What makes a dining experience truly enjoyable? Chef Nicholas Woodham’s recently opened restaurant, Millhouse Kitchen + Bar, attached to the new City Mills Hotel, located at 1801 1st Avenue, will take you back in time with classic Southern American cuisine which combines both new and old-world techniques.

By R. Caligaris- Photography by S. Saxon

Nicholas Woodham started his career when he was just seventeen at a local abattoir in Alabama; now, he is the Chef at the newly opened Millhouse Kitchen + Bar. Utilizing organically grown produce from local farms, Woodham has set out to create food and a dining experience that allows guests to create long-standing memories. Woodham sat down with SVM to talk about his passion for cooking, his favorite dish, and his desire to execute up-scale Southern American cuisine that is both timeless and ethical.

How did your passion for cooking start? When I was a child, my grandmother would let me help her make biscuits for breakfast. I didn’t know it then, but it was the start of an obsession.

What was your first culinary job? My culinary career started by cutting meat at a local abattoir in Alabama; I was seventeen.

What kind of stuff do you like to cook when you are making food at home? I love cooking breakfast for my daughters. We cook these little tiny pancakes and bacon, and of course, they help me make the biscuits.

What dishes have you most enjoyed creating? There isn’t any one dish that comes to mind, but what does stand out are the memories created by making the guest feel special. People always remember how they are treated.

Can you recommend a dish on the menu and a wine to pair with it? My favorite items on the menu are the Heritage Farms pork chop paired with the (Black Tears – Malbec) and the Awendaw spoonbread and fried catfish paired with our (Mer Soleil Chardonnay).

How would you describe the look of the mill house, what kind of atmosphere can your guest expect? Millhouse Kitchen + Bar will take you back in time the moment you walk through our doors. The carefully preserved millstones from the turn of the century and the Hurtsing Frame, still in their original positions, sit in the center of our main dining room, making the preservation of history the first thing you notice. There is a perfect blend of traditional and contemporary decor that creates a comfortably upscale but casual dining experience for everyone to enjoy.

What do you think makes the food unique at Millhouse? We are a scratch kitchen focused on executing up-scale Southern American contemporary cuisine. We are utilizing both new-world and old-world culinary techniques with an ethical food-forward mentality.

Do you have any favorite ingredients to cook with? My favorite ingredients to work with are organically grown fruits and vegetables from local farms. I was born here and grew up in the Chattahoochee River Valley. As a child, my family taught me the importance of understanding the soil. We always had a large garden - it’s something my father and uncles took a great deal of pride in. Today, my daughters and I manage just over 7k square feet of garden space. Together, we produce enough to provide for our family and to serve our neighbors. When we plan a dinner, we like to start from seed.

CHEF NICHOLAS WOODHAM