Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen Launches on Kickstarter
Asking for Fan Support to Open in NYC by Spring 2015
The time has come: Chef Carla Hall is opening her very first restaurant, a comfort-style Southern eatery in New York City!
Carla Hall, a veteran of Bravo’s Top Chef and most recently a co-host on ABC’s popular lifestyle series The Chew, plans to open the Nashville-inspired “spot next door,” Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen in Spring 2015. Featuring slow-cooked, fast-served food, Hall is bringing Nashville “hot chicken” to the Big Apple before expanding to other locations.
“For years, fans asked me when I’d finally open a restaurant,” says Carla. “And the time finally feels right. I grew up in Nashville and learned to appreciate good food from my grandmother, Freddie Mae. I knew I had to honor her and my Southern roots by bringing Nashville’s hot chicken to New York.”
So what exactly is Nashville hot chicken? It’s a unique twist on southern fried chicken, traditionally fried in an iron skillet and then tossed in a spicy cayenne paste. Slow brined, brushed with Carla’s secret hot oil recipe, and crisped to perfection.
Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and truly shine the spotlight on Sunday Supper. Aside from the finger-licking hot chicken, mac and cheese and home made sweet tea, another highlight of the New York City location will be Freddie Mae’s Provisions, an adjacent general store featuring authentic Nashville vendors.
Now, Carla’s hoping a Kickstarter campaign will help make the restaurant a reality. “This is my love letter to Nashville, but also to my fans. I wouldn’t be anywhere without them. For anyone who’s ever asked where they could try my cooking — this is for you! I just need a little help to get started.”
The Kickstarter campaign will run from September 24th through October 29th with the hopes of raising $250,000 for the restaurant’s kitchen. Fans pitching in for Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen can expect everything from their name on the Founders Wall that will live in every restaurant or an invite to a private event at the restaurant to a home-cooked Sunday Supper or the chance to spend an entire day with Carla.
In addition to help from fans, Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen will also team up with Drexel University’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management. In this unique partnership, culinary and hospitality students at Drexel will work alongside Hall and her team to learn every aspect of opening a new restaurant, including developing and testing menu items, analyzing food costs, and helping to hire the restaurant team.
“It’s going to be absolutely delicious. So, do drop in!”
To learn more, visit Carla Hall’s Kickstarter page: http://carlahall.com/kickstarter
About Carla Hall
Carla Hall is a co-host of ABC’s popular lifestyle series “The Chew,” seated alongside restaurateurs and “Iron Chef America” stars Mario Batali and Michael Symon, entertaining expert Clinton Kelly and health and wellness enthusiast Daphne Oz. Hall is best known as a competitor on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” where she won over audiences with her fun catch phrase, “Hootie Hoo” and her philosophy to always cook with love. Hall is the owner of Carla Hall Petite Cookies, an artisan cookie company that specializes in creating sweet and savory “petite bites of love.” Her approach to cooking blends her classic French training and Southern upbringing for a twist on traditional favorites. She is committed to health and balance in everyday living. Her newest cookbook, Carla’s Comfort Food: Favorite Dishes from Around the World will be published March 25, 2014, and her first cookbook, Cooking with Love: Comfort Food That Hugs You, was published in November 2012 and recently re-released in paperback.
A native of Nashville, TN, Hall received a degree in Accounting from Howard University, but traveling through Europe awakened her passion for food and inspired a new career path. She attended L’Academie de Cuisine in Maryland where she completed her culinary training, going on to work as a Sous Chef at the Henley Park Hotel in Washington, DC. She also served as Executive Chef at both The State Plaza Hotel and The Washington Club, and has taught classes at CulinAerie, Sur la Table and her alma mater, L’Academie de Cuisine. Hall is a true believer that, “If you’re not in a good mood, the only thing you should make is a reservation.” She lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Matthew Lyons, and stepson Noah.
