A Tour of Kevin Rathbun's Personal Kitchen

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Chefs often say they feel most at home in the kitchen. But what’s their kitchen like at home? Eater visited Kevin Rathbun in his 7,000-square-foot Morningside house, where he lives with his wife and 22-year-old nephew, for an in-depth look at his personal kitchen.

If you couldn’t tell from his restaurants, Rathbun’s style is sleek and contemporary. His kitchen exemplifies this to the tee, with clean lines; a black, white and gray décor; and not as much as a spoon out of place.

Custom-made by the Cohen brothers at HADCO in Suwannee, Rahtbun's ktichen has a 14-foot by 5 ½-foot island with six bar stools in the center, and a small flat screen on the wall. He has an eight-burner Viking range, though he claims his wife only lets him use four of them. (She doesn’t like the mess.) He also has a warming drawer, a convection oven, a wall oven, a prep sink, a main sink, two dishwashers, a giant refrigerator and a double pullout freezer. His dining room table seats 10, easily. And that’s just inside.

Rathbun likes to entertain (for fun, for charity, for other chefs), and it shows. His back deck includes a 12-seat dining table, a sitting area and a swimming pool complete with fountains. Not to mention the guesthouse and garage, behind which there are not one but two Big Green Eggs. He likes to grill and cook outside as much as possible; hence the outdoor stovetop, heat lamps, warming drawer, bar, ice machine and refrigerators. He wants a gazebo and fire pit one day—and has the space—but no definite plans, yet.

Back inside, the Rathbun house has a wine cellar large enough to display 600 bottles on the walls—and store 1,000 total. He focuses on reds, preferring California cabernet and those from the Bordeaux region. “I don’t want to be a collector,” Rathbun said. “I just want to have enough that I won’t run out if I have a big party.”