The Partridge Inn's Best Chefs Series To Bring South's Top Talent To Augusta

This summer and fall, food and wine lovers will enjoy the cuisine from some of the South's most famous and best loved restaurants without having to travel all across the region. Augusta’s landmark hotel, The Partridge Inn, will be hosting from some of the region’s most renowned chefs as it celebrates the best of southern cuisine with “Best Chefs of the South,” an innovative six-month culinary series of exceptional food and wine. Each month between June and November, a visiting celebrity chef will prepare an elaborate, four-course gourmet meal of signature items from their own restaurants with exceptional wine pairings for a select group of ticket holders. The excitement starts on June 12 and continues through November 13th. The scheduled appearances are as follows:

June 12 Chef Scott Paul, The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons Island, GA

July 24 Chef Gerry Klaskala, Aria, Atlanta, GA

August 21 Chef Steve Leitch, La Bastide, Travelers Rest, SC

September 10 Chef Marty Rosenfield, Lakeside Restaurant, Highlands, NC

October 16 Chef Kelly Yambor, Elizabeth on 37th, Savannah, GA

November 13 Chefs Donald M. Barickman and Don Drake, Magnolias, Charleston, SC

The cost of each dinner is $59 per person and includes a cocktail reception with hors d'oeuvres and a delectable, four-course dinner with perfectly complemented wine pairings. Guests may purchase tickets for all six dinners for $300, a savings of $54. For reservations or more information, contact The Partridge Inn at (706) 737-8888.

The Partridge Inn’s executive chef Philippe Chin, the world’s youngest French Master Chef and one of John Mariani’s Rising Star Chefs, will work closely with the visiting chefs to prepare the extraordinary meals and pairings. Chin, whose career spans more than two decades and three countries, has received national acclaim for his culinary creativity and has been honored in some of the nation’s top publications, such as Gourmet, Travel & Leisure, Nation’s Restaurant News, Esquire, and Culinary Trends.

The series kicks-off on Thursday, June 12 as Chef Scott Paul of The Lodge on Little St. Simons Island prepares his outstanding Lowcountry cuisine. Scott, who specializes in using fresh, local ingredients with an emphasis on seafood and shellfish, is a chef at the privately owned 10,000-acre barrier island along the Georgia coast. The Lodge has the honor of being named the “Best Small Hotel in North America,” in the Condi Nast Readers Choice Awards. During his highly regarded career, Scott spent several years in Telluride, Colo., working with one of the top restaurants in the state. He also spent years as a chef in Lexington, Ky. and opened several successful restaurants there.

On Thursday, July 24, Gerry Klaskala, executive chef and managing partner of Atlanta’s Aria restaurant, will showcase his award-winning, contemporary American cuisine. Klaskala, also the co-owner of the popular Atlanta restaurant Canoe, has received numerous accolades in some of the nation’s top publications, including Bon Appetit and Esquire. Klaskala was the chef and managing partner at Buckhead Diner, one of Atlanta’s highest volume restaurants. During his tenure, Buckhead Diner was consistently one of the most acclaimed dining establishments nationwide and was featured in the nation’s top culinary and leisure publications.

Chef Steve Leitch of La Bastide will share his culinary expertise with diners at The Partridge Inn on Thursday, August 21. Located in Travelers Rest, S.C., the Provencal inn features an incredible menu of gastronomic delicacies such as grass fed beef, New Zealand lamb, foie gras, and French cheese. The award-winning, 29-year old chef has worked at La Bastide since its opening five years ago. Leitch, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, worked at