We asked a few of our favorite chefs in Alpharetta to tell us about what they will be cooking this autumn season and where they found inspiration for a favorite dish. And, a good restaurant is about more than just a talented chef. So we asked them to share how their team and family lifted them up over these challenging months.
Chef Dean Hill
Coalition Food and Beverage
50 Canton St Suite 108, Alpharetta
Eats.RoHospitality.com
Coalition Food and Beverage features many dishes that highlight the fall season. My favorite is our short rib pot roast, which reminds me of my family's home cooking but elevated slightly. Fall gets me thinking of those flavorful comfort foods that just warm you right up. With savory, slow-braised short ribs and rich braising jus, this dish will leave you feeling like you're at grandma's dinner table.
One team effort we're particularly proud of was our Table & Aid community support. At the pandemic's outset, our restaurants transitioned to takeout only to establish a baseline cash flow. Not only was our business in crisis, but also many individuals in our community were hammered by layoffs and other uncertainties. With Table & Main temporarily closed and most of our staff still able to work, we knew we had the resources to help by doing what we do best: nurturing the community with food and hospitality. We established a process and a team to convert T&M into essentially a soup kitchen donating prepared lunches 6 days/week at no charge, no questions asked. Team members from all three restaurants, including Osteria Mattone and Coalition Food and Beverage, contributed to serving over 9,723 meals from late March to early May. We averaged 152 meals a day. We were proud to be a helping hand for those who reached out, and, for us, it was a vital link to the direct, vibrant hospitality we enjoy most in our jobs. We received over 350+ individual donations that helped defray the costs of the program. Our partners like Sysco, Horizon Food Group, and US Foods were hugely supportive in their donations as well. This was a true "community for community" effort, and we were proud and honored to be a part.
Chef Michaelle Telle and co-owner Alisa Tanner-Wall
Cherry Street Brewpub at Halcyon
770.696.4929
CherryStreetHalcyon.com
Chef Michaelle Telle: For me, autumn is the time of year full of color changes and I like those autumnal colors to show through in my food. We will be putting out a delicious braised lamb shank entrée with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a root vegetable medley all smothered in our house demi-glace. We will also be presenting our blackened salmon entrée with a pumpkin risotto and our roasted butternut squash hummus appetizer.
For most of my dishes a lot of inspiration comes from my Southern GA roots infused with a Middle Eastern flair that I came to embrace during the past 8 years of my career here in the Metro Atlanta area, running kitchens for some of the most awarded and popular Middle Eastern restaurants in the area.
Alisa Tanner-Wall, co-owner: As hard and challenging as the last six months have been for us, I would not have been able to get through without my entire team and my brother, who is also my Business Partner. Our culture is a very family driven atmosphere. If you work with us, you are considered family. With that said, we have all helped and taken care of each other to make sure we have mentally and financially been able to still thrive in these current hardships. Our efforts towards each other are as small as having a shoulder to cry on or providing free meals for the team each day to still ensure they are eating when money was getting tight. Every day, I remind myself of how blessed I am to have such a supportive team. I especially want to thank my small COVID Crew for sticking through with us to make ends meet. The COVID Crew helped work every position in the restaurant between bartending, cleaning, dishing, cooking, prepping, etc. so we could run with a very tight crew to stay afloat and be able to serve the community at the same time. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for our wonderful community and the Forsyth Chamber for all their efforts to support local businesses.
Dine-in with limited seating, take out/curbside, online ordering
Chef Taylor Neary
HOLMES
50 South Main St., Alpharetta
678.691.8320
RestaurantHolmes.com
HOLMES specializes in bringing locally fresh ingredients to the table for our guests. We aren’t a traditional dinner service - small plates are our forte and we encourage our guests to sit down, order and share together.
We love the fall at HOLMES. The fall weather in Georgia really inspires us and gets our pasta brains working. "Eat pasta run fasta." That’s our motto. The produce that comes our way in early fall is in abundance. With the summer heat ending, cooler mornings and nights bring super rich and sweet vegetables. We plan to expand our pasta menu to 4-5 dishes, ranging from agnolotti, ravioli, caramelle and a few hand-cut noodles. The cacio y pepe is a staple at HOLMES and is served year-round.
With the madness of COVID-19, my team and I have spent long hours together. We played "takeout restaurant" for about eight weeks. We cleaned the restaurant over and over again. Now, we have full service on the patio and full service at the bar. We have had tons of support from our community that has lifted us up and gave us the drive to never quit. The takeout business is still rockin', as well as patio and bar dining. We also offer curbside and pick-up upon request.
Chef Josh Lee
Lake & Oak Neighborhood BBQ
2358 Hosea L. Williams Drive Northeast, Atlanta
404.205.5913
LakeAndOakBBQ.com
We’ll be serving up Brunswick Stew this autumn here at Lake & Oak Neighborhood BBQ. It’s got a Southern base with some Chicago flair from my business partner Chef Todd Richards. At home, my wife loves to make hearty chili to warm us all up. Our kids also love pumpkin seeds so expect lots of those in our oven.
My wife, Saara, is the backbone of my success. She keeps our family balanced and focused so I can support Lake & Oak while I’m here and her and our kids while at home. Serving carry-out and limited in-person patio seating. (We included this intown restaurant since it's in our editor's backyard! The brisket is epic.)