Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1233225
9 2 MACONMAGAZINE.COM | D E C E M B E R / J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 0 MEET AND EAT: THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF ARTICLES SPOTLIGHTING LOCAL CHEFS AND SKILLFUL COOKS WITH A LAGNIAPPE — A SIGNATURE RECIPE. TO KICK OFF OUR SERIES, MEET ONE OF MACON'S TOP CHEFS SINCE THE MID-1990S, CHRISTIAN LOSITO, CHEF AND PROPRIETOR OF CHRISTIAN'S. Decades later, former City Club general manager Ted Robinson remains a fan. "Christian brought a special flair to Macon — from the City Club to Café Provence, the Back Burner, and now, to Christian's," Robinson said. "In addition to his special culinary skills, he's a wonderful people person and the best at creating a memorable and lasting hospitality culture." Born and raised in Nice, France, Christian said people are incredulous that a native of the French Riviera would choose to spend his life in a small city in Georgia. "Initially, I was unsure about Macon," Losito admitted, "but I quickly grew to love the city and the South. The people are very nice and Southern hospitality is real." Undoubtedly, moving to Macon was a leap of faith, but after working in his brother's restaurant in Washington, D.C., followed by a stint at the University and Whist Club in Wilmington, Delaware, Christian was ready for the challenge served up by the City Club. In 1996, after two years as a food and beverage manager, Christian departed with his colleague, chef Daniel Adam, to open Café Provence on Vineville Avenue. A year and a half later, Adam bought him out. While studying Macon's restaurant landscape to determine his next move, local business intermediary Charles Jay contacted Losito about the availability of a former tea room on Ingleside Avenue. Christian struck a deal for the building and found investors to assist with financing to overhaul the building. "Macon was ready for something different and I envisioned a quaint eatery like one might find on a roadside on the outskirts of a small town in France," he said. Quickly, the Back Burner became a fixture in Macon's restaurant scene, a tribute to Losito's imaginative French- inspired cuisine, and in one year he repaid the loan. HIS VANITY LICENSE PLATE JUST MIGHT SAY IT ALL — FR CHEF. Christian Losito is regarded as one Macon's finest chefs, French or otherwise, a reputation he's garnered over a quarter-century in several of the city's top dining spots. Losito arrived in Macon in 1994 at the invitation of Private Club Associates, the management company of the City Club, which, for 16 years ran the private downtown dining and event space on top of the Macon Health Club that catered to the business community. There, Losito got his start when Private Club Associates took a chance on him and he took a chance on Macon. MEET AND EAT CHEF CHRISTIAN LOSITO BRINGS HIS FAVORITE FRENCH FLAVORS TO NEW RESTAURANT BY JAMI GAUDET | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA WHITLEY •