Born in Bermuda to an Irish-American father from Queens and a half-French mother from England, Chef Nick Leahy was exposed to many cultures from an early age. After leaving Bermuda, Leahy lived briefly in London before settling in Atlanta, GA with his family as a child.  

 

    Living in Europe had a profound effect on him. While on one of his many trips to the family property in Provence as a child, Leahy ate his first unforgettable meal, duck confit, and he knew that he wanted to become a Chef. From that moment on, he spent all of his free time balancing on a stepstool at the stove while watching his talented mother at work. 

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    As a young adult, Chef Nick worked for some of the biggest culinary names in Atlanta, including Concentrics, Chef Chip Ulbrich, and 5th Group. Leahy used this time to gain experience and build his career with some of the best chefs that the city had to offer. As his career was progressing, so was his personal life. Around this time, he reconnected with an old classmate named Danielle and married her. 

 

    Not long after they were married, Chef Nick and Danielle left for an exciting culinary tour of Europe and Kenya before settling in London. During their time in London, Leahy accepted a role as the Executive Chef for Daylesford Organic, a true farm-to-table concept, where the farm and the restaurant are owned and operated as one. It was here that Leahy’s enduring love of local, organic, and seasonal food was strengthened. 

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    Upon returning to Atlanta, Leahy teamed up with seasoned restaurateurs Kristy and Christian Favalli to open Saltyard, a tapas-style restaurant with an emphasis on using seasonal and local ingredients.  The menu reflected many dishes inspired by Leahy’s 2011 travels, such as burrata from Italy, albondigas from Spain, and much more. While at Saltyard, Leahy further demonstrated the importance of ingredients by sourcing local and organic ingredients from local farmers at every possible chance. In May 2018, Leahy sold Saltyard to focus on the opening of AIX and Tin Tin, a fine dining French restaurant with accompanying wine bar reminiscent of Leahy’s Provencal roots. AIX and Tin Tin would go on to serve as a foothold in Atlanta’s Westside dining district.

 

Years later, as the pandemic struck, Leahy rebranded AIX and Tin Tin as Nick’s Westside in a savvy business move that allowed the restaurants to continue to flourish. Additionally, during this time, Leahy was recruited to serve as the Culinary Director of Dash Hospitality, a restaurant consulting firm and restaurant group. It was here that Leahy conceptualized and launched Dash’s first three restaurant concepts in the Dunwoody area.

 

With years of restaurant consulting and operations under his belt, Leahy decided it was time to strike out on his own and launch Harvest Hospitality. He lends his expertise to people looking to develop and succeed with their own culinary dreams and operations.

 

 

In 2024, Leahy and his longtime friends launched Vice Kitchen, a butcher shop and retail market in John’s Creek, Georgia. Vice Kitchen serves as the only butcher shop in Georgia that boasts its own slaughter house, making this a passion project for Leahy.

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    Chef Nick’s passion for food extends beyond the restaurant as well. In September 2014, he was the first ever Chef to be elected to the Board of Trustees for Meals on Wheels Atlanta (MOWA), a charitable organization that provides daily meals to senior citizens in need. Since becoming involved, Leahy has facilitated a partnership between the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market and MOWA, which enables MOWA to purchase organic produce directly from the farmers at a discount, while allowing the farmers to liquidate their leftover goods.  Most importantly, the partnership provides the MOWA seniors all the benefits of eating locally grown produce.

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Additionally, Leahy is also associated with prominent food organizations such as Georgia Grown, The Slow Food Movement, the James Beard Foundation, and Georgia Organics. On multiple occasions, Nick has cooked at the James Beard House in New York City. 

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    When not in the restaurant, you will find Chef Nick reading, hiking, or spending time with his wife, two daughters, and dog.