Allow Me To Introduce Myself: Executive Chef Jon Gatlin
PLEASE ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF; I’M JON GATLIN, EXECUTIVE CHEF AT THE OLIVER ROYALE, OUR BRAND NEW RESTAURANT ON MARKET SQUARE IN BEAUTIFUL AND VIBRANT DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE. AS A CHEF, A FOODIE AND A KNOXVILLIAN, THIS IS TRULY THE ROLE I’VE DREAMED OF ALL OF MY LIFE, AND I AM THRILLED TO GET THE CHANCE TO INTRODUCE MYSELF AND OUR RESTAURANT TO YOU THROUGH THIS, OUR NEW BLOG, AS WELL AS OVER ON OUR NEW FACEBOOK PAGE.
FOR MANY PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY, THEIR WORK IS” JUST A JOB. HOWEVER, I CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU THAT FOR ME, FOOD AND ITS ARTFUL PREPARATION IS MY LIFE, LOVE AND PASSION. THE CULINARY ARTS ARE MY CALLING, AND I HOPE THAT MY COMMITMENT TO TRULY SPECIAL DINING EXPERIENCES SHOWS ITSELF WITH EVERY PLATE THAT LEAVES MY KITCHEN FOR YOUR TABLE IN THE OLIVER ROYALE DINING ROOM.
WHY DID I START A BLOG WHEN I’M ALSO PRETTY DARN BUSY LAUNCHING A NEW RESTAURANT? WELL, I WANT TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CUSTOMERS, AND I DECIDED THAT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, INCLUDING THIS BLOG, I CAN CONNECT WITH MANY OF YOU IN WAYS THAT WOULDN’T OTHERWISE BE POSSIBLE. ADDITIONALLY, I’VE HAD AND CONTINUE TO HAVE SO MANY BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING EXPERIENCES THROUGH MY WORK ON A DAILY BASIS THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU. I LOVE MEETING AND GETTING TO KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO WILL ENJOY THE MEALS THAT COME OUT OF MY KITCHEN EACH NIGHT, AND I HOPE THAT THROUGH OUR BLOG AND FACEBOOK PAGE, YOU WILL ENJOY GETTING TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHERE YOUR FOOD IS COMING FROM AND WHO IS PREPARING IT. I ALSO PLAN TO USE THE BLOG TO SHARE SOME OF THE TRUE STORIES OF LIFE IN A BUSY RESTAURANT KITCHEN BECAUSE HONESTLY, THINGS CAN GET PRETTY HECTIC IN HERE SOMETIMES, AND BY “HECTIC” I MEAN “REALLY AMUSING.” I’LL BE SHARING SOME OF THESE FUNNY MOMENTS AS WELL.
JUST AS A GREAT RESTAURANT REPRESENTS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHEF AND HIS CUSTOMERS, MY HOPE FOR THIS BLOG, AS WELL AS FOR OUR FACEBOOK PAGE IS THATTOGETHER, WE CAN ENGAGE IN A TWO WAY AND ONGOING CONVERSATION. WHEN YOU HAVE A GREAT MEAL HERE, I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT, OR BETTER YET, I’D LOVE TO SEE A PHOTO OF YOU ENJOYING IT. WE WILL ALSO BE POSTING “BEHIND THE SCENES” PHOTOS FROM OUR KITCHEN, PROFILES AND PIX OF OUR RESTAURANT STAFF, AND EVEN PHOTOGRAPHY FROM OUTSIDE THE RESTAURANT - TAKING YOU ON VIRTUAL “FIELD TRIPS” TO SOME OF THE FRESH, FANTASTIC AND LOCAL SOURCES OF THE FOOD THAT WILL BECOME SOMEONE’S DELICIOUS DINNER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VISITING OUR NEW BLOG AND FACEBOOK PAGE. I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW AS MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS AS POSSIBLE, ANDTO HAVING AN ONGOING CONVERSATION WITH MANY OF YOU ABOUT MY WORK AS EXECUTIVE CHEF AT THE OLIVER ROYALE.
TALK TO YOU SOON!
-JON