Union Hill Kitchen is slated to open next month in downtown Chamblee at 5225 Peachtree Road, near the Chamblee MARTA station. The restaurant is being opened by Chef Alexis Hernandez,who hails from Union City, New Jersey.
Until I came across the new restaurant, and did some research into who was opening it, I had never heard of Chef Alexis Hernandez. Research, however, indicates that he was a finalist on The Next Food Network Star, season six, where he was eliminated in week one. (The Next Food Network Star catapulted Guy Fieri to superstardom when he won season 2, and he has since become the face of the network)
Additionally, Hernandez' personal website claims "Chef Alexis is a very well sought out celebrity chef in Atlanta, Miami and New York."
The restaurant's website is not yet live, but its official facebook page sheds some light on what guests can expect from the restaurant...
"Union Hill Kitchen is a celebration of thoughtfully prepared, often playful, New American Cuisine by Executive Chef Alexis Hernandez."
With a Latino background, a BA in theology, a love for food and plenty of retail experience, Hernandez is hard at work bringing his dream restaurant to life. Apparently the hoop jumping with the City of Chamblee started back in January 2012, and only recently have things started to fall into place.
If all goes according to plan, the restaurant should open around the second week of August for lunch, and would follow up with dinner service two weeks later.
Union Hill should open around the same time as another new Chamblee eatery, Southbound.
Mike Plummer, Cooper Miller, previously of Livingston and Dennis Lange, formerly of 5 Seasons Brewing, plan to open Southbound later this summer about a half mile from Union Hill. The restaurant will open in the space of a former upholstery workroom in historic downtown Chamblee at 5394 Peachtree Road, across from the train tracks. A representative of the restaurant tells me that they began their process with the city last March and should be open Tuesday (exact Tuesday TBD.)
Among the cool aspects of the two-story restaurant are plenty of exposed brick with updated archways and even an authentic vintage bar, salvaged from The Peabody Hotel in Memphis.
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| The vintage bar rescued from The Peabody Hotel in Memphis |
In recent years, the only dining additions to Chamblee have come via fast food and casual chains. IHOP opened in Chamblee Plaza in a former Hardees. After over a year of delays, Zaxby's opened in an ourparcel of the Lowe's on Peachtree Boulevard and Popeyes will soon meet with the city to discuss plans for theirproposed location across from Chamblee Plaza, that would replace a shuttered Checkers.
There are few sit down, let alone chef driven, restaurants in Chamblee, and hopefully the neighborhood will appreciate the offerings of these two new establishments.
Do you live nearby and eagerly await these openings? What would you like to see open in historic Chamblee or perhaps at The Blee on Broad, (the new name of Chamblee Plaza)? Will historic downtown Chamblee ever become what historic downtown Roswell has become? Please share your thoughts and weigh in below.