Celebrating the people, passion, and stories behind great hospitality with Tock 10.
Brochu's Family Tradition
Savannah, GA
Family history
In 2020, Chef Andrew Brochu was planning his own concept after earning a reputation in some of Chicago’s most noteworthy kitchens. Then came the pandemic and the chance to relocate south to his wife’s hometown of Savannah. Here, they discovered a vacant loading dock of a 1930s supermarket and partnered with longtime friends and chosen family, Chefs Dave Baker and Georgia Vinzant Baker, plus Andrew’s sister and brother-in-law, Jessica and Ben Kimbrough. The result is a cool neighborhood hangout that feels akin to a boisterous family reunion.
Neighbors and tourists gather for local seafood, easygoing cocktails, and heaping platters of chamomile-spiced chicken that earned this family coveted spots on Best New Restaurants lists from Bon Appétit and The New York Times. And while the menu is designed for sharing, don’t be surprised if everyone claims the cheddar “rillettes” or banana pudding for themselves.
Family isn’t just in the name; it’s in the details, like the preserved boat motors on the walls, including one that belonged to Andrew’s late father, a former Red Lobster corporate manager who first sparked Andrew’s love for hospitality.
Staplehouse
Atlanta, GA
Origin
When Ryan and Jen Hidinger began hosting a supper club out of their Atlanta home in 2009, it was marketed as a prelude to their upcoming restaurant. Sadly, Ryan passed away from cancer before they could open the doors. In honoring his legacy, Jen teamed up with Ryan’s sister, Kara Hidinger, and her husband Ryan Smith, to see the project through. With an outpouring of support from the community, Staplehouse opened in 2015 as a subsidiary of the Giving Kitchen, with Jen calling it a “beacon of hope.”
Over the past decade, Staplehouse, which is located in the Old Fourth Ward, has experimented with various iterations, serving tasting menus, pandemic-era takeout, and market goods. Most recently, they revived communal dinners reminiscent of the original supper club that started it all. “We wanted to take it back to the roots,” Chef Ryan Smith shared with Atlanta magazine. The team’s ever-changing five-course prix fixe reflects whimsical cooking and thoughtfully-sourced ingredients.
For the community spirit. Dine amongst strangers, try something new—like butter poached cabbage topped with sakebushi and caviar—and get swept away in the convivial experience.