Chef Ted LaheyCourtesy of MAD Hospitality Veteran Georgia chef Ted Lahey has joined MAD Hospitality as chef de cuisine, bringing a résumé that spans Atlanta, Athens and New York to Preston Snyder’s growing collection of restaurants in historic downtown Madison. Lahey’s attention will be focuse d first on The Dining Room, the group’s fine-dining restaurant, while he also works across The Sinclair, The Patisserie on Main, Betty Gene’s, Hart Crown Tavern, and Community Roots Market. An Athens native, Lahey helped open Roswell favorites Table Main and Osteria Mattone, worked in Atlanta kitchens including South City Kitchen and Pricci, spent time at Athens’ Five Ten and New York City’s Fiamma, and most recently helped launch Preacher Green’s, an Athens restaurant. We spoke to him about what drew him to Madison, how he sees the city’s dining scene evolving, and what he wants to bring to MAD Hospitality’s kitchens. Watermelon Salad with feta, watercress, pickled rind, fermented chili honey, and pistachio dukka at The Dining RoomCourtesy of Roland Alonzi/Contento How did you end up in Madison? About a year ago, I sold my share of Preacher Green’s in Athens to my partner. I fell in love with a woman who lived in Middle Georgia’s lake country. I helped friends in Macon at the Moonhanger Group get their operations in order. I had been looking for the right opportunity, and Preston was looking for a reliable chef. I fell in love with Madison as a historic city—charming, quaint, and beautiful—and with Preston’s vision for it. It reminded me of what we were doing in the early days in Roswell, when there were only three restaurants on Canton Street. I love Roswell, but I couldn’t afford the rent for a new restaurant there now. What attracted you to this role, especially compared with working in Atlanta? Madison has an interesting history, but it’s also growing and changing. The customer will be similar, if not the same people. Many have second homes here. It’s more than a small, sleepy Southern town. There are a lot of wealthy Atlanta people here, too. My background isn’t just fine dining. I’ve worked in corporate steakhouses and mom-and-pop sandwich shops, too. Having so many outlets here allows me to stretch my legs in a lot of directions. Inside The Dining Room in MadisonCourtesy of The Growl Bros. Tell us about the different restaurants you’ll be working on. The Sinclair serves coffee, tapas and cocktails. The Patisserie on Main is led by chef Edouard Fenouil, a giant in the pastry world. Betty Gene’s serves Southern breakfast. Hart Crown is a British pub. Community Roots Market sells local vegetables and meats. The Dining Room pays homage to Preston’s time at The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta. He worked with Shaun Doty there in the late 1980s, and Shaun has been the consulting chef. They’ve been doing a monthly chef-in-residence program. Daniel Chance (La Grotta, Watchman’s) has been there for the past month. We worked together at Trois years ago. What changes do you have planned? I want to provide some structure for a group that has been operating without a chef for a while. Sales keep growing, but there hasn’t been someone at the rudder to guide the ship. I want to fine-tune what they’re already doing. I’m not going to change every menu immediately. I want to see what’s working and what customers are asking for. I’m cooking for the guest, not my ego. The Dining Room menu changes quite often, so there’s room to jump in and be creative. I want to change the menu a little less often (quarterly). When it changes too frequently, it can become less approachable because it’s hard to post the menu online. In the future, if you remember a dish you had last time, we’ll probably have it again, maybe with a different side or seasonal vegetable. What else should we know? It’s not as far as you think. Madison is about an hour from Atlanta, which is true of almost everything in Atlanta. Ricotta tortelloni with English pea puree, confit tomatoes, pecorino, and crispy tendrils at The Dining RoomCourtesy of Roland Alonzi/Contento The post A seasoned Georgia chef joins Madison’s dining scene appeared first on Atlanta Magazine. ...read more read less