Feast BBQ Founder and Culinary Director Ryan Rogers has been selected by Eater National as a 2015 Eater Young Gun Semifinalist. Rogers joins the premier list of semifinalists amongst 50 of his peers that was narrowed down from 734 potential nominees. Eater’s Young Gun Semifinalist list is their annual selection of the next guard in the hospitality industry where they identify the most promising up and comers in the US and Canada. Eater Young Guns have to be under 30 or have worked in the industry for less than 5 years.
“I am honored to be chosen as a Young Gun semifinalist this year,” says Rogers. “The sheer amount of talent I have been lumped in with is daunting and I am truly humbled. My only hope is that we can continue to excel and push ourselves to be a continuously better restaurant group that adds value to an already great restaurant scene in Louisville.”
Additionally, at the end of May, Rogers returns to Atlanta, Georgia for the Atlanta Food and Wine Festival. Feast BBQ will participate in the festival’s Tasting Tents and this year, Rogers is invited to be a part of the talent for the Rathbuns’ Watch List event on Saturday evening during the festival.
The Rathbuns’ Watch List event is the brainchild of celebrated Atlanta chefs/restaurateurs and brothers, Kevin and Kent Rathbun. Working alongside AFWF, the Rathbuns’ identify up and coming chefs and bartenders who are making their mark on the Southern culinary industry. Rogers’ is one of ten professionals invited to participate this year. Past Louisville talent to participate in the Rathbuns’ Watch List includes Annie Pettry (Decca) and Kevin Ashworth (Milkwood).
About Feast BBQ
In 2012, Ryan Rogers opened Feast BBQ at the age of 26. The barbecue restaurant is framed within the scope of his childhood memories of no frills southern barbecue and church picnics and built upon the foundation of refined culinary technique. In 2014, Feast BBQ opened the doors to its second location in Louisville’s NuLu neighborhood, where they had spent 6 months renovating the old Cake Flour space and adjoining office space, into a 120+ seat quick service restaurant.
Photos courtesy of Ryan Rogers Facebook page and @EatLoveLouisville Instagram