Chefs in the House

Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: 2019/12 - December

Half-Mile Farm will be staging a pair of its regionally-heralded  Chefs in the House Dinners — one to get you in the mood for the joyous Christmas, and one to carry you through the Plateau’s oh-so-quiet winter. 

Chefs in the House are exquisite meals prepared by celebrated, nationally-recognized restaurateurs. Their reputation extends far beyond the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau, drawing devotees and serious foodies from across the Southeast. 

On December 7, Half-Mile Farm hosts Chef David Bancroft. He’s the Executive Chef/Partner of Acre Restaurant in Auburn, Alabama and a 2019 James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef in the South. Born in Alabama but raised in San Antonio, Texas, Bancroft’s passion for cooking began at an early age, smoking brisket and making barbecue. 

Acre is a delightful anachronism —  a restaurant with sophisticated charm and repurposed architectural details serving stylishly modern food with roots deep in Southern soil. Good traditions for good people, a neighborhood place perfect for conducting business, relaxing with friends or making memories with family. Chef Bancroft and his team bring classic favorites to the table with fresh, innovative flavors and artistic presentations. 

“Our goal is to interpret the complex, traditional tastes of the Deep South in a totally fresh and modern way,” says Bancroft.

As we put this issue of Laurel to bed, the dinner was sold-out. But we’re optimists at heart, and this is the Season of Miracles, so it wouldn’t hurt to give Half Mile Farm a call to see if something becomes available. 

The evening will feature live music, with cocktails being served at 6:30 P.M., followed by dinner at 7:15. Cost is $155. For more information, call (828) 787-2635 or (828) 787-2916.

There’s still plenty of room at the table on Saturday, January 25, when Half Mile Farm showcases the extraordinary culinary talents of Chefs Joe Kindred and Steven Satterfield.

Chef Joe is the chef/owner of both Kindred, Charlotte Magazine’s Number One Restaurant in the City,  and Hello, Sailor in Cornelius, North Carolina. Before he and his wife Katy married, they had dreamed of opening a restaurant. Back in North Carolina, they began to work on realizing their dream of a restaurant of their own. They did so with their namesake Kindred, housed in one of the city’s most historic downtown buildings, followed two years later by Hello, Sailor, located on Lake Norman. Chef Joe has been a semi-finalist for the James Beard Best Chef: Southeast in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. 

Joining Chef Joe Kindred will be Steven Satterfield, the executive chef and co-owner of Miller Union – an award-winning, seasonally-driven restaurant located in Atlanta’s Westside neighborhood. 

Since opening in 2009, the restaurant has received various honors on many national lists including Eater, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine and Esquire. In 2015, Satterfield released his first cookbook, “Root to Leaf,” to broad critical acclaim. In 2017, after four previous nominations, Satterfield was named Best Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation. 

Satterfield’s dedication to seasonal cooking and his unwavering support for local farmers is the driving philosophy behind his restaurant and everything he does.

Cost of the evening, which includes live music, is $155 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call (828) 787-2635 or (828) 787-2916 to reserve your spot now.  You can also check lodging availability (not included in ticket price).