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	Check out Kevin Rathbun's Recipes.

Kevin Rathbun, with a mother who has had a maitre d' and restaurant management career and a brother who is also a chef, comes from a restaurant family. His restaurant experiences span the country: The American Restaurant (Kansas City), Brennan's of Houston, Commander's Palace (New Orleans), and Baby Routh (Dallas). Kevin was recruited by the nationally renowned restaurateur Pano Karatassos of the Buckhead Restaurant Group to become the Executive Chef of NAVA, an upscale Southwest restaurant, in 1994. He has since worked with the restaurant from the ground up.

What were some of the factors that led to your becoming a chef?

Well, I grew up in a restaurant family. My mom was a maitre d' and ran restaurants all of her life, and my father was an awesome backyard barbequer who loved to eat out and entertain. I started cooking breakfast at Sambo's at 14. From there I just went on to a French restaurant, a steak house, etc. Then, when I was 17, I was offered a job at The American Restaurant. There I was able to experience the best of everything. Basically, when it came to cooking, I thought I was good at it, so I kept with it.

Who has been the most significant influence on your cooking style?

There have been a few: Emeril Lagasse, who I worked with at the Commander's Palace in New Orleans; Stephan Pyles, who I worked with in Dallas; Bradley Ogden, who I apprenticed under at The American Restaurant; and Rex Hale, who I've worked with and spent most of my career with. I've also done a lot of research -- for example, I've studied the imagination of David Burke . My brother is also a chef, so we bounce ideas off of each other.

How would you describe the upscale Southwestern cuisine that you prepare at NAVA?

I would describe it as New American with Southwestern flavors and overtones. We use 20 types of chiles for flavor, a lot of fruit for salsas, and cilantro, which is very Southwestern. Since we are close to the East Coast, we serve about 60% seafood -- that's what people want. We also serve meats, free-range chicken, shellfish, etc. -- all infused with Southwestern flavors.

Are there any Southwestern ingredients that you particularly enjoy working with?

Cilantro is one of my favorite things. It has a ton of flavor. I am a lover of herbs, so I also use a lot of basil, thyme, and oregano. I also love habeneros -- all types of chiles. I like complex flavors without lots of heat. We try not to make people sweat -- we can, though -- because we want to appeal to everyone.

Now that NAVA has been open for a couple of years, what changes and evolutionary stages has the restaurant undergone? Are you happy with the end result?

In the beginning, we weren't very spicy because we didn't want to offend anyone. Now, we offer both. The food in general, though, was a hit from the beginning. The restaurant has always been very successful, with excellent food and good service. We are also very creative for Atlanta and have found a niche. It is very exciting to come to NAVA because the food is very different from what you find on every corner.

How important do you think presentation is when preparing a dish?

Extremely -- you see the colors, the textures, and the way things are composed before you eat. I believe that the wave of the future is lots of props and colors, but I also enjoy a white plate with the food being the art. You have to serve a lot of people each night, so it's difficult to do too much -- you have to think, can we put it out like that with so many people?

What restaurants do you frequent when you go out to eat in Atlanta?

None of us get out enough in this business, so there aren't a lot that I've tried many times. There are some that I can mention, though: Philip Chin's Chopstix , Veni Vidi Vici , Pano's and Paul's , the Buckhead Diner when I want something quick, they do a good job at Prime , my wife and I enjoy Houston's because they're consistent, and I also like some Asian places - Surin , Annie's Thai Castle, Soto for sushi, and Canoe is also good.