Appalachia is a 206,000-square-mile cultural and geographic area in the eastern United States, stretching along the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi and covering 13 states.
The restaurant will be led by head chef Alistair Borer, formerly head chef at Thai restaurant Smoking Goat and most recently at The Light Bar in Shoreditch.
Borer will create a menu that ‘reflects the team’s core ethos’, combining his experience in fire-led, Thai-influenced cooking with a focus on ‘seasonal, heritage-driven produce’.
Dishes will include smoked eel and jalapeño devilled eggs; rock oysters with tomatillo and Scotch bonnet; barbecue whole quail with blue cheese slaw; and country-fried rabbit with chorizo gravy.
The bar programme will be led by Fraser Stancombe, formerly of Three Sheets Soho, who will shape a drinks offering designed to complement Appalachia’s regional narrative while delivering a ‘refined yet approachable cocktail experience’.
Cocktails will include the Banana Pudding Sazerac (brown butter-washed rye, vanilla rum; Tempus Fugit (banana liqueur, absinthe and Peychaud’s bitters); and Kentucky 75 (a cross between a classic French 75 and a Mint Julep made with mint-washed bourbon, absinthe, citrus oils, wine and peppermint oil).
Wine will be overseen by head sommelier Harry Cooper.
Ahead of reopening, the restaurant will undergo a refresh to reflect Appalachia’s ‘warm regional character’.
The team is led by co-owners Camilla Meshiea and Ryan Sheenan, who say they are bringing a fresh identity and narrative to the space while retaining its intimate, counter-led format.
Sheenan’s basement cocktail bar, Lowcountry, will continue to trade as normal, offering “a contemporary homage to the American South”.
Counter 71 launched in 2023 and was originally headed up by former Fenn and Anglo chef Joe Laker.
Appalachia officially launches on 3 June.