Following Chef Ron Eyester –
QueenBee’s Restaurant Review of the Month

My spiritual partner met Chef Ron Eyester several years ago when Ron did a presentation for the staff at the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. Tolen came home that night and commented about Ron’s authenticity and sense of humor. I couldn’t wait to meet Ron, since I knew of him from watching Top Chef, and said that we should eat at his restaurant in Virginia Highlands, Rosebud. Little did we know at the time that within weeks we would be eating Thanksgiving dinner with Ron and that eating that meal with Ron would become one of our family traditions. So, we were sorry to see Ron sell Rosebud but excited to see what the next step would be on his great culinary adventure.

Real Food – Organic, Local, Seasonal

One of the benefits of eating at one of Ron’s restaurants is that he cooks real food. His ingredients are organic or natural, local, and seasonal. What makes him even more valuable as a real food chef is that he knows his food  – and I don’t mean which sauce and accompaniment goes with which protein. That’s something anyone who goes to culinary school learns.

Ron has an intimate relationship with his ingredients, knows where every ingredient he’s cooking with comes from, what the food producer did to bring this ingredient to peak flavor, what he was thinking about before he brought the ingredient into his menu, and what his take is going to be when he brings that flavor to his customers. Having a conversation with Ron about your food is an amazingly educational experience. When he told us about the ham we were eating for dinner, he knew where it came from, what the pigs were fed, the farm’s conditions, when the pork was butchered, how it was cured and smoked, how long it took, and what he did with the product over the last two weeks to enhance its flavor. This thoughtful preparation created the best Southern ham dinner we ever ate!!!

Southern Bistro Atlanta

I follow Ron on Facebook. Like many of those who eat at his restaurants, I was glad to find out that Ron found a new home with Southern Bistro Atlanta. So, we decided to take another real foodie friend, Ishala, to have dinner with Ron there. Our food was delicious, well-prepared, and looked spectacular! What’s even more fun is that Ron still walks around the restaurant and talks to his guests about the food, where it comes from, and how it was prepared. When you eat with Ron your food is real – from the gorgeous presentation to the powerful aromas and taste. Ron produces food that explodes with flavor and nourishes your body with the highest quality ingredients.

Take-Away

My take-away from eating at Chef Ron Eyester’s restaurants and following his adventures on social media is that you can find real food in Atlanta. There are chefs out there that support local farmers and buy seasonal, organic, natural food products for their restaurants. Eating at their restaurants supports the real food movement here, so I’m going to encourage you to visit Southern Bistro Atlanta and other real food restaurants. Support your body, your family and your community by supporting the real food movement in Atlanta AND I’ll see you in the local restaurants around town!!!

Invitation

If you have a favorite real food restaurant, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment on this blog or on Facebook or Twitter (BeeWildBuzz). Also, please share this blog with family and friends who want to support the Atlanta real food movement by clicking below, “Sharing is Caring.”