Easter Inspirations

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: April 2023

It’s spring on the Plateau, and nowhere is the season celebrated more enthusiastically than at Old Edwards Inn.  Just in time for food lovers, or really anyone in search of an inspiring meal, and especially those interested in sampling impeccably executed Italian dishes is Chef Craig Richards’ dinner at The Farm at Old Edwards on Saturday, April 8.

In a career spanning more than two decades, Richards has run the kitchens at two of Atlanta’s most respected establishments – Tavola and Ecco, followed by more than four years as culinary director of the Ford Fry empire. In 2019, Richards and partner Billy Streck opened Lyla Lila, the restaurant that the NY Times cited as, “exactly the diverse, sophisticated and comfortable restaurant Atlanta’s booming Midtown neighborhood needed.”

Despite some initial hardships stemming from the Pandemic, the restaurant has thrived, accolades and rave reviews have poured forth – a feature in The New York Times 2021 Restaurant List and a spot on the semi-finalist roster of the James Beard Foundation Awards in two categories, Best Chef Southeast and Outstanding Wine Program.

Richards, who got his start under the tutelage of  the grand matriarch of Italian cuisine, Lydia Bastianich, has spent a career mastering the craft of pasta making. Frequently viewed as a “pasta magician,” his obsession has not diminished. He describes his menu at Lyla Lila as, “Italian in spirit and technique” but with an “expanded pantry” featuring Georgia grown ingredients – with dishes that spotlight flavors found throughout Italy and Southern Spain.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution noted that pasta is, “the star of the show,” and that, “No matter how you like your pasta – stuffed or baked, cut straight and long or into short, twisted shapes – you can find it here, made in-house.”

Richards cooks with a flourish. Take for example the superb wagyu beef and black truffle ravioli. His version of lasagna is a showstopper; a hedonistic 13-layer crispy duck lasagna, that’s fried then baked – no dry noodles here.  It’s a dish that Forbes Magazine likened to, “a religious experience,” confessing that, “if this dish were the last bite I took on earth, that would be fine.”

Meanwhile, not to be missed are the seasonal Mediterranean accented dishes; for example, cold-smoked scallops with green harissa and snapper in squash and basil-pistachio pesto. With a menu designed around seasonal crops from the Farm at Old Edwards, the al fresco affair also incorporates a few Italian Easter traditions. The multi-course dinner is filled with spring’s most vibrant flavors, alongside wine pairings courtesy of the Old Edwards sommeliers.