Mike Lata on The Ordinary, Sean Brock's Fame

Mike Lata talked to Eater National about everything from Charleston's changing restaurant landscape to the menu at his new restaurant The Ordinary, which might open as late as January. The James Beard Award winner comes off as particularly gracious on the topic of Husk. Here's what Lata had to say:

On the Holy City, when FIG opened: "There were lots of lower end mom-and-pops, delis, chain restaurants, and high-end places. There wasn't much in the middle. There wasn't a community restaurant where people could come and break bread and eat food with integrity that wasn't going to be ridiculously expensive.

On Sean Brock: "He represents all the wonderful things of what a chef can be at a local and national level. If anything, I'm more confident in what we do now and very happy about their success."

On The Ordinary's menu: "A lot of people are and have been doing excellent meat and charcuterie and nose-to-tail, but I want to apply that same approach to seafood cooking."

For the full interview, including more about the evolution of FIG, head over to Eater National.
· Mike Lata on FIG and His New Project, The Ordinary [-EN-]
· All coverage of Mike Lata [-ECHS-]
Lata, left, with business partner Adam Nemirow [Photo: The Ordinary]