Memphis-born chef Greg Collier, a James Beard Award finalist, steps in as executive chef at Fine and Fettle, the Canopy by Hilton restaurant in Charlotte's SouthPark. His October dinner menu blends Southern heritage with French techniques, aiming to delight hotel guests from cities like Chicago and Detroit alongside local diners. This move extends Collier's career of reimagining Black Southern cuisine through his ventures with wife Subrina, including Uptown Yolk, 3rd and Fernwood, and the paused Leah and Louise.
Southern Roots Shape a New Menu
Collier's cooking stems from his Black American upbringing in the South, where heritage defines every plate. "Everything I do, and will ever do, will have a thread of Southern in it," he said. "That’s who I am. That’s where I’m from." At Fine and Fettle, he crafts a well-rounded menu that balances accessibility for travelers with appeal for Charlotte residents, starting with Southern foundations before layering French influences.
The dinner lineup spotlights pan-seared duck breast with braised collard greens and house-made cornmeal gnocchi—a nod to Collier's affinity for duck. Seared scallops pair with pickled okra, potlikker redux, and Hoppin’ John featuring smoked turkey instead of pork, reworking the African American rice-and-pea staple into a surf-and-turf style. Collier predicts Hoppin’ John will surprise out-of-town guests. Sides like sweet potato yeast rolls with sweet potato honey butter highlight his zero-waste approach: peels from washed potatoes flavor the honey.
French Techniques Meet Diaspora Influences
Fine and Fettle avoids becoming a full French restaurant. Instead, Collier draws on his training in mother sauces to add "nods" and "touches of a French thought process" to Southern dishes. This echoes his work at Leah and Louise, where he explored an alternate Southern cuisine unbound by slavery's constraints. "What if slavery never happened and Black folks still came to America?" he asked there. "Would it still be super humble... or more refined?"
Now, he examines Southern effects on French cooking and vice versa, shifting focus from personal narrative to pure creative exercise. "We’re going to do Southern food, but it won’t be necessarily entrenched in me and my story," Collier said. "It won’t be about me." This evolution reflects broader trends in Southern gastronomy, where chefs elevate regional ingredients and traditions—collards, okra, potlikker—into refined expressions that bridge cultural histories.
Breakfast Offers Juxtapositions for All
Open for breakfast, Fine and Fettle serves diverse options beyond hotel norms. Umami mushroom toast layers wild mushroom ragu—portobello, shiitake, oyster with shallots, thyme, garlic, Marsala deglaze, cream, and stock—topped with savory coffee from Pure Intentions Coffee, togarashi, and crunchy collards. Collier compares its richness to a burger's depth.
Avocado toast gains pickled green onions, pistachios, and watermelon radish for contrast. Classics fill out the menu: egg white omelets, grits bowls, duck-fat poached flank steak and eggs. Amid nearby steakhouses, Collier prioritizes execution across coffee, wine, cocktails, service, and cooking to define the restaurant's clientele. "We want to exercise proper service and phenomenal cookery," he said, setting high standards that connect Southern authenticity with universal appeal.
