine powered by a seasonal menu is often discussed around these parts and makes for excellent food porn.  Alright y’all, duck, because there my be some shurikens flying.  And with that, welcome to ITCK!

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Chef Shaun Doty has long been at the forefront of the Atlanta dining scene.  For the past three-years, he has been the man behind Shaun’s Social Club.  Before that, he headed up things at establishments like Table 1280 and MidCity Cuisine.  Now, he’s primed to open the city’s next burger joint, aptly named Good Burger.

Doty maintains his cool while putting out straightforward, ingredient driven dishes.  Friendly and approachable, the chef has taken the time to step out from behind the burner to drop in here on Inside The Chef’s Kitchen.  In it, he professes his continued love for a particular rendition of fried chicken, manages to sneak in the word “wankers,” and declares … why settle for one when you can have both?  Alright y’all, let the good times roll!  And with that, welcome to ITCK!

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It’s getting darn cold out there, so what better way to ease the pain of the dropping thermometer than with a visit from Jenny Levison, Atlanta’s soup queen.  [Errr… well, the conversation is nice … but actually, her soup is what will actually do the trick].

Levison’s Souper Jenny has long garnered the attention of the Buckhead dining scene.  However, that notoriety extends beyond the scope of the 30305.  In fact, in the recent Best of The Big A series, AJC readers named Souper J’s the best soup in the Dirty.

On most any given day, you’ll see SJ cavorting around her shop with a carefree and friendly manner.  Meanwhile, she manages to put together some very cool underground dinners, get on national TV (video below), and put out a cookbook.  Oh yeah, she tweets as well!

She took the time to answer our little questionnaire, and in doing so, Levison’s approach to good tasting, straightforward food really shines.  Jenny has been swinging a ladle since ‘98, so like they say: “The woman knows!”  Alright, take a few minutes out of your day and check her out.  And with that, welcome to ITCK!

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Something tells me that Cyrille Holota had no idea what was in store for him some years ago.  In the mid-90s, Holota was racking up quit the resume.  After cooking at several different Michelin winning restaurants (including 3-star powerhouse L’Arpege), Holota came to our beloved city to join Joël Antunes over at The Dining Room.  In 2001, JA left to open his namesake restaurant with Holota in tow.

From there, Holota began his methodical climb to the top.  He started as sous chef de cuisine, then moved to chef de cuisine, and finally, in 2008, landed on top as the executive chef.  Soon after, things got hairy, mostly for reasons well beyond his control.

In the past year and change, perhaps no Atlanta restaurant has been more maligned than JOËL Brasserie.  First, the restaurant’s namesake split for the bright lights of New York City.  Antunes’ tenure at the helm of the famed Oak Room was short to say the least.  Within a few months, he found himself out of a job.  Initial questions as to whether the Frenchman would shutdown his Atlanta restaurant were soon replaced with rumors of his return.  Then, the restaurant closed up for a bit (to remodel), leading to even more questions.  Just when things were getting back on track for the rebranded JOËL, they ran into that whole debacle with their liquor license.  Why do I bring this up?  Because so little of the bad press actually had anything to do with the restaurant and the experience within.

All this while, back in the kitchen, standing tall and proud, was none other than chef Holota.  The French national from Montlucon stood his ground and did so with a smile on his face.  Things around him blew up, and yet there he was, bringing his personality to the forefront of JOËL Brasserie’s food experience.

Now, the enduring character behind JB’s is here for a little relaxing, some quick wit, and a little bit of mystery (anyone know French?).  And with that, welcome to ITCK!

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The path to restaurant ownership for Katie Birmingham has been anything but traditional.  The chef, turned lawyer, turned restaurateur first made a name for herself working under Günter Seeger.  She followed that up by serving as the sous-chef de cuisine at Anne Quatrano’s Bacchanalia.

In need of a change, she dropped the food gig and decided to wax intellectual at Kilpatrick Stockton.  Now, the LaVarenne trainee is back and doing her own thing.  She has brought a delightful sensibility to her Midtown sandwich shop, appropriately named Noon Midtown.  I should say, don’t get too excited guys, she’s been off the market for a while.

On any given day, you’ll see Birmingham bounding about her restaurant with an ear-to-ear smile, tending to one of the many customers that descend during the lunching hour.  Her approachable personality and high-energy attitude is infectious to say the least.  Hopefully, her time here will give you a little insight into what drives her to do what she does.  Alright ya’ll, time to get down to brass tacks.  And with that, welcome to ITCK!

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