KEVIN RATHBUN hit Atlanta's dining scene in 1994 when he became executive chef at Nava. Until 2003 Rathbun worked for various other Buckhead Life Restaurant Group eateries, including opening chef for Bluepointe and overhauling the menu at the Buckhead Diner. Rathbun, who started out at age 14 as apprentice to restaurants in his hometown of Kansas City, also has worked as chef at Brennan's in Houston, Commander's Palace (under Emeril Lagasse) in New Orleans and at Baby Routh in Dallas.

Now the chef has decided to settle down and do his own gig. Rathbun's opened May 27 in the Stove Works at Inman Park (the 110-year-old building housed a potbelly stove factory).

Rathbun has three partners: his wife, Melissa, and two friends from some of the restaurants he has worked in. Melissa, whom he met in New Orleans where she worked as a corporate secretary at Brennan's, heads up the restaurant's financial operations. General manager Cliff Bramble comes from Rainwater Restaurant in Alpharetta but was also opening manager at Nava. Pastry chef Kirk Parks also did stints at Brennan's, Baby Routh and Nava.

"Mod meets loft" is how Rathbun describes the Johnson Studio's makeover of the former Virginia's space.

Dark woods, exposed brick walls, suspended stovepipe pendants emitting fuchsia light, an open kitchen, banquettes and knotted sheers blend traditional and contemporary elements. A bar and a patio complete the décor.

Rathbun's modern American cuisine offers a melting pot of flavors - from Asia, the South (especially New Orleans) and the Southwest - that he has explored in kitchens for 30 years. It's really "good home cooking with an edge," he says.

Eclectic dishes, many made with Georgia-grown produce, are offered in several tiers of food selections: "Small Plates" include lamb scaloppini with pancetta and goat cheese and smoked salmon tostadas with habanero and watercress. "Raw Plates" include salads and raw meats such as thin sirloin with crisp celery leaves. Regular entrees are "Big Plates," ranging from Niman Ranch pork tenderloin to sea scallop benedict on country ham grits with asparagus and hollandaise sauce and braised brisket in smoked tomato with poblano quesadillas. The "Second Mortgage" plates are the more expensive entrees, such as Maine lobster and roasted chile soft taco with cascabel cream and tomato pico or a prime 20-ounce bone in ribeye with Hot Point Reyes blue cheese and bacon vinaigrette. "Side Plates" (vegetables) and Park's desserts (Stove Works S'more tart, Krog Street ice creams, dessert small plates) complete the menu. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $3.95 to $32.50.

Dinner: 5:30-10:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 5:30-11:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. 112 Krog St., Suite R. 404-524-8280, www .rathbunsrestaurant.com.