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| Executive Chef, Jay Swift His name notwithstanding, Jay Swift’s rise in the culinary field has been methodical and covers 26 years. Now 40, he was the executive chef at South City Kitchen from 1997 until recently, overseeing all culinary operations for the hugely successful Midtown Atlanta restaurant that is over a decade old. Being lauded by Wine Spectator, The New York Times and Atlanta Magazine, is nice, but the chef takes his cues from those closer to home. "Accolades are great, but my guests are the most important critics I have,” says Swift of his vocation. A Baltimore native, Swift started out in the restaurant business at the age 14 and restaurant work financed his high school and college English education. After two and a half years, he followed his heart—and stomach—to a culinary apprenticeship in a Maryland restaurant. Swift was off, paying his dues in some of the Northeast’s finest dining rooms, including a position at the venerable Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and a spot in the kitchen of noted restaurateur Bob Kinkead's 21 Federal in the nation’s capital. From there, Swift worked with Lydia Shire at Biba in Boston, before returning to Baltimore to become sous chef at The Polo Grill and later, at Baltimore’s Windows restaurant. Prior to his jump South to Atlanta, Swift was chef at Foley's Fish House in New York City. Swift was ready for a move South and wanted to join a small, but growing restaurant company. The Fifth Group (owners of South City Kitchen, The Food Studio and others) was “a good fit: the building, the values, the concept,” he says. Of his menu, he says, “We lighten up traditional Southern food. My vision is to be the leading contemporary, casual fine dining Southern restaurant in the city." The chef’s inspirations? In addition to dining out—“especially ethnic restaurants, like Penang, I read about food a lot, and about Southern culture. I like to think of food as anthropology, as an extension of culture,” says the passionate Swift. “I also buy a cookbook every month.” Swift is also active in the community, having served as honorary co-chair for Flavor of Atlanta, a popular culinary event that benefits the American Liver Foundation. In addition, he cooks at Chef’s Warehouse, the new Viking Center and trains up-and-coming chefs within the company. He has also been honored with an invitation to prepare dinner at the renowned James Beard House. How does he work off calories? Mountain biking. |
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| Chef Jay Swift | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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