CHEF T’s A hometown secret of the best kind

Story by Roxann Edsall

Photos by Mackenzie Free

Family truly is the foundation for the success of Chef T’s Restaurant in Ragland. Chef Anthony Soles’s mother loved cooking, and that passion inspired him to work his way up through the food industry and spend more than a decade as an executive chef at a major hotel chain.

Their family kitchen stories and experiences influenced Chef Anthony’s son, Cordelro, to attend culinary school and become a chef. Several other family members work in the food business as well.

Chef T’s, named for Anthony (Tony), is a family affair – kin or not. His business partner, Carl Byers, also grew up cooking for his family and friends, and his son and daughter help out in the business as needed.

Restaurant and catering manager Melissa Burnette credits her passion for food and home fries for her dedication to the southern cooking offerings at Chef T’s. One of Melissa’s favorite menu items is the Philly cheesesteak sandwich. She recommends pairing that with the home fries or onion rings.

This restaurant is the quintessential, unassuming “hole-in-the-wall,” in a building that was originally built as a convenience store.

It’s a hometown secret of the best kind. Their mainstay is the barbeque pork, and they offer a smallchopped pork sandwich for the budget-friendly price of just $1.25. The barbecue sauce is homemade