Restaurant Pick: Five and Ten

In a previous post I mentioned Susan Hable Smith, owner/creator of textile business Hable Construction, recently making the move back south from NYC to Athens, GA. Food and Wine Magazine included an article in their November 2009 issue about an underground supperclub - known as The FourCoursemen. Featured in the article was Hable Smith and her custom tabletop accessories created for the soiree, along with local Athens star chef Hugh Acheson, who selected and provided the wine for the gathering.

 Hugh Acheson & Susan Hable Smith

If you happen to find yourself on a visit to Athens and in need of a bite, look no further than Chef Acheson's wonderful little neighborhood restaurant, Five and Ten. This Chef/Owner is at the forefront of the "farm to table" movement, a style of cooking & eating based on only serving what is in season. His restaurant is built around the principles of using local ingredients from local farmers - meats, veggies, & cheeses - and introducing interesting, simple crafted fare to diners. 

Chef Acheson was recognized by Food & Wine Magazine as one of America's Best New Chefs in 2002. Found below are Food & Wine's highlights from the July 2002 issue.

HUGH ACHESON
Five & Ten, Athens, GA
Why: Because his idiosyncratic vision succeeds in merging soul food with Old World cuisine.
Born: Ottawa, Canada, 1971.
Education: He is a self-taught chef.
Experience: Henri Burger, Montreal; Gary Danko, San Francisco.
How he describes his food: Contemporary American with influences from France and Italy. "It's definitely not fusion."
First dish cooked: Paprika toast. "I think I was 4. Don't even ask."
Why he became a chef: He studied political philosophy in college. "If that won't make someone want to pursue something else, nothing will."
Where he would eat on a $1,000 budget: Gordon Ramsay in London. "He's a nutcase but an absolutely amazing cook."
Where he would eat on a $10 budget: La Taqueria, in San Francisco's Mission District.
What keeps him up at night: "Things like, Are the fridges still working? Are the veal bones burning? God, everything keeps me up at night."
Favorite kitchen tool: "Other than the stove? The Vita-Mix blender. And a good Japanese knife--a Masahiro."
About his recipe: His Frogmore stew, named after an old South Carolina town, is a Southern version of bouillabaisse. "It's simple yet refined. We're not into foam yet."

 

 Hand written menu board -- For more info on Five and Ten check out the restaurant's website

Hugh Acheson's recipe for "No-Fail Quail", included in Garden & Gun Magazine's Feb/Mar 2010 issue