Yankee’d up southern fare at The Feed Store

By Tom Maicon at August 13, 2010 | 3:37 pm | Print

Two years ago I visited The Feed Store (3841 Main Street, College Park, 404.209.7979 ) to try new chef Peter Golazsewski’s cooking. Admittedly, I wasn’t expecting much from a yankee chef trying his spatula at southern fare for the first time. Besides, it’s difficult to take a place with a cutesy chicken door handle seriously.

But when all was said and eaten, it turned out to be the most memorable meal I’d ever sat down to in College Park — and that includes several lunches and dinners at Oscar’s, the most revered restaurant in College Park history.

Two years later, I’m still a fan of Golazsewski’s witty take on southern cuisine. He has that certain sense of feel as a great chef to turn a humdrum dish into a fun little food creation — and tasty as all get out.

His play on chicken and waffles (photo above) is Springer Mountain chicken wings fried in duck fat — need I say more — atop a fluffy sweet potato waffle. The sweet potato is judiciously employed lending a rich, lasting depth.

A dill pickle soup arrives lukewarm with smoked paprika oil to cut the prickly edge of the pickle. The playful texture here is chunky warm soft dill pickle bites, as opposed to crisp and cold.

I always experience the not-so-obvious flavor and texture combinations from Golazsewski’s kitchen. But he’s careful not to undermine the true intention of the dish. Kobe beef hot dogs wear sweet pineapple relish and crispy pork belly crostinis sit over a gooey, heady pimiento cheese.

We finished with watermelon sorbet with a half grilled peach and blueberry popcorn. The latter is a playful spin on the cheesy “State Fair” funnel cake.

Tom Eats College Park, Peter Golazsewski's, The Feed Store