Atlanta Falcons: Kevin Rathbun

Ever since his mother and grandmother taught him how to bring fresh foods from the garden to the table, Chef Kevin Rathbun knew the restaurant business was the best place for him. He started as an apprentice chef at age 14 and worked his way up through some of the best restaurants in the nation, including The American Restaurant in Kansas City, Brennan's in Houston, Commander's Palace in New Orleans and Baby Routh in Dallas. He then became executive chef at Buckhead Life Restaurant Group's NAVA in Atlanta where he brought his own style of Southwestern cuisine to the city. NAVA became an instant hit and was noticed both locally and nationally as one of the city's best restaurants. In 1999, Kevin brought Asian fusion to Atlanta with Bluepointe, another restaurant in the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group. He also was named corporate executive chef of Buckhead Life, overseeing many of its restaurants. In 2004, Kevin opened his own signature restaurant, Rathbun's in Atlanta. Since opening, it has received numerous accolades including being named Best New Restaurant 2004 by Esquire magazine and Best New American Restaurant 2004 by Travel + Leisure magazine.