Lee Gregory inside his new restaurant, Alewife (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
“I hate it with all my heart to give it up and move on,” says chef Lee Gregory about his recent departure from The Roosevelt, the almost 8-year-old restaurant where he was chef and part owner.
Gregory's name had become synonymous with the homey restaurant on the corner of North 25th Street, which quickly transformed into a Church Hill mainstay after opening in 2011. The eatery embodied the spirit of the South and seasonality, offering an enticing cocktail program and inviting twists on culinary traditions from a kitchen helmed by the South Carolina native.
“We had a great run, and it was more than I ever, ever imagined it could be," says Gregory, his voice filled with nostalgia.
After nearly eight years of serving as executive chef and co-owner — his partners, including restaurateur Kendra Feather, will continue on at the restaurant — Gregory has fully removed himself from The Roosevelt. He cooked his last meal there on Oct. 31.
“It was a great experience, and I got to figure out how to be a boss, and leader and owner, and got to help redefine Richmond dining and the neighborhood.”
In 2011 when The Roosevelt opened, Richmond was known as a small Southern city, a capital along the East Coast waiting to be truly discovered and recognized. The Roosevelt placed Richmond on the national radar, drawing attention from Bon Appetit, Southern Living and The James Beard Foundation. Shortly after opening, it was named one of the 100 Best Restaurants in the South by Southern Living.
Gregory became one of Richmond’s rising culinary stars and for three straight years was nominated for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic by the James Beard Foundation. Plate magazine named him one of the ”30 Chefs to Watch” — we did, and so did the rest of the food world.
“The Roosevelt opened doors for a lot of people, including myself, to do bigger, better and more things, and stretch our limits and boundaries and change what the possibilities were in Richmond.”
In early September, Gregory opened Alewife, his first solo venture, nestled deeper into Church Hill and focused on highlighting sustainable seafood from the Chesapeake Bay and Mid-Atlantic.
For Gregory, launching this new restaurant was a much-needed step to further his career, his future and his own personal growth.
“I always thought I would have [The Roosevelt] and be able to do other things and create new jobs and opportunities for other people,” he says.
But sometimes less is more, and a loaded plate isn’t always a plus, even in the restaurant business. Until recently, Gregory was balancing The Roosevelt, Southbound, which he co-owns with fellow chef Joe Sparatta, and the fledgling Alewife.
“I think, for me, it became too much and maybe was just the time to let it go and let them breathe new life and see what happens,” says Gregory of The Roosevelt. “The restaurant, in a sense, made my career, and that’s a weird, hard thing to walk away from, but also exciting."
Now Alewife can serve as a breeding ground for new challenges, creative approaches and a completely different style of cuisine than the Southern tributes that made Gregory an industry standout. He says figuring out a restaurant’s identity and constantly creating is the fun part of being a restaurateur, and something he truly looks forward to doing at Alewife.
Gregory admits the bittersweet farewell from The Roosevelt was more emotional than he thought it would be, specifically walking away from the staff, whom he considers his second family.
As for the supporters who helped build The Roosevelt into a beloved dining destination, “If I could hug every one of them, I would,” Gregory says. “The community in Church Hill and in Richmond dining has been nothing but supportive and great to me, and that restaurant specifically. Hopefully we get the same love and continue to move forward and create something new for the dining community.”
