Inside the Kitchen: Seven Questions with Chef Nickolas Abbott of Chop Shop Butchery

Carolina BBQ stands above the rest for me. Smoked pork, macaroni and cheese, pickled ramps, cornbread, baked beans, and a fresh relish or slaw, all served with a large glass of sweet tea and a smile. To finish, a slice of lemon pound cake or peach cobbler with a scoop of blackberry ice cream.

It may be a cardiologist's nightmare, but it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Looking back, most of my most meaningful food memories take place around my Nana’s table, laughing with friends and family and truly connecting with the garden-fresh food of my heritage.

Professionally, I will say that a few years ago I had the opportunity to dine at Luminosa in Asheville, North Carolina, and it was certainly the best meal I’ve ever experienced in a restaurant. Chef House and his team did a fantastic job of combining Italian culture with Appalachian cuisine. The way they brought together two distinct culinary traditions while still allowing the ingredients and the character of Appalachia to shine left a lasting impression on me.

For me, the focus of elevated dining is the culmination of refined cuisine and a memorable atmosphere that takes you on a journey. Elevated dining should be genuine and impactful; it should tell a story and create emotion. It pushes beyond the standard menu and represents something greater than a plate of food could naturally contain.

I would like to create a concept that emphasizes and pays homage to Appalachia while elevating its cuisine to truly highlight its potential. I want to work directly with my hyper-local purveyors and support my community at every level. I want to nurture the next generation of culinarians while honoring and preserving the traditions of those who came before us.

Right now, The Inn at Little Washington is probably the next stop on my culinary bucket list. Their connection to Appalachian heritage is truly inspiring, and I would love the opportunity to experience firsthand how they celebrate that heritage through elevated cuisine.

Personally, I believe my style of cooking is grounded in agriculture and my connection to my community. I believe that the ingredients for a fantastic tomato dish shouldn’t be shipped across the world; they should be grown just a few minutes up the road by my buddy Evan. Good pork comes from the local farmer and butcher, Uriah, and the only fish I would expect to see on a truly local menu is freshwater fish, because my community is about 300 miles from the nearest ocean.

In this modern world of endless availability and instant gratification, I think it is more important than ever to recognize and celebrate the hard work of the people around you. For me, great cooking starts with great ingredients, but it means even more when you know the people and the place those ingredients came from.

Growing up, at every family gathering or cookout, the first thing I filled my plate with was macaroni and cheese. As I grew older and began to develop my love for gastronomy, so did my appreciation for this classic hometown side dish. I found myself experimenting with different cheese blends and noodle shapes, researching its history, and even developing an eight-page research paper on macaroni and cheese for the capstone project of my associate degree.