On this episode of “Hot off the Press,” Chef Pete invites restaurateur Reggie Washington to Sunset Pointe just ahead of the debut of Reggie’s newest venture, Southern National, set to open next year.
A native of Mobile, AL, Reggie moved to California after high school and worked as a barista at Starbucks in Beverly Hills (the first one to open outside of Seattle). After losing nearly everything in the Northridge earthquake that hit in 1994, Reggie returned to Alabama to attend culinary school in Montgomery. His career includes two and a half years as executive chef for Alabama Gov. Fob James, as well as stints with Marriott and Hyatt.
Reggie met his business partner Chef Duane Nutter while both working at the acclaimed One Flew South restaurant in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Twice nominated for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Service, One Flew South serves cuisine inspired by world travels and prepared largely with high quality, fresh, local ingredients.
Born in Morgan City, LA and raised in Seattle, Chef Nutter began his culinary career in 1994, studying under Chef Daryl Evans at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta. He went on to work at the Ritz Carlton in Palm Beach, FL and Seelbach Hilton’s Oakroom in Louisville, KY. In 2006, he was invited to compete on the Food Network’s “Iron Chef America” and then cooked at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City the following year.
With a shared belief that a great food scene is the key to a thriving downtown, and with help from the Downtown Business Alliance of Mobile, Reggie and Duane selected a prime location in the Mobile Arts District for their new restaurant. Southern National will be located in the Mobile Arts District, just across from the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and will serve “southern food with a national influence.” The restaurant will be housed in a mid-nineteenth century building located at 360 Dauphin Street. Also joining the Southern National team will be beverage director and mixologist extraordinaire Tiffanie Barriere.
Southern National is slated to open in January 2017. For more information visit www.southernational.com.
