By Haley Harward and Nancy Wood
For the past three years, Restaurant Informer, in partnership with the Georgia Restaurant Association, has selected five people – chefs, restaurant owners, sommeliers and more – who we think are making a mark on the state’s hospitality industry and are going someplace in the years ahead.
It’s always been a hard choice to pick just five, as each year we receive many nominations from people all over the state and so many are deserving of recognition.
This year, though, there have been so many people throughout Georgia who have struggled and found ways to succeed, to move forward despite the hardships and challenges 2020 has brought, that we couldn’t stop at just five. In our opinion, every single person nominated is a Rising Star simply because they are finding ways to persevere, to pivot and find a way forward through this pandemic.
So this year, you will find 10 deserving people as the 2020 Rising Stars. These chefs, restaurant owners, catering managers and more are continuing to set the bar high, and we know they will continue to do great things in 2021 and beyond.
The program, in its fourth year, recognizes those in the industry who are going above and beyond expectations in their jobs and finding new ways to lead the industry forward. The final selections were determined by Restaurant Informer editorial staff in partnership with the Georgia Restaurant Association. Restaurants and organizations must be a member of the Georgia Restaurant Association for employees to be recognized. Congratulations to this year’s Rising Stars! – Christy Simo
Michael Booker
Sous Chef, Muss & Turner’s, Atlanta
What’s the best thing to come out of Mississippi since I-20? If you ask the team at Muss & Turner’s, it’s their sous chef, Michael Booker. Since leaving the Magnolia State five years ago, the 31-year-old has hit the ground running with a constant desire to learn, as well as a great attitude and work ethic.
Growing up in the south, Booker admits he was only exposed to “one kind of food” and learned the southern dishes his mother and grandmother cooked. But his passion for food started to bloom in the 11th grade when he watched a movie about a man who couldn’t afford to take a woman out to dinner. “He used what he had to make this magnificent three-course dinner,” laughs Booker. “That stuck with me.”
Armed with an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts, Booker realized early on that his first job at a casino buffet in Mississippi wasn’t the right fit. “I wasn’t using all of the techniques and knowledge I learned in school,” he says. “Here, I had to start from scratch and fine-tune my knowledge and procedures.”
Since he joined the M&T team five years ago, he has not only learned but mastered every back-of-house position. Moving up the ranks, Booker also learned new aspects of management, leadership and supervision – and earned the respect of his peers. Along the way, his passion for food has grown, and he continues to be fascinated with both the science and creativity in the culinary world.
“I want to keep pushing the culinary boundaries as much as I can – and keep continuing to grow,” he says. “I don’t plan on slowing down any time soon.” – NW
Christian Castillo
Executive Pastry Chef, The Chastain, Atlanta
Photo by Michael ThompsonChristian Castillo, born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, grew up with a love for eating pastries. He didn’t realize they were something he wanted to make for a living until he was 23.
Having lived in the United States for four years at that point, he felt lost, unsure of what his next move would be until he connected the dots back to his pastry-centric upbringing. With that moment of clarity, Castillo flew to Peru, where he could get more in contact with food and begin to hone his skill.
Arriving back in the states, Castillo followed his sweet tooth to a pastry program with Le Cordon Bleu. From there he worked at Cherokee Town and Country Club, then Pricci and then Atlas, where he met Chef Christopher Grossman.
He remained at Atlas for four years until Grossman left to join The Chastain, which opened in Atlanta in November. Having connected with Grossman when he first started with Atlas, Castillo, 34, asked to follow him and take on the pastry chef role at the new restaurant.
While Castillo works the typical dinner shift at The Chastain, he works the restaurant’s morning shift as well.
“I am able to do croissants, artisan breads, danishes, muffins, coffee cakes, everything in house,” Castillo says. “It’s a beautiful challenge because I love to do plated desserts, [but] I love to do artisan breads as well.”
Aside from executing perfect plate presentations, Castillo puts in long hours to take care of supply orders, scheduling, night service production and his favorite aspect of the job: training and teaching.
“I love to train and I love to teach, so I’m always focusing on that,” says Castillo. “I think if you bring the tools to the employees, you’re going to have a really nice crew.”
Castillo, while humble, is wildly accomplished. He sets an example in the kitchen of what it means to be a great pastry chef and a leader. – HH
Sean Chang and Peter Chung
Co-owners, Mukja Korean Fried Chicken, Atlanta
There are two traits that define Sean Chang and Peter Chung: determination and persistence. Friends since high school, these two sons of Korean immigrants have turned what they say started as a joke into a dream, then into reality.
Los Angeles native Chang, 23, met Chung, 24, after moving to Georgia in high school. Since then, they have blended their Korean-American heritage to create their own unique take on cuisine. “You have the best of both worlds without compromising the authenticity of either culture,” Peter says.
The meshing of the cultures is reflected in every aspect of Mukja Korean Fried Chicken – from the menu to the décor to the atmosphere. “It’s a physical manifestation of us as individuals,” he adds.
For the two young entrepreneurs, their dream to launch a restaurant wasn’t without trials.
Following a devastating car accident in college that left Sean Chang paralyzed from the waist down, the two became roommates and began developing their idea. Combining the cooking skills Sean learned growing up in a large Korean family with Peter’s experience in the front of the house, plans for Mukja began to take shape.
Since it’s difficult for Sean to work in a commercial kitchen, the two have reversed roles, with Peter learning to cook and run the kitchen, while Sean manages the front of the house. Persevering through the challenges faced by all startups, the duo landed a space in Midtown Atlanta only to be met with the pandemic.
Mukja, which means “Let’s Eat,” didn’t officially open until Oct. 29. Despite limited dine-in service and take-out, their dream has come true. Grateful for the phenomenal support and feedback from customers, Sean says, “Our mentality is ‘we have to make it work’ – there’s no option for failure.” – NW
Natasha Clark
Catering Manager, Loyal Q & Brew, Alpharetta
Natasha Clark, eager to start working and earn her own money, jumped into the restaurant business at 16 and hasn’t strayed since.
She began as a host for Marietta Diner, eventually leaving for a similar position with Taco Mac, where she remained for eight years. With determination, hard work and an unwavering passion for the company, Clark quickly climbed the ladder, working as a server and a bartender before transferring to the company’s speakeasy Fred Bar and ultimately to an Executive Assistant position at Taco Mac Corporate.
Even after Taco Mac sold the business and the executive team stepped down, Clark didn’t sever ties with the close-knit group that molded her over the years. Instead, they worked together to plan something else down the road.
Two years later, Taco Mac’s original owner launched Loyalty Market Concepts, named after the group’s loyalty to vendors, customers and each other.
Because of her people skills and an unmatched go-getter personality, Clark, now 31, was tasked with managing Loyal Q Catering. She’s in charge of a little bit of everything, including proposals, sales and building the team.
While there was somewhat of a learning curve for her in the beginning, having never done catering, Clark led Loyal Q to success. The company, which opened its first location in 2017, ended its first year with a massive 1,500-person event – a considerable feat for a new company.
Her success didn’t end there. All of the clients they’d met and built over time kept coming back, leading to a retention rate of 90% after the first year and 99% after the second. It’s that client relationship that Clark treasures most.
“You don’t realize how close you get with these families when you cater big events because we work with a lot of people,” Clark says. “But just building those relationships, making those connections with the people, and […] being a part of their big special day, no matter what that entails, has definitely been my favorite part.” – HH
Jessica Gamble
Chef de Cuisine, KR Steakbar, Atlanta
What started as a hobby – baking goods for her family and neighborhood – Jessica Gamble has turned into a career. She now creates dishes and executes the menu for KR Steakbar.
Gamble first started at KR Steakbar seven years ago, when she was 20 years old, as a line cook while simultaneously attending culinary school. She quickly progressed from line cook to sous chef to her current position as chef de cuisine. Even after seven years, Gamble wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else.
“It’s a place I feel really comfortable at,” Gamble says. “I love it. It’s kind of like my restaurant baby.”
She works tirelessly, managing everything that goes on and through the kitchen, including her co-workers with whom she mentors more than manages. With her team, Gamble fosters a sense of creativity in creating the menu and specials and their daily service execution.
Gamble believes that to build a relationship with a team, you don’t need an iron fist so much as a jar of marbles.
“I use the marble in the jar management theory, where it’s like, I’m going to put a marble in the jar for everything that I do for you,” Gamble says. “That way when I need to take a marble out of the jar, it may not be something you want to do but you’re going to do it anyway because we have built that [relationship].”
Her “I’ll do for you what you’d do for me” management style allows both the front of house and back of house teams to thrive in harmony and overcome any obstacles during service – the part of her nights she enjoys the most. – HH
Jessica Rothacker
Chef/Owner, Heirloom Café, Athens
Farm-to-table is nothing new for Jessica Rothacker. Growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta, she experienced it first-hand in her mother’s half-acre backyard vegetable garden. But Rothacker’s path to owning her own farm-to-table restaurant had some twists along the way.
After receiving an English degree from the University of Georgia, her goal was to become a writer. A job in a bookstore followed, where she read a lot of cookbooks and food magazines on her breaks. The next idea? Write about food. To build her knowledge, Rothacker went to culinary school and then began working in restaurants. Soon a new passion emerged.
“I always wanted to own some sort of small business,” she says. “When I first started in food, I didn’t expect to own a restaurant.” Honing her skills at restaurants in Atlanta and Athens, Rothacker not only learned about the industry itself but about seasonal and sustainable cooking. “Each job taught me another important element that would eventually go into the blueprint of what would become Heirloom Café,” she says.
Since opening her restaurant in 2011, Rothacker, 39, has put a high priority on supporting her community and giving back. Working with non-profits like Collective Harvest and the Giving Kitchen and supporting the Athens Farmers Market is just a part of her commitment. She also serves on the board of directors for the Georgia Restaurant Association, is one of the Georgia Grown Executive Chefs for 2020 and 2021, and in 2020 was invited to join Les Dames d’Escoffier International.
Heirloom Café brings together values that are important to Rothacker – great food, service and community. “I really love cooking for people,” she says. “It feels good to bring people together and serve them something that brought joy.” – NW
Stephen Peterson
Co-Owner, Forza Storico and Storico Vino, Atlanta
Growing up in Italy, Stephen Peterson thrived in the social culture of restaurants. His social upbringing intertwined with drawing skills led Peterson to pursue a degree in architecture with a particular focus on entertainment settings.
After receiving his master’s, Peterson went to work with the Atlanta-based architecture firm ASD | SKY. Although he loved architecture, he also hoped to one day co-own a restaurant.
He met his current business partners, Pietro Gianni and Michael Patrick, when the firm was hired to do the interior design for Storico Fresco in Buckhead. Shortly after their meeting, Peterson left ASD | SKY behind and joined the two men on their restaurant venture.
Whenever they acquire a space, Peterson, 34, starts conceptualizing and designing, always being sure to add Yeppa.
“Yeppa is an expression that we say around friends and family. It’s just a word to, you know, spruce it up,” Peterson says. “If you’re feeling down, Yeppa’s just the word to kind of pick you up and get you going.”
The expression can also mean more than that. It’s an emotion Peterson holds close to his heart, one of community and soul. Some businesses pour money into their restaurants, but it’s the Yeppa or the passion that brings life to his designs and leads to their success.
“We never spend more than we should on a restaurant. You see a lot of people spending $3 million, $4 million on a build-out,” Peterson says. “To us, it’s not about how much you spend on the chandelier or the chairs, it’s about how you bring people together.”
With three restaurants around town – Storico Fresco, Forza Storico and the newest Storico Vino – Peterson proves that you don’t need high ceilings, luxury chandeliers or expensive flooring to create a beautiful and successful space. You just need people who care. – HH
Joey Ward
Executive Chef and Owner, Southern Belle and Georgia Boy, Atlanta
At five years old, most kids dreamed of being astronauts and policemen. Joey Ward dreamed of being a chef.
In hot pursuit of his childhood dreams, Ward worked his way up from a busboy at a pizza place to head chef. Without slowing down, Ward grasped the fundamentals of classic French cooking to gain a solid base of professionalism and skills at Cherokee Town and Country Club.
Ward then followed his fierce passion to the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated as one of the youngest in his class. He then embarked on a journey to explore different fields to find the job that best suited him, including a private country club spot, catering and opening at the St. Regis Atlanta Hotel.
Eventually, Ward, 34, connected with his mentor and friend, Kevin Gillespie, who offered him a job at his restaurant Woodfire Grill, where he fell in love with the privately-owned restaurant.
“I just loved the creative freedom,” Ward says. “And really the sense of family and camaraderie that came with [a] smaller team like that.”
Inspired by the close-knit crew and creative freedom, Ward’s desire to open his place blossomed. Before he could do that, though, he took on his first Executive Chef role at the now-closed restaurant H. Harper Station, then returned to work with Gillespie at his dim-sum style restaurant, Gunshow.
Gunshow’s unique concept gave all of the chefs creative freedom and the opportunity to present their dishes directly to the customer. Ward loved it. He settled in as Executive Chef for seven years before leaving to open his restaurants.
With Gillespie’s guidance and blessing, Ward opened Southern Belle and the adjoining Georgia Boy, which is reservation only and only accessible through a secret passage in Southern Belle, in late 2019. Although Ward temporarily closed the two restaurants this winter due to the pandemic, he is hopeful about the future and plans to reopen them once it is safe and financially feasible to do so.
Inspired by Gunshow’s out-of-the-box sensory experience, Ward sought to incorporate a similar concept in Georgia Boy.
“If I could lure them into this sense of comfort in the first seating area, the library room, then take them through this secret passage,” Ward says, “all of a sudden they’re excited, they’re eager to get to the next thing.”
His inventive dishes, such as a Vietnamese-style shrimp and “grits” – Carolina Gold rice congee – with crispy shallot and noc cham, or the Carolina trout with farro, capers, scuppernongs, chanterelle mushrooms with brown butter and a roasted diver scallop emulsion, celebrates the diverse mix of cultures that make Atlanta’s food scene so vibrant.
“Atlanta is a complicated place. It has deep southern roots, … but at the same time it’s a modern metropolis [with] a melting pot of cultures,” Ward says. “My thought was to put forward the cultures, cuisines and influences from around the world that all come together to make Atlanta this great place.” – HH
Alex Wells
Pastry Chef and Restaurant Manager, Catfish Hox, Marietta
After a week of laboring over a caramel apple recipe she saw on the Food Network when she was little, Alex Wells had an epiphany: she loved to cook.
She pursued her passion with a ferocity, leading to her acceptance at Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute at just 16 years old, the youngest in her high school class to get accepted.
There, she alternated cooking food and creating sweets until she honed in on chocolate and sugar work. Something about the work allowed her to block the world out and tap into a creative dimension.
From graduation, Wells moved back to Maryland where she held positions with Pitango Gelato and a chocolate shop where she could experiment with new flavors.
After moving back to Atlanta, Wells, now 31, saw a hiring sign for Catfish Hox and figured, why not? Her whim paid off. During her four years at Catfish Hox, it’s won the Taste of Marietta twice in 2018 and 2019, snagged a feature in Southern Living for the top 10 Catfish joints in the South, and received the CBS Golden Spatula.
As the pastry chef and restaurant manager, Wells has her finger in a little bit of everything in the restaurant. She organizes the catering, makes the desserts and, her favorite aspect of the job, tends to customers. She’s there so often, caring for the restaurant’s every imperative, that customers generally assume she lives there – she wishes.
Although Wells isn’t just passionate about cooking and committing to her daily duties, she’s profoundly enthusiastic about everything the establishment encompasses.
“I love the customers, I love my co-workers, I love the food, I just love being there,” Wells says. “They couldn’t get rid of me if they tried.” – HH
Thank you to the 2020 Rising Star Sponsors
Presenting Sponsor
Beverage Sponsor
Know someone who you think is a rising star in the restaurant industry?
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