Chef Hugh Acheson - Find. Eat. Drink.

Chef Hugh Acheson, Empire State South, Five & Ten, The National, Athens, GA, Georgia, Atlanta, Recommendations, Chef Recs,Where to eat in Georgia, Shop, Stores, Restaurants, Bars, Where to drink, Where to eat, Where to shop, Chapel Hill, NC, North Carolina, Los Angeles, CA, California, Iced Tea, Pantry Items, Anson Mills, Sorghum, Cheese

A Chef’s Recs | Atlanta, GA

Peachtree Road Farmers Market | Cocktails at H. Harper Station | Sandwiches at Super Pan Latino

Photographs courtesy of Peachtree Road Farmers Market | H. Harper Station | Super Pan Latino

Find | Markets

Farmer’s Markets | Peachtree Road Farmers Market

Ingredients| Star Provisions

For Southern ingredients.

Farm Produce

Sundance Family Farm

Grab some Yacon -- a wonderful root vegetable.

Indian Ridge Farm

Shop from Indian Ridge Farm -- great foragers.

[See details.]

Eat | Restaurants

Bacchanali

Great fine dining -- a classic, but modern.

Bone’s

Cause I love a great steak.

Umaido

In Suwanee -- great ramen.

Off The Beaten Track

Super Pan Latino Sandwich Shop

A great Latin-inspired sandwich shop.

Gu’s Bistro

It’s in Doraville -- great Szechuan food.

[See details.]

Drink | Bars

Drink at: Holeman & Finch Public House and H. Harper Station.

[See details.]

Photo Credits: Rinne Allen | Rinne Allen | Sarah Dorio

Recipes

- Egg In A Hole, Brussels Sprouts & Shaved Gruyere

- Crisp Brussels Sprout Leaves

Recommendations

Details of Hugh Acheson’s recommendations for where to eat, drink and shop in Atlanta, Athens, New York and Los Angeles.

Who

Chef Hugh Acheson is a partner in the restaurants 5 & 10 and The National in Athens, and Empire State South in Atlanta.

Why

Canadian-born / Southern-transplant chef Acheson trained in French cuisine and now combines European and Southern flavors for his three restaurants.

Chef Hugh Acheson

February 2, 2012

Website:

www.hughacheson.com

Empire State South - Atlanta, GA | Five & Ten and The National - Athens, GA

Q & A with Chef Hugh Acheson

Q. For people who have never been to your restaurants, can we get a brief description from you about them and dishes to try?

A. I am a partner in three restaurants in Athens and Atlanta.

5 & 10 was my first restaurant that I owned and it serves contemporary, seasonal Southern fare. I would get the Frogmore stew, a lowcountry boil of shrimp and sausage.

The National is my second restaurant, it’s also in Athens, and is a Mediterranean restaurant focusing on the foods of Spain and North Africa. I would get the really healthy Power Lunch, which is a big mix of great local vegetables.

Empire State South is our newest spot. It’s in Atlanta and is a very modern take on Southern food, with breakfast, lunch and dinner. I would get the pork belly over rice grits. Yum.

Q. Tell us about your book: A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for your Kitchen... and can we get some highlight tips?

A. It’s a cookbook about my experience cooking Southern food. As a Canadian who has laid roots down in the South, I have an interesting view of the bounty of Southern cooking. As tips go, I think it’s best to just to understand the seasons and what’s in your sphere and cook from there. Learn the inconvenient route with food, it’s a lot more worthwhile.

Q. Southern cuisine seems to be currently getting its day in the sun. Has the cuisine changed or has the public’s perception of the cuisine changed?

A. I think my life long quest is to change how Southern food is perceived. I think it just gets an unfair rap as being unhealthy and that’s just not true. Southerners are more apt to eat greens than fried chicken. I do think its relevance and hipness right now gives us the opportunity to showcase its deep history and storied past in ways that can show its true meaning.