Leon’s Full Service in downtown Decatur, Georgia is pleased to welcome Cameron Octigan as its new Executive Chef. Octigan is a passionate and innovative chef with more than 10 years of culinary experience. His creative approach to using local and seasonal ingredients will bring a new dimension to this neighborhood favorite.

Growing up in Florida, Cameron always helped with the cooking because his mom worked nights or early mornings. His first paid job was at Crabby Tom’s in Brandon, FL. “We were out in the country, where there wasn’t much else to do, but we always found fun. Tridents for frogs, machetes for walks, and cornmeal for fish.” This fondness for adventure and his love of the kitchen led him to pursue his passion for cooking.

A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles, California, Octigan has had a career that spanned the country – from the West Coast at Blair’s and Cook’s County in LA to the East Coast at Momofuku and Selamat Pagi in New York. While the “local” locale has changed, his focus on farm-to-table cuisine never wavered. The birth of his son in 2013 brought Octigan home to Atlanta, where he worked at Ford Fry’s St. Cecilia and No. 246 before joining Leon’s Full Service.

“I love Atlanta. My family is here. This is our home,” says Octigan. “I want to focus on the great produce grown and meat raised in our state at local farms, and on bringing that product to our community in interesting ways at a price and in an environment that is accessible for everyone.”

“Leon’s is about to make some changes. Some you may notice, some not. We will continue with an even greater focus on local foods, a more international and yet focused menu, but always thinking of ways to make great food that you love to go with drinks you love,” says Octigan. While menu favorites like the warm chickpea cherry salad and the brisket with frites won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, you can expect new items like Painted Hills beef tartare and a baked half Grassroots Farm chicken cooked to order with a skin so crispy you would swear it was fried. Octigan’s sense of adventure also shines through with new menu items of pigtail with peach grastrique and coleslaw, and a cioppino – a stew with market fresh fish and shellfish.

Joining Octigan in the kitchen is Sous Chef Jeff Sellers, who has been with Leon’s since it opened in 2009. “We have an amazing team of young and talented professionals in our kitchen, and we are thrilled to have Chef Octigan on as our Executive Chef to lead their efforts,” says Ryan Gallagher, Partner in LEON’s Full Service. “We have always strived to support our local farms and producers, and procure the freshest local ingredients for our patrons. Chef’s passion and commitment to farm-to-table, seasonally-inspired fare will enhance the menu as well as the customer experience, and really let us start having fun with food again.”

Photo courtesy of Dennis