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FOOD 101 RETURNS TO ITS ROOTS AND WELCOMES BACK CHEF RON EYESTER
IN NEW EXpANDED ROLE
Perennial Favorite Celebrates 18th Anniversary, Focuses on Renewed American Cuisine
ATLANTA (Nov. 20, 2017) – November marks the 18th anniversary of Food 101, an Atlanta staple since 1999 and the cornerstone of 101 Concepts. The birthday celebration coincides with another reason for fans to rejoice - the return of Ron Eyester, Food 101’s executive chef from 2001 to 2008 and “Top Chef” Boston chef-testant, who is now overseeing both the kitchen and the dining room. Bringing renewed energy to the restaurant, Eyester is refreshing the lunch, dinner and brunch menus, overseeing a departure from heavier, Southern-slanted cuisine and finding inspiration in the essence of Food 101’s early days.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this homecoming,” says Eyester. “Sandy Springs has become such a bustling area, and we’re just minutes away from Buckhead and other booming neighborhoods. It’s a great time to strengthen Food 101’s momentum with new menus that are more reflective of our original vision. This is a restaurant that has stood the test of time by consistently offering top-quality ingredients and satisfying dishes while still keeping things new and exciting for guests.”
Eyester looks to his New York background and the restaurants where he grew up eating to bring a “new age diner” feel to Food 101’s latest offerings, expanding the current focus on Southern fare in favor of a more comprehensive American menu. His menu changes emphasize the craft of comfort food, highlighting the traditions involved and the patience required to create these dishes. Eyester, who has always been heavily involved in the Eat Local movement, is also adding lighter dishes to the mix, giving guests more options than just the heavier items often associated with comfort food. His fans will also be glad to know that Food 101 has a renewed focus on providing the ultimate brunch experience, one of Eyester’s specialties.
“It’s been an honor to be a part of the Sandy Springs community for the past 18 years, and we are looking forward to getting back to our roots,” says 101 Concepts co-owner Steve Buero. “Ron really found his niche in neighborhood dining and shares our commitment to serving the community, so having him back on our team is helping us revisit Food 101’s original concept and what made the restaurant a local landmark in the first place.”
New lunch and dinner menu selections include the following starters and entrées:
· Honey and lemon glazed smoked chicken wings with fresh herbs and slightly pickled carrots ($10)
· “Green goddess” glazed Brussels sprouts with scallions and toasted almonds ($9.50)
· Connie’s chopped salad with romaine hearts, white beans, radish, tomatoes, shaved fennel, fried capers and buttermilk cucumber and dill dressing ($10)
· Ahi tuna “au poivre” with garlic spinach, horseradish celeriac puree and soy-balsamic reduction ($28)
· Braised lamb shank with butternut squash puree, slightly pickled mushrooms and natural jus ($28)
· “Shake & bake” pork cutlets with cranberry-cheddar mac’ and cheese, green beans and applesauce ($24)
· Lavender & lemon poached salmon with grilled romaine, local apple and caper relish and dill aioli ($24)
· Red Hare Root Beer BBQ St. Louis-style ribs with chopped Southern slaw and house-made steak fries ($26)
Weekend brunch, another well-known strength of Eyester’s, now features items such as the following:
· Fried cheese grits with smoked pineapple aioli ($7)
· “Skinny brunch” with sliced organic tomatoes, grilled asparagus, leeks, fresh herbs and soft poached eggs ($13)
· Skillet pancake with sorghum-sea salt butter, Vermont maple syrup and 10x sugar ($10)
· “Pastrami” cured salmon Benedict with baby arugula, soft poached eggs and hollandaise ($15)
Eyester’s culinary career first began in Charleston, but he developed his skills as both a chef and restaurant owner in Atlanta, where he went on to open four of his own restaurants after purchasing Food 101’s Morningside space from 101 Concepts in 2008. Eventually, Eyester’s larger-than-life personality would make him a Twitter phenomenon and secure him a spot on season 12 of Bravo’s “Top Chef.” In the next phase of his career, Eyester launched I Dig Food, a consulting brand in which he partners with other local restaurateurs to curate food-inspired events. One such event was “Smoke A Peach” with 101 Concepts’ Smoke Ring, and he and the 101 team look forward to developing more of those events in the future.
Food 101 Sandy Springs is located at 4969 Roswell Road. Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., with a mid-day menu offered weekdays from 3-5:30 p.m. Dinner is served 5:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5:30 to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday brunch is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call 404-497-9700 or visit food101atl.com. Additional updates are available on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About 101 Concepts
101 Concepts is an Atlanta-based restaurant group whose owners rely on the dynamic combination of friendship and shared work ethic for the success of their 10 restaurants. Partners Steve Buero, Chris Segal and Phil Roness first met while working the New York City restaurant scene as Iona College roommates. In 1999, they established a business partnership and found their niche in friendly, neighborhood restaurants and pubs. Today, the trio owns Food 101 and Cibo e Beve in Sandy Springs, Castleberry Hill barbecue joint Smoke Ring and 101 Steak in Vinings, plus five metro-Atlanta locations of Meehan’s Public House. In 2014, 101 Concepts also obtained Restaurant Paradis in Rosemary Beach, Florida. For more information and restaurant addresses, visit 101concepts.com.
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