ATLANTA, May 21, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tavistock Group and consulting Chef/Restaurateur Gerry Klaskala are pleased to announce the creation of Atlas, a new dinner-only restaurant located at The St. Regis Atlanta in Buckhead. Featuring American cuisine with the freshest local ingredients, Atlas will open in late fall 2014.
Tavistock Group, the international private investment organization backed by billionaire Joe Lewis, is funding the new $5 million restaurant with the help of top local talent. Chef Gerry Klaskala is consulting on every aspect of the new venue: planning the menu and hiring the staff, for what will be a sophisticated restaurant designed by Bill Johnson of the acclaimed The Johnson Studio.
"We are a restaurant that is open to the public but feels like a private club," said Klaskala, who is a co-owner of Canoe and co-owner and chef at Aria in Atlanta. "Atlas will no doubt become one of the key places you turn to for great food and impeccable service. The menu is executed to provide an evening of inspired dining with gracious Southern hospitality. And I will personally select a chef de cuisine to assure the daily experience is always as expected."
The menu is classic American with a tip of the hat to European influences, Klaskala noted. "Seasonality holds sway over the menu, sourcing the freshest local produce, with sustainable and organic as our preferred choice," he said. The menu will include a broad array of selections with fresh fish, light salads, a great steak, seasonally inspired creations and delightful desserts.
Every detail of Atlas has been thoughtfully designed and carefully planned. From the exhibition kitchen and outdoor terraced garden to the elegant private dining space and fireplaces, the décor of Atlas reflects a sophisticated charm amplified by a comfortable setting created with overstuffed upholstered furniture, lacquered walls and cozy banquettes.
"Our goal is to create a warm, welcoming environment, which will easily become a local favorite of the Buckhead community," said Bill Johnson, founder of The Johnson Studio, a full-service architecture and interior design firm in Atlanta known for celebrated local restaurant concepts, including Aria, Canoe, Bistro Niko, Ecco, The Spence and KR SteakBar. "We wanted to create a restaurant where regulars and visitors alike will feel welcome and where every table is a great table."
"We are delighted to be working with Gerry Klaskala and his good friend Bill Johnson," said Douglas McMahon, senior managing director of Tavistock Group. "Together, we are creating a place that we hope becomes an Atlanta favorite – it will have all the right ingredients: local talent, great location, inviting atmosphere, terrific food, and a level of service Atlantans demand of their go-to restaurants."
Atlas is located at The St. Regis Atlanta, situated within the shopping and financial district of Buckhead.
To download images please click here.
ABOUT ATLAS RESTAURANT
Atlas is the new celebrated restaurant created by Gerry Klaskala and Bill Johnson in the heart of Buckhead. Backed by international private investment organization Tavistock Group, Atlas will be located in their premiere hotel property in The St. Regis Atlanta. Atlas will feature seasonally inspired cuisine accented with gracious Southern hospitality. Atlas is slated to open in late fall 2014. For more information, visit AtlasRestaurant.com.
ABOUT GERRY KLASKALA
Chef Gerry Klaskala's perpetual passion for food and art has brought him much success throughout his career. After graduating with honors from the Culinary Institute of America, he worked in Boston and then Savannah, where he spent ten years with the Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Klaskala then made the bold move to Atlanta, joining The Buckhead Diner as the executive chef, and earned national praise for his work. Klaskala opened Canoe, one of Atlanta's most celebrated restaurants, and then advanced his endeavors even further with the opening of Aria in 2000. At Aria, Klaskala has received the honor of "Chef of the Year" by Jezebel magazine. Over the course of his career, he has also received the DiRoNA award, Mobil Travel Guide Three Stars, AAA Four Diamond for 10 years in a row and the Culinary Award of Excellence from Robert Mondavi Winery, in addition to having both of his restaurants, Aria and Canoe, named "Best New Restaurant" by Esquire magazine. His award-winning cuisine has been featured in highly acclaimed publications like Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Esquire and Food & Wine. He has also made a variety of television appearances including The Today Show and Live with Regis & Kathie Lee.
ABOUT THE JOHNSON STUDIO
The connection between food and place is a powerful one.
If you ask people why certain meals hold such special memories in their lives, they rarely limit their reasons to food itself. Where they were, the people they were with, and the occasions that they were celebrating – these all contribute to one-of-a-kind experiences that can stay with us for life. The Johnson Studio understands this dynamic relationship between food and place - the emotional connection between what we eat and where we eat it.
For over 25 years, The Johnson Studio has brought this philosophy to their work, across the country, in over 500 projects; each one unique, each one a stage setting for a lifetime of memorable experiences. For more information visit www.johnsonstudio.com
ABOUT TAVISTOCK GROUP
Tavistock Group is an international private investment organization founded by Joe Lewis. With investments in hundreds of companies across 15 countries, Tavistock Group's investment portfolio includes: life sciences, sports teams and sporting events, manufacturing and distribution, oil, gas and energy, financial services, restaurants, commercial properties, private luxury residential properties, resort properties and master-planned real estate developments. Among the Group's holdings include the English Premier League's Tottenham Hotspur, the 7,000-acre city of Lake Nona and its life science cluster known as Medical City, the prestigious Lake Nona and Isleworth Golf & Country Clubs in Orlando, Fla., and Albany, a luxury resort community and world-class, mega-yacht marina located on 600 oceanfront acres on the southwestern end of New Providence in The Bahamas. For more information, visit www.tavistock.com.