Omnivore - The Feed Store: Northern exposure

The emergence of upscale Southern cooking in Atlanta has been one of the city’s most welcome trends. Finally, the food of the region we’re in is the food we’re celebrating.

As with any trend, there are downsides to ubiquity. In cooking, the term “organic” should refer to more than just the exclusion of chemicals in growing practices. Atlanta’s best Southern cooks came to the style organically – this was the food they grew up eating, the food they love, the food of their heritages. The Scott Peacocks and Linton Hopkins of this world didn’t decide to use Southern ingredients and cook Southern dishes because they saw it as the next big thing. They did it because when they let their souls speak through cooking, their souls spoke with a Southern accent.

The Feed Store in College Park has had a Southern theme since it opened in 2003. Nothing could seem more organic – the building has a truly Southern history (as an actual feed store owned by the current proprietor’s grandmother) and resides on College Park’s classically Southern Main Street. Its decor is pleasing but slightly schizophrenic – part original exposed brick, part geometric wonderland that resembles an ’80s outfit. Over the years, the restaurant has employed many chefs, including Top Flr’s Mike Schorn, and has had a wildly uneven reputation depending on who was running the kitchen. Since June of 2007, chef Peter Golaszewski has been at the helm, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

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(Photo by James Camp)