Local publication Food as a Verb recently set the place mats for its Farm-to-Table Speaker Series. I attended the “A Conversation with Erik Niel” — who owns Easy Bistro & Bar, Main Street Meats + Little Coyote with his wife Amanda Niel — last week at the St. Elmo spot and I’m here to dish out the highlights from the Q+A.
The beginning of a food journey
Chef Niel spoke about his upbringing in South Louisiana. “I tell people all the time that growing up there, you have a relationship with food that you just assume is the way that everybody has a relationship with food,” he said.
He added that it only dawned on him how formative his relationship with food was until he left and realized the connection wasn’t the same everywhere.
What hospitality means to the Niels
According to Chef Niel, one of the most powerful possessions humans have is to be hospitable and to accept hospitality. A key moment in his life was when a convenience store worker once wrapped his beers in paper towel “koozies” without thought.
The landscape of Chattanooga’s food scene
During the 25 years the Niels have been here, they have seen the art and evolution of the local food scene.
“We have a choice as Chattanoogans at this point to decide what path we want to go down,” Chef Niel said. “I’m really looking and hoping to the next generation of people to come up and open restaurants and do cool stuff that surprises us, that shocks us, and delights us.”
Unique experience each time
As a long-time fan of Chef Niel, I’ve always enjoyed how unique each of the restaurants are and asked him what led to creating three places that truly feel like a different concept when you visit.
“Every one of them is a reflection of me and Amanda at the times they were created and where we were,” he said. “Easy was the one that came first, and as a chef, you want to do the weirdest, coolest stuff first. 10 years later, we did Main Street Meats, after you butcher enough fish, you think, ‘well, maybe I can butcher a cow.’ Coyote [...] the joke is, every chef dreams once they do something fancy, they want to do tacos and barbecue.”
Where the love came from
When an audience member noted that all three restaurants have dishes where you can taste the love, Chef Niel quoted his grandmother for instilling that love in him.
“She taught me not necessarily how to cook, but how to be cooked for,” he said. “I think that maybe is an even more important part of that process.”
Bonus: Catch up on the beginning of this conversation with Food as a Verb + the Niels.
If you’re looking to find more in-depth coverage of Chattanooga’s culinary scene, you can subscribe to Food as a Verb for free to receive weekly stories. Stay tuned for the next speaker event to hear the conversation live.
