Mike Lata

The Climb

The sequence matters: instruction, then service pressure, then a kitchen in step with Charleston’s changing dining identity. Since 2003, he has been owner/chef of FIG, and since 2012, chef/co-owner of The Ordinary, two roles that map a career built on range without losing a fixed standard.

Today

At The Ordinary in Charleston, United States, Mike Lata works from a seafood program defined by discipline rather than display. The point of the cooking is clarity: fish handled with attention to what it offers beyond the fillet, and with enough restraint to let that structure read on the plate. The Ordinary’s seafood follows a nose-to-tail approach, using cheeks, collars, skin, bones, and ribs. That choice changes the terms of the kitchen: less trimming for convenience, more use of the whole animal, and a closer reading of where flavor sits. A fish head terrine has been cited as a strong example of that whole-fish approach, making the method legible in a named dish rather than a talking point. “For me, personally, I want it to be based on good sensibility and strong technique.” Mike Lata’s own description of the work lands as a practical standard for the kitchen. Set against the fish head terrine, it points to a style organized around judgment, use, and structure. The result is a cookery that favors steady craft over flourish.

Career - Owner/Chef — FIG, Charleston, South Carolina (2003–present) - Chef/Co-Owner — The Ordinary, Charleston, South Carolina (2012–present) - Executive Chef — Anson Restaurant, Charleston, South Carolina (1998–2002) Education: Northeastern University; FIG

Signature

Mike's signature dishes include chicken liver pâté, fish head terrine, Sweet Onion Agnolotti with Pistachio Sauce, and Country Pork Pate with Pistachios. Taken together, these dishes sketch a chef interested in texture, richness, and detail, moving comfortably between the familiar and the exacting. Chicken liver pâté at FIG, for instance, appears not as a throwaway staple but as a defining touchstone, while the other dishes signal the same attention to balance and composition.

In Their Words “For me, personally, I want it to be based on good sensibility and strong technique.” “At FIG, it’s a chicken liver pâté.”

Recognition

Mike's honors include James Beard Foundation Award, Best Chef: Southeast (2009). The award sits alongside the rest of his work as a marker of consistency, technique, and a clearly stated point of view.

FAQ What recognition has Mike Lata received? James Beard Foundation Award, Best Chef: Southeast (2009).