Blue Ridge Travel Guide on FLPH

About Chef Kaighn

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Executive Chef Kaighn Raymond has over 23 years of experience with the last 8 years as owner and executive chef of Frogs Leap Public House and 13 of the previous in the Atlanta fine dining scene. Coming to Atlanta directly from the Culinary Institute of America, Kaighn had already reached sous chef level at Chatterley's, a beloved Connecticut bistro recognized by the New York Times and still flourishing today. Chef Kaighn worked his way through CIA gaining exposure to the industry in multiple capacities. Upon graduation from CIA with Dean's List Honors and a high pass on his 5th term practical Kaighn was recruited to the 5th group in Atlanta. Over the next decade Chef Kaighn developed his diverse skills as a highly celebrated Executive Chef in the Atlanta scene at several of the Atlanta's most notable establishments, including Brasserie le Coze, Alon’s, Atlantic Seafood Company, Horseradish Grill, Food 101, La Tavola, The River Room, The Vinings Inn, Pastis and The French American Brasserie. As the Executive Chef at Brasserie Le Coze, his flawless integration of creative, unpretentious cuisine coupled with inspired presentations re-elevated the reputation of the restaurant to one of the hottest in the city. During his years here Chef Kaighn fine tuned his skills under world renowned Chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin in New York City . After a long career at the top of the Atlanta fine dining scene, Chef Kaighn followed his dream to Waynesville, NC where he opened his first self owned restaurant: Frogs Leap Public House at 44 Church Street in 2012. FLPH was voted the #1 Restaurant, #1 Food and #1 Service in Western North Carolina by Open Table diners in 2018 and is in the Trip Advisor Hall Of Fame 2018.