The Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead has appointed two new chefs to the helm of its culinary experience. Chef Berymson Dorvil, former chef de cuisine at the St. Regis Atlanta, has been appointed executive chef. Chef Keith Hyche, former sous chef at Michelin-starred Atlanta restaurant Atlas, serves as chef de cuisine of Brassica, The Waldorf’s signature brassiere-style restaurant. Although The Waldorf Astoria announced their leadership in September, the seeds of their partnership were planted years ago. “We’re here to stay. Whatever was said before, it’s a new culture now. It’s a new leadership. It’s a new vibe. It’s a new everything. We’re coming,” Dorvil (above) said. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta VoiceDorvil and Hyche said they always knew they wanted to work side by side. The two regularly crossed paths over the years with their roles at the St. Regis Atlanta. As Dorvil jokingly put it, the pair frequently ran out of or were missing some ingredient or tool and would regularly go to each other’s restaurants for help. That constant back-and-forth built mutual respect, a push for excellence, and a sense of family that has carried on to their new roles at the Waldorf. Hyche (above) said he feels a sense of pride when he thinks of being a Georgia native and strives to show the nuances of Southern cuisine and the ability to incorporate flavors worldwide. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice “It was just like second nature. When two people meet and align, and you have a common goal to do great things, it’s like night and day. It’s just easy,” Hyche said.  When it comes to the Waldorf, that common goal is to elevate the dining experience and culture of the luxury property.  From changing the menu format to how dishes are plated, the chefs knew they wanted to create refined meals packed with flavor and style. In Brassica’s intimate setting that melds French cuisine with a Southern twist, the chefs are serving up meals such as mushroom stuffed chicken breast with a collard green croquette and a dish dubbed the “Mardi Gras Squab” with sous-vide chicken and red raspberry sauce plated with colorful cauliflower. For Dorvil and Hyche, their love of food, like almost all things, began with family. While other high schoolers might’ve spent their summers outside or at camps, Dorvil was in the bustling kitchen of his uncle and acclaimed chef Ivan Dorvil’s restaurant. When Dorvil told his uncle that he loved helping him in the kitchen, his uncle didn’t hesitate to send him to culinary school at Johnson & Wales. In a kitchen in a small town in Alabama, Hyche watched as the matriarchs in his family whipped up meals for different occasions where food became fellowship around the dining table. If you happen to hear singing amidst a chant of “yes chefs” and “corner,” it’s likely Hyche belting a tune while he cooks and revisits his childhood. “That’s some of the happiest moments in my life,”  Hyche said. “I like to bring that feeling to everyone. I like it to be contagious and hope it rubs off on all the cooks, even the chef; I make him sing in the kitchen, too. Yeah, I know we look crazy, but the food’s good. It’s all the love and passion.”The chefs use that love and passion to find new ways to fuse French and Southern cuisine that tells a story. That story begins in their birthplaces of Cap-Haitian, Haiti (Dorvil), and Lithonia, Georgia (Hyche). Haitian food is a creole cuisine that blends Caribbean, Spanish, Arab, African, and French flavors. Dorvil said when he thinks of Creole cuisine food, it’s all about bold flavors and lots of spice, and he’s infused that style of cooking to dishes on the menu. “When I first arrived, we had a snapper on the menu, but it was just a bland snapper. It was just fried, and there was no flavor to it. But now, when I can come as a Caribbean guy, I can actually marinate it with a nice little Haitian marinade and then still give it that nice flavor,” Dorvil said. “Even though we’re still building French menus from French, you still need flavors.”Hyche said he feels a sense of pride when he thinks of being a Georgia native and strives to show the nuances of Southern cuisine and its ability to incorporate flavors worldwide. “From the Paschals to The Busy Bees, the foundations of Atlanta cooking, Southern cooking, I always just try to show that in every dish,” Hyche said.”Atlanta has so many exceptional places to go, and now that we’ve gone to the Michelin mode, and all of these high-end places are just coming out, I want to make sure that Waldorf has something to say.”The culinary journey for Black chefs is one riddled with ups and downs. Still, Black chefs in the South continue to make a name for themselves by creating seats at the table and building that table themselves as they win James Beard Foundation Awards and take their place as head chefs at praised restaurants. Dorvil noted that it speaks volumes to the growth of the Waldorf Astoria and the city to appoint two young, Black chefs to lead the dining experience for the luxury hotel.“It is hard for young, Black chefs. It is hard for us to get the role and for us to make sure that we pursue excellence. It’s hard for us to get our feet in the door, but when we do get our feet in the door, everyone sees what we bring to the table. Everyone sees how we can change a whole culture,  how we can shift a whole culture. Everyone sees that there’s a certain quality that we also bring, a certain attitude that we bring.”The story of young, Black chefs pursuing excellence continues for Dorvil and Hyche. Dorvil said that when people talk of luxury, storytelling is a big piece, and their stories are no different.  “When I look at someone like Chef Keith, you have a guy that’s been in the industry for over nine years, started in the stewarding department, and now is the chef of cuisine for The Waldorf. What bigger story is there? You have a guy that basically came from Haiti, came to America, pursued a career in the industry, and became an executive chef for The Waldorf. What better story is that?”As they take Atlanta’s Waldorf Astoria’s culinary offerings in a new direction, Dorvil and Hyche want people to know two things: they deserve it, and they’re taking over. “Nothing’s going to stop us. We visit obstacles and hurdles every day, but this is just another pedestal to say: look what we did and what we’re going to continue to do. This is our home, and we’re going to make this the best meal you’ve had in the city,” Hyche said.“We’re here to stay. Whatever was said before, it’s a new culture now. It’s a new leadership. It’s a new vibe. It’s a new everything. We’re coming,” Dorvil said.The post Atlanta chefs Dorvil and Hyche are taking over The Waldorf Astoria  appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.