Meet Mike LaSage of Bone Lick Southern Kitchen in Old Fourth Ward

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike LaSage.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Mike. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In my teens and early 20’s, I would’ve never guessed that being a chef, or restaurant owner would be where I would wind up. I had assumed I would be playing music, dazzling the world with my fame and fortune… ahhh… were you ever so young?

Somewhere in those rebellious, unbridled, raucous years, I had a briefly intelligent moment of clarity where I realized that I may have to have something to fall back on (most sarcastic voice ever applied here:) in the very, very off-chance I didn’t become THEEEEE MOOOOOOOST FAMOUS GUUUUY IIINNNNN THEEEEE WORRRRRLLLLD (you have to say tall big and boomy to get the full extent of how ridiculous it is)…. hahaha… And I thought about what I liked and could be good at. I had been working in restaurants off and on since I was 15. The life spoke to me. I spoke to it. I realized, that within this industry, there was a way to create amazing moments and affect people; ways to make someone’s day; ways to be a part of someone’s story.

It is also a place where the pieces that make up the counterculture can thrive. It is Obviously not exclusive to this group, but most definitely welcomes us with big ‘ol wide open arms. Adventurous, alternative and non-conformist lifestyles are nearly the norm in this biz. I love that. That feels like home to me and always has.

And so, I decided that I wanted to start taking that seriously. I put my nose down and started taking notes. I started thinking about every single thing I had ever seen in a kitchen. I dug into the Food Lover’s Companion and started teaching myself this aggressive crash course on cooking and working my way up the ranks in the kitchen while absorbing everything I could about the rest of the business.

I still had my eye on music and was making lots of it, but when I moved to Atlanta, again, to pursue music primarily, I immediately missed the kitchen. I wound up getting a job as a sous chef at this little gastropub and eventually partnered up with the owner, and the guy who, well over a decade later, is my business partner, my brother and one of my best friends, Keiran Neely.

Has it been a smooth road?
The restaurant business is a really mean, angry, cold, evil asshole.

It chews good people up and spits them out without ever looking back or thinking twice.

It is NOT for everybody.

It is NOT for most of the people who have tried.

It is NOT for many of the people who have even been somewhat successful.

It can ruin friendships, relationships, marriages, families, lives.

It is a business that employees thousands of depraved drunks, assholes and druggies.

It has some downsides as well… 🙂

But seriously, most people have a very difficult time staying afloat in this business. I (we) most certainly have. Its a volatile business with too many variables to count. No specific rhyme or reason, or recipe for success.

A running joke in this business is: Q- How do you end up with a million bucks as a small restaurant owner?

A… start with $2 Million.

And there are those who actually have that kind of money and become the captains of industry, but lack soul… And they generally have a better rate of success, but they even fail occasionally.

This is a harsh, brutal business with demanding hours, and is a labour of love that can stab you in the back repeatedly.

I, personally, love it…

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Bone Lick Southern Kitchen story. Tell us more about the business.
I co-own Bone Lick and The Edgewood Speakeasy/Music Room.

Bone Lick started out as a fun, playful, chef-driven BBQ pop-up, that eventually became a brick+mortar location.

The menu these days has evolved into a broader southern culinary adventure and changes several times throughout the year. The BBQ mainstays, such as spare ribs with a badass bark, delicious brisket, smoked chicken, wings and pork are always there, but fun, playful additions like a smoked meatloaf or pork rind nachos and many others are the things that keep the Bone Lick menu fun and interesting.

Here is my philosophy, which is what I think about in the restaurant every day:
Eating out is a privilege. Having someone else cook your meal is a privilege. So many people do not have the means to go out for a meal. It is something that we completely take for granted. Those of us who can go out to sit down in a restaurant to have a meal, and maybe some drinks, with our family, loved ones, friends, whatever, we should stop forgetting how fortunate we are. Every meal should be celebrated. Every time we go out, we should embrace the experience.

That is what we try to create at Bone Lick: an experience. a memorable moment linked to a place and a feel and a taste. That is what I want to be for people. We try to create an experience.

We have created a quirky, weird, oddball space with lots of little amusing easter eggs to keep your inner psychedelic brain busy…

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think restaurants, in general, will become much more streamlined. We are already seeing some of these ideas being toyed with by having automation vs. human interaction. I think it is interesting, as long as this industry that has always employed so many creative bandits who will always have an industry to call home.

Contact Info:

• Address: 327 Edgewood Ave.
• Website: BoneLickFoods.com
• Phone: 404-343-4404
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @bonelickbbq
• Facebook: @bonelickbbq
• Yelp: WhoGivesAFuck

Image Credit:
Lourdes Sukari

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