Haller Magee 2010 Bernard Troncale.JPG

Haller Magee, pictured here in this file photo from December 2010, has been the executive chef at Satterfield's Restaurant since 2007. (Birmingham News file/Bernard Troncale)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Birmingham chef Haller Magee has left his position as executive chef at Satterfield’s Restaurant after nearly 10 years at the Vestavia Hills fine-dining restaurant.

Magee announced his departure from the restaurant on his Facebook page late this morning.

“Today, I want to inform family, friends and loyal patrons, it is with bittersweet regret that I will no longer be the Executive Chef of Satterfield’s Restaurant,” Magee wrote. “It has been an honor and pleasure serving you all for the past 9 years.

“I want to thank the Satterfields for giving me the opportunity to work and hone my craft on such a wonderful platform. I want to also thank the staff that I have graciously worked with; without them, the success we’ve accomplished would not have been possible. It’s been a fun and educational ride.

“It’s time for me to move on to personal ventures. STAY TUNED . . .”

In an interview with AL.com this afternoon, Magee said it was time for him to leave Satterfield's and that he hopes to open a restaurant of his own soon.

"There are a multitude of reasons why I am leaving," he said. "I have been there a long time, and one of the main reasons is, more than anything, just personal growth for me. It is time for me to move on.

"I've been there 10 years almost," he added. "This April would have been our 10th year. I'm almost 40. I would like to have my own (restaurant).

"I love that place (Satterfield's) so much, and I told them they gave me the highest platform to do some really cool food and to learn," Magee added. "It was a great experience, and I love everyone there."

Magee said that he has been looking at some potential locations for a restaurant in the Birmingham area.

"I would like to tell you where, but until that is a little firmer, I'm going to keep it under wraps," he said. "It's definitely going to be in Birmingham. I'm not going anywhere."

A Jackson, Miss., native, Magee started as a line cook at Satterfield’s and has been its executive chef since 2007.

He has described the Satterfield’s menu as "contemporary American,” with an emphasis on seasonal and locally sourced meats and vegetables and fresh Gulf seafood.

"It was the original plan to deal with local farmers and purveyors," Magee said in a 2013 profile for Birmingham Restaurant Week. "Over the years, it's definitely grown. We've become more aggressive with seasonal ingredients and food.

"I've got a horticulture background as well, and it's kind of second nature where I can talk to the farmers that I deal with and understand the conditions and the temperament of what they're growing."

Magee won the 2013 Iron City Chef cook-off sponsored by the Vestavia Hills Rotary Club and was featured in the inaugural edition of the book "Best Chefs America."



Satterfield's Restaurant is at 3161 Cahaba Heights Road in Vestavia Hills.

Updated at 1:33 p.m. CDT on Sunday, March 23, 2014, to add more comments from Haller Magee.



Efforts to reach Satterfield's Restaurant management for additional comment are ongoing.