Author Archives: Chef Kaighn

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.

Thank you and goodnight!

TweetWe are sad to finally say goodbye but so happy to turn over the keys to our new friends and the new owners: Smoky Mountain Dog Bakery! Please read this message from their website: https://www.smokymountaindogbakery.com “We are moving our retail … Continue reading

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Spring & Change Are In The Air

TweetDear Friends,      It has been a while since we last communicated with you and we thank you for your patience. To the many friends who have reached out to support us recently, thank you! We are now ready to … Continue reading

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We plan to be open for Thanksgiving. We are still working on our hours and menu. We will be serving heritage black turkeys from Joyce Farms. This year we will be operating with a limited staff which will limit our menu and the number of guests we can invite. Please call ahead, 828.456.1930 to. arrange your reservations soon!

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Thanksgiving is early for us here at FLPH! It has been a really tough couple years, and we are still struggling every day. These times make us reflect on our blessings as well, of which we have many. Thanks go first to our fantastic team, we have only a few employees left, but they are the best! We love you! Next, to our dedicated friends, family and decade long regular diners. We know we have been far from our own expectations for these past months and we thank you for your patience and generosity. We hope to find more staff and return to our full menu, and we hope that prices will start to fall. The combination of no staff and high costs have been damaging, we thank you once again for spending more to help us survive. We will. We do not know what the future will require from us anymore but we do know that we will adjust and overcome. We are still striving and are still recognized on the open table charts as the #2 best overall restaurant and #1 for for foodies in the region. Thank You All! Please call 828.456.1930 for reservations.

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The fall is starting and we will be starting a new menu this weekend! We are still critically understaffed and will expand our menu when possible again. We ask everyone to please make a reservation, especially as we approach leaf season. We will have very limited seating and it will help us prepare to ensure you have the experience you expect. Please call 828.456.1930.

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We will have a new menu next week as we head into autumn. Come in this weekend for the last taste of summer. Call 828.456.1930 for reservations, and keep watching for new menus, holiday plans and much more!

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It has been a very challenging time for us but things are looking up! We have added a couple warm and professional new team members, come say hi to our new bartender Nick and our new server Melissa. We had a great week and will do our best to continue on our regular schedule Tuesday to Saturday 5 to 9. We will still have a limited a la carte menu, posted on our website. We also must thank all our generous and kind friends and guests who have dined with us lately. We are here because of you and thanks to you we are still at the top of the charts on Open Table! We have just won many 2022 Diner’s Choice Awards! We are #1 “fit for foodies” in both Asheville and Western North Carolina. We are #2 overall in Asheville, and top 5 in many more. Thank You! We still have limited seating so please call early, 828.456.1930.

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Thank you! To all our friends who came in last night. We are currently open Tuesday to Saturday, 5 to 9pm. We have some new staff in training and are still in need of experienced cooks. We have very limited seating so please call soon to reserve your table, 828.456.1930

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We will be able to offer a small a la carte menu on our normal schedule this week, 8/7: we will be open Tuesday to Saturday 5-9 pm. In addition, we will also have a unique, five course, small plate “chef’s menu” available on weekends or by request. Please make your request when making your reservation. We continue to be tragically short staffed and will have very limited seating and a reduced menu for the time being. We ask for your support, patience and understanding. Please take a minute to review this upcoming menu, in progress. Please call 828.456.1930 for reservations. Thank you!

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We have news! This will be our last week on this limited schedule! We are still seriously short staffed but we plan to open on our regular schedule next week: Starting Tuesday 8/9 we will be open 5-9 Tuesday to Saturday. We will offer a small, a la carte menu all week and also a five course small plate, chef’s menu on weekends or by request. We hope to continue with this concept for at least the rest of this year as we try to add to our staff. Seating and menu will be limited so call ahead, 828.456.1930 to reserve your appointment with us. This is our working menu for next week. Thank you!

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