Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1184228
5 0 | M A C O N M A G A Z I N E F E B R U A R Y / M A R C H 2 0 1 9 "I had a friend working at Edgar's, so I went in for the interview and got the job. I stayed with them almost six years. I opened (Helms) with them and became a fulltime instructor with the school," said Sanneman, who doesn't have a culinary degree of his own, but earned his spot as an instructor through years of experience and innovation in the kitchen. In 2012, when the Moonhanger Group, who now owns Natalia's, opened Dovetail, they hired Sanneman to help open the restaurant and serve as its executive chef. He stayed there until December 2016, when he stepped down to deal with alcohol addiction. "I did a great job for Moonhanger. We re-opened H&H, El Camino and got the catering business going, but I had to deal with the alcoholism," he said. "I went into a treatment facility for a few months to get my head clear. ... I'm two years sober now." After treatment, Sanneman took some time away from work to focus on his recovery. He wasn't actively looking for work, only applying for things that seemed interesting. "I looked at taking a job in Antarctica. I don't know what I was thinking," he said with a laugh and a shake of his head. " The job was only six months and I thought it would be an interesting experience. I sent the paperwork off, and waited and waited. "Soon, I got a call from Houston Lake Country Club's owner Mark Byrd. He knew about my past and the reasons why I left Moonhanger, and he gave me a shot as executive chef. I'm grateful for that. " Well, three weeks on the job there and the Antarctica paperwork finally came through – of course I turned it down. The freezer at Houston Lake was the coldest freezer I've ever been in, and every time I went in there I'd think, ' What in the world was I thinking?'" NATALIA'S NEW OWNERSH I P In July 2018, Sanneman got a call from his former Moonhanger boss, Wes Griffith. Wes and his brother, Travis Griffith, had purchased Natalia's restaurant and wanted him to join the team as executive chef. "Doug was our executive chef at Dovetail, and he's just super talented," said Wes Griffith. "In my opinion, he's the most talented chef in the area. He's got such a good palate, and he's got a strong history here. He taught at Helms, is a certified executive chef, brings a real good work ethic and has so many skills in the kitchen. He loves all different types of food and world cuisine, and creating rustic Italian food is one of his passions." Sanneman said it was tough to leave Houston Lake, but was excited at the opportunity to work at such a Macon landmark. Natalia's was established in 1984 by Natalia Del Basso Orsini, a native of Sulmona, Italy, and has been Macon's go-to spot for fine dining for 34 years. "I've always loved Italian food, and I've never worked in an Italian restaurant. That was a big fear of mine, coming in here and gaining 40 pounds by eating pasta," the 37-year-old Sanneman said, adding that his favorite dish is pasta amatriciana. "I make it for myself every now and then – but really spicy." Sanneman admitted taking on such a role was a big task, and said he's working hard to address concerns from longtime patrons who are worried about menu changes to their favorite restaurant. "I truly believe that the restaurant is just as good as it always has been, and I truly believe that everyone in the kitchen believes that as well," he said. "And yes, we are very aware of what 's going on out in the community and we care very much about that, and it 's on our radar constantly. " When I came in, I had never worked for Natalia, I never even knew Natalia, but look at what she's built! I respect that, and I don't want to change the integrity of the place." Griffith echoed those sentiments, adding that the restaurant was founded on recipes that were close to Natalia's heart, and they hired Sanneman knowing he'd be respectful of that. " We want to keep and honor those traditions, but wanted to bring someone in who could start to sprinkle in modern interpretations of Italian cuisine," Griffith said. " To me the thing that we were most concerned about replicating was service quality. Natalia's always has had very impeccable service, and we want to maintain that, but it's a work in progress." -Wes Griffith