Robert Gerstenecker’s gastronomic roots run deep, right into memories of the family farm he grew up on near Dunville, Ontario. There, plucking seasonal vegetables for dinner was a daily chore and milk never made it to the fridge. “We milked the cows every day and kept it, unpasteurized, in a jug outside the door,” he recalls. “My mother made her own butter. Dinner was at 6:00 pm, and it was the centrepiece of the day.”

The experience did much to craft Gerstenecker’s approach to Park 75, the fine-dining restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta where he is enjoying his second run as executive chef. “We’ve introduced a lot of new programs to impress upon the local community how hotel restaurants have changed,” he says, referencing in particular the new Chef’s Table that unfolds in the kitchen on any given night, where guests are served up to nine courses of his “globally inspired” cuisine. “These aren’t gimmicks. They’re me being me, expressing what I love about food.”

There is not a day that goes by, says Gerstenecker, that he doesn’t appreciate his childhood and the “never-ending supply of good things” his mother put on the table. When he grew old enough to go out on his own, he contemplated a range of pursuits – including law enforcement – before realising what excited him was in his own backyard.

Gerstenecker can’t help but to pass that passion along – to his clientele as well as to his cooks. He makes a strong effort to support local producers, and on slow Sunday afternoons he can be found with his kitchen crew picking seasonal produce from farmers’ fields. “You can’t have good relationships with people unless you know where they come from. It’s the same with food.”

As far as Atlanta goes, well, honestly, he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. “We’re in the toddler stage as far as farmers’ markets and local focus go, but the chefs’ community in Atlanta is second to none.” Even to New York? “There was too much going on for me in New York. Down here, I can stop for a minute to enjoy things.” Bon appétit.

View Robert Gerstenecker cooking at home.

Check out the latest coverage on Robert Gerstenecker and the restaurants at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta.

• 11Alive - Local woman works with Chef Gerkenecker for a day
• Access Atlanta - Chef brings bees to Four Seasons