Gypsy Kitchen Welcomes Banks White as New Executive Chef
Great things come in threes, and Gypsy Kitchen is delighted to announce that it is adding to its restaurant family and introducing several new menu items. Executive chef Banks White, who joined the restaurant in March, is helming the kitchen, and new general manager Thomas Allen is leading this dining spot in Buckhead Village to continued success.
Executive chef White has overseen kitchens in San Francisco, Napa Valley and New York City. A 2019 San Francisco Rising Star Chef Award winner, he has extensive experience in Michelin-rated restaurants including FIVE Restaurant in Berkeley, California, where he was awarded the distinction of Michelin Bib Gourmand. Born and raised in Texas, White started his training at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont where he practiced classical French techniques. White spent time in northern California where he gained an appreciation for working with local farmers and using organic products to create high-quality cuisine.
“I’m excited to continue building on the great foundation Gypsy Kitchen has started,” says White. “By tapping into the different regions of Spain and neighboring countries, we look forward to delivering an outstanding dining experience.”
Complementing executive chef White’s talents in the kitchen, general manager Allen brings nearly two decades of restaurant industry experience to his new role at Gypsy Kitchen. Allen previously worked as food and beverage director at the Armature Works—a 75,000 square-foot commercial, mixed-use building in Tampa, Florida. He also has served as general manager of Boca Kitchen, Bar and Market in Sarasota, Florida, and general manager of GreySalt at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa. A graduate of Villanova University, Allen has worked in the restaurant business since he was 22 years old.
“I hope that all of our guests have a positive, seamless experience while sampling executive chef Banks White’s exquisite cuisine,” says Allen. “We have worked to create an environment where guests want to come back again and again.”
The dinner menu features:
Roasted brassicas – smoked onion purée, chickpeas, blistered tomatoes, cinnamon and turmeric couscous
Seared scallops – salmorejo “gazpacho” and aged sherry gastrique
Fried Brussels sprouts – chimichurri, feta, brown butter almonds and chile oil
Chickpea hummus – oven-dried tomatoes, zhug and barbari flatbread
Moroccan spiced carrots – cashew cheese, red quinoa, serrano chile, honey-harissa vinaigrette and puffed rice
Seared tuna – cucumber and radish, piquillo-harissa aioli, citrus-sesame dressing
Adana lamb köfte – ancient grain tabouleh, sesame toum, herb salad and toasted barbari bread
Seared duck breast – braised endive, cauliflower purée, French curry dukkah and orange duck glacé
Dry-aged New York steak – Spanish tortilla, braised short rib, Tunisian caramelized onions and tempranillo bordelaise
Labneh-marinated whole branzino – Kashmiri chili oil and fennel and herb salad
Cardamon ricotta fritters – orange blossom syrup, pistachio fennel and salt
Gypsy Kitchen draws inspiration from the culinary riches of Spain, infused with Moroccan traditions from across the Gibraltar and Indian influences that traveled west along the same seas. The restaurant is located in the Buckhead Village District in Atlanta. For more information, call 404-939-9840 or visit www.gk-atl.com.