Chefs Aboard: An Artist Salutes Fine Dining

ATLANTA-For a few hours, a culinary news item mercifully replaced war and crime stories. 45 Atlanta area restaurants are now included in the prestigous Michelin Guide Book, a coveted listing that adds even more luster to the region’s growing reputation as a fine dining force in the Southeast.

"Chefs Aboard." Original painting by Olivia ThomasonPhoto byDown South Today

The area has seen spectacular growth in recent years but the emergence of so many heralded restaurants is a welcomed surprise and “long overdue,” according to Dr. Carleton Jones, a retired philosophy professor and proud native son. “We are not only a Southern city,” he stated, “but we are a leader in the arts, in education and progressive thinking.” Jones, who traces his Georgia roots back to the Revolutionary War, recalls Atlanta’s earlier dining days when fine dining was confined to Country Clubs or “a few downtown establishments. Now, no matter where you live in the area, a worthy restaurant is likely nearby.”

One prominent artist has symbolically saluted Michelin’s Atlanta presence. Olivia Thomason, lauded by Atlanta historian Dr. Richard Funderburke as Georgia’s “folk art Queen,” unveiled her latest creation, “Chefs Aboard”, a painting featuring 14 very animated chefs happily working at what they do in the kitchen.

Instead of a canvas, the painting is on rectangular polished hardwood. “This would be a nice addition to the decor of either a brasserie or a formal restaurant,” Ms. Thomason said, adding that it “would certainly honor a home kitchen where entertaining is a priority.”

Welcome Michelin to Atlanta, where fine dining is an art form with a soft, reassuring Southern accent.