Linton’s In The Garden To Be ‘Relaunched’ as Longleaf

The Atlanta Botanical Garden ‘plant-to-plate’ restaurant will turn over a new leaf after being opened less than a year.

Linton’s In The Garden, the Atlanta Botanical Garden restaurant by Chef Linton Hopkins of H&F fame, is being “relaunched” as Longleaf, according to a press release Tuesday.

“It has been pure joy to partner with an epicurean visionary in establishing a world-class restaurant inside the Garden, and we are inspired as he passes the torch to a bright new talent,” Mary Pat Matheson, Garden President and CEO, said in the release.

Hopkins opened Linton’s in Spring 2016, a “plant-to-plate” concept that was first announced in 2014.

Jason Paolini, the executive chef at Linton’s, will helm Longleaf under the advisement of Hopkins.

“We are transitioning the Garden restaurant into very capable hands, and I look forward to not only continuing our collaboration as consulting chef but also continuing my strong relationship with the Garden as a whole,” Hopkins said.

“Chef Jason’s connection to the Garden and its plants and visitors will continue to thoughtfully drive his menu creation as executive chef of Longleaf.”

Longleaf, a two-level contemporary glass structure nestled next to Gardenhouse in the heart of the Garden, would offer full-service dining, a grab-and-go cafe, and a “flexible space” for educational programs, private rentals and special events.

The restaurant’s new name is inspired by the “longleaf pine,” the resilient evergreen conifer indigenous to Georgia and the Southeast and a focus of significant conservation efforts.

During winter, Longleaf is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Garden admission is required for non-members of the Garden.