Nearly five decades in, La Grotta Ristorante Italiano remains one of Atlanta’s most enduring restaurants, serving Northern Italian staples from its longtime home beneath a Buckhead condo building. In January, chef Drew Van Leuvan stepped into the kitchen, bringing experience from The Deer and the Dove, Seven Lamps, One Midtown Kitchen, and Ecco—and taking up the task of sharpening the restaurant’s reputation without disrupting what’s made it last.
Atlanta: What’s it like joining such an established, iconic restaurant?
Drew Van Leuvan: It’s the most unique restaurant I’ve ever worked at. Being in business for 47 years is remarkable. You have to be respectful of the history and clientele. My 25- to 30-year-old mind could never have handled working here. It’s too rigid. Being in my 50s now, I can use my knowledge and history to improve on the legacy. It’s that challenge that’s intriguing to me.
Atlanta: Why do you think La Grotta still holds its own in a crowded market?
Van Leuvan: They try to keep the price point low compared to other restaurants. The food is very solid. The service is good. It’s family-owned, and the entire staff cares—they’ve all been here so long. It’s not like this “who’s who.” They built this niche, and it became a place people want to be part of.
Drew Van Leuvan has upped La Grotta’s game with dishes like slow-roasted lamb chops with braised artichokes
Courtesy of Drew Van Leuvan
Atlanta: How has the food evolved since you’ve been here?
Van Leuvan: We updated the lamb from a simple lamb chop with veggies and pesto to a double lamb chop, slow roasted with artichokes braised in wine, vinegar, and aromatics, with a rosemary-Dijon vinaigrette. It’s more modern. We took the Bolognese from a simple mom-and-pop version to a rich sauce with considerably more depth. We’re curing beef brisket scraps like we would pancetta, grinding them, and then slow braising them in the sauce. We also introduced a beef Fiorentina, a 36-ounce classic Italian porterhouse, which is served with rosemary sea salt and a head of roasted garlic. In addition, the chicken, fish, and veal stocks are all made in-house now. Little things make a big difference!
Atlanta: What other changes do you have planned?
Van Leuvan: Bread and pastry work are near to my soul. I want to put more of a refined restaurant touch on the pastries to help push the restaurant into the future. Look for new pastas as well.
This article appears in our August 2026 issue.
Advertisement
Dining and Cooking