Our friends at Atlanta Magazine spoke with Athens-based chef Hugh Acheson about his plans to open a new restaurant in Savannah. You can get a taste of the full interview below and enjoy the entire story at atlantamagazine.com or by clicking here
Chef, author, restaurateur, television personality, and James Beard Foundation Award winner Hugh Acheson stays mighty busy these days. When he’s not at Five and Tenor the National in Athens, or Empire State South in Atlanta, he may be found working on his newest restaurant, an Italian spot in Savannah opening in March 2014. He’s also relocating Five and Ten from South Lumpkin Street to South Milledge Avenue, working on two new cookbooks and judging Top Chef. Below, he divulges plans for the Savannah restaurant—including a possible name, gives us a look into the offerings at the new Five and Ten, and shares some surprising news about Empire State South executive chef Ryan Smith.
Let’s talk about your new restaurant in Savannah. How did you decide on Italian?
Savannah has had iconic restaurants throughout the years but can use some new blood, and I wanted to stay in Georgia. Kyle Jacovino (the executive chef to-be) [whose currently at Five and Ten] is Italian by heritage and recently spent time in Italy. I believe in the Italian style of cooking and in the beauty of food. I’ve been cooking French for so long that it’s nice to break away and do something different. There’s a definite kinship between beautifully sourced Southern food and the way Italians have cooked for years. There’s a reverence for simplicity on both sides.
Think about restaurants like City House in Nashville and Il Buco Alimentari in New York …