Q & A with CHEF COSTANZO ASTARITA

Why is sustainability important to you & your restaurant?
Conservation is important to us, without sustainability we couldn’t survive as humans. Generations to come will benefit from out conservation and our future businesses.
If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow?
Tomatoes. Our family has a strong history and affinity with tomatoes. On the Isle of Capri, there is a strong connection to
what little land we have. Cherry tomatoes are my families favorite. The real ones too, not gassed or genetically enhanced.
When you taste a real tomato, you can never go back.
What one seasoning can you not live without? Garlic. It goes with everything and enhance and lends a nice heat to your dishes.
What should every kitchen not be without? Real Salt! Also a variety of different salts. Salts are not created equal, based on where they are from and how
they are harvested.
What chef, person and or book inspired you to enter the culinary world? The men of my family. They were all chefs and traditions and stories were passed down from the recipes they gave me.
What are some can’t miss items on the menu? Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu and Kimchi Wings
What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? Leonardo DaVinci
Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ? The Isle of Capri overlooking the Faragliglioni. My Wife. I would eat a pasta with fresh local seafood and listening to Pepino

Chef Costanzo Astarita was born into a family of chefs on the Isle of Capri.  Shortly after, his family immigrated to Bermuda where he trained at the Bermuda Culinary School.  He then moved to the United Kingdom to finish his Hotel Restaurant Management Degree.  WIth all of his culinary education and experience, his greatest influence was his father, where he worked and trained under extensively.  This true Italian training developed his mantra of using the best and freshest ingredients that are in season.  “Keep the recipes simple and let the ingredients shine in the dish.”  After moving to Atlanta, Astarita spent some time at Chateau Elan, as director of food operations, and then set out to open his own restaurant group, which involves Ciao Bella, Baraonda, PDH (Publik Draft House) and Fig Jam.

Q &A with CHEF MIKE MCGIRR

Why is sustainability important to you & your restaurant?
I was raised on an organic farm, and my parents were both from subsistence farming families in Ohio, not far from the
West Virgina border. My work as chef is based on my passion for sustainable, organic agriculture. I spend more of my
professional life lecturing and teaching on authentic cuisine and pristine sources of all of my ingredients.

If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow?
Effectively, I am a farmer even though I don’t own a farm. I work intimately with over 30 farms, ranches, dairies and foragers to plan the production of proteins, produce and products for the tables of my clients and the kitchens of my
chef-colleagues. I personally work in most of these endeavors, sewing, weeding and harvesting, slaughtering and butchering, and foraging for the foods I prepare. So, pretty much everything!

What one seasoning can you not live without? Vinegar.

What should every kitchen not be without?  A cast iron skillet with a fitted lid.

What chef, person and or book inspired you to enter the culinary world? Julia Child, as a child. Alice Waters as a young adult.

What are some can’t miss items on the menu? A Surprise TBD!

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? Thomas Jefferson.

Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to? My partner and I on the last night of life on earth as a massive meteorite hurtled towards us all. We’d be in a little cabin by a bold stream, deep in the woods, high in the mountains. We’d have beer, wine, bourbon and absinthe. We’d eat something I’d killed earlier in the day, preferably a trout, a partridge, a wild hog and a possum. Each would be prepared on a wood stove or in a wood oven. All would be lightly touched with salt and kissed with a rare spice. I’d insist on some mountain music, and would gladly accept the awful electronica to giggle and laugh about. Then some Marianne Faithful, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith and Morrissey. If foie gras were around, we’d have it for dessert with an amazing Sauternes.

Chef Mike McGirr was raised on a four-acre organic farm in rural Massachusetts in the 1970’s and 80’s. His parents, each coming from subsistence farming families in Ohio, wanted to imbue the family life with healthy, fresh foods such as what they’d enjoyed in their youth. They raised chickens, ducks, rabbits, and grew a year-round garden with myriad forms of produce. They hunted and foraged regularly. They processed everything possible to stock a cellar and pantry with the finest and healthiest whole foods. They dined out almost every Friday, and de-constructed the meals on the drive home so they could recreate them on Saturday as a family in the kitchen. He’s reared animals, grown gardens and worked intimately with ranchers, butchers, cheese mongers, fish mongers and wine makers. His passion for the natural environment translates seamlessly into fluency in the kitchen. He believes excellent produce should be the cornerstone of cuisine, and he enjoys the search for the best resources to bring to his clients’ tables.
Currently coined “locavore” and “farm-to-table”, his style isn’t based on trends.  Chef Mike has fed several high profile families weekly, and manage events at their homes regularly including  actors, producers and directors such as  Laura Turner Seydel Family, Ashton Kutcher & Demi Moore, David & Megan Dobkin, Sara & John Shlesinger, Nancy & Michael Schulder.

Chef Mike’s true joy is to create a community out of food.  Working  intimately with producers to improve the variety, quality and reliability of their product for his clients’ tables.  A commitment to excellence in preparation is his foundation. From stocks and mother sauces to condiments and snacks, he is not one to take the short-cut. It breaks his heart to see a perfect tomato go to waste, or a leftover chicken leg to miss the stock pot. He enjoys butchery, preserves and organization as much as preparing scrumptious fresh meals.

Chef Mike loves to travel where he thrives in the intimacy of a private kitchen and finding food sources on a trip is a passion!

Mike can be reached at mike_mcgirr@mac.com or view his blog at http://michaelrayeats.wordpress.com/

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant?  It makes sense….and it helps bring more readily available and variety of produce for all chefs in Atlanta.

If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow? I would raise world class dairy cows and make my own artesenal cheese.
What one seasoning can you not live without? Gochujang…aka Korean Red Pepper Paste…it is a staple in our marinades and sauces and unique to our BBQ restaurant

What should every kitchen not be without? [ie: type of knife, pan, olive oil, etc] A Pitmaker Smoker…it helps bring the correct amount of smoke to your food and is all wood burning…too many people fake smoke or use gas driven contraptions.

What chef,  person and or book inspired you to enter the culinary world? For most chefs the answer will be consistently …a family member or Mom being the greatest influence or Chef Thomas Keller in Napa Valley, CA.

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? Alvin York….look him up…an American hero, badass, and warned against the dangers of World War

Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ?
Family, Friends, Nolan Ryan, Jimi Hendrix, Benjamin Franklin, Alain Ducasse, on the top of Mount Le Cont in the Smokey Mountains…any menu put together by Chef Andres from El Bulli, pairings by the sommelier from Fat Duck in England, and music by Johnny Cash

Heirloom BBQ Passionate chef’s all have one thing in common…a story, past mixed with present, that continues to shape a connection to food throughout their journey into the culinary world.   This hillbilly chef, Cody Taylor, found a passion for BBQ. Working in restaurants from the age of 15, Cody realized his journey into food just begun. Now that his focus has been reached, the pursuit of smoked meat perfection has become his hidden treasure.  Chef Jiyeon Lee’s path into expressive ideas and artistic flavors began on a stage that many strive to reach. At an early age, Chef Jiyeon was a music sensation in her home country of South Korea, rising to a level of stardom that she never expected. After recording multiple hit albums, JiJi, as called by fellow chefs , decided to pursue a new direction that utilized her creative aspirations and desire to face new challenges. Cooking and learning Western food techniques provided this medium, and she applied this passion into traveling and working for the best restaurants and hotels she could find. A deep connection to new found flavors was formed, but her desire to bring the culture and heritage of Korea’s cuisine to the forefront of the gastronomical world only grew stronger. With this new goal pushing her onward, Chef JiJi has begun to connect the past with her present.

Heirloom Market is the smallest of places with the biggest of hearts. This chef driven restaurant was designed with the idea of paying respect to iconic BBQ food ways with the touch of our personal flavor. Chefs Cody and Jiyeon decided to create Heirloom Market with one basic thought “What can we enjoy doing for the next 10 years”. We decided to cook to our strengths. Simple, Classic, and Fresh are three adjectives that should never be lost when providing such a polarizing cuisine as BBQ. Jiyeon, a South Korean ex-pat, grew up with the flavors of grilled meats, pickled vegetables, and a constant array of side dishes. Her culinary training and travels in the states has led to a deep rooted love for “Seoul” food or classic Southern cuisine. Cody (a Texas born, Tennessee raised, Atlanta trained Chef) has spent countless hours cooking, eating, and appreciating everything BBQ. Together they have created a place that provides the best of “the things we eat on our days off.”

Q&A with Chef Evan Cordes
Why is sustainability important to you & your restaurant? This really just boils down to doing the “right” thing. Supporting the local economy is essential, the more we can support the farms that surround the city, the more jobs can be be created; which, as we all know, is the ultimate driving force for the economy. Supporting businesses like organic farms that support their local community is also essential to healthy happy families, that live and work in their community.

If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow? Chicken and Hops. A small family of goats, eggplant (i love the eggplant), and some really spicy arugula.

What one seasoning can you not live without? Thyme, but really hot sauce.

What should every kitchen not be without?  A good sharp knife that the kitcheneer feels comfortable with. Brown pan liner paper, makes clean-up a breeze. A cast iron braising dish, I have a 5 quart Staub that I love.

What chef,  person and or book inspired you to enter the culinary world? Juan Esparza, Chef de Cuisine at Poole’s Diner in Raleigh, North Carolina. I met Juan seven or eight years ago, he inspired me then and he inspires me now. He has a fantastic sense of humor and an even better palate.

What are some can’t miss items on the menu? Chicken Livers hot wing style; Braised Bacon and Shrimp with Shiitake Relish; Skirt Steak with Arugula, Crisp Potatoes and Smoked Peanut Picililli.

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to?  Abe Lincoln, he seemed like a pretty reasonable fellow. If Abe Lincoln was unavailable, Joel Nathaniel Cummins.

Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ? I would eat dinner with my wonderful wife in the bite of Cape Lookout on the NC coast. We would eat deviled eggs, white anchovies, chunks of hot calabrese sausage, and roast chunks of foie gras over a campfire like marshmallows. We would enjoy a couple of bottles: Falanghina, Duvall Leroy, a nice smokey Malbec. I would have Matthew Bettinger make white whiskey cocktails all night with little umbrellas in them and Wilco would play live from about fifty feet away. When the meal was over, we would dance.

 Having etched out a niche in the Atlanta market as a destination for classic cocktails, H Harper Station is now furthering their commitment to local, seasonal and sustainable food with the addition of Executive Chef, Evan Cordes.  “We have always been focused on sustainable meats and local produce, and with Evan’s natural affinity for those things it’s just getting better and better” states Jerry Slater, Harper’s owner. 

Evan Cordes, born and raised in North Carolina, and most recently of Cakes & Ale and Serpas True Food, is excited about crafting menus in H. Harper Station’s relaxed, yet still elegant atmosphere.  “I believe that a delicious meal, crafted from local ingredients should not be out of reach for anyone” states Cordes. 

Guests can expect the menu to change more frequently as items come in and out of season.  Making a summer debut on the menu is a locally harvested eggplant carpaccio with tomatoes and marinated peppers, a summer bean salad featuring green beans, sunflower sprouts and black cherry tomatoes and a ribeye with smoked potato salad and roasted okra. Cordes and Slater have partnered with local farms like Bes’ Maid Garden Essentials, D & A  Farms and Gaia Gardens to ensure a frequent supply of high quality, organically grown local produce.

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant? Knowing what you eat is important and we as chefs should know not only what we are feeding people but also where it is coming from.  I try to use organic ingredients when possible but using local and seasonal ingredients is imperative.  Supporting local farmers is important to me and I try to utilize their sources whenever possible.  I always design my menus around seasonality and availability using ingredients at their peak.

If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow? Chickens/Eggs.  Eggs are my favorite things to cook so I would love to raise them myself.

What one seasoning can you not live without? Salt-all kinds

What should every kitchen not be without?A good chef’s knife and tasting spoons.

What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? Thomas Keller.  The first cookbook I ever read cover to cover was “the French Laundry” it inspired me to become a chef and taught me the importance of the industry

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? Gordan Ramsay

Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ?My last supper would probably have to be my dad’s spaghetti sauce with homemade meatballs, bruschetta, and a tomato-basil platter.  This was the first meal I learned to cook and I love it’s simplicity and flavors.  I remember smelling the fresh garlic and basil as a little girl when this meal was being prepared; these are still my favorite kitchen smells today.  I would enjoy this meal with a bottle of red wine with my family and my dog Sawyer preferably on the water in a warm climate.  I would have to go with a slice of carrot cake for dessert that was heated in the microwave for about 7 seconds.

Suzanne was born and raised in Atlanta, GA and was brought up around good food. With a grandmother or “Nona” as it’s referred to in Italian, hailing from Rome, Suzanne was educated early on about the importance of good food and it’s power of bringing people together.  In college as a hospitality major at the University of South Carolina, Suzanne discovered her passion for food by watching the food network and re-creating the recipes she had seen.  Upon graduation she decided to explore this passion and enroll in culinary school back home in Atlanta.  Suzanne worked under chef Richard Blais at Concentrics’s ONE Midtown Kitchen and chef Eli Kirstein before deciding to start her own business, the Hungry Peach, specializing in private dinner parties.   In 2009 she partnered with best friend, Conor, and the two opened the Hungry Peach Cafe in the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center (ADAC) in Buckhead.  Suzanne has recently paired up with pastry chef Jonathan St. Hilaire to execute his BYOBakeshop dinners concept; family style dinners held the 1^st weekend of every month at his bakery Bakeshop in Midtown.  She creates BYOBakeshop dinner menus based on seasonality and availability, always keeping quality in mind and putting her heart into every meal.

Chocolatier Kristen Hard

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant?Sourcing local creates a foundation for a business that is truly sustainable.  Because our main crop- the cocoa bean- must be sourced from around the globe, we go to extremes to support the farmers where we source from and help them to develop added value on their own farms.  Similarly, we work with local farmers in Atlanta who supply us with fruits and herbs we use in our truffle line and in return collect our highly valuable husk of the cocoa bean to use as compost and to enrich their own soil.   Furthermore, I am working hard to eventually own my own farm in a cacao growing region to finally have control of that last puzzle piece- the growing of the trees and picking of the cacao pods.
If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow? If I was a farmer, for sure I would polycrop cacao with other valuable and sustainable crops that would create sustainability on the farm.
What one seasoning can you not live without?  I cannot live without salt.  Salt is an integral player in creating balance and enhancing true flavors.
What should every kitchen not be without? [ie: type of knife, pan, olive oil, etc]  As a chef, I would say that every kitchen should not be without one amazing utlity knife.  As a scientist, the most important tool in my kitchen is a winnower- a machine that blows the husk from the nib of the cocoa bean.
What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? I am not sure that I had an inspiration from a person in the culinary world.  I was  however heavily influenced by certain philosophers and scientists.
What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? I would love to serve a meal to Rumi, a great Sufi philosopher/poet.
Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ? I would have my last supper in the countryside of Italy with my closest friends, including all the ladies of Cacao eating pasta, burrata, and drinking an amazing glass of wine. 

Kristen Hard’s passion for culinary creativity began at the tender age of five as she scoured her house for spare sticks to construct homemade lollipops, barely able to peak over the kitchen countertop.  That initial curiosity has led to years of rigorous research, which propelled Hard’s success to a level commonly reserved for tenured chocolatiers well beyond her age.  Hard, 32, hails from Atlanta and is a true daughter of the South.  After traveling the world as a chef, she brings her culinary pride and recognition back to her hometown. It is through her experiences abroad, that the evolution from chef to chocolate maker has taken place.

After working in several restaurants and cafes throughout college, Hard traveled to Italy to explore the world outside her Southern roots.  While in Rome, she was hired as a private chef aboard boats crossing the Atlantic and sailing the Caribbean.  In the small confines of the boat’s kitchen, Hard experimented with creating chocolate, stopping at local ports to purchase fresh ingredients on a weekly basis.  It was at one such port where Hard discovered the alluring cocoa bean and her true love affair began.  While watching a group of Caribbean women crush cacao beans with their bare hands, her passion for discovering chocolates’ many aspects ensued.  This endeavor served as the basis of her first line of truffles and bars, showcasing a sustainable and deeply satisfying premium dark chocolate infused with an array of organic herbs, spices, teas and fruits.

After returning to Atlanta, Hard began her wholesale company, K Chocolat, in 2004 creating a line of truffles with holistic characteristics informed by her work done with a local herbalist.  Just five short years later, she opened her first storefront, Cacao Laboratoire du Chocolat and Boutique, in Atlanta’s Inman Park neighborhood. Each step in Hard’s journey has been a progression of getting closer to the source of chocolate.  With the unveiling of her “Love Bar,” made directly from the cocoa bean in 2009, Hard’s evolution continued as both the first bean to bar chocolate maker in the Southeast and the first female bean to bar producer in the U.S.  Since then she actively sources her own cocoa beans, working hands on with farmers in the harvesting and fermentation process and is heavily involved in elevating cacao farming practices.

Recent Accolades:

o   Best New American Chocolate- Food and Wine Magazine

o   100 Things to Taste in America- Food and Wine Magazine and CNN

o   Named one of nine of the nation’s best purveyors of factory-free goods by Details Magazine

o   Awarded in 7 categories in the “Best of Salon Awards” of the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon 2010. Categories included Best Dark Chocolate, Best Truffle, Most Delicious Ingredient Combination, Best Dark Chocolate Bar, Best Organic or Fair Trade Product.

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant? Being a good chef starts with giving people the freshest food possible. The closer it is to home, the less time it takes getting in our doors. That insures a quality, fresh product. Local, usually smaller farmers, take more pride in their work, a personal vested interest, and can achieve some different flavor characteristics in the food.
If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow?Pigs. I love everything about them.
What one seasoning can you not live without? Garlic
What should every kitchen not be without? [ie: type of knife, pan, olive oil, etc] Salt
What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? I don’t think there was a celebrity chef that I followed before going to culinary school. I just knew I liked to eat, and cooking was very enjoyable to me. I learned a lot watching my mother.
What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to? George Will
Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ?In the Bahamas with my wife.  I would eat anything with conch in it, especially conch fritters and stew.  Appleton Estate rum and great wine.  Jack Johnson playing in the background.

 Known for his sophisticated and seasonally-driven cuisine, renowned chef and Atlanta native Shane Touhy has built his career on years of experience, hard work and personal flair.  Upon the opening of Dogwood, his new restaurant located in the heart of Atlanta, patrons will have the opportunity to indulge in Touhy’s one-of-a-kind dishes.  As executive chef, Touhy is responsible for menu development, food production and kitchen operations.

Touhy’s passion for food and entertaining came early in life by observing his mother, an ideal Southern hostess, who filled their home with uniquely-styled dishes created with warmth and simplicity.  He then went on to formalize his culinary education at Johnson and Wales in Charleston, South Carolina.  Touhy achieved early success as chef at Primo on Hilton Head Island, becoming partner at the enterprise in his mid-twenties.  Following his time at Primo, he returned to Charleston in order to further sharpen his culinary skills by working with master chef James Burns, who is known for his work at the famous Tavern on the Green in New York.  Touhy was promoted to chef de cuisine at Burns’ restaurant, J. Bistro.

After five years of working with Burns, Touhy decided to try a new market with a different style.  At Mickey and Mooch in suburban Charlotte, North Carolina, he updated the traditional “steak and potatoes” menu by incorporating more seasonal, coastal-style dishes.  This combination proved successful and led to the opening of a second location in downtown Charlotte.  In 2001, Touhy returned to Atlanta to join Blue Ridge Grill as the executive chef where he quickly became known for his unique and stylish cuisine made with the freshest Georgia ingredients.

Now, Touhy is at the helm of his first solo venture, Dogwood, housed in the bottom of the Reynolds condominium building in Midtown.  The menu at Dogwood will include American dishes that incorporate Touhy’s regional influences and the use of local products.  Dogwood is a warm and inviting, city-centered gathering place with an elegant Southern setting.

Chef Drew VanLeuvan

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant?Sourcing local and organic produce ensures that we are always providing the freshest and most seasonal products to our customers. Using local ingredients gives you better quality ingredients that are better for you; my responsibility as a Chef is to ensure that our guests are receiving and enjoying the highest quality in ingredients that we are able to provide.
If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow?
I would focus on what crops that thrive in the climate I am living in. I am a novice gardener and grow produce throughout the year. In the south, we have such a mild climate, it’s great for produce.
What one seasoning can you not live without? Fennel Seed
What should every kitchen not be without? [ie: type of knife, pan, olive oil, etc]
A Japanese Slicer
What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? Jean Louis Palladin, my mentor.
What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to?
Jean Louis Palladin – I would like to show him how my time working with him has influenced me, my cooking and how I work in the kitchen.
Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to?The ideal location for my last supper would be on a Lighthouse Beach in Cape Cod, with my daughter. We would start with Jean Louis’ Chestnut Soup, followed by Heirloom Tomatoes and Melons with a sweet and savory granita. Our third course would be a slice of cheese pizza from A&J Pizza in Queens, and finish with a warm Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut. I would also enjoy a bottle of red from St. Emilion, France – preferably from 1994.
Connecticut native and Atlanta local Drew VanLeuvan brings 16 years of experience to ONE.midtown kitchen, a Concentrics concept that lead the restaurant resurgence to Midtown as well as helped elevate the Atlanta culinary scene to national recognition.  Chef VanLeuvan began cooking while enrolled at the University of Massachusetts. Cooking became his passion and he eventually found himself behind the stove much more than behind a desk and, as he says, “the rest is history.” Chef VanLeuvan went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in 2000. Following graduation, Chef VanLeuvan perfected his skills while apprenticing under some of the world’s best Chefs including Jean Louis Palladin, Guenter Seeger, Wylie Dufresne, Joel Antunes, Sam Mason and Chef Mark Dommen. In 2004 Chef VanLeuvan served as Executive Chef at Atlanta’s acclaimed Toast Restaurant where he was recognized as a “Chef on the Rise” by Food and Wine Magazine. Following his stint at Toast, Van Leuvan became executive chef at Spice Restaurant where he received 3 stars from both the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Creative Loafing. In 2006, Chef VanLeuvan was appointed Executive Chef of Saga Restaurant where he was given the “Rising Star Award” by StarChefs.com and “most memorable plate of 2007” by Creative Loafing. He is the previous owner of Pan De Mie Pasta Company, one of two hand-made past companies in Atlanta.
Chef VanLeuvan is a member of the Jean Louis Palladin Foundation, Slow Food and Chefs Collaborative. When Chef VanLeuvan has time away from the kitchen, he likes to spend it with his daughter, Kayden, and wife, Kellie, in their Ormewood Park home. He also enjoys working in his garden and utilizing his homegrown vegetables in his dishes.

Why is sourcing local and or organic produce important to you & your restaurant? I’m a huge proponent of living a healthy lifestyle and what we eat is the cornerstone. The quality of product consumed affects the mind, body, and spirit. If I’m going to ingest something into my body for strength, nutrition, and health…I want to be know what I’m eating, what’s in it and on it, where it came from, who grew it, what’s the nutritional value, etc.  Buying local and organic make this possible and I try to share this philosophy with the customers through my food. And…it’s absolutely beautiful and delicious and helps out other small businesses.

If you were a farmer what would you raise or grow? Chickens and vegetables

What one seasoning can you not live without? Peppers…I love spicy food!

What should every kitchen not be without? [ie: type of knife, pan, olive oil, etc] A heavy, sturdy butcher block cutting board.

What chef or person inspired you to enter the culinary world? Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison…I remember reading the Food & Wine Best New Chefs issue that they were in. I was intrigued by their farm, the old Bacchanalia in the house on Piedmont, and the FOOD. I thought it would really be awesome to work with them…and I did several years later. I learned so much from them…their dedication to product, consistency, and passion for food and dining.

What celebrity or historical figure would you most want to serve a meal to?Julia Childs

Where and with whom would be your ideal location for your last supper? What would you eat, drink and listen to ?
I would sail with my closest friends and family to a small island off the coast of Maine. I would eat lobster, mussels, roasted corn, whipped sweet potatoes, Brillat Savarin triple cream cheese, peaches, and French bread, Michel Cluziel French chocolate, and Fiuggi sparkling water with agave nectar and lime. I would listen to the waves as they splashed against the rocks.

The farmers I use are: Moore’s Farm and Friends distributed by The Turnip Truck, These include Serenbe Organics, Georgia’s finest, Osage Farms, Johnson Family Farms, Hometown Honey, Oakview Granary, Beech Creak Farms. Oakview Farms, Featherwise Farms, Sparkman’s

URBAN PL8 is about quality and affordability- “high quality,affordable food in a casual, cool, friendly atmosphere…an everyday kind of place with exceptional food and service” says Chef and owner, Betsy Pitts. URBAN PL8 will be Betsy Pitts’s first restaurant, an endeavor she’s passionate about and has been wanting to do for a long time. She states, “It’s about better food and healthier options. It’s also about affordability. I’ve tried to strip away the overhead that doesn’t have anything to do with thequality of the food. i.e. expensive stemware, linens, big menu, having counter service instead of a full wait staff, prestigious location, etc… to make what I cook the best it can be at reasonable prices. It’s all about ‘everyday’ food…where it comes from, how it’s prepared, how to make it better and more accessible, healthier, more convenient, it’s a service almost as well as a dining experience.”

Chef and owner, Betsy Pitts, has been a part of the Atlanta restaurant scene for many years. She apprenticed under Jean Banchett who was heralded as “the epitome of a chef” by Jacques Pepin and considered one of the most influential chefs of all time, having racked up every four-star review and comparable accolade imaginable; his restaurant was touted by Bon Appetit magazine as the best restaurant in America. She has worked with Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison as sous chef at Bacchanalia and Floataway Cafe (which she also helped open), at Watershed with Scott Peacock, acknowledged in 2007 as the “Best Chef in the Southeast” by the James Beard Foundation and featured on Martha Stewart, the Early Show, and the Today Show, to name a few, at Mumbo Jumbo with Shaun Doty; RJ’s Wine Bar as sous chef for Kelly Courtney, Food & Wine Best New chef 2001, was Executive Chef at Nickimotos Buckhead and helped develop and write the menu for Nickimotos Midtown. Betsy also went on to build a successful catering business specializing in high quality catering, for corporate events, cocktail parties, dinner parties, real estate caravans, luncheons, and commercial shoots for Monarch Productions.

URBAN PL8 is located in Westside Atlanta’s old industrial and design district – an area of urban revival that’s evolving into the newest hot, hip area for dining and shopping – on 1082 Huff Rd, between Howell Mill and Marietta St – down the street from White Provisions. The restaurant occupies a corner loft with plenty of free parking and seats 82. With its high ceilings, open kitchen, and savvy modern design, incorporating woods and fabrics, it gives off an open, airy feel. It has a great covered patio and green space – in fact, almost half of its capacity is reserved for patio seating.

What’s notable and different about URBAN PL8:
* Large patio and green space * High quality, fresh food, at affordable prices – healthy food that’s not “health food”.* Wine at retail prices – what you’d pay at your local grocery store – all you pay is a $5 cork fee. No outrageous mark-ups.* Catering Services – business catering, real estate caravans.* Take-out available.* Varying, diverse menu – can change daily depending on what’s fresh and available.* Environmentally sustainable methods and products.* Kid and family friendly – there’s food for them that they’ll like (prepared in a healthy way – shhhhh…).* Counter service – faster, more economical service.