The Butchery and Beyond: A Deep Dive into Chattanooga's Main Street Meats with Chef Jonathan Ferguson

Ready to explore the vibrant food scene of Chattanooga, Tennessee? Brace yourselves as we join Chef Jonathan Ferguson of Main Street Meats on an enchanting journey that will broaden your culinary horizons. An Alabama native with a European twist, Jonathan introduces us to the unique concept behind Main Street Meats - a charming blend of a restaurant and a butcher shop that promotes local farming and traditional butchering techniques. As we unravel Jonathan's life journey, you'll experience a heartening tale of his passion for outdoor activities and how the lively food culture and scenic trails of Chattanooga captured his heart.

Jonathan reveals the significance of supporting local farmers and preserving traditional butchery methods in providing an unparalleled culinary experience. We also gain insight into the astounding bar program, boasting a whiskey collection of over 280 bottles, further solidifying Chattanooga's status as a food destination. The discussion wraps up with an enlightening overview of the current state of the city's food scene and the instrumental role of Main Street Meats in shaping it. Whether you're a culinary enthusiast or a curious adventurer, this podcast offers fascinating insights into the world of food, the outdoors, and the spirited individuals stirring the pot.

Resources:

https://www.mainstreetmeatschatt.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MainStMeats
Instagram: @MainStreetMeats
Read more about Chattanooga: Chattanooga (globaljourneyswithjilldutton.com)
Chattanooga, Tennessee | Things to Do, Hotels, Events (visitchattanooga.com)
Chattanooga Itinerary

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:04

Welcome to Global Journeys with Jill Dutton, the captivating travel podcast that takes you on an extraordinary adventure around the world.

Speaker 1: 0:12

I'm your host, jill Dutton, and I am thrilled to be your guide through the mesmerizing tapestry of cultures, landscapes and experiences that await us. Global Journeys with Jill Dutton is more than just a travel podcast. It's an exploration of humanity itself. Through the power of storytelling, we illuminate the lives of the remarkable individuals we encounter along the way, whether it's through the eyes of a fishing guide, a distillery owner, a mixologist, a historian, chef, or even a farmer. Each person we meet adds a rich layer to the narrative of culture and place. In this podcast, we embark on a transformative journey where the focus goes beyond the typical tourist attractions. Instead, we dive deep into the hearts and souls of the places we visit, uncovering the hidden gems and untold stories that make each destination truly unique. Join me as we venture off the beaten path, seeking authenticity, connection and a deeper understanding of the world we inhabit. Together, we'll unravel the tapestry of cultures, one story at a time. Although my writing career began in the late 90s, when I created and launched a wellness publication called Evolving Magazine, since 2015 I've worked as a travel writer on a mission to seek out the locally celebrated foods, liquor trends, outdoor activities and stories of those I meet along the way. My work has been published in Wine Enthusiast, a far woman's world, first for women, insider road trippers, modern farmer chilled magazine and many more digital and print publications. I'm also the creator of Global Plates the people we meet, the food they eat a syndicated column. Creating this podcast is the next step in my journey of sharing the stories of the people I've met along the way. So pack your curiosity, leave your preconceived notions behind and let's embark on Global Journeys with Jill Dutton, where each episode promises to inspire, educate and awaken the wanderlust within us all.

Speaker 1: 2:22

Next week's episode of Global Journeys with Jill Dutton we traveled to Chattanooga, tennessee, to speak with an artist I had met at the farmer's market selling his art. This week takes us back again to Chattanooga, this time to meet with Jonathan Ferguson, chef de cuisine at Main Street Meats. Main Street Meats is a neighborhood butcher shop and restaurant located in the south side of Chattanooga, one of the city's most thriving neighborhoods. Add voted to the reemergence of the traditional southern butcher shop, co-owners Eric and Amanda Neal worked closely with Chattanooga's surrounding farmland to explore the distinctive flavors of the region. In addition to a curated retail selection of meats, cheeses and other provisions, main Street Meats' restaurant menu is updated daily for lunch and dinner, along with a rotating list of craft beers, wine and cocktails. Replacing a value on tradition and butchery as an art form, the team utilizes whole animal butchery as well as other craft techniques that have survived and evolved throughout generations. By supporting local farms who are stewards of the land and deeply committed to animal quality and care, main Street Meats aims to create the best experience for the animal farmer and the community. The BAR program offers a rotating list of cocktails, including cocktails on draft craft beer and a curated wine list. The spirit selections are whiskey forward, featuring a variety of over 280 bottles.

Speaker 1: 3:48

Our guest today, jonathan Ferguson, grew up on the northern Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama, with a 12-month growing season, southern home cooking and some of the best seafood in the country. Jonathan learned to appreciate simply prepared foods that allowed the ingredients to shine. It's a style of cooking that guides his culinary career to this day. In high school, jonathan moved to Switzerland for a year and traveled throughout Europe, an experience that opened his mind to all sorts of different cultures, histories and cuisines. He's learned about people's differences, but also the things that bring people together. More often than not, it was around a table of food that Jonathan was able to find those common threads.

Speaker 1: 4:27

His professional life brought Jonathan and his partner to Chattanooga, a city that had everything they were looking for hiking, camping, kayaking and a well-known chef named Eric Neal. Not only did Chef Neal have the caliber of restaurants that Jonathan had grown used to, he also seemed to be the type of mentor who would give Jonathan the room to grow both professionally and personally. Jonathan joined the team at Main Street Meats in 2022 as sous chef and today runs the kitchen as chef to cuisine. So, without further ado, please join me in welcoming Jonathan Ferguson to Global Journeys with Jill Dutton. Jonathan, thank you for joining us today and sharing your insights on Main Street Meats, as well as the outdoor recreation you found in Chattanooga.

Speaker 2: 5:09

It's good to be here. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 1: 5:11

Before we dive into Main Street Meats and your work there as chef to cuisines, let's look briefly at Chattanooga as a destination. Since you're an outdoor enthusiast, I see that you enjoy hiking and camping and kayaking. Is that correct?

Speaker 2: 5:25

Yes, ma'am.

Speaker 1: 5:27

When you relocated with your partner to Chattanooga. What was it about the area? Because I know it is like a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts as far as climbing and hiking and so many things to do. What was it that drew you there, and how has the city lived up to your expectations?

Speaker 2: 5:44

Well, you know, I think when we first, one of the first things, you know, when we were whittling down our list of places that we wanted to go, Chad Nuga, just kept checking all the yes boxes and one of the first things I think was just the amount of trail heads within like a 30 minute drive of downtown Chad Nuga is something like 50 trail heads or something.

Speaker 2: 6:05

So I mean, we knew that we were going to coming from Houston. We would have to drive an hour, hour and a half just to get away from the city to a halfway decent height where here in Chad Nuga, I mean, we can go to Stringer's Ridge, which is still within the city limits, and have a beautiful height. And if you drive 30 minutes away, I mean, you get into the Cumberland Trail, you know, which is a really cool project in the area of linking different segments of trails together, creating one bigger trail. That really kind of was like all right, we know that we're going to be able to do the things we love, you know. Then you put on top of that that it's, you know, not a small town.

Speaker 2: 6:47

So for me and my line of work. That helps. And but also, you know, I spent, I spent a lot of time in Chicago, I spent a lot of time in Houston and it was, you know, having that sort of like urban feel at the same time was really kind of. I think what drew us here are, you know, not sacrificing any of these kind of amenities that we had grown used to.

Speaker 2: 7:12

But, but having access to all the things that we really built. The hiking has been number one on our list of things that we love doing here. But you know kind of getting, you know taking the boat in, you know, when my kids are here for the summer, teaching them to kayak and the creek and taking them to swimming holes and all of that kind of stuff. I mean, it's just things that I was not getting. That my soul needed.

Speaker 2: 7:39

For my career. Chicago was great, Houston was great that was all part of it. But to be able to come to a town like Chattanooga, get all of these things that I was missing in my life without having to sacrifice, you know, the opportunity to work with a great chef like Chef Eric Neal, it really just all started to make sense and that's how we ended up here.

Speaker 1: 8:00

As far as Chattanooga is a destination, do you have any specific suggestions for someone visiting? As far as outdoor activities, because we're going to talk about food, but I just want to wrap up this, this topic.

Speaker 2: 8:12

Yeah, you know, like the thing about Chattanooga is a destination is that when you're in Chattanooga there are, like I mean, so many things that you can do just right here in Chattanooga. And I think that it's location not just, you know, the physical beauty of its surroundings, but its proximity to other major southern cities like Nashville, atlanta, birmingham. People can come to Chattanooga as a place to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city. But on the flip side of that, you know, there's so many rural areas around. You know we're surrounded by a rural Eastern Tennessee, so people can also come to Chattanooga as a chance to get to the big city. So I think it's really unique in that aspect that you have people coming to visit here for two completely different purposes. And then, once you're here, it's I love getting out on the Cumberland Trail. You know there's a segment right north of.

Speaker 2: 9:10

Chattanooga, it's the Rock Creek segment or the Three Gorges segment, with the Rock Creek section and that which is, I mean you're hiking and you're 30 minutes from a good art scene, you know a, you know up-and-coming food scene, a small city, and you can go on a walk and not see anything made by man.

Speaker 1: 9:30

And.

Speaker 2: 9:30

I think the ability to do that is you know what makes Chattanooga so cool to come and visit.

Speaker 1: 9:36

Perfect, Wonderful. Thank you for that. Okay, so let's go ahead and dive into your experiences and Main Street Meats. I read that you grew up in Mobile and that you later spent a year in Europe. I can imagine that both of those really influenced your style of cooking, but they're so different, so I'm curious how are those expressions showing up in the dishes that you prepare? Well, you know.

Speaker 2: 9:57

I mean it's funny. You know, like that time, you know that year over in Europe, I think you know it wasn't just about the year in Europe, it was about coming back and seeing, you know, the southeastern US through eyes that I had not seen it before. You know, like when you know I had seen just what I had seen and that's it.

Speaker 2: 10:20

And then I went and saw a whole different world, and then to come back and look at the world that I had grown up in through a new set of lenses. Yeah, absolutely, it has an influence on the style, my style of cooking, but I think a lot of it is just finding that commonality, you know, between cultures. I think that was the biggest thing for me, you know, was. You know I would look at something I had grown up eating and then, you know, see it in a different culture, the same interpretation of the idea. Right, right, you know, and it's really neat to be in Chattanooga where I can be kind of walking through the mountains and, you know, feel like I'm back in Switzerland and then go back and put on a dish that took me back to that point in time in my life but, as seen through where I am right now.

Speaker 1: 11:14

Okay, so as far as Main Street Meats, what? When you moved to Chattanooga? Is that what brought you there? And if so, what is it that piqued your interest enough to lead you to Main Street Meats?

Speaker 2: 11:23

The start of it all was Chef Eric Nail. I, you know I knew I wanted to come work for him. You know we met a few times before me, before I moved out here, you know, talked by email and decided it was going to be a good fit.

Speaker 2: 11:37

But he didn't really have a spot for me at the time and you know he, but he, he made, he made a spot for me and I actually spent the first six weeks or so I was here in the kitchen over at Easy Beasts just kind of hanging out on the sidelines until they needed some help over at Main Street Meats, and so I went over there. I was like where do you tell me where to go? I go, and it wasn't necessarily one restaurant in particular that drew me out here, but more of a person that drew me out here when it comes to my career.

Speaker 1: 12:11

I knew.

Speaker 2: 12:11

I wanted to work with someone like Eric Nail you know, I've worked with some really great chefs in the past and at this point in my career I kind of I I want to decide who I'm working with, not the other way around, and you know, and it's worked out great for both of us so far. You know it's interesting that I ended up at Main Street Meats because you know, in Houston I was, I was at a restaurant that was more produce-stripped to the to go to a butcher shop.

Speaker 1: 12:40

Take care of the kitchen there it was.

Speaker 2: 12:44

It was wildly different, but I think that part of you know the success that we've had over the past couple of years at Main Street Meats is precisely because of that. I approached the kitchen, you know, with that background of like, yeah, we have all this beautiful seasonal produce available to us, especially during the peak seasons. There are so many different things we can do with that. People are going to come to Main Street Meats and order steaks.

Speaker 2: 13:09

They're just going to do it Nothing you can do about it Now, if we want to really, you know, expand our market and get you know people in there that may not want to come and eat steak you know, you know we're probably not vegan but we will put some dishes on the menu because everybody's welcome there and I think that my background, you know, in seasonal produce-driven kitchen has really led to a lot of success there at.

Speaker 1: 13:37

Main Street Meats. Can you share a little bit about the philosophy behind Main Street Meats being both a restaurant and a butchery? How does that come together and what is kind of the reception, I guess, but how does it affect the dining experience?

Speaker 2: 13:50

You know, I think you know. From a customer perspective, I think it's really cool to be able to walk in, get a dry-aged ribeye and that's so good. I just want that again and again, and again and be able to walk over to the counter and buy the same dry-aged ribeye to take home and cook for yourself, Right.

Speaker 2: 14:11

You know, I think that aspect is really cool, but I you know I can go on for days about the philosophy of bullets. I love the fact that it's right next door to a bakery, because then that again reminds me of being back in Europe, where you would go to the butcher shop and buy your meat, then you go over to the bakery buy your bread, then you would go over to the market and buy your produce.

Speaker 1: 14:32

And if you would go home, it wasn't this one centralized grocery store or supermarket.

Speaker 2: 14:38

You went to different places that specialized in different things. So, having Needlub's Bakery right next door to Main Street Meats, they're using our product, we're using their product, and people are shopping along the way as they walk down Main Street. I think it's a really unique customer experience.

Speaker 1: 14:56

Oh for sure, and oh my gosh, that burger that I had there was the best I've ever had, anytime you're grinding the meat right there, you know, off the whole animal, you know you're gonna get a better product.

Speaker 2: 15:10

It's simple. I mean, the fewer hands it touches before it gets to your mouth, the better. And then you take on top of that just the practice of whole animal butchery, something that is lost in our culture, you know, you just don't see it the way you used to see it, and these are important things to hold on to, you know, not just because it's reminds us where our food comes from, but I mean, I always talk about the zombie apocalypse.

Speaker 1: 15:40

You know you're gonna want a butcher.

Speaker 2: 15:41

You know, like you know when we're all living off the land and if nobody remembers how to do that, you know we've lost this important part of our own history of survival. Now it's kind of a fun way to look at it. And then all of the stuff that they're doing with the meat. You know all the chikoutery that they're making. Again, you know we're not buying our salami from some guy that's loathing it off a truck. We're taking the pork scraps off of the whole animal and you know making salami out of that. And you know, in going through these old techniques that have existed for hundreds of years, yeah, and we're still keeping those alive. And I think that there's something to be said for remembering our past through food.

Speaker 1: 16:28

Oh, absolutely. And what you said about utilizing the entire animal. When I was a kid growing up, my dad made scrapple. Have you heard of?

Speaker 2: 16:35

scrapple. Oh yeah, oh yeah.

Speaker 1: 16:36

Yeah, and that originated, I believe, in Pennsylvania, but it was that using up every piece of the animal so that they could, and it was delicious, I mean, we loved it and oxtail soup and you know things like that that used to be considered maybe a lesser piece of meat, whereas now it's being elevated into craft and becoming this great asset.

Speaker 2: 16:59

So I'm so happy to hear that you're doing that and I think a lot of it also just goes back to respect, you know, like respect to the animal, respect to the rancher, respect to the customer. We are able to offer all of this stuff at a very reasonable price because we are doing things like using the whole animal, you know I mean.

Speaker 2: 17:19

All of that translates to you know what I hope to be a better customer experience and being able to get such great product, you know, at your table at a cost that's really not. You're not gonna have the sticker shock that you might have at some other restaurants.

Speaker 1: 17:36

Okay, yeah, Well, and I have one more question about it. So it's a Southern butcher shop and I'm just kind of curious how do you define?

Speaker 2: 17:44

traditional.

Speaker 1: 17:44

Southern butcher shop. And how does Main Street meet some body, this concept?

Speaker 2: 17:49

A Southern butcher shop, because we're in the South, yeah, and most of the guys working in that butcher shop and in that kitchen are from the South. So, you know, we're sort of, you know, attacking it all from that perspective.

Speaker 2: 18:04

But I mean we're also using techniques and ingredients that came from the old world or from Africa or the South American, central America. We're celebrating and exploring those techniques through our own personal experiences, which, for the most part, are a bunch of Southern guys so, and women. But you know where? It's not just that we're a Southern butcher shop, it's that you know we are a butcher shop that not only explores how the rest of these cultures influenced what we do today.

Speaker 1: 18:50

And.

Speaker 2: 18:50

Sub-Execute in general has such a global perspective. If you look at influences from Africa, influences from Europe, influences from Central America, it really allows us to explore all of that with authenticity.

Speaker 1: 19:04

Yes, yes. And how about any signature dishes or anything that's either hyper-local? I mean I know you source everything from local farmers and things like that, but I'm just curious of, like the peanuts in the Coke. I mean that was an interesting, you know.

Speaker 2: 19:19

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean you know we have a lot of fun with stuff like that. And yeah, you know, I mean we have signature, we have signature dishes. But you know one thing that we really strive to do in using local as much local product as possible, we always know what's going to be available to us. You know you get an email on Monday and then it shows up on Wednesday. You know we get an email saying we have all of this wonderful produce available. What do you want?

Speaker 2: 19:50

And then we want that and then we're going to make this out of it, and so so much of what we do is constantly changing, constantly evolving, based on what is readily available to us in that moment. So that kind of makes it hard for us to have these signature dishes. You know, of course, our burger. You know people are love our burger. People love coming in for our dry age program and trying different dry age cuts of beef and pork.

Speaker 1: 20:15

And that potato salad. That potato salad I had was amazing.

Speaker 2: 20:21

And so these sort of like staple things. You know that we have the potato salad, the birds, the dry age program, all the steaks that's. People come in for that. A lot of people from out of town come in for that. But we can't just rely on people from out of town. So, you know, in order to keep our neighbors you know the people who live right next door and all around us keep them coming in. I think a lot of that comes from just our constant evolution in our menu, things that change weekly, and you know that sort of excitement and entertainment that comes along with us. Oh, you know, they got a new dip on this week, or there's a new produce driven small plate. I'm going to go try that one out. The last one was so great.

Speaker 2: 21:07

You know, keeping that you know. So it's almost gotten to a point where, yes, we have these signature dishes, but people are almost coming in more now to be entertained by what we're exploring with all the things that are available to us in that moment.

Speaker 1: 21:22

Perfect, perfect. Now you know this 280 different whiskey selection. That's massive and I'm curious, do you know what led Eric and Amanda to focus on that? You know I mean to have that large of a selection.

Speaker 2: 21:37

You know I'll say this Eric Neal has forgotten more about bourbon and whiskey than I'll ever know, and so you know, I think a lot of times with us in this industry, you know, we find something we love and then we just go down a rabbit hole and you know, do all the research and learn all of the things.

Speaker 1: 21:57

So he was just thinking meat and whiskey, yeah you know, and it goes great together.

Speaker 2: 22:03

And you know what I think is really cool is his. You know the ability of Main Street Meats to offer all of this these different whiskies to people and in a way that educates people. So I mean people are almost coming here and to I mean the whiskey knowledge and Chattanooga is great and I think a lot of that has to do with, you know, the education that Eric Neal has been able to give people through restaurants like Main Street Meats and Easy Bistro.

Speaker 1: 22:37

And I know Chattanooga whiskey companies represented there. Are there other regional type brands? Absolutely.

Speaker 2: 22:45

I mean, you know Eric loves to go up into Kentucky and you know pick some, you know single barrels out from Weller. He's recently gotten something from Buffalo Trace, then you have Dickle, which is right here in Tennessee. So yeah, I mean there's, we're sort of in like a hotbed for whiskey. Throw a stick and throw a rock and you'll find a probably a pretty decent distillery somewhere around here. So I think that you know that being here in the middle of it, all you know helps people get into it.

Speaker 1: 23:26

Mm-hmm. Excellent Chattanooga as a food destination, then how does Main Street Meats fit into that and is it typical, or is this something unique to the destination and someone visiting Chattanooga? How is it expanding as a foodie destination? Well, all right.

Speaker 2: 23:49

So I mean mainstream meats is completely. It's not just unique to Chattanooga. I think most people who come here Do not have a local neighborhood butcher shop and and if they do, I highly doubt that they have a Local neighborhood butcher shop with 70 seats to sit down and enjoy great meal from local produce to local animals. You know, it's a completely unique experience, not just for Chattanooga, but I think a large portion of the population in this country, I agree.

Speaker 2: 24:21

So I think that you know that makes it really unique and different. Now, when it comes to Chattanooga's food scene as a whole, you know it feels like it's. You know there are people that will say it's, it's a great food town For its size. It's. You know it is a really great food town. I still think it's in its adolescence, though.

Speaker 2: 24:43

You know, and and when we're in our adolescence, we're starting to identify ourselves outside of our parents. So we are starting to identify ourselves outside of these bigger cities around us. You know, you know, a lot of times, like when we're kids, you know we, our identity, is based around our parents. And then you know, and once we get into our adolescence, we start trying new things, pushing away from those Things that we identified ourselves with previously to find our own identity. And I think that's kind of where Chattanooga is right now.

Speaker 2: 25:17

There are a lot of like, there are a lot of really talented chefs finding their own voice, pushing, you know, what they know and you know, and as Chattanooga is growing because it is growing, no denying that More perspectives are coming, you know, both from the customer as well as new cooks and new chefs, and myself included, coming in, bring in our own perspective and Helping, you know, be a part of that conversation of like, what is the Chattanooga food scene? You know, I don't think we know right now, we're still figuring that out. There are some, you know I will love several restaurants in this town, but most of them are kind of, you know, tucked away in a seedy strip mall or something like that you know, forever I will always love going to breakfast at the Waffle House.

Speaker 2: 26:17

So, as a destination man, this is actually a really cool time to be here because you're getting to see it figure itself out and, you know, while at times that can be a little confusing and, you know, maybe not everything works out, it's, you know, all part of the growth to get to where we're gonna be next excellent, Perfect Jonathan.

Speaker 1: 26:39

Thank you so much. I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me and and Cheryl. Now I'm hungry and I can't wait to return to Chattanooga again. You know, because I'm in Kansas City, we're a meat city as well. Oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 26:53

I love Kansas City. I that was a town I looked at for a while.

Speaker 1: 26:57

Oh, no, kidding, yeah, I had a good friend from Kansas City.

Speaker 2: 27:01

I used to go down before the July every year. I love, I mean, we've got a Liberty, but yeah. Yeah, I love Kansas City so wonderful.

Speaker 1: 27:12

Well, I can't wait to return to Chattanooga. Needs more of the you know Steaks and the hamburgers and things that that mainstream me all the meets and that potato salad I it's just such an unusual thing to keep thinking about. But you know it's a warm, but yet it was not like a German style warm potato salad. I mean it was. It was like it was fried potatoes and then it was just incredible.

Speaker 2: 27:39

It's hard to beat Terrifying how much I actually eat.

Speaker 1: 27:47

Many calories are in it, but it's just such a traditional dish, but yet you guys really made it.

Speaker 2: 27:55

You know I think a lot of you know when we are doing things like that, you know we're creating these paradoxes. You know it's two different things at the same time and you know, and I think that you know, we've taken this dish, it's such a traditional, you know, side, he's especially in the southern culture and then, kind of, you know, again, through our travels, through our experiences, you know, looked at it again through a different set of eyes and created something very unique.

Speaker 1: 28:22

Yes, Well, well, jonathan, thank you so very much, and I can't wait to come back and visit again.

Speaker 2: 28:29

All right, thank you. Thank you, jill, and you have a great rest of your day.

Speaker 1: 28:32

You too. Thanks, jonathan. As we travel on this exciting podcasting journey together, I invite you our incredible audience to be a part of it. Share your own travel stories, insights and recommendations with us, whether you have a hidden gem in your hometown or a dream destination that has captured your imagination, we want to hear from you. Your suggestions will help shape the future episodes of global journeys with Jill Dutton, guiding us towards extraordinary locations and experiences that deserve a spotlight. Remember, this podcast is not about just the host or the guests. It's about the collective exploration and discovery that unites us all as Wanderers in this vast world. So reach out to us through our website, social media channels or email and let your voice be heard. Send your suggestions to me at Jill at Global journeys with Jill Dutton dot com. I can't wait to hear from you. Until next time, may your travels be filled with endless curiosity, open-hearted encounters and transformative adventures. Safe travels, fellow explorers, and keep wandering.