Local restaurateur competes on ‘Top Chef’

Kennesaw resident Ron Eyester said he’s now a blend of both. He owns three local restaurants in the Morningside neighborhood — Southern favorite Rosebud, pizza joint Timone’s (which is remodeling and adding a deli) and neighborhood bar Family Dog. A fourth eatery is on its way.

He felt at this stage in his career, it was the right time to compete on Bravo’s seminal cooking reality competition show “Top Chef,” which returns for a 12th season Wednesday. His approach? Down-home, approachable dishes with a focus on quality ingredients.

“My true passion is cooking,” Eyester said in an interview last week, “but my responsibilities now lead me in the direction of grappling with non-food issues. I have to deal with a lot of moving parts, especially with four restaurants.”

While he has embraced the challenge of owning multiple restaurants, ” ‘Top Chef’ gave me an opportunity to rejuvenate my spirit as a cook, to reconnect directly with food.”

In a strange sense, he enjoyed “Top Chef” because he was told what to do by the producers and the judges. “In Atlanta, I’m the guy everyone is looking for me for the answers. It’s a position I embrace, but it’s nice to take on a somewhat subordinate role.”

He isn’t a “Top Chef” connoisseur, having really only watched season six when fellow local chef Kevin Gillespie (who just competed on “Top Chef Duels”) came in third. “He’s had brunch at Rosebud quite a few times,” Eyester said. “The chef circles here in Atlanta are pretty close-knit. He did a great job on the show.”

Eyester also has run across two of the recurring judges this season with Atlanta ties — Richard Blais, a former Atlantan and “Top Chef All Stars” winner, and Empire State South partner Hugh Acheson. He doubts either judge was influenced in any way by the Atlanta connections. “I think they probably were more committed to remaining as objective as possible.”

At age 40, he said he had spent more time in the kitchen than most of his rivals. “I don’t want to say I was the wise old man, but I was a good bit older,” he said, noting most contestants were around 30. “I really enjoyed talking to other chefs on that level and kind of letting them know what things lie ahead. There’s no substitute for practical experience.”

He also said his experience allowed him to take critiques without a need to bite back. “I feel I’m grounded,” he said. “I have a lot of other issues going on that superseded how well I do on ‘Top Chef.’ “

For one, Eyester said he is unfortunately going through a divorce with his wife Pamela. Second, he is currently preparing to open a fourth establishment, Diner at Atlantic Station, taking over most of the old Fox Sports Grill space. “Top Chef,” which taped for a month over the summer, held things up a bit, he admitted.

“We’ve definitely run into obstacles,” he said, “but that’s just the nature of the beast.”