5Church Serves Fresh, Delicious Farm-to-Table Fare to Atlanta Diners
5Church Midtown and its sister location 5Church Buckhead are already well-known for their inspired, chef-driven takes on modern American cuisine served in gorgeous contemporary settings. But what many diners may not know is that both restaurants have committed to providing a farm-to-table experience, serving only the freshest seasonal ingredients sourced by local farmers and providers.
“More than half of the menus at Midtown and Buckhead are completely farm-to-table at present,” says Rodney Smith, culinary director for 5Church parent company K5 Hospitality. “Our pork bellies, our ground beef, our local honey, all of the produce that we use on a day-to-day basis have been farm-to-table for a good six to seven months now.”
To Smith, farm-to-table is about being as transparent with guests as possible. “It’s having the ability to say that we are working with fresh, homegrown ingredients from right here in Atlanta and Georgia,” he says. “It’s a better dining experience because guests know exactly what they are putting into their bodies, and the ingredients are as close as possible to the way they were when they came out of the earth. Guests are not getting something that’s been sitting in a can or a freezer for weeks, packed with preservatives.”
In addition, he says, “It’s very much about sustainability in the sense that you’re doing everything you can to not damage the environment or the climate, whether it’s through avoiding wasteful packaging or not having foods shipped to you across a long distance.”
Smith avidly follows the latest farm-to-table trends, like chef-driven farms owned by big names like Sean Brock and Thomas Keller, to help ensure access to the highest-quality heirloom ingredients. And while he can envision one day growing and cultivating produce from 5Church’s own urban garden, that could never take the place of the personal connections he makes with local farmers and providers “It’s a dream of mine to be able to pop up to a rooftop garden to pick some herbs or gather some honey,” he says.
“Like, all of my microgreens come from Ula Farms in Gray, Georgia,” he says. “The farmer himself comes into the restaurant to drop them off, he inspects the herbs, and we talk about what he has coming up. Rather than just dealing with a sales rep, I get to talk face-to-face with the people who are growing these ingredients.”
To Smith, that’s the key to the farm-to-table movement. “It’s a reminder that we’re all part of a circle, each of us contributing to the larger community,” he says. “The providers support us with the best, freshest ingredients. And we as the restaurant and our guests support their livelihoods so they can continue to support us. To me, that is what it’s all about.”
ABOUT K5 HOSPITALITY
K5 Hospitality includes 5Church Midtown and 5Church Buckhead. Under the guidance of chef Rodney Smith, Jr., the restaurants serve dinner, weekday lunch and weekend brunch. Reservations may be made online, and valet and validated parking are available. For additional information, visit 5church-atlanta.com.