On November 10, celebrity chef Marvin Woods is bringing “Coastal Soul” cuisine to Downtown Atlanta at Asante Restaurant and Lounge. The restaurant will feature Woods’ genre of culinary art that pulls from his decades of experience cooking, traveling and studying global influences of the African diaspora.
Thanks to his experiences as an Emmy-award nominated television host of Home Plate, a cookbook author of Home Plate Cooking and The New Low Country, and as lead chef for First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, Woods has developed a signature style that blends the worldly ingredients and techniques of South America, the Caribbean, the Low Country and Southern United States and Africa. The common theme through these cuisines (also considered “the Middle Passage” because of its role in history as the route where slaves were run from the West coast of Africa to the Caribbean, Americas and Europe) is their use of okra, sweet potatoes and rice, blending with the soulful cuisine of the American South.
The space, formerly occupied by Downtown’s Peasant Bistro, includes two floors, with a second-floor main dining room as well as a private dining room that can seat up to 60. The second-floor outdoor patio can host 80 and the ground level will feature a lounge area and a 10-seat bar with handcrafted cocktails that complement the cuisine.
The dinner menu features appetizers such as Gulf Coast Shrimp n Grits and Circuit Hash, Chicharrones de Pollo (Latin fried Chicken), Chef Marvin Woods’ signature hushpuppies and Cashew Cheese with Aeroponic-grown Arugula Salad that he is growing on his patio. The coastal specialties include international flavors in both small and large plates like crispy Bahamian conch fritters, Piri Piri Nigerian king prawns and roasted wild boar. Entrees feature everything from chicken sausage-stuffed wild boar with chop corn pudding to Creole-braised kingfish with Carolina Gold speckled rice. The lunch menu features signature Po’ boy sandwiches with catfish, shrimp, chicken or Pernil (traditional Puerto Rican style roast pork). Salads and sides are also available. On Saturday and Sunday, Asante features a brunch menu. Shareable plates are offered at the bar, like crispy okra and Po’ boy sliders.
The restaurant’s management team includes David Espin as general manager, Jared Hall as chef de cuisine, Andre Mack directing the wine program and Lonn Coward as chef de bar.
“I am delighted to bring my style of cooking to Atlanta, which is the best city to appreciate this blend of flavors and genres of cuisine,” says Woods. “And I think this is exactly the kind of restaurant that Downtown needs—something that is fresh and creative in flavor, yet sophisticated and festive enough to be a destination for both Atlanta locals and its many tourists.”
