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Todd Richards is fairly well known around these parts. Richards’ restaurant group (Lush Life Group) is the driving force behind Rolling Bones BBQ and One Flew South, that high-end restaurant located in Hartsfield-Jackson’s E-Concourse.  However, his notoriety isn’t limited to the Capital of The South.

Mixed in with his stay in Atlanta, Richards spent time in Chicago, in Nashville, and in Palm Beach as the chef de cuisine at the Ritz-Carlton.  In fact, all that work even earned him a spot on an episode of Iron Chef America.  Nowadays, you’ll find him sticking close to home as he works on a bounty of different projects.  One of the most accessible is his blogs, which is one of the better chef scribed blogs to come out of Atlanta.

But of course, Richards still makes time for we poor plebeians of the pen with a stopover for Inside The Chef’s Kitchen.  So on this Friday of beautiful weather and happenings, take a peek at what Chef Richards has to say.  If you take a liking to Richards’ humor, be sure to check him out on twitter @Rollingbonesbbq. And with that, welcome to ITCK!

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Let’s keep this short but sweet.  Atlanta is full of foodies, full of bloggers, and full of foodies who blog. (I’m looking at you ChowDownAtlanta.com, EatBufordHighway.wordpress.com, EatDrinkMan.blogspot.com, EatItAtlanta.com, TheQuickandDirtyDirty.com, SavoryExposure.com)  The list goes on from there (this is where you take a look at my blogroll about halfway down the page), but those are just a few.

Not surprisingly, more than a handful of local restaurateurs and chefs also put their thoughts down on digital paper.  I have a long list of those that I follow, but here are just a few that grease my monkey (in alphabetical order):

Marla Adams : Babette’s Cafe : http://www.chefmarla.typepad.com/
Adams, who may be the most sporadic of the bloggers listed here, only posts once every handful of weeks.  The blog seems to double as both a inside into some of the goings on at her operation and as a place for her to express herself.  The posts are often deeply personal and it’s always interesting to read someone who puts their plate on a platter (so to speak).

Taka Moriuchi :Taka Sushi : http://sushiandpassion.blogspot.com/
Moriuchi, who has been a fixture in the Atlanta sushi scene since his day’s at Soto, now runs his own joint on Pharr Road in Buckhead, aptly named Taka.  His postings used to be somewhat sporadic, but he’s really picked up the pace since March.  Though there are intermittent stray posts, the majority of them focus on sushi and his restaurant.  He is even kind enough to share a few recipes with us … like this one for okra tempura.

Todd Richards : Lush Life Group : http://cheftoddrichards.blogspot.com/
Richards, who has several establishments around town (Rolling Bones BBQ and One Flew South), drops in about once every couple of weeks.  His posts range from the deeply personal to the deeply off topic.  While it may not always be NSFW, it’s always entertaining and enlightening.

There are a whole bunch of them out there folks, but that list is a good place to start.  Buddha … OUT!

Last week, I posted some thoughts on Rolling Bones BBQ.  Ultimately, I said that I found the new iteration of this downtown joint to be heavy on potential and thin on delivery.  In a bit of surprise, owner/chef Todd Richards himself showed up to share his thoughts on my post.

As I’m not sure people will be as likely to find his words in the comment section of the post, I thought I’d throw them up here.  So with that, take a gander at what Richards said this past Tuesday:

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Creative Loafing ran a little bit on a recent article in Bon Appétit.  BA decided to get in on the barbecue debate by naming the America’s ten best NEW barbecue places.  The mention on CL motivated me to revisit my thoughts on the list that was released earlier this month.

Top 10 lists are really hard to do, especially when your sample size is the entire US of A.  Heck, it’s hard enough to name the top 10 in any given city, let alone, the country.  But still … they could have done better.  Is it any surprise to you that I find the list a debacle for several reasons?  Keep in mind, I’ve only hit 3 of these spots, but those trips have told me all I need to know.

First, the list is supposed to discuss new restaurants.  Granted, there isn’t a hard definition for a “new restaurant,” but Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge is anything but.  It’s a gourmet spot that has long been in my Boston rotation.  While I can’t tell you how long they’ve been open, I do know that I’ve had barbecue there as early as 2005.  Same can be said for my beloved Zingerman’s Roadhouse (website).

Second, there’s a difference between a BBQ restaurant and a place that serves barbecue (both of the aforementioned are the latter).

Third, Rolling Bones BBQ is now under new management.  I posted on it earlier today, but I just want to clarify.  I am surprised that it was identified as one of the best in its former incarnation.

I guess the moral of the story is “Be careful what you read.”  You never know how qualified the person behind the list is! (wink) Meanwhile, if you are ever in Cambridge – you must stop in at Formaggio.  Regardless of where you live, YOU MUST try Zingerman’s (via mail order if need be).

The area of downtown surrounding Edgewood Ave doesn’t get a lot of love.  For the most part, it is pretty dingy and it’s definitely not the safest of places.  Still, the ‘hood does have some life, and Rolling Bones Barbecue has long been part of the reason to venture down there.

The converted gas station has one of the most identifiable looks of any Atlanta grub hub.  However, recent events took a toll on business at the barbecue joint.  Enter chef Todd Richards, who, backed by his own LushLifeGroup, acquired the business some months ago.  Earlier this month, Richards began to implement some changes; not surprisingly, I was there soon after.  A couple of trips in and I think I have a good idea of what’s going on.

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