8th Annual GRACE Awards Gala Finalist: Miller Union

From Restaurant INFORMER, Vol. 4, Issue 4

With nearly 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry each, Neal McCarthy, general manager and co-owner, and Steven Satterfield, chef and co-owner, bring a high standard of service to Miller Union. Named after the Miller Union Stockyards once located on the property, the restaurant inhabits a refurbished mid-century warehouse space in Atlanta’s former West Side meatpacking district, now the buzzy West Midtown area of Atlanta.

The restaurant was also recently announced as a 2015 James Beard Foundation Award Semifinalist for its ‘Outstanding Bar Program.’

McCarthy grew up in England and spent hours in the kitchen watching his mother prepare dishes from classic French cookbooks for dinner parties. Now he is motivated by the idea of providing great food and service. Prior to making his dream of owning his own restaurant a reality, McCarthy spent 10 years as general manager at Atlanta’s Italian restaurants Fritti and Sotto Sotto.

“I’m a people person, and I love sharing stories with customers,” he says. “I also love the craziness of the restaurant business and the adrenaline rush of a busy night.”

A Georgia native who spent his childhood in Savannah, Satterfield has worked at  Floataway Café and Watershed and focuses on developing strong relationships with local growers, dairies and producers. Miller Union is a testament to Satterfield’s commitment to cook with local and seasonal ingredients while employing as little manipulation as possible. As a member of Slow Food Atlanta, Georgia Organics and the Southern Foodways Alliance, Satterfield remains actively engaged with Atlanta’s progressive culinary community.

“While working at Watershed, I started paying attention to local farmers and watching the seasons,” Satterfield says. “I was inspired to open a restaurant that reacted to what food was in season.”