Jason Paolini Is IN at Linton's In The Garden

Atlanta chef and restaurateur Linton Hopkins is nearing the launch of another venture, and he has an executive chef on board. Linton's In The Garden will begin service later this spring, and Jason Paolini, a veteran of Hopkins's Resurgens Hospitality Group, will run the kitchen as executive chef.

Paolini has been with Resurgens since 2009, working in the kitchens at Holeman & Finch Public House, Restaurant Eugene, and H&F Burger. At Linton's in the garden, he'll serve up "honest, garden-to-plate cookery," according to an announcement. In layman's terms, that means locally sourced and seasonal new American fare.

Hopkins first announced plans for Linton's In The Garden in October 2014, revealing his intention to be part of a multimillion dollar revamp at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. When it opens, the restaurant will seat more than 200, include a patio and rooftop deck, and offer views of the woodland garden and the Midtown skyline. Hopkins currently operates The Cafe at Linton's in the Garden, which will make way for office space when the new project opens.

"The possibility of what we can do is wide open," Hopkins previously said of Linton's In The Garden. "We plan to make salads from the lettuces grown there, to bring in heirloom southern heritage seeds and use those as part of the annual harvest. I really want to integrate this idea of soil and garden to the plate and create something really unique."