It Feels Like Family

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: November 2023 | Photograph By: Susan Renfro

Miguel Alvarez, Jesse Coffeen, and Lily Chavez

In Highlands, the Ugly Dog Public House has long been the place where everyone wants to be. The brainchild of Kay and Thomas Craig, Ugly Dog opened in 2010.

Since then, there’s scarcely been a visitor or resident who cannot recall time spent at the pub.  In its 13-year history, Ugly Dog has taken many forms.  It can be a world of regulars sharing a beer at the bar, a center for bridal parties and homecomings.  It can be a performance hall for the best in bluegrass, and a game venue where music bingo is played. The comradery and good times carry over to the food in a menu that hits all the high notes of Southern and tavern fare – wings and pretzels, tacos and tater tots, barbecue, burgers, dogs and pizzas.  

All of which is why when considering naming a new chef, it was an appointment carefully considered by Kay Craig, Ugly Dog’s impresario.  Recently Craig tapped Jesse Coffeen to lead the kitchen, following an introduction by managers at their sister restaurant – High Dive. 

Coffeen is neither new to Highlands nor to the restaurant business. Son of a navy man, he bounced around during his youth but spent summers in Highlands and ultimately his senior year here, graduating in 1997. And, it was here that he first learned the restaurant business; at his Aunt Diane Sackman’s Highlands Seafood and Smokehouse.  As Coffeen described his time there, “I started there as a dishwasher, younger than I was legally allowed to work.  At 14, I first got on the line and learned how to cook – working the fry station, quartering chickens and by 15 or 16, they moved me down to the smoker.”  

He went to college in Orlando, and from there worked at a variety of restaurants, “mostly for corporate restaurants, but I found out I didn’t like that.  So, I focused on working for independent restaurants and fell into fine dining.”  By the time he decided to move back to the mountains he had worked his way through Florida, and Arizona.  In 2017 he landed the sous chef job at Fortify in Clayton where he stayed until the start of the Pandemic in 2020.  

Now at Ugly Dog, Coffeen says that, “My focus day in and day out is primarily to uphold Kay’s vision for the restaurant. She’s built an impressive business and there’s a lot to be said for that.” 

His role, as he sees it is predominantly managing and leading a 15-person culinary team, “keeping the wheels moving – ensuring that orders are placed and received and the restaurant staffed and trained.” 

He enjoys being hands-on in the kitchen and filling in wherever needed – whether it’s working the dish station or the fryer.  

He told me that, “My favorite thing about Ugly Dog is the people I work with.  There’s a strong team in place here, passionate people who care about what they are doing, along with multiple different families.  All of which makes it feel like a family.” 

Though he has kept the menu true to the original casual tavern concept, Coffeen enjoys creating Southern comfort food specials for Wednesday Bluegrass night – country fried steak, shrimp and grits and meatloaf.  

Jesse Coffeen lives in Highlands with his wife, Jessica Emery, who is member services director at Highlands Falls Country Club and their two young children, 4-year old Eliza Coffeen, and 2-year old Beatrix Coffeen.