For our annual Food & Drink issue, we had the pleasure of catching up with local restaurateur and owner of Frazier Five & Dime, George Lewallen.
What do you love about being in the restaurant industry?
I found my way into the restaurant business in college, and it resonated with me more than any class I took. I’ve always loved to cook, but first and foremost, I’m an extrovert and love to entertain. I also love the organized chaos that is the restaurant world – it’s kind of what I thrive on as well. I love seeing the results of the work that goes into it and that no two days are the same.
What is the story behind Frazier Five and Dime?
The location itself was a bar called Northshore Grill when I moved here in 2007. It was a staple of the Northshore community, and our friend group spent more time there than we’d like to admit. When the space became available, I thought it would be so cool to bring back a vibrant bar/restaurant to the Northshore, but with a new look.
The building in the 1950s was called the Southern Five and Ten Cent Store. This was during the prime era of the five and dime stores, so being that Chattanooga is very proud of its history, we thought it would be fun to play on the historical components of the building.
How would you describe the restaurant’s atmosphere?
We want to offer a location for the locals of North Chattanooga that has a good bar and is a good place to hang out, but also offers a bit more on the dining side of things. We created what we feel is an atmosphere where you'd want to take your wife or family to dinner, or meet up with a group of friends, and enhanced it with the nostalgia of the Northshore both past and present.
What is one of your favorite menu items?
The Fried Oyster Salad is one of my favorites. It’s fried oysters on a bed of house-made potato salad and topped with lightly dressed arugula. I like to say fried oysters and potato salad come from the same backyard, so why not put them together, and the fresh arugula complements both components. The way all those flavors play together is fantastic.
What menu items are customer favorites?
One of our more popular dishes is Trout. We use locally sourced rainbow trout and it's served with charred broccolini along with pecan butter, which in my mind, is the star of the show. It is a pureed pecan spread that almost tastes like a New Orleans praline. The way those flavors work together is just unbelievable.
Chattanooga is still very much a meat and potatoes town, so we have some staples like The Dime Piece Smash Melt. It's two beef patties done smash-burger style with bacon jam and an Alabama white sauce. It has sweet and spicy components which play together well on our homemade bread.
What do you make in-house?
We make our own breads and desserts and curate all our meats in-house. There are several unique sauces and spreads made in-house too. The fact that we do so much in-house sets us apart as well as showcases the skill set that we have in our building. We're taking it from the ground up and we have our fingerprint on every dish.
What are a few highlights from the liquids menu?
Our cocktails are top-notch, and we have an excellent bar staff. Our cocktails are unique, balanced, and tasty. Our top seller is the Fear & Loathing, which is a play on a mezcal Paloma. The Thirsty Cougar is not far behind it and is our ode to the espresso martini, which are all the rage in Chattanooga. I’d put our old fashioned, the Frazier Fashioned, against anybody in town.
What would you love readers to know?
We want to be a neighborhood spot that has everyday accessibility. We want you to be able to come as you are, sit down and have a wonderful meal, and not worry about if what you’re wearing is formal enough. When you walk into the restaurant, the bar is the first thing you see, and I think that speaks a lot to our concepts and our restaurant group. Being a part of the community is important to us and it doesn’t get more communal in our industry than a 25-seat bar. We feel the first thing you need to get right is creating an atmosphere where anybody can walk in either by themselves or with friends and family, have a great place to sit and eat, and maybe make a lifelong friend.
Our food, from top to bottom of the menu, is also top-notch. Every dish is well thought out and executed with care and precision. I would put our flavor profiles up against anybody in the city.
Stop in Frazier Five & Dime located at 16 Frazier Ave to enjoy fine dining in a casual atmosphere. To explore the menu and make a reservation, visit www.frazier5and10.com or call 423-541-9655. Also enjoy Frazier Five & Dime’s sister restaurants Tremont Tavern, Parkway Pourhouse, The Feed Co. Table & Tavern, and 1885 Grill.