Flynn McClanahan has been appointed to executive chef at Atlanta Fish Market, part of the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group. Chef Flynn succeeds Bobby Holley, the beloved chef who passed away suddenly in August from a rare cardiac condition.
“We miss Chef Bobby and will for a very long time. He was not only a talented chef but a very good and caring friend,” said Buckhead Life Restaurant Group Founder and CEO Pano Karatassos. “As much as our Buckhead Life family is reeling now, we are equally thrilled and thankful that Chef Flynn can step in and seamlessly take the reins at our iconic Atlanta Fish Market.”
Chef Flynn was born and raised in Northern California’s wine country where his father worked for the Mondavi family. He pursued classical training at The Culinary Arts Institute of Louisiana in Baton Rouge where he studied under the famous Louisiana chef John Folse, cultivating expertise in creole and southeast Asian influences, as well as developing a passion for locally sourced ingredients.
“I love befriending local farmers and unearthing our common passions,” said Chef Flynn. “The freshness and variety at Atlanta Fish Market is a thrill for me. With the many daily deliveries of fish from around the world and with our in-house cut shop, we are able to prepare a huge variety of seafood dishes as daily specials to present an imaginative menu to please the sophisticated palate of our guests. It’s a real treat.”
Chef Flynn first came to Buckhead Life Restaurant Group in 2004, training as a sous chef at Pano & Paul’s before transferring to Chops, later to Alon’s Bakery, The Palm Steakhouse, and The Lobster Bar.