By Donna Cornelius
Holler & Dash Biscuit House in Homewood partners one of the South’s most traditional treats with not-so-traditional ingredients.
There’s a biscuit called the Pork Rambler, with fried pork tenderloin, blackberry butter and fried onion straws. The Garden Goat is made with fried goat cheese, kale, lemon Dijon vinaigrette and tomato jam. And the Hamabama not only has country ham, but red-eye aioli, kale and apple butter.
Like its biscuits, the restaurant has interesting partners, too – farmers and food producers in Alabama and other Southeastern states.
“Finding local artisan partners was part of our initial strategy, even before we had our name,” said Ally Clokey, Holler & Dash’s brand manager. “The kitchen is the heart of it all, so we wanted local partners. Our original goal was to use producers within a 50-mile area, but we had to expand that to meet our needs. We now have partners in Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.”
Chef Brandon Frohne, the company’s culinary director, said there’s a good reason for the partnerships.
“It’s simple: You’ve got these makers that are doing exceptional things, and they do it all with passion and love,” he said. “We believe in our communities. We want to help support these makers and tell their stories.
“Working with small artisans also helps us control our food quality. We’ve been able to create recipes with their products, and they can change the flavor profiles if we need them to.”
Last year, Homewood became the first location for Holler & Dash, Cracker Barrel’s fast-casual restaurant concept. The company now has stores in Tuscaloosa, Brentwood, Tennessee, and Celebration, Florida, with plans to open more.
Frohne came to Holler & Dash with an impressive culinary resume. The fifth-generation chef is from a family of restaurateurs and worked at restaurants that include his grandmother’s La Cote Basque and Mason’s in Nashville. He’s competed on Food Network’s wildly popular “Chopped” series and twice was invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York City. The Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association named him Chef of the Year in 2015.
“As a chef, relationship-building with farmers in communities is important,” Frohne said.
He drew on some existing associations when he came on board with Holler & Dash.
“For example, we had already established a relationship with Nashville Jams,” he said. “It was a natural fit for Holler & Dash, and it does all our jams.”
Before the restaurant opened in Homewood, Frohne began seeking out Alabama food vendors. One of his first connections was with Stone Hollow Farmstead in Harpersville. Stone Hollow, owned by Deborah Stone, produces dairy and creamery products, including goat cheese. Stone also owns The Pantry in Crestline Village.
“I was in Birmingham before the Homewood opening, and I was in a little shop and had this great goat cheese whipped with honey,” Frohne said. “I grabbed my phone, took a photo of the jar and started Googling to see where it came from. We went out to the farm and saw their production process. That was a no-brainer.”
He found a Wilsonville source for Holler & Dash’s grits and oatmeal.
“I didn’t know Frank McEwen at McEwen & Sons,” Frohne said. “I met other chefs in the Birmingham area, and a lot of them pointed to Frank. The whole idea is to obtain and source the freshest ingredients possible. Because Frank mills daily, we can get his products from the mill to our door in less than two days. There’s a big difference in that and something that takes two weeks to get.”
The chef said he first saw products from City Bee, a Birmingham company with rooftop apiaries, at the Pepper Place farmers market.
Holler & Dash’s Kickback Chicken biscuit is spread with sweet pepper jelly from Nashville Jams, which makes and fills each jar by hand in Nashville. The restaurant’s chef-crafted sodas are made with fresh fruits, and Lambeth Groves in Vero Beach, Florida, supplies high-quality citrus juices.
Other artisan partners from the Southeast are Springer Mountain Chicken, Harper’s Ham, TruBee Honey, Georgia Olive Farms, Geechie Boy Mill, Logan Turnpike Mill, Nola Granola, Rishi Tea, Frothy Monkey, Doux South, Olive & Sinclair, Willa’s Shortbread, Red Clay Gourmet and Seminole Pride.
Clokey said any food vendor may make a pitch to Holler & Dash.
“It usually starts with an email,” she said. “We do have a bunch of food safety and other requirements.”
She, Frohne and Mike Chissler, Holler & Dash’s chief operating officer, then usually will travel to visit the farms or production sites and meet the food producers in person.
“We get to sample the ingredients,” Clokey said. “Mom-and-pop operations bring personality and flavor to our vendor profile. They stay in touch with us and become part of the family. That’s a cool part of our job.”
Chissler said Holler & Dash has found a great home in downtown Homewood.
“We loved the restaurant space,” Chissler said. “We tried to preserve as much of the existing elements as we could. We incorporated the floor, the unique brick wall and the old tin ceiling into the build-out.
“Our team appreciates all the community support during our first year. Everyone has been so welcoming, patient and helpful.”
Frohne said Holler & Dash has formed good relationships with Alabama diners as well as food vendors.
“Homewood is an awesome community,” he said. “You’ve got Birmingham right over the mountain. There’s real Southern hospitality there, and everyone’s so nice.
“The most fun thing has been spreading the biscuit gospel. Biscuits have always been a part of my life. Now, it’s the focus of my career. I love being able to alter someone’s perception of a biscuit.”
Holler & Dash Biscuit House is at 2801 18th St. South in Homewood. For more information, visit holleranddash.com or follow the restaurant on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
