Summer 2016 | Sea Island Life Magazine Spring/Summer 2016 | Page 31

LEFT PHOTO BY TUAN HUYNH; RIGHT PHOTO BY HEATHER ANNE THOMAS

Epicurean Evolution
There are bound to be debates and
disagreements anytime tradition encounters
innovation. But many chefs agree that
finding a balance between the two allowed
them to create their own personal twists on
classic dishes—with delicious results.
Bourgeois, who studied in Lyon, France,
and worked in California and St. Thomas
before moving to New York in 2009, holds
some of the strongest opinions about
honoring Southern customs.
“I believe cornbread should be baked
to order and never with flour,” he says. “I
believe that gumbo roux should always be
made with oil, and if you’re using a roux then
it should never have okra in it. Yet one of
my favorite soups is chicken, collard green
and egg drop soup, which isn’t traditionally
Southern, but is reflective of my approach to
cooking. Every single one of the places I’ve
worked has influenced the way I cook. My
approach at Blue Smoke is very Southern,
but very much my own.”
On the other side of the country, Holland,
who describes herself as a “flavor enthusiast,”
says that her main focus is simply to source
the freshest, most sustainable ingredients.
“I exercise many of my practices and
influences from training abroad in France,
yet I believe that the old school approach
is worth preserving because of how well
it works,” she says. “The combinations
of traditional Southern dishes marry so
well together, which is a big part of the
cuisine’s legacy.”
Lee acknowledges the importance of preserving Southern heritage at Succotash by
serving classic dishes such as fried green
tomatoes with buttermilk dressing and
shrimp and grits with red-eye gravy. But,
in boldly fusing his disparate cultural influences to create a new style of Southern-Asian
fusion (see: “dirty” fried chicken glazed with
sweet-spicy Korean gochujang sauce, and a
side option of collards and kimchee), he’s
clearly not interested in merely re-creating
the food of the past.
“I want to contribute something that is
personal, unique and forward-thinking,”
he says. “I see America as an ongoing
evolution, and I see the South embracing
the global influences that make its cuisine
more layered. Southern cuisine has always
embraced the influences of the Far East—
from spices like curry, to exotic fruits like
coconuts and pineapples, to techniques
like frying chicken. We’re seeing the next
generation of this influence happening right
now, and it is fascinating.” m

SOUTHERN GROWN
FOOD, DRINK, AND MUSIC
FESTIVAL AT SEA ISLAND

Deemed a “celebration of all things Southern,” this festival at Sea Island returns
June 9-12. Over the course of the weekend, attendees will enjoy family-style dinners,
a lively concert, culinary competitions and informative demonstrations. Leading
up to the festivities, two participating chefs weigh in on what they’re most looking
forward to this year, and share their favorite Southern dish.

Chef Kevin Gillespie’s cornbread

Chef Linton Hopkins

KEVIN GILLESPIE: An Atlanta native, Gillespie is the culinary mastermind behind the
restaurants Gunshow and Revival in Georgia. At the upcoming festival, Gillespie and
Joey Ward, executive chef at Gunshow, will be preparing some of their favorite plates
during the Meat & Three dinner on June 10. “I’m looking forward to experiencing this
event for the first time,” Gillespie says. “I want to see what it’s all about.”
Those familiar with Gillespie’s dishes may be hopeful that he brings his greatgrandmother’s cornbread. “It’s a family favorite and has a lot of nostalgia associated
with it,” he explains of the signature menu item. “As for the preparation, that’s
a secret.”
LINTON HOPKINS: For chef Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene in Atlanta, he’s most
excited for spending time with other chefs he normally doesn’t get to see, as well
as taking in the location. “I have a personal affinity for the Sea Island community:
the people, beautiful resort grounds and genuine Southern hospitality that earn its
luxurious yet tranquil distinction,” says Hopkins, who will be a guest chef for the
Saturday evening Dinner on the Lawn event.
When it comes to his personal favorite Southern dish, Hopkins says it’s the
restaurant’s vegetable plate. “A signature menu item whose structure hasn’t changed
since opening, the dish is representative of why I love to cook and what it means
to be a Southern chef, continually inspired by preparing that particular plate and
its layered cookery,” he explains. “... At its core, the vegetable plate represents
how to teach and inspire young cooks to engage in the creativity and honesty of
thoughtful cooking.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2016 | SEA ISL AND LIFE 31