Chef Paul Albrecht
Paul's Restaurant
To say that Paul Albrecht was destined to become a chef and restaurateur is an understatement. For over 200 years, a member of the Albrecht family has been upholding the tradition of providing food and hospitality to the masses. From a Chef Albrecht who was chef to the Austrian Hungarian Monarchy in the 19th century, to Chef Paul's father, who owned and operated an inn, restaurant, and winery in Czechoslovakia all the way down to Chef Paul's son, Patrick Albrecht, a trained chef who owns and operates Great Food, Inc. a restaurant group in Atlanta. Following in his forefathers culinary footsteps, Chef Paul joined the restaurant business at the age of 14. He attended the Hotel and Restaurant school in Munich, Germany and went on to work for some of the best hotels in Switzerland.
Since moving to Atlanta in 1979, Albrecht has been widely regarded as one of the city's most beloved and enduring chefs. His culinary contributions to the Atlanta restaurant scene include the foundation of the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group and the seminal restaurant, Pano and Paul's.
Albrecht's career took off after opening Pano's & Paul's. He won Atlanta Chef of the Year in 1989, was one of four "Master Chefs of America" in California Gourmet, was featured in PBS' national "Great Chefs of Great Cities," hosted former President George H. W. Bush, and received national attention with live appearances on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, CNN, and a number of other national and regional television programs.
After a brief attempt in Carillon Beach, Florida, his passion for cooking pushed retirement to the backburner, and Chef Paul returned to the Peach State to establish Great Food Group Inc. with his son, Patrick, amidst a now crowded & competitive food mecca. Great Food Group Inc. has two restaurants: Social Vinings, a multi-purpose restaurant located in Vinings, and Paul's, a classic bistro in South Buckhead.
Chef Paul has complemented his work in the kitchen with involvement in a number of worthwhile organizations including Confrerie de la Chaine de Rotisseurs, Atlanta's Table, American Culinary Federation, Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, Nation's Restaurant Association, and the Georgia Hospitality and Travel Association of Food & Travel.
With the opening of his current restaurants, Chef Paul continues the tradition of culinary greatness that he has given the city of Atlanta for more than three decades. Still working in the kitchen every day, the "Godfather of Atlanta Cuisine" (Zagat) continues to prove that his best days are ahead of him.