Join Chefs Blake Hartley, Andy Long and Elise Harshbarger of Lapeer Steak & Seafood for an intimate and relaxing culinary experience in the Outdoor Kitchen.
Schedule: Select Tuesdays, April – October, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Fee: $150 per dinner; $840 for six dinners
Registration: Call 404-876-5859 ext. 2559
About Chef Blake Hartley
For Chef Blake Hartley, hospitality has always been about fellowship, the simple joy of bringing people together around the table. Born and raised in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, his passion for cooking began during his senior year of high school, when he would host dinners for friends before Friday night football games. What started as a fun gathering quickly became a calling.
After culinary school, Blake trained in Birmingham’s most respected kitchens, including Hot & Hot Fish Club and Bottega, where he developed a deep respect for both technicality and simplicity, letting great ingredients shine. He moved to Atlanta in 2016 to join Maven Restaurant Group and helped open Lapeer’s Alpharetta location in 2019. At Lapeer Birmingham, Blake brings his journey full circle, pairing refined technique with a deep appreciation for seasonality and ingredient-driven cooking. His goal is to always foster a collaborative work environment where everyone’s ideas are valued.
About Chef Andy Long
Andy Long is the Culinary Director of Maven Restaurant Group, the hospitality group behind Butcher & Brew and Lapeer Steak & Seafood.
A native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Andy was a self-described picky eater until late in high school, when he became enamored with the cooking shows that launched chefs like Emeril Lagasse. After a brief stint studying film and English at the University of Pittsburgh, he followed his instincts and enrolled in culinary school, graduating from Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in 2000.
In 2003, Andy moved to Atlanta to work at Aria in Buckhead under acclaimed Atlanta Chef Gerry Klaskala. At Aria, Andy learned the art of simplicity and developed the leadership philosophy that still guides him today: stay humble, pay attention to detail, and treat people well. Following Aria, Andy led the kitchen at a neighborhood cafe called Café del Sol, where he took pride in maintaining the same loyal team throughout his seven-year tenure. Andy’s most passionate about building a team that gets along, works well together, and continues to improve each day.
Andy then pivoted to owning a food truck, The Fry Guy, and during this stint, he met Maven Restaurant Group’s Founder Louis Soon, who recruited Andy to help open the group’s first restaurant. Andy helped Louis with the opening in 2016 before returning to his food truck. In 2018, Louis called upon Andy again to help with Butcher & Brew’s opening. This time, the agreement to help for a few months turned into Andy’s position today: overseeing the teams at Butcher & Brew and Lapeer Steak & Seafood. Andy’s leadership and culinary vision have been instrumental in shaping all three concepts.
Andy’s cooking style is simple and rustic with a New Orleans influence – a city he visits often and credits as one of his greatest sources of inspiration. He and his wife, Jenny, were married there in 2013, and his menus often nod to The Big Easy, from his creamy Creole Caper Maison Sauce (a favorite from Galatoire’s) to the “All Aboard” note on Lapeer’s seafood tower, a tribute to New Orleans trumpet legend Kermit Ruffins. He believes in sourcing the absolute best produce, meat, seafood, and specialty goods that he can find.
Now more than two decades into his career, Andy focuses on leading and mentoring the next generation of chefs. Many members of his current team, including Executive Chef Blake Hartley and Executive Pastry Chef Elise Vitale, have been with him for nearly a decade, a testament to the culture at Maven. Together, they continually evolve the menu, drawing on seasonal ingredients and each other’s ideas to keep Lapeer fresh and exciting.
Andy lives in Roswell, Georgia, with Jenny and their two daughters, Adley Mae and Lennon. Outside the kitchen, he loves exploring great restaurants around Atlanta, traveling to food cities like Charleston and New Orleans, and cooking big, festive meals for friends and family; he’s particularly a fan of throwing a good shrimp boil shared around a newspaper-covered table.
About Chef Elise Harshbarger
Elise Harshbarger is the Executive Pastry Chef at Lapeer Steak & Seafood, where she has created all of the restaurant’s pastries, breads, and desserts in-house for more than a decade.
Growing up as one of six children in the picturesque town of Milford, Pennsylvania, in the Pocono Mountains, meals were a special time to connect with her big family. From a young age, Elise loved helping her mom plan and cook meals and would tag along on her great-grandmother’s trips to the grocery store, local butcher, and produce stands. Her great-grandmother was also the baker of the family, and Elise would help her make cakes, cookies, and all kinds of bread.
When Elise was 14, she helped out her best friend at a local cafe when the dishwasher didn’t show up one day. One shift turned into a fourteen-year stint, and Elise wore nearly every hat, from bussing tables to counter service to serving. Her favorite task, though, was filling in for the baker twice a week.
When Elise moved to Georgia in 2015, she interviewed with Lapeer’s owner, Louis Soon, for a front-of-house position. Halfway through the conversation, he asked what she truly wanted to do. Without hesitation, she said, “pastry.” Louis hired her on the spot, and by the next day, she was in the kitchen. What began as a leap of faith quickly turned into a calling, as she built Lapeer’s dessert program from scratch.
Elise approaches pastry like the science that it is, testing and tweaking each recipe until the balance is just right. Her signature creations include Lapeer’s pillowy dinner rolls that start each meal, blackout chocolate cake, seasonal ice cream sundaes, and the hand-wrapped caramels that accompany every check. She believes in using the best ingredients available, often sourced from local farmers, and creating exceptional versions of classic desserts that feel both nostalgic and new.