About Us

From the owners of the nationally acclaimed Rathbun's, and Krog Bar, comes a steakhouse for the new generation.  

 

The owners - Kevin Rathbun - Clifford Bramble - Kirk Parks

 

Kevin & Melissa Rathbun (accolades on Kevin Rathbun)

kevin112010.jpg (1399944 bytes)KEVIN RATHBUN: See complete bio 

After thirty years in the restaurant business working and learning from others, in 2004, Kevin Rathbun opened his namesake restaurant, Rathbun's, then Krog Bar (2005), and then Kevin Rathbun Steak (2007). And today, Kevin continues to be a pivotal and driving force in the local and national restaurant scene.

At Rathbun's, Kevin incorporated his take on Modern American Cuisine with a menu that expands to over fifty menu items along with specials every night.  His insight to what his guests desire have turned most of the menu items into staples.  His features of raw "crudo" plates were one of the first to be seen in Atlanta, and his listing of "small plates" expands to over fifteen items. His entree consist of "big plates" and "second mortgage plates" and range in menu pricing of $15.00 to $39.00.  The signature items are the scallops, the lobster taco, the 20 oz. Ribeye with blue cheese, and the veal chop with sweet corn Gouda.  Added to that is Kevin's list of signature side plates that range from the cabbage carbonara to the cauliflower mash.

At Krog Bar, after visiting Spain, Kevin returned with a vision of an intimate wine bar with small tapas plates.  Working along with the restaurant designers and architects, he opened Krog Bar and did just that.  He incorporated all types of Spanish style cuisines into a menu and atmosphere, which has some of the same staples as day one and now features daily specials of hot plates. Krog Bar's intimate interior adds to the warmth of dining in this award winning Spanish style wine bar.

At Kevin Rathbun Steak, Kevin took on his biggest endeavor to date.  Only one and a half block from Rathbun's and Krog Bar, Kevin found an old cotton warehouse and turned it into one of the Top Steakhouses in The U.S. (Details Magazine). Kevin Rathbun Steak features Prime steaks from Allen Brothers in Chicago along with a menu that expands to over fifty items. Kevin wanted this steakhouse to have the "new modernized atmosphere and menu" of a steakhouse and he did that by incorporating more seafood, alternative meats, new and creative appetizers and a list of over fifteen sides.  The incorporation of local produce and a completely chef driven menu with organic meats and heritage bred animals has continued to keep this restaurant as one of the top new steakhouses in the United States.

Kevin's background started in humble beginnings in Kansas City, where he started working as a dishwasher at Sambo's.

He has worked with celebrity chefs and restaurateurs such as Bradley Ogden, Emeril Lagasse, Stephen Pyles, Ella Brennan and Pano Karratossos and he has perfected not only his technique in the kitchen, but his passion for owning and operating his own businesses.

While Kevin was Chef at Baby Routh in Dallas, it received the DiRona award for dining excellence. His drive and passion landed him the chef’s position at Nava in Atlanta where he brought Southwestern food cuisine to the city of Atlanta. Nava became an instant hit and was noticed both locally and nationally, and since 1995 has been continuously voted one of the top five restaurants in the city.

Earning Esquire Magazines “Top New Restaurant” for Nava was a highlight, as was being the Corporate Chef of the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group. While there, overseeing NAVA, BluePointe, Kyma, and The Buckhead Diner, his list of accolades continued to add up which propelled him to go out on his own.

In May of 2004, Kevin opened his namesake restaurant “Rathbun’s” in Atlanta. It opened to critical acclaim and was voted by Esquire Magazine as one of the “Top New Restaurants in the Country”. Since the inception of Rathbun’s, Kevin has opened a second and third restaurant Krog Bar and Kevin Rathbun Steak. They are located next door to Rathbun’s and a block and a half from Rathbun’s and both have received local and national acclaim.

Kevin resides in Atlanta with his wife, Melissa. In his spare time, he enjoys, philanthropy, reading cookbooks, dining out, fine cigars, traveling and humbly admits that in his next life, he would have a passion for restaurant designing. See complete bio 

Cliff Bramble

cliff112010.jpg (594775 bytes)CLIFF BRAMBLE: Cliff is a co-owner of Rathbun's, Krog Bar & Kevin Rathbun Steak.  A native of Coventry, Rhode Island, he is a 30 year veteran to the hospitality industry.  Cliff brings along a drive and passion for the restaurant and business side of the operation.

From 1985 to 1991, Cliff worked for the Marriott Corporation.  In 1985, he opened the La Jolla Marriott then went on to open the Mobil four-star Desert Springs Marriott in Palm Desert, California.  He was then sent to the San Diego Marriott & Marina and was the General Manager of a high-volume seafood restaurant until returning back to Palm Springs to work at the Marriott’s Rancho Las Palmas Resort.  From 1991 to 1995, Cliff operated his own café until he was asked to join in the opening team of NAVA (Buckhead Life Restaurant Group) in Atlanta. Ultimately, Cliff became the General Manager of NAVA and then the Operations Director for Buckhead Bread Company and Corner Café. (Buckhead Life Restaurant Group). 

Originally from Rhode Island, where he attended Johnson & Wales University,  Cliff resides in Norcross with his wife Kyra and their two children. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, computers, marketing, financial and business planning.

Kirk Parks

kirk112010.jpg (1327887 bytes)KIRK PARKS: Kirk is a co-owner of Rathbun's, Krog Bar & Kevin Rathbun Steak.  Born, raised and educated in a small farming community in the Midwest, Kirk worked at the local steel mill until he acted on his love for the culinary field by taking a job at a local restaurant.  In the mid eighties, Kirk moved to Houston, Texas and began working at the Brennan’s of Houston Restaurant.  From there, Chef Parks moved on and became the Pastry chef of Baby Routh in Dallas, Texas under Chef Stephan Pyles.  During this time, Chef parks contributed to Pyles’ first cookbook “The New Texas Cuisine”.

In 1993, Chef Parks became the Executive Pastry Chef at Jumby Bay Island Resort, an exclusive resort in the British West Indies, until 1995 when Executive Chef Kevin Rathbun lured him away to work at NAVA in Atlanta. For the past nine years, Pastry Chef Kirk Parks has continued to create incredible desserts for NAVA. NAVA is owned by the prestigious Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, which includes: Bluepointe, Pano and Paul’s, 103 West, Buckhead Diner, Chops, Pricci, Veni Vidi Vici, Atlanta Fish Market, Kyma, Bluepoint, Buckhead Bread Company and Corner Café.While at NAVA, Chef Parks completed his degree in the culinary arts program with honors from the Art Institute of Atlanta.

Chef Parks has garnered many awards, including in 1993, The James Beard Foundation, Baker of the Year of the Southwest.  Chef Parks has been published in Southern Living Magazine, Food and Wine, Bon Appetite, Gourmet, Atlanta Magazine, as well as appearances on many local TV stations.  Chef Parks has won awards and honors for such acclaimed desserts as his B&B Cube, Banana Quesadilla, Apple Pinon Enchilada and the Chocolate Pecan Pie.  He teaches cooking classes at local cooking schools such as Cooks Warehouse and The Kroger Cooking School and has consulted on various area restaurant dessert menus.  Chef Parks is in the process of writing a pastry cookbook that will demonstrate the ease of preparing restaurant desserts at home. Kirk resides in Marietta, Georgia with his wonderful wife, Freida and step-daughter, Kimberly.