Chef Matthew Ridgway Is IN at Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman

Matthew Ridgway is on board as executive chef at sister restaurants Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman. Ridgway replaces chef Randy Lewis, who left the Southern Proper Hospitality eateries in January.

Ridgway has prior experience cooking in Atlanta. He worked as chef de partie under Joel Antunes at JOËL and spent time sous chef at Pricci and Veni Vidi Vici, which closed over the weekend. More recently, Ridgway has worked in the Northeast, cooking at New York's Oak Room and The Pass in New Jersey. He also previously ran Porcsalt, an artisanal charcuterie company.

Ridgway will oversee the combined kitchen and staff for the two Buckhead Atlanta restaurants, and he'll add his own touches to their menus.

"It's exciting to come back to this city that has become such a great destination for food," the chef said in a prepared statement. "I love the people and the ingredients in the South, as well as the longer growing season. I'm also looking forward to getting back to a very congenial community of chefs who are so supportive of each other."